The Urethane Blog

Foam Tofu Chair

Eco-Friendly 'Breathing Chair' Puts Your Butt On The Block

by Steve Levenstein

The "Breathing Chair", created by Taiwanese designer Yu-Ying Wu, has won the prestigiousRed Dot Design award for 2009 in the home furniture design concept category. 

The chair, which outwardly resembles a block of healthy organic tofu, is made of  high-density foam plastic and though it looks white, it's really green: the foam is  100 percent environmentally-friendly and can be recycled when the time comes.

Yu-Ying Wu, who recently graduated from Taiwan-based Tatung University's  Department of Industrial Design program, used mathematical calculations to arrive at the most effective arrangement of triangular "cells" that make up the body of the chair. Once coated with three layers of foamed plastic, the chair is able to automatically conform to the sitter's body regardless of the weight applied.

Once the sitter stands up, the foam cells quickly spring back to their original shapes and the chair as a whole becomes an appealingly textured block once again. Wu, who suffers from chronic knee problems, designed the chair with the needs of the disabled in mind. When sat upon, the chair gradually assumes a form-fitting state and it rebounds slowly when the sitter's weight is lifted in the process of standing up.

Wu was presented with the coveted Red Dot Design award in a ceremony that took place in Singapore this past summer. It's quite an achievement for the young designer, who had to surpass 4,800 other workssubmitted by designers from over 60 countries and regions. The Breathing Chair will be on display at Singapore's Red Dot Design Museum for the next year.(via Core77 and CCTV)

http://inventorspot.com/articles/breathing_chair_puts_your_butt_block_34301

BDO Production Growth in China Due to PBS?

2009-11-05 [Source: Pudaily]

PUdaily, Shanghai-Up to now, the BDO capacity reaches at 350,100 tons/year, nearly up 68% compared with 208,000 tons/year in 2008. Along with the rapid increase for BDO capacity, BDOproducers have to explore the new approaches.

PBS, as the new field of BDO downstream sectors, is of great potentials. For the moment, there are three big PBS production lines in China, including the biggest one of Anhui Anqing Hexing Chemical with 20,000 tons/year production line. PBS has a broad prospect for development and PUdaily consultant opines that PBS will expect to become the highlight ofBDO downstream fields in future. 

http://www.pu366.com/News.asp

PBS is Polybutylene Succinate, a biodegradable polymer--here's some background:

Biodegradable Polyesters

Polyesters play a predominant role as biodegradable plastics due to their potentially hydrolysable ester bonds. As shown in Figure 3.1 below, the polyester family is made of two major groups - aliphatic (linear) polyesters and aromatic (aromatic rings) polyesters. Biodegradable polyesters which have been developed commercially and are in commercial development are as follows:

PHA - polyhydroxyalkanoates	PHB - polyhydroxybutyrate
PHH - polyhydroxyhexanoate	PHV - polyhydroxyvalerate
PLA - polylactic acid	PCL - polycaprolactone
PBS - polybutylene succinate	PBSA - polybutylene succinate adipate
AAC - Aliphatic-Aromatic copolyesters	PET - polyethylene terephthalate
PBAT - polybutylene adipate/terephthalate	PTMAT- polymethylene adipate/terephthalate

Figure 3.1 - Biodegradable Polyester Family

While aromatic polyesters such as PET exhibit excellent material properties, they prove to be almost totally resistant to microbial attack. Aliphatic polyesters on the other hand are readily biodegradable, but lack good mechanical properties that are critical for most applications. All polyesters degrade eventually, with hydrolysis (degradation induced by water) being the dominant mechanism.

Synthetic aliphatic polyesters are synthesised from diols and dicarboxylic acids via condensation polymerisation, and are known to be completely biodegradable in soil and water. These aliphatic polyesters are, however, much more expensive and lack mechanical strength compared with conventional plastics such as polyethylene.

Many of these polyesters are blended with starch based polymers for cost competitive biodegradable plastics applications. Aliphatic polyesters have better moisture resistance than starches, which have many hydroxyl groups.

The rate of soil degradation of various biodegradable plastics has been measured by Hoshino (2001). Poly-(3-hydroxy-butyrate-valerate) (PHB/PHV), PCL, PBS, PBSA, and PLA were evaluated in soil burial for 12 months and samples were collected every 3 months for the measurement of weight loss. The rate of degradation of PBSA, PHB/PHV and PCL was found to be similar; with the rate of PBS and PLA respectively slower.

3.1 PHA (Naturally Produced) Polyesters

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are aliphatic polyesters naturally produced via a microbial process on sugar-based medium, where they act as carbon and energy storage material in bacteria. They were the first biodegradable polyesters to be utilised in plastics. The two main members of the PHA family are polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV).

