BASF has developed a "completely biodegradable plastics" called Ecovio, made of Ecoflex – which is based on petrochemicals - together with renew-able raw materials. Samples are now available in Europe, and commercial quantities are expected in March, 2006.
The first product, Ecovio LBX 8145, contains, in addition to Ecoflex, 45 per cent by weight of polylactic acid (PLA), made of corn. First application will be for flexible films that can be used to produce plastics shopping bags. The renewable component is being purchased from NatureWorks.
"We had to pay close attention to the viscosity of the product during development, to achieve the most favourable processing properties for our customers," reveals Gabriel Skupin, who developed Ecovio. "This is where BASF's know-how in plastics production and processing came to the fore."
He says users can process Ecovio as a ready-made, or in their own tailor-made blends. "They can mix the basic component Ecovio L with Ecoflex or PLA so as to obtain softer or harder formulations - even modify the material so that it is suitable for injection moulding or deep drawing applications."
BASF expects the world market for biodegradable plastics to grow annually by more than 20 per cent over the next five years.
| Contact |
| BASF Tel: +49 621 60 0 |
