Bio-Polymers & New Materials:Polymers from

Renewable Resources

April 2008

What are Bio-Polymers?

• Bio-Based or Bio-Sourced means that the product has been made from a biological (living) or renewable source, such as corn or sugar cane.

• Bio-Degradable means the product may be broken down by other living organisms, such as bacteria, that exist in nature.

• Being bio-based does not mean a material is bio-degradable. Being bio-degradable does not mean a material is bio-based.

Today & the Near Future

• Today– New Resins

• PLA & PHA

– Combination Technologies• Starch or Fiber + Polymers

– Modifications of Existing Materials• PDO

• Future– Basic Materials from Renewable Feedstocks

• Ethylene (and polyethylene), Polyurethane precursors, and Polyamide

Feedstock↓

Monomer ↓

Polymer ↓

Package

Production of Polymers

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Historical Production of Polymers

• Petrochemical based polymers have been made from monomers derived from oil or natural gas for the last 80 years.

• Large, integrated chemical complexes manufacture ethylene (C2), propylene (C3), and other basic building blocks.

• These basic hydrocarbon building blocks along with chlorine are used to make most of today’s polymers.

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Drivers of Change

• The cost of oil and gas have risen significantly over the last few years.

• Sustainability is increasingly driving both corporate and personal decision making.

• Alternatives to using oil or natural gas exist or are being developed today.

Sources of Carbon (Feedstock)

Renewable Carbon

Non-renewableCarbon

Oil andNatural Gas

Coal

new supplies of oil,

gas-to-liquid(GTL)

processes

coal-to-gas(CTG)and

coal-to-liquids(CTL)

processes

ChemicalConversion

ThermochemicalConversion

chemical conversion of

biomass

BiochemicalConversion

fermentation of biomass

biomass-to-gas(BTG)and

biomass-to-liquids(BTL)

Biomass

Feedstock (Carbon Source)(such as Natural Gas, Oil, Corn, Soybeans, Sugar Cane)

↓Monomer

(such as Ethylene, Propylene, Lactic Acid)

↓Polymer

(such as Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polylactic acid)

↓Package

(such as Bottle or Pouch)

Production of Polymers

Bio-Based Sustainability

• Potential to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions– But could also increase either or both– Benefits must be confirmed via application-specific life cycle analysis

• Can not ignore impacts of farming– Water use, eutrophication, habitat loss, deforestation

• Social impact– Food supply & food prices

• Need for thorough Life Cycle Assessment including all impact categories

End of Life

• Potential contaminant in recycling• Composting

– Potential new recovery method– Most need industrial composting

• Systems need further development. Few facilities and almost no collection exist today

– Need curbside collection• Collection impacts greenhouse gas emissions

“Truth-in-Marketing” for Bio-based materials

• Utilize resources to ensure “truth-in-marketing”of bio-based materials – Measuring bio-based content– Terminology of bio-based product and content– Life Cycle Analysis standards

• ASTM D6852-02 Standard Guide for Determination of BiobasedContent, Resources Consumption, and Environmental Profile of Materials and Products

• ASTM D6866-06a Standard Test Methods for Determining the BiobasedContent (Natural Range Materials Using Radiocarbon and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Analysis)

• ASTM D883-08 Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics • ISO14040 standards for life-cycle-analysis• ASTM D6400 –Standard for Compostability• ASTM D6868 –Standard for compostable plastic coated paper

products

Polylactic Acid (PLA)

• Made from renewable resources (corn)• Can be composted under industrial

compositing conditions

Conversion

sugar(dextrose)

Plants

Carbon dioxideand water

manufacturing

PLA

PLA

• Performance– Fit for use in numerous applications – Clarity and optics– Form and stiffness provide opportunity to downgauge– UV Stable– Printability– Limited heat stability (105 F)

• Emotional: Appeal to Consumer– Makes them feel good about purchase decision– Plant origins

• Environmental– Made from plants– Purchased renewable energy credits– New disposal/recovery options

Flexible, Films& CoatingsServiceware Rigid Containers

Consumer Goods

Bottles

Nonwovens Home & Office Textile Apparel

Potential Applications for PLA

• Rigid Packaging– Clear, opaque or colored food trays, clamshells and bowls– Salad Bowls– Bakery trays and clamshells– Cold drink cups– Lids

• Bottles and Containers– Short shelf life dairy or juice– Dry articles

• Flexible Packaging – Shrink sleeves– Labels– Flow wrap – Produce bags – Lidding film – Tamper bands

• Extrusion coated food service-ware• Apparel & Textiles• Home & Garden

Current Uses of PLA

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)

• Made from renewable resources (corn)• Also bio-degradable under appropriate

conditions

PHA

Given proper conditions, PHA will biodegrade back to nature at the end of its useful life.

PHA can be used for everyday items.

• Bio-based– Made from renewable resources (corn sugar)

• Biodegradable to Compostable • Properties & Processability

– Easy processing with range of properties– Range of modulus possible– Heat and moisture resistance – Dimensional stability – Resistance to grease and oils

PHA

Potential Applications for PHA

• Agricultural and Horticultural• Compost Bags• Packaging

– Caps & Closures– Detergent Sachets– Foam– Bags

• Electronics• Consumer Goods• Marine and Water

Propanediol (PDO)

• Made from renewable resources (corn)• A monomer used as one of the

building blocks to make PTT -poly(trimethylene terephthalate)– The use of renewably sourced PDO

results in a final polymer with 30-37% renewable content

The Future

• New technologies will bring new products to market and more existing polymers will be made from new raw materials

• Data-driven Lifecycle Analysis will extend the understanding of the benefits of bio-polymers

Polyethylene from Sugar Cane

Polyethylene (PE)

• Can be made from renewable resources (sugar cane)

• Not bio-degradable• Same properties, processing, &

performance as polyethylene made from natural gas or oil feedstocks –because the polyethylene molecules are the same

Summary

• Polymers made from both traditional and rewewable feedstocks will play an important role in creating the packaging systems of tomorrow

• Polymer selection should be based on careful assessment of ALL performance criteria, including sustainability metrics determined using life cycle impacts

Contact Information

• For information on PLA, please contact Grant Braasch, Business Development Manager, NatureWorks LLC, 952.742.0581, Grant_Braasch@natureworksllc.com

• For information on PHA, please contact: Dan Gilliland, Business Development Director, Gilliland@mirelplastics.com

• For information on PDO, please contact Shanna Moore, duPont, shanna.l.moore@usa.dupont.com

• For information on PE from sugar cane, please contact Jeff Wooster, Dow, jeff.wooster@dow.com, 713.978.3239.

• For information on degradable and compostable products please contact Steve Mojo, Biodegradable Products Institute, Executive Director, info@bpiworld.org

• For additional information on standards, please contact Charlene Wall, BASF, 973-245-6438, charlene.wall@basf.com

• Please visit the ACC website at www.americanchemistry.com