Aliphatic polyesters such as PHAs, and more specifically homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyric acid and hydroxyvaleric acid, have been proven to be readily biodegradable. Such polymers are actually synthesised by microbes, with the polymer accumulating in the microbes' cells during growth.

Developments

The most common commercial PHA consists of a copolymer PHB/PHV together with a plasticiser/softener (e.g. triacetine or estaflex) and inorganic additives such as titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate.

A major factor in the competition between PHAs and petroleum based plastics is in production costs. Opportunities exist however for obtaining cheaper raw materials that could reduce PHA production costs. Such raw materials include corn-steeped liquor, molasses and even activated sludge. These materials are relatively inexpensive nutrient sources for the bacteria that synthesise PHAs (Purushothaman, 2001).

The PHB homopolymer is a stiff and rather brittle polymer of high crystallinity, whose mechanical properties are not unlike those of polystyrene, though it is less brittle. PHB copolymers are preferred for general purposes as the degradation rate of PHB homopolymer is high at its normal melt processing temperature. PHB and its copolymers with PHV are meltprocessable semi-crystalline thermoplastics made by biological fermentation from renewable carbohydrate feedstocks. They represent the first example of a true biodegradeable thermoplastic produced via a biotechnology process. No toxic by-products are known to result from PHB or PHV.

Applications

The applications of PHA are blow and injection-moulded bottles and plastic films. Such films are available in Australia under the Biopol^TM trademark.

Degradation Mechanisms and Properties

PHAs are biodegradable via composting. Optimum conditions for the commercially available Biopol^TM (PHA) degradation during a 10-week composting period were 60°C, 55% moisture, and C:N ratio of 18:1. Biopol^TM reached close to a 100% degradation rate under these composting conditions. The aliphatic polyesters function like starch or cellulose to produce non-humic substances such as CO₂ and methane. These aliphatic polymers are suited to applications with short usage and high degradation rate requirements (Gallagher, 2001).

Shin et al. (1997) found that bacterial PHB/PHV (92/8 w/w) degraded nearly to completion within 20 days of cultivation by anaerobic digested sludge, while synthetic aliphatic polyesters such as PLA, PBS and PBSA did not degrade at all in 100 days. Cellophane, which was used as a control material, exhibited a similar degradation behavior to PHB/PHV. Under simulated landfill conditions, PHB/PHV degraded within 6 months. Synthetic aliphatic polyesters also showed significant weight losses through 1 year of cultivation. The acidic environment generated by the degradation of biodegradable food wastes which comprises approximately 34% of municipal solid waste seems to cause the weight loss of synthetic aliphatic polyesters.

3.2 PHBH (Naturally Produced) Polyesters

Poly-hydroxybutyrate-co-polyhydroxyhexanoates (PHBHs) resins are one of the newest type of naturally produced biodegradable polyesters. The PHBH resin is derived from carbon sources such as sucrose, fatty acids or molasses via a fermentation process.

These are 'aliphatic-aliphatic' copolyesters, as distinct from 'aliphatic-aromatic' copolyesters. Besides being completely biodegradable, they also exhibit barrier properties similar to those exhibited by ethylene vinyl alcohol (see Section 3.1.2). Procter & Gamble Co. researched the blending of these polymers to obtain the appropriate stiffness or flexibility.

Developments

They have been developed by Kaneka Corp. (a Japanese manufacturer) and marketed by Procter & Gamble Co. under the Nodax^TM tradename.

Applications

The applications of the PHBH polymer are film, manufactured via casting or blowing methods. Potential applications are mono/multilayer film and non-woven paper packaging at costs comparable to traditional materials such as EVOH.

Degradation Mechanisms and Properties

PHBH resins biodegrade under aerobic as well as anaerobic conditions, and are digestible in hot water under alkaline conditions.

3.3 PLA (Renewable Resource) Polyesters

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a linear aliphatic polyester produced by poly-condensation of naturally produced lactic acid or by the catalytic ring opening of the lactide group. Lactic acid is produced (via starch fermentation) as a co-product of corn wet milling. The ester linkages in PLA are sensitive to both chemical hydrolysis and enzymatic chain cleavage.

PLA is often blended with starch to increase biodegradability and reduce costs. However, the brittleness of the starch-PLA blend is a major drawback in many applications. To remedy this limitation, a number of low molecular weight plasticisers such as glycerol, sorbitol and triethyl citrate are used.

PLA does not have full food contact approval due to its fermentation manufacturing method.

