World’s most versatile bioplastic - Floreonfloreon.com/uploads/generic/Floreon_NEW_A4_Brochure_v10_Web.pdfdevelop a high performance bioplastic using polylactic acid (PLA) blends

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World’s most versatile bioplastic

www.floreon.com

Floreon NEW A4 Brochure v10.indd 2 14/04/2015 11:03

Floreon was created from a desire for a greener, safer form of plastic water bottles for office water coolers.

Unhappy with the options available we decided to develop our own...

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Floreon was created from a desire for a greener, safer form of plastic water bottle for office water coolers

Unhappy with the options available, we decided to develop our own...


The possibilities for Floreon are endless. We’ve gone far beyond the original remit of replacing the traditional water bottle, or even replacing PET plastic and other plastic derivatives. I believe it has the potential to transform both packaging and the way we think about plastic.”

Shaun Chatterton Founder

3

Shaun started his own business

(CPD plc) in 1988 and it soon

became one of the UK’s largest

independent distributors of

cleaning and hygiene products.

He is the founder and Chief

Executive of Floreon.


A Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Sheffield was formed to develop a high performance bioplastic using polylactic acid (PLA) blends.

However, standard PLA does not have the toughness needed for many applications and Floreon was born.

This is how it all started

4


Floreon was born out of a passion to innovate

Floreon was awarded the highest grade of “Outstanding” by the KTP Grading Panel and Innovate UK Best Research Partnership

Floreon is a range of specially formulated PLA based compounds

Our goal was to transform the way we think about plastic and the impact we have on the environment. Our approach is simple. Make it fast and make it right. We took an existing bio-based polymer (PLA) with beautiful material properties and added our own technology to make it work better than all the alternatives.”

Alma HodzicProf. of Advanced Materials Technologies at The University of Sheffield

5

Alma was one of the original

inventors of Floreon. After

completing her PhD in Science

of Engineering Materials she was

a research fellow in Department

of Applied Chemistry at RMIT

University and lectured at both

The University of Sheffield and

James Cook University.


Made from sustainable feedstocks, Floreon is the best choice for companies looking for high performance, versatile and green packaging solutions

• Lower carbon footprint – derived from non-mineral oil feedstock

• Easy to compost – certified to EN 13432 for industrial composting

• Recyclable – multiple end of life solutions available

6


Made from plants not oiland derived from abundant100% annually renewable plant resources

Polys

tyre

ne

Polye

ster

LD Po

lyeth

ylene

Polyp

ropy

lene

(PLA

) Inge

o 2005

(PLA

) Inge

o 2009 C

IT*

3.4 3.22.7

2.1 1.9 2.01.3

4

3

2

1

0

GPPS PET PVC LDPE PP Ingeo Ingeo

From cradle to factory gate(kg CO2 eq. / kg polymer)

Reduced carbon footprint with PLA bioplastics

Polyv

inyl C

hlorid

e

7Source: NatureWorks LLC 2009 *CIT stands for “currently implemented technology”


Capacity in 1,000 metric tonnes

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

776

5003

486

675

342

226674

23

5,779

1,1611,016

249Biodegradable

Biobased/non-biodegradable

Total Capacity

Source: European Bioplastics | Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (December 2013)

2009 2010 2011 2016

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Readily available with a steady increase in capacity


*In relation to global agricultural area

Land used for bioplastics (2011)

Global Agricultural Area

5 billion ha

37%

Bioplastics are not even close to being in competition with food and feed.

Food & Feed1.29 billion ha / 27%

Pasture3.5 billion ha / 70% Material Use

100 million ha / 2%

Biofuels 55 million ha / 1%

Bioplastics*

2011 300.000 ha0.006%

2016 1.1 million ha0.022%

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Floreon performance v PLA

• Vastly increases the number of applications for PLA• Excellent form, stiffness and rigidity • Excellent gloss and printability• Easy to blend, mold, shape, emboss and process

on existing equipment• UV stable• Non-allergenic components• Food packaging compliant (EU 1935/2004)

Floreon has developed a range of specially formulated compounds based on PLA - so special that they are four times tougher.

PLA already has excellent stiffness and transparency, our technology allows us to enhance its performance in other areas such as toughness and durability, without compromising the compostability and high bio content.”

Dr. Andrew GillTechnical Director

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Andrew helped develop Floreon through a Technology Strategy

Board sponsored Knowledge Transfer Partnership between CPD

and the University of Sheffield. He is Technical Director of Floreon.

BSc, Chemistry, MSc, Chemistry with Biochemistry, Doctor of

Philosophy (PhD), Tissue Engineering.


PLA

In house testing on sheet specimens to *ISO 6603-1/A and **ISO 527-3 on extruded sheet, thickness 750 micron

4

4

4

180-220

490

12

4

4

4

160-220

1950

70

11

Recyclable

Biodegradable

Biobased

Process T (OC)

Impact Resistance* (mJ)

Elongation at Break**


Floreon performance v oil based plastics

Floreon also offers significant benefits over oil based plastics.

