New product concept
Innovative, resilient & sustainable 100% biobased marine biodegradable thermoplastics
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Type of Solution sought
A specialty materials supplier is developing Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a marine biodegradable thermoplastic with high crystallinity. It combines environmental friendliness with strong performance properties such as heat, chemical and hydrolysis resistance, as well as tensile strength. PHB demonstrates excellent biodegradability in seawater, achieving complete degradation under test conditions. This makes it highly suitable for sustainable plastic applications in situations where plastics cannot be recovered after use, or where biodegradability is essential, even for durable goods.
Who might be interested?
Converters, brand owners, and manufacturers seeking fossil-free, truly biodegradable alternatives for applications where end-of-life environmental performance is critical, such as non-recoverable plastic goods, recoverable items needing biodegradation, and durable goods with varying recovery scenarios.
Description of Desired Solution
Detailed Solution Description
Polyhydroxybutyrate is a fully biobased thermoplastic that offers several key advantages:
- Marine biodegradable,
- Crystalline structure & good mechanical strength,
- Chemical and hydrolysis resistance
Superior marine biodegradability
PHB offers a significantly higher and faster biodegradation rate compared to cellulose
Test: ASTM D6691 using seawater at 30°C. Biodegradability calculated from biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
Superior chemical resistance over PLA
PHB outperforms PLA in chemical resistance, including to common solvents and acidic/alkaline environments.
Left sample - before exposure to chemicals.
Right sample - 24 hours after exposure to the chemicals
Strong tensile properties
PHB offers high tensile modulus and strength, and can achieve softer, more flexible performance when combined with plasticizers.
Superior heat resistance over PLA
PHB demonstrates superior heat resistance over PLA and retains significant performance even in blends. This makes it highly suitable for heat-sensitive applications such as cutlery, food containers, and durable fibers, where thermal resistance is a key requirement.
| PHB wt% | PLA wt% | Heat Deflection Temp. °C, Bending stress 0.45MPa |
| 100 | 0 | 153 |
| 75 | 25 | 133 |
| 30 | 70 | 107 |
| 0 | 100 | 55 |