Developments

A number of companies produce PLA, such as Cargill Dow LLC. PLA produced by Cargill Dow was originally sold under the name EcoPLA, but now is known as NatureWorks PLA, which is actually a family of PLA polymers that can be used alone or blended with other natural-based polymers.

Table 3.1 details some of the other PLA biodegradable plastics that are commercially available.

Table 3.1 - PLA Polymers (Commercially Available)

Trade-name	Supplier	Origin
Lacea	Mitsui Toatsu	Japan
Lucty	Shimazu	Japan
NatureWorks	Cargill Dow	USA

Applications

The applications for PLA are thermoformed products such as drink cups, take-away food trays, containers and planter boxes. The material has good rigidity characteristics, allowing it to replace polystryene and PET in some applications.

Degradation Mechanisms and Properties

PLA is fully biodegradable when composted in a large-scale operation with temperatures of 60°C and above. The first stage of degradation of PLA (two weeks) is via hydrolysis to water soluble compounds and lactic acid. Rapid metabolisation of these products into CO2, water and biomass by a variety of micro-organisms occurs after hydrolysis.

PLA does not biodegrade readily at temperatures less than 60°C due to its 'glass transition' temperature being close to 60°C.

3.4 PCL (Synthetic Aliphatic) Polyesters

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable synthetic aliphatic polyester made by the ring-opening polymerization of caprolactone. PCL has a low melting-point, between 58-60°C, low viscosity and is easy to process.

Developments

Until recently, PCL was not widely used in significant quantities for biodegradable polymer applications due to cost reasons. Recently however, cost barriers have been overcome by blending the PCL with corn-starch.

Table 3.2 details some of the various PCL biodegradable plastics that are commercially available.

Table 3.2 - PCL Polymers (Commercially Available)

Trade-name	Supplier	Origin
Tone	Union Carbide (UCC)	USA
CAPA	Solvay	Belgium
Placeel	Daicel Chemical Indus.	Japan

Applications

PCL is suited for use as food-contact foam trays, loose fill and film bags.

Degradation Mechanisms and Properties

Although not produced from renewable raw materials, PCL is fully biodegradable when composted. The low melting point of PCL makes the material suited for composting as a means of disposal, due to the temperatures obtained during composting routinely exceeding 60°C.

Rutkowska et. al. (2000) studied the influence of different processing additives on the biodegradation of PCL film in the compost with plant treatment active sludge. It was found that PCL without additives, completely degraded after six weeks in compost with activated sludge. The introduction of processing additives gave better tensile strength of the materials but made them less vulnerable to micro-organism attack.

The rate of marine biodegradation of PCL has been studied by Janik et. al. (1988) by measuring the tensile strength and percent weight loss over time in both seawater and a buffered salt solution. It was found that the weight loss, as a percent of total weight, decreased more rapidly in seawater than in the buffered salt solution. After eight weeks, the PCL in seawater was completely decomposed, whereas that in salt solution had lost only 20% of its weight. The same trend was seen for the tensile strength, where after eight weeks, the PCL in seawater was destroyed and that in buffered salt solution had decreased to roughly one-sixth its original value. It is therefore apparent that enzymes in the seawater solution assist to accelerate the biodegradation of PCL and other biodegradable plastics.

3.5 PBS (Synthetic Aliphatic) Polyesters

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is a biodegradable synthetic aliphatic polyester with similar properties to PET. PBS is generally blended with other compounds, such as starch (TPS) and adipate copolymers (to form PBS-A), to make its use economical.

Developments

Table 3.3 shows some PBS and PBS-A biodegradable plastics which are commercially available.

Table 3.3 - PBS Polymers (Commercially Available)

Trade-name	Supplier	Origin
Bionelle	Showa Highpolymer	Japan
SkyGreen BDP	SK Polymers	Korea

Applications

PBS has excellent mechanical properties and can be applied to a range of end applications via conventional melt processing techniques. Applications include mulch film, packaging film, bags and 'flushable' hygiene products.

Degradation Mechanisms and Properties

PBS is hydro-biodegradable and begins to biodegrade via a hydrolysis mechanism. Hydrolysis occurs at the ester linkages and this results in a lowering of the polymer's molecular weight, allowing for further degradation by micro-organisms. Data from SK Chemicals (Korea), a leading manufacturer of PBS polymers, quotes a degradation rate of 1 month for 50% degradation for 40 micron thick film in garden soil.

http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/waste/degradables/biodegradable/chapter3.html

Urethane Bowling Ball Making a Comeback

Urethane comeback

Old-school balls back on pro shop shelves

Comments

November 5, 2009 

BY DOUG JUDY, POST-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT

Did your mother always tell you to just hang your clothes in the closet and eventually they will come back into style?