Environmental• More stable feedstock

price compared to volatility of world oil price

• Less energy needed to produce

• Not from fossil fuel• Composts more readily

than most oil based plastics

Performance• Higher strength than

PS and even PET • Modulus (stiffness) higher

than polystyrene, great for rigid sheet applications

• Excellent impact resistance for performance

Our vision with Floreon was to create a range of PLA based compounds with performance equal to if not better than the oil based plastics they replace.”

Bill StringerCommercial Director

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13

3.1

63

3.7

170-180

1.4

32

10

220-310

0.2

10

106

220-260

2.4

55

2

250-280

1.5

33

7

210-290

3.0

34

2

200-250

Rigidity/Modulus (GPa)

Tensile Strength (MPa)

Impact Resistance* (kJ/m2)

Process T (OC)

HDPE

LDPE

PET

PP PS

Based on independent testing and comparison with Floreon 100


This is how FloreonworksFloreon is biodegradable and fully recyclable. It can be converted back into feedstock in an energy efficient manner and re-polymerised back into virgin PLA.

Pure polymers are often restricted in their applications and properties and require careful formulating to achieve the best results. This is obviously a normal approach in the conventional plastics industry but one which is only recently being pursued in the bioplastics sector.

Floreon is an excellent example of producing a range of plastics based on PLA, which maximises and enhances the properties of PLA and produces bioplastic products with a wide range of applications and functional benefits, in combination with positive environmental credentials.”

Dr. John Williams Non-Executive Director

John is a globally experienced

technology manager and advisor in

the field of renewable materials and

sustainable technology. John is a Non-

Executive Director at Floreon. BSc,

Chemistry, PhD, Polymer Chemistry.

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SciencePlants’ sugars are transformed into biopolymers which become Floreon after a special additive has been added.

BiomassPLA is taken from 100%

annually renewable resources.

End of lifeFloreon has a

range of options.

CompostFloreon, unlike PET,

can also be composted.

ApplicationFloreon is used to make

plastic items such as packaging.

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Energy from waste

Energy Recovery maintaining a short

carbon cycle.

RecycleFloreon can be

recycled.


Floreon 100 is a versatile blend containing 90% polylactic acid combined with the optimal amount of two other biodegradable polyesters, which enhance both the processability and impact resistance of the base polymer.

• Enhanced processability • Increased impact resistance

Floreon 200 is an opaque white pigmented grade of Floreon specifically intended for sheet extrusion. The Floreon additive levels have been adjusted to enhance durability and processability, while also being cost competitive.

• Enhanced durability• Cuts easily• Good printability

Floreon 300 is optimised for extrusion blow moulding (EBM). Floreon was designed for injection moulded applications requiring a high melt flow index. However by optimising the additives used the toughness of the base material can still be boosted while lowering the melt flow index and maximising melt strength.

• Low melt flow index• Improved toughness

Floreon 400 is a grade of Floreon optimised for film production.The material has been optimised for melt strength and low temperature processing.The material is slightly softer than unmodified PLA.

• Enhanced melt strength • Lower processing temperature

Floreon Grades

16

Floreon

300

EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING

Floreon

40

0

FILM

Floreon

200

SHEET EXTRUSION/ PRINTING

Floreon

100

GENERAL PURPOSE / INJECTION MOULDING


Floreon 500 is intended for injection stretch blow moulding, for the production of bottles. The blend contains at least 90% Ingeo PLA, combined with the selected Floreon additives to enhance the toughness of the finished items while also making them easier to process.

• Enhanced toughness• Improved processability

Floreon 600 is a versatile blend of polylactic acid combined with the optimal amount of two other biodegradable polyesters, which enhance both the processability and impact resistance of the base polymer. The material is tougher than PLA across the temperature range.

• Higher crack resistance in roll stage• Increased impact resistance• Improved processability

Floreon 700 is a Floreon formulation designed to give stable extrusion (for uniform filament diameter) over a wider range of temperatures. The finished product is tougher than PLA allowing the creation of more resilient structures. The printability and finish is excellent making this a good choice for 3D printing applications. Colours and pigments can be added as required.

• Good processing stability • Stable (or uniform) filament diameter • Improved mechanical performance• Good printability • Higher flexibility

Floreon 800 is a compound containing polylactic acid developed for injection moulding. This formulation has a high melt flow index allowing new applications for PLA with smaller feature sizes. The mechanical properties of the resulting products are also substantially enhanced.

