When the new industry term “bioresins” hit the plastics community in the early 2000s, polylactic acid (PLA ) made its way to the top of the list in a class of new plant-based materials.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Arkema Group’s subsidiary, Altuglas International, King of Prussia, Pa., and NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., have entered a global marketing collaboration to provide a range of high-performance alloys based on PMMA and PLA.

Higher-performance and easier processing PE film resins for packaging, a one-pass crosslinked PE for photovoltaic (PV) wire and cable, several higher-performing nylons and TPEs, “greener” plastics, and enhanced styrenic and PC resins are among the new materials that made their debut at the big show in Orlando, Fla., last month.

The excitement in the air of the recent Innovation Takes Root conference was a sense of arrival.

Bioplastics take center stage.

Joint venture with BioAmber, called AmberWorks, will produce blends of PLA and succinic-acid based biopolymers,

Do you have a sustainability officer yet? You might need one. It's probably even more likely that your customers have one, and you will have to pay attention to them if you want to continue to supply them with plastic parts or products.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., the world’s first and largest supplier of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers, has received an investment of $150 million from PTT Chemical Public Co.

A new bioplastics conference emerged this June with the launch of the Bioplastek 2011 Forum on Bioplastics Today and Tomorrow, held in N.Y.C. and organized by Schotland Business Research, Inc., Skillman, N.J.

Four suppliers are bringing out higher-performance materials partly or wholly based on PLA biopolymer.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Four suppliers are bringing out higher-performance materials partly or wholly based on PLA biopolymer.

The K 2010 show will present new plastics materials for a wide range of industries, which makes it hard to generalize, but a few markets stand out prominently: packaging, medical, automotive, and electronic equipment.

The second conference on biopolymers hosted by NatureWorks testified to the burgeoning interest in this new field of plastics.

Two firms have been established to recycle polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer.

If you’re thinking about adding bioplastics to your portfolio of processing capabilities, it’s best to first find out what separates them from traditional synthetic polymers and how their differences will affect you.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., the biggest producer of PLA biopolymer, has come out with a grade having higher heat resistance than any of its previous products.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Telecom Italia’s new Eco Cordless phone has a shell injection molded from Ingeo PLA biopolymer.

"We tend to jump on things early," says John Kittredge. "F-K has been a pioneer in a number of things. Our earliest example was converting HDPE margarine tubs to ABS. After that we were a leader in thermoforming polypropylene, and then APET." Now it's PLA biopolymer.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: In July, NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., completed an expansion that doubles its capacity for Ingeo polylactide (PLA) biopolymers at Blair, Neb.

WEB EXCLUSIVE NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., the world’s first and largest commercial producer of polylactide (PLA) biopolymer, has invested $1 million to convert its former pilot plant in Savage, Minn., into an applications lab for its Ingeo-brand bioresin.

Two recent moves by NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., the world’s first and largest supplier of polylactide (PLA) biopolymer, indicate that this renewable resin is gaining broader market acceptance.

U.S. injection molders are still pretty green when it comes to processing the new crop of renewably sourced biopolymers. These biologically derived polymers made from PLA, PHA and starch-based resins are attracting growing market interest as materials with no ties to petrochemical-based thermoplastics.

A technique for crystallizing polylactide (PLA) biopolymer trays to make them more heat resistant was disclosed in a recent patent application by NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn.

A new grade of polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer for injection molding offers higher flow than previous grades for easier injection molding of thin-wall parts.

Bioplastics were initially created for single-use applications like packaging and hotel key and gift cards.

Up to now, the number-one biopolymer in commercial use, polylactic acid or PLA, has been available mainly from one supplier and in a limited range of varieties. But there appear to be a number of new sources waiting in the wings, who are preparing a profusion of new PLA variants—copolymers, alloys, “engineering” PLA and even “do-it-yourself” PLA.

Plastics are going “green,” but they will need some help to get there. Biodegradable polymers derived from renewable resources are attracting lots of interest and publicity, but that enthusiasm is counterbalanced by persistent questions of availability, cost, performance, and processability. All these issues are inter-related: Increasing demand will lead to more capacity, which will presumably lead to lower prices. But the foundation is market demand, which ultimately depends on whether biopolymers will have the performance properties and processability to compete with existing non-renewable plastics.

A high-cavitation hot-runner system designed specifically for molding bottle preforms of biodegradable polylactide (PLA) resins is offered by Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., Bolton, Ont.

Major chemical companies are investing big bucks in new plants and technologies to produce plastics from annually renewable sources, not from petrochemicals.

Foamed food trays made of polylactic acid (PLA) resin, the corn-based biopolymer, have a commercial toehold in Europe and are undergoing market tests here.

More resin makers are joining the action in biopolymers made from renewable resources.

A new line of bioplastic sheet products from Spartech Corp., Clayton, Mo., is made of polylactic acid (PLA) resin from NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn.

Injection-blow molded PLA bottles made by Alpha Packaging, St.

High expectations for biopolymers— an emerging class of materials derived at least in part from biological activity—are being tempered by the realities of the marketplace.

Plastics made from renewable carbon chains, not fossil carbon from oil or gas, are suddenly a solid commercial reality. The draw isn’t just “green” marketing, but the “green” of stable prices not linked to petrochemicals.

The industry's first shrink labels made of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) film have been introduced by Gilbreth Packaging, Croydon, Pa.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, Ark., has begun a program to urge its suppliers to reduce the amounts of packaging and to use more recycled materials in packaging.

Plastic Suppliers Inc. in Columbus, Ohio, last spring began producing the first cast and tentered TDO shrink film made of corn-based PLA (polylactic acid) from NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn.

Recent news testifies to growing momentum for biopolymers derived from corn by bacterial fermentation: --As reported on p. 22, DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del., is developing engineering thermoplastics and TPEs derived in part from fermented corn sugar. --Mazda Motor Corp., Tokyo, and a Japanese consortium of other companies, universities, and research institutes developed a heat-resistant plastic consisting of 88% corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and 12% petroleum-derived materials.

With oil prices high, compostable polylactic acid (PLA) from NatureWorks LLC in Minnetonka, Minn., doesn't look so expensive anymore.

NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, Minn., is exploring several barrier technologies including multilayer structures, coatings, and additives to improve the shelf-life performance of its polylactic acid (PLA) resins.

 Polylactic acid, first synthesized a half-century ago, has finally arrived as an alternative to PET, HIPS, PVC, and cellulosics in some high-clarity packaging roles.