Sukano is ready to help you make the leap to Bioplastics

Even though, for almost every conventional plastic, a bioplastic alternative exists, introducing polylactic acid (PLA) can be a challenge for converters and brand owners. The dilemma has always been successfully determining the threshold and balance of cost-in-use against final product performance and aesthetics.

However, these are no longer valid reasons to pass up opportunities to enter new markets or develop new applications. The key is simply to find solutions that provide the required functionalities.

“Based on our skills and experience in adapting biopolymers, Sukano can help the main players of the bioplastics value-chain, for example, allowing food manufacturers to use PLA to pack light-sensitive food, or help converters optimize production yields and reduce cycle times, even with reduced part weights or when our masterbatches for thin wall injection molded parts.” reinforces Alessandra Funcia, Head of Marketing at Sukano.

The question is – how do we get there?
As a first step, let’s take a look at the performance of our blockbuster products and their position in the market.

Sukano’s state of the art impact modifier masterbatches for PLA are our way of successfully and simultaneously addressing the ever-increasing demands for better performance and aesthetics. And since nearly everyone processing PLA needs impact modifiers, they are a must-have ingredient in your final products – so it’s time to address that age-old issue: cost-in-use versus final product performance and aesthetics.

Sukano o ers a clear impact modifier masterbatch for use with PLA bioplastics with several important characteristics. These include low haze values to ensure transparency levels below 5% (and o en less than 2-3%); substantial increases in impact strength; and excellent base resin clarity. All this can be achieved without compromising the short cycle times and parts integrity needed by the film and thermoforming industry. This improved performance ensures no breakage or die cut issues in thermoformed parts, while the throughput and process window remains equivalent to conventional oil-based polymers

By increasing the toughness and reducing the brittleness of PLA, Sukano ́s impact modifier masterbatch expands the value of this key resin to an even wider range of potential end-applications beyond packaging, such as durable goods – or any final article where clarity and performance are essential.

To validate these performance claims, Sukano has recently invested in the dart impact test equipment, now available at its Global R&D Center in Switzerland. This is a critical and important investment step made by Sukano: “Defining and quantifying the exact toughness required in the material, depends on the various end-use applications and their expected use. This testing equipment can reproduce the conditions the end article is predicted to experience in commercial applications enabling a head start performance evaluation of our product grades” states Daniel Ganz, R&D specialist on Bioplastics applications at Sukano

There is no time to lose, because the future of plastics is here...and it goes far beyond impact modifier masterbatches to encompass nucleating agents, slip/antiblocks, anti- statics, and much more – while still being colourful!
It’s time to overturn tradition and think bioplastics. Don’t get le  behind – Sukano bioplastics PLA based masterbatches can help you transition.