• Higher elongation at break• Higher impact resistance • Higher melt flow index• Easier moulding with lower inject pressures

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Floreon

600

THERMOFORMING

Floreon

500

STRETCH BLOWMOULDING

Floreon

700

3D

Floreon

800

ENHANCED INJECTION MOULDING


Patent Filings UK Granted Patent GB 2488811

EU Pending Pat App EP 12710776.1

US Pending Pat App US 14/003557

Canada Pending Pat App CA 2828190

Australia Granted Patent AU 2012226557

New Zealand Granted Patent NZ 614394

China Pending Patent App 201280012321.2

Japan Pending Patent App JP 2013-557174

Standards All components of Floreon satisfy the standard EN13432

(ASTM D6400 equivalent).


• Cast sheet/ film

• Injection moulded items

• Injection stretch blow

moulded items,

• Thermoformed items

SuggestedApplications:

Floreon 100 is a versatile blend containing 90%

polylactic acid combined with the optimal amount of

two other biodegradable polyesters which enhance

both the processability and impact resistance of the

base polymer. Specific benefits over PLA alone include:

• Higher impact resistance

• Higher melt flow index

This can be readily demonstrated using cast sheet as an example:

Floreon 100 cast sheet specimens (60 mm x 60 mm, thickness 750 micron)

were found to have impact resistance four times higher than unmodified

pla. (e50 = 1950 mJ versus 490 mJ, Iso falling dart impact test).

samples were produced on a Betol BK38 single screw extruder. The Ingeo

material required a metering and die temperature of 210 °C, and a screw

drive motor current of 20 amps with significant fluctuation. The Floreon

material extruded easily with a drive current of <10 amps (steady current)

and a metering and die temperature of 190 °C.

In injection moulded applications the higher melt flow index of Floreon (10

g/ 10 minutes (Floreon) and 4.2 g/ 10 minutes (Ingeo), 2.16 kg @ 190 °C)

allows lower pressures and temperatures to be used relative to unmodified

pla. standard 24g bottle preforms for IsBM were produced on a Husky

HypeT injection moulding machine at 210 °C with a mould temperature of

20 °C. Floreon required 20% lower injection pressure than Ingeo with a

commensurate cycle time (trials conducted in collaboration with Constar

International (leeds, uK). preforms as large as 300 g were produced in

collaboration with peT engineering solutions (Bergamo, Italy).

Technical Data sheet

Floreon meets the requirements of eu food contact materials legislation (regulation no.1935/2004) and the specific controls on plastics in contact with food

(regulation no.10/2011) and associated directives. This encompasses the constituent monomers, overall and specific migration limits. 500 ml prototype IsBM

bottles passed the standard migration tests required by eu regulations, for all standard food simulants, when examined by a certified test house (smithers rapra,

shrewsbury, uK). Information updated 15/12/2013. Final performance and processing parameters will vary depending on your equipment. Figures may be revised

without notice. Detailed technical datasheet available upon request.

Floreon

100

generalpurpose

Floreon

200

sHeeT exTrusIon

/ prInTIng

• Cast sheet


Floreon 200 is an opaque white pigmented grade of

Floreon specifically intended for sheet extrusion.

Addition of pigment achieves opacity at a thickness of

450 microns, and the melt flow index of the material

has been further increased to compensate for the

thickening effect of the pigment. The Floreon additive

levels have been adjusted to enhance durability and

processability, whilst also keeping the cost low. The use

of recycled PLA in the blend makes the material

unsuitable for food contact applications, but enhances

the environmental credentials of the blend even further

without compromising quality. The specific benefits of

this grade of Floreon are:

• Improved impact toughness (as with Floreon 100)

• Improved processability (as with Floreon 100)

• enhanced stability upon regrind

• excellent glossy finish

• Improved environmental credentials

• Competitive price

Floreon 200 has been optimised through trials with leading sheet extrusion

companies and is designed to achieve a suitable balance between melt

viscosity (preventing excess loads being placed on the extruder) and melt

strength (minimising die sag). The results achieved will depend on the

settings used and optimal processing is typically achieved with barrel/ die

temperatures between 180-210 °C, and rollers heated to around 40 °C to

prevent freezing the material into a glassy state. exceeding these

temperatures can have an adverse effect on the material.

Floreon sheet has demonstrated to have up to four times higher impact

resistance than unmodified Ingeo material resulting in more durable sheet

which is less prone to brittle fracture whilst maintaining the excellent

stiffness of pla.







