From the beginning, we completed the definition of the functional, economic, and technical requirements of the proposed market applications for PLA-Premium. The four pilots selected for this task were:
• PILOT 1: Food packaging trays
• PILOT 2: Cosmetic creams jars (injection moulding)
• PILOT 3: Pharma packaging produced by injection blowing
• PILOT 4: Food packaging film
But after, there were adaptations due to the expansion of the project (from August 20 to May 21) and to the COVID-19. With the pandemic, there was some deviation since some companies suffered the consequences of this unexpected situation and their production volumes were reduced or even halted. The final pilots were enlarged and, finally the PILOTS developed during the project were the initial 4 and the following ones:
• PILOT 5: Food packaging clamshells
• PILOT 6: Food packaging film for sliced products
• PILOT 7: Food packaging blown film
• PILOT 8: Cosmetic bottles manufactured by injection blowing
• PILOT 9: Cosmetic products display stand
• PILOT 10: Price holder produced by profile extrusion
Finally, we have achieved 8 different formulations of PLA-Premium grades, covering the 10 PILOTS involved in this project. All developed PLA-Premium grades were well characterised, including thermal (TGA, DSC), viscosity (MFI), and mechanical (tensile, flexion, impact, etc) analysis as well permeability and migration tests. Each grade was well adapted to the requirements of each industrial process, due to many processes were involved in these 10 PILOTS (thermoforming, injection moulding, injection blown moulding, extrusion blown, extrusion cast, profile extrusion).
The main by-product necessary for the manufacturing of PLA-Premium is the own-additive ADBio PLA+ (before called DBC). Own-additive synthesis optimization (including the scaling-up process) and characterisation of own-additive have been totally completed, therefore. Tailored-made own-additive checking and production have been achieved. Synthesis and characterisation of own-additive with the similar commercial additive, have been carried out. PLA-Premium grades at pilot-scale were produced and characterised at ITENE facilities using compounding technology (Coperion machine).
Comparison & Selection | Benchmarks: an exhaustive analysis of the different biobased materials existing nowadays in the market has been completed. 84 companies, prospective future clients, were analysed, and a pricing study was started. A strategic selling price between 5,9 and 6,5€/kg (only the PLA raw material is around 3,2 - 3,5 €/kg) is fixed.
The greatest advantage of PLA-Premium with respect to common plastics has been established as its bio-origin y bio-end-of-life. With our product, we remove the typical brittleness of PLA making the material more flexible, improving as well as the processability (no investment in new machinery) and oxygen transmission rate and water vapor transmission rate (OTR and WVTR up to 30%), while enhancing the elongation at break up to 10 times (mechanical properties) and maintaining the transparency. Also substantial work has already been done on IPR and knowledge protection, developing the Sales Model, and communication & dissemination activities.
