Audi, BASF and Covestro develop automotive clearcoat with bio-based hardener: A project team consisting of employees of the car maker Audi, BASF´s Coatings division and materials company Covestro has developed a clearcoat containing a bio-based hardener that was applied to test bodies of the Audi Q2 under near-series conditions at the Audi plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. BASF developed the clearcoat using the bio-based hardener Desmodur® eco N 7300 from Covestro. A total of 70 percent of the hardener’s carbon content is sourced from renewable raw materials. This innovation reduces the consumption of fossil resources. The clearcoat forms the top layer of the coating system, lending it scratch resistance, a glossy appearance and protection against sunlight and other weather effects.
Braskem’s Green PE at Sao Paulo Fashion Week: Braskem and the Brazilian fashion brand À La Garçonne have signed a partnership for the production of exclusive pieces made from Braskems bio-based PE (“Green Plastic”) for the Sao Paulo Fashion Week 2017. The partnership confirms that innovative plastic technologies and the trend for more sustainable fashion can go hand in hand. Braskem’s “Green Plastic” is produced from sugarcane and contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Some of the bracelets and buttons used in the À La Garçonne collection were 3D printed using the bio-based PE.
FKuR expands Biograde® portfolio with two new injection molding grades: The bioplastics specialist FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, based in Willich, Germany, has extended its product range of cellulose acetate based injection molding grades. In addition to the current Biograde® standard grade C9550, the portfolio now also includes the new grades C 5509 CL and C 5508, which are both based on a newly developed combination of raw materials and additives. Their ASTM D 6866 bio-based content has been increased from 50% to over 65%. The cellulose used for Biograde® originates from sustainable forestry wood, tropical wood is not used. Both grades can be easily processed with short cycle times on standard injection molding machines with universal screws, even in multi-cavity molds.
Folding containers using BASF’s ecovio EA succesfully produced by ICEE: Australian company ICEE has announced it has successfully developed a biodegradable version of its patented flat moulded folding box using BASF’s Ecovio biofoam. Ecovio EA is a high performance, certified compostable particle foam that is ideal for the transportation of perishable food items due to its superior insulation properties, and its high level of impact resistance and robustness. The high bio-based content and the certified compostability makes Ecovio EA particularly attractive wherever a fossil packaging solution no longer meets customers’ requirements for a bio-based and biodegradable transport solution.