Floreon

300

exTrusIon Blow MoulDIng

• extrusion blow

moulded items


Floreon 300 is a grade of Floreon optimised for

extrusion blow moulding (EBM). Floreon was designed

for injection moulded applications requiring a high melt

flow index, however by optimising the additives used,

the toughness of the base material can still be boosted

whilst lowering the melt flow index and maximising

melt strength. Benefits of Floreon 300 include:

• Tougher blow moulded items such as

‘wet wipe tubs’

• low melt flow index tailored to eBM

• Higher melt strength

• low processing temperatures

Bioplastics such as pla are not generally recommended for extrusion blow

moulding due to their inherent low melt strength. Through working with

processors operating standard eBM equipment, a specialised Floreon eBM

grade was developed suitable for the production of various items including

standard ‘wet wipe’ tubs and other pots and containers. a noticeable

difference in parison stability and strength was achieved by altering the

characteristics in the Floreon blend.

a melt temperature of around 160 °C and a gently tapering die is

recommended to achieve best results. Floreon 300 was trialled on a

standard HDpe extrusion line and produced mouldings of a suitable quality

compared to the HDpe equivalent. a machine equipped with a hot knife is

recommended as pneumatic cutters struggle to separate the moulding from

the parison.







Floreon

40

0

FIlM

• Cast film

• Blown film


Floreon 400 is a grade of Floreon optimised for film

production. The material has been optimised for melt

strength, clarity and low temperature processing. The

material is slightly softer than unmodified PLA. The

specific benefits of Floreon 400 include:

• Clarity and transparency

• easier processing via blown film extrusion

• softer feel compared to unmodified pla

• low temperature processing and heat sealing

a common complaint with early pla films was the noise generated when

the material is ‘crinkled’. The softer feel of Floreon 400 and the unique phase

structure of the polymer blend leads to effective dampening of the noise

generated by crinkling the film.

The material maintains the high biobased content (over 90% pla) and does

not compromise the biodegradability of the base pla material. Despite

being significantly softer, the tensile strength of the film is not lowered

significantly making this a strong and durable film.

Film samples have been produced using both blown film extrusion and cast

film extrusion lines.







Floreon

500

sTreTCH Blow

MoulDIng

• Injection stretch blow

moulded items


Floreon 500 is intended for injection stretch blow

moulding, for the production of bottles. The blend

contains at least 90% Ingeo PLA, combined with the

selected Floreon additives to enhance the toughness of

the finished items whilst also making them easier to

process. Colour additives are also available to make the

bottles transparent green, blue and potentially other

colours. The blend has a high melt flow index to

facilitate rapid, low temperature and pressure

fabrication of bottle preforms achieving lower injection

pressure than unmodified PLA. The finished bottles are

tougher than virgin PLA bottles. Independent testing of

injection moulded specimens of Floreon by Smithers

Rapra has shown that Floreon is around twice as tough

as PET, a common material for ISBM bottles.

Advantages of Floreon 500 include:

• High pla content

• Compostability of pla not compromised

• superior durability compared to pla and peT

• lower inject pressure and equal cycle times for

injection moulding

• lower preform reheat temperatures for blow

moulding

The additives in Floreon 500 affect the thermal behaviour of pla, making

the material crystallise faster than unmodified pla. This may be exploited in

the future to produce heat resistant grades of the material, however this

does impose stricter processing parameters on pla preforms. If excessive

heat is applied, Floreon preforms may crystallise and fail to blow. Testing has

shown that a maximum wall thickness of 5 mm can be allowed for Floreon

bottle preforms. For larger bottles, this necessitates a longer preform to

achieve sufficient bottle material.







Floreon

600

THerMoForMIng

• Thermoformed items


Floreon 600 is a versatile blend containing 90%

polylactic acid combined with the optimal amount of

two other biodegradable polyesters which enhance

both the processability and impact resistance of the

base polymer. The material is tougher than PLA across

the temperature range allowing items such as food

trays to be kept in a refrigerator. Further innovations

such as antimicrobial activity are possible, preventing

food spoilage.

• stability across temperature range

• low energy thermoforming

• Tougher than peT and pla

• antimicrobial activity an option

Thermoformed trays were produced from sections of Floreon cast sheet.

process temperatures commensurate with standard Ingeo 7000D were

achieved.







Full technical data sheets available on request

For more information on Floreon and how it could be a great solution for you please get in touch by phone: +44 (0) 1482 625 669 or email: [email protected]


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www.floreon.com

General Enquiries [email protected]

Floreon-Transforming Packaging LimitedUnit F5, The Bloc, 38 Springfield Way Anlaby, East Yorkshire, HU10 6RJUnited KingdomTel +44 (0) 1482 625 669

Floreon

300

EXTRUSION BLOW MOULDING

Floreon

40

0FILM

Floreon

700

3D

Floreon

600

THERMOFORMING

Floreon

500

STRETCH BLOWMOULDING

Floreon

200

SHEET EXTRUSION/ PRINTING

Floreon

800

ENHANCED INJECTION MOULDING

Floreon

100

GENERAL PURPOSE / INJECTION MOULDING


Documents

World’s most versatile bioplastic - Floreonfloreon.com/uploads/generic/Floreon_NEW_A4_Brochure_v10_Web.pdfdevelop a high performance bioplastic using polylactic acid (PLA) blends