They are at the 5th Edition of the European Biopolymer Summit, which is taking place on 14th – 15th February 2018 in Dusseldorf, Germany. This two day conference, in which we are participating as speakers, is designed to bring together senior executives, key industry experts, researchers and bioplastic manufacturers, to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of bioenvironmental polymer engineering, most recent innovations, trends and concern as well as solutions adopted in the sector.
These three projects in which we are involved, with a vast European partners network, are the following:
Funguschain
The FUNGUSCHAIN project aims to extract value from the agricultural offcuts of commercial mushroom farming. It seeks to process these offcuts into bio-based functional additives and biopolymers using a cascading approach to separate the valuable components into a spectrum of products. It also seeks to prove its industrial viability by building a new bio-refinery and modifying industrial current manufacturing lines.
The bio-molecules and building blocks isolated from the mushroom wastes will be validated for industrial production in three value chains for the European economy, notably food supplements for the elderly, plastic products and industrial film products such as bags and gloves.
More info: http://funguschain.eu/
Bárbara
The BARBARA project aims to develop new bio-based materials with innovative functionalities through the incorporation of additives coming from bio-mass so that, by means of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), - the most widely spread technology for 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) - prototypes with industrial applications can be obtained.
These new materials must be based on food waste (from vegetables, fruits and nuts such as carrots, almonds or pomegranates) or agricultural by-products (from corn) and must possess specific mechanical, thermal, aesthetical, optical and antimicrobial properties to make them suitable for their industrial use in components for two highly demanding sectors such as the construction and automotive industries.
Plastics based on biomass materials are already in use for household 3D printing. Such is the case of PLA (poly-lactic acid). Now the challenge is using it at an industrial level while taking into account the requirements which manufactured pieces need to meet from the very early stage when engineering materials and enriching additives are formulated.
More info: http://www.barbaraproject.eu/
Citruspack
The project aims to demonstrate that sustainability and efficiency can be applied to agricultural and industrial practices by researching and boosting the potential of byproducts through their valorisation in a number of new value chains.
These vegetal side products, which origin is based on transformation processes, will be used as natural additives for the reinforcement of 100% biodegradable plastic bottles and containers. In addition, the cycle is completed using other elements for creams composition.
In this way the project intends to valorise a maximum 80% of the raw material generated in the transformation process.
More info: http://citruspack.eu/
The previous editions of this conference brought together industry professional from companies including Novamont, BASF, Biotec, NatureWorks, BIO Amber, Braskem, DuPont, Kaneka, Nestlé, Danone, Nippon Gohsei Europe GmbH, Corbion, FkuR Kunstoff GmbH and many more.