Development of high-heat, high-impact, compostable PLA

20-May-14

SPI has presented its second annual “Innovation in Bioplastics Award” to Teknor Apex Company for development of Terraloy® high-impact, heat-resistant polylactic acid (PLA) compounds, which are compostable and generate less greenhouse gas than standard resins for applications such as disposables and food ware, it was announced today by the Bioplastics Division of Teknor Apex. The new Terraloy HDT PLA compounds are available in extrusion grades for thermoformed products like lids, cups, bowls, and trays and injection molding grades for cutlery, cups, and bowls. Besides being FDA compliant, the compounds have been designated by our customers as compostable in accordance with the ASTM D-6400 standard, and Teknor Apex has received USDA BioPreferred certification. Bio-based content of the molding and extrusion grades is 84 and 96%, respectively. In a life-cycle analysis, Terraloy HDT PLA compound exhibited slightly more potential for greenhouse gas generation than uncompounded PLA resin and less than half that of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), which is commonly used in many target applications.