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Bio polymers were first developed by Cargill from corn. They are now well entrenched under the trade name of
NatureWorks. Due to higher cost of synthesis and manufacturing several attempts have been made to look for
alternate feedstocks. PLA based bio plastics are currently produced almost exclusively from corn and grain
starch. But given that prices for this feedstock keep rising because of their use in the production of ethanol,
the utilization of new raw materials becomes an attractive proposal. The production of sugar crops; both cane
and beets, is outstripping demand. Both Brazil and India delivered record crops, and in the EU
too sugar prices have declined. Some of the feedstocks that hold promise are:
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Sugar beet and sugarcane residues |
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Sugarcane |
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Cassava |
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Soy |
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Sago starch |
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Palm oil residue |
Sugar beet and sugarcane residue
A new Italian company called Bio-On is entering the bio plastics market with a process that produces polylactic acid (PLA)
based plastics from sugar beet and sugarcane residues with a claimed efficiency of 95%. Bio-On has developed a series of
patented processes that ferment waste and byproducts from beet and cane processing into lactic acid, filtrates and polymers
useable for the production of a range of fully biodegradable plastics. Waste streams become valuable resources that can be
converted almost in their entirety in a useful product. Sugar beet pulp, one of the prime feedstocks, is usually used as
low value animal feed or disposed of at additional cost. Likewise, bagasse and molasses from sugarcane have a relatively
low value and are abundantly available. Moreover, Bio-On's production process would reduce energy costs and as it is based
on a multi-feedstock strategy, costs for raw materials would be substantially lower than those for traditional PLA production.
The planned location of the production plant is quite significant: 'Plastic Valley' in Bologna, the region with a long
tradition of developing innovative plastics, with some leading research organizations working on bio products.
There, Bio-On is creating relations with universities and scientists, and aims to have a production facility ready
by 2009. Output would be 10,000 tons. Bio-On has already spent � 2-3 million in research and development, whereas the
full scale production plant would entail an investment of another �10 million.
Sugarcane
The University of Queensland (UQ) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have teamed
up to develop and patent technologies to convert sugar cane into bio plastics. A leading bio plastics producer
Metabolix announced collaboration with the Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation through
Biotechnology, an alliance of Australia's sugarcane biotechnology research organizations, to develop natural
plastics from sugarcane.
Cassava
Cassava is an important raw material for sugar in Brazil. The research work in Brazil has found out that the production
cost of industrial starch from cassava in Brazil is around US$262/MT compared to production costs of US$478/MT for corn
starch in the U.S. The production cost of sugars for the production of bio polymers, derived from sugarcane is between
$150-200/MT, while the cost of comparably useful glucose from corn starch in the United States is about $450/MT.
As a consequence, the production cost for polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) based bio polymers in
Brazil is estimated to be about one half (for PLA) to one third (for PHB) of that in the United States. The
competitiveness of bio polymers produced in Brazil with those produced in the U.S. depends on freight costs and import
taxes at the destination country. Bio polymers produced in Brazil and the U.S. have significant cost advantages when
compared to those (currently) produced in Europe or Japan. The study also evaluates the probability of technical and
commercial success in the development of different bio polymers in Brazil.
The country can not only produce bio polymers at low cost, but is also well positioned to develop the necessary technology
based on ten years of local experience in PHB research, and current pilot-scale production of this material. The future of
large scale production of bio polymers in Brazil is currently restricted by limited investment capital and lack of well
developed government incentives.
In Colombia, Professor Hector Villada from the Universidad del Cauca and researchers of the Universidad del Valle en Colombia
(grouped under the umbrella of the research group CYTIBIA - Ciencia y Tecnologia de Biomoleculas de Interes Industrial),
have developed a bio plastic based on cassava starch. The scientists fermented cassava root
(locally known as 'yuca root') for a 20-day period, mixed it with water and �plasticizers of natural origin�. They then
successfully formed resin pellets by a traditional extrusion process.
The scientists also indicated that the cassava polymer has "shape memory" capabilities, or, in other words, a shape shift can
be obtained when the material's temperature is changed. There now is a Colombian patent pending application for this bio
plastic material and its associated production process.
In another development, the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology announced last year that it is going to promote the
production and use of cassava starch-based bio plastics as part of a National Biotechnology Policy Framework. Under this framework, an investment was announced of about US$26 million (until 2009) to encourage production
and application of bio plastics, which will be utilizing local agricultural resources. The recently created Thai
National Innovation Agency (NIA), which manages the funds, indicates on its web page that it is focusing efforts on
three strategic areas:
1) the development of a bio-based industrial sector 2) bio energy and the environment and 3) design and branding.
The NIA and the Federation of Thai industries are the organizers of InnoBioplast, an international conference and exhibition
on bio plastics.
Sago starch
In Malaysia, an international team of scientists from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and the UK succeeded in
developing an efficient polylactic acid production process based on starch derived from the sago palm:
Sago starch is obtained directly from the palm tree's trunks, in which it grows in great quantities. It is easily fermentable
by most microorganisms and easily hydrolyzed into glucose. This sugar can be further converted into lactate by bacteria.
The group has succeeded in maximizing the production of lactic acid from sago starch by utilizing a continuous fermentation
system coupled with a cell recycling system which minimized the possibility of wash-out even at high dilution rates.
Recently, scientists also accomplished the purification of the lactic acid from the fermentation system by electro dialysis.
Current research indicates that the purity of lactic acid can be affected by the storage parameters, such as pH, temperature,
ionic strength and degree of purification. The research may be extended into methods in polymerizing the pure lactate in the
formation of a bio film for bio plastic synthesis.
Palm oil residue
In Malaysia, Professor from the University Putra introduced the challenges and opportunities of biomass research in
Malaysia during the Biomass-Asia Forum in 2006.
The major contributor to the biomass industry in Malaysia is the palm oil industry (85% of all available biomass).
Palm oil production is rising as a consequence of biodiesel demand around the world. Professor Hassan has contributed to
this effort by focusing on the development of bio polymers like PLA and PHB from palm oil mill effluents and palm fruit residues .
MIT and University of Putra researchers worked together between 2000 and 2002 on a project that pursued transgenic palm capable of
synthesizing PHB at a commercial scale capacity. The project was successful, but there have not been commercial developments
associated with its conclusions.
These developments in the sector of plant-based plastics and polymers clearly indicate the opportunity for the
development of bio polymers from natural and renewable resources that are locally available biomass resources.
Even though the global market for bio plastics and polymers is only in its infancy, environmental considerations,
waste-management and pollution issues, and the prospect higher prices for oil and petrochemical feedstocks,
makes it reasonable to assume that the sector has a bright future.
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