While that may be true concerning your bowling attire, it typically hasn't been true regarding bowling equipment.

Check out Steve T. Gorches' blog at blogs.post-trib.com/gorches to read about his weekly exploits with his new "old-school" ball, the re-released version of the AMF Black Angle (right). He first used it two weeks ago, switching in the middle of a game and rattling off eight of nine strikes. Find out how he does this week.

With advancements in bowling balls over the last 15 years, pulling an old bowling ball out of the closet isn't always a good option. It's a shame, too, because there have been some greats. Remember the Brunswick LT48 or the old reliable Columbia Yellow Dot? Those were some serious bowling balls in their time and very popular.

In today's bowling game, bowlers are looking for torque and revolutions -- a true full-blown hooking machine designed to react violently on just about any lane condition.

Just about any bowler can make an investment in a high-priced bowling ball, affectionately called "hook in a box" by old-school keglers, and probably raise their average 10 to 15 pins. These high reactive resin bowling balls have made the scores and averages soar over the past 15 years. Some argue it has taken the challenge away from the sport.

So why has there been a re-emergence of the urethane ball? The answer is simple: Bowlers are looking for consistency in their equipment. They want something that will not over-react when the lanes start to change and they want something smooth.

When the lanes are dry, urethane balls work really well.

Recently, Professional Bowlers Association members Rhino Page and Ryan Ciminelli pulled urethane bowling balls out their bags and rolled them all the way to the finals of the PBA Viper Championship (which will be televised on ESPN later this month).

They both credited urethane for getting them there.

What about local bowlers? Will urethane bowling balls find their way back onto the lanes? Wally Galka of Galka's Pro Shop is skeptical.

"I don't think the urethane ball will get to 20 percent of the total market for bowling balls," he said. "It has its niche for dry lanes. What is strange about the urethane ball is that when it came out it was purchased by everyone. Now it's your upper-average bowlers that understand the game that stick one in their bag for that special condition."

But even 10 percent to 15 percent of the market would be pretty good considering how popular newer balls have become. A source from Ebonite states they are looking into all advances in products and there is definitely a market for urethane. It's specialty equipment for the bowler who wants to score when no one else can.

It makes sense that other manufacturers would follow the lead of Storm, which just came out with its new urethane ball, "The Natural."

"A lot of the bowlers are complaining about dry lanes nowadays" said Ken Laviolette of D's Pro Shop inside Stardust Bowl II in Hobart. "The upper-average bowlers are using the urethane equipment to combat dry lanes because it allows them to go straighter. I know some people have pulled their old stuff out just to see the reaction."

Urethane might help with dry conditions, but it also has the advantage of being a mid-priced sphere in a market full of $200 to $300 balls.

If you can learn to use urethane properly, you can keep your average steady, have flexibility on all lane conditions and save anywhere from 25 percent to 60 percent off your purchase.

http://www.post-trib.com/sports/1864829,bwl-urethane-1104.article

Castor versus Soy

Sounds like (at least in Japan) the fact that castor is a non-edible renewable is giving it an advantage versus soy.  The blog doesn't want to pass judgement, but we've yet to find a truly competitive renewable:  equal or better performance, equal or better cost, with at least one "better."  So far they are just expensive diluents that let manufacturers claim they are "green," whatever that means.  We need some comments on this topic.  Isn't the current technical definition of "green" something like 20% renewables?  Isn't that also the technological limit?  Doesn't that seem a little like hubris?

The issue is that virtually everyone has the incentive to go along with this.  If you are an employee of a company pushing "green" products, of course it is your job, you push.  No company can be seen as anti-green for fear of some kind of backlash.  So the market nods it's head and does nothing but pay lip-service to "green."  I spent years in the furfural business (corn stover derived) and I can tell you that "green" breaks ties, but not much more . . . let's have a discussion here!

ADVANCES IN BIOPLASTICS

Yasuhiro Hosoi/The Chemical Daily

The use of bioplastics has expanded dramatically in recent years, following the start- up in 2002 of commercial-scale production of polylactic acid (PLA) in the US by the then-Cargill Dow Polymers, now named NatureWorks, and fully owned by US agribusiness giant Cargill. The investment removed a supply bottleneck for this bioplastic and thus a major obstacle to its more widespread use.

PLA was initially used in materials for packaging, civil engineering, agriculture, and compost bags, and later in durable items such as electric and electronics components and automotive parts.

Japan in particular has made important advances in developing materials for durable items, and Japanese material makers are now focusing on widening the scope of potential applications through the use of alloy, nano, and stereocomplex technology.

In the electrical and electronics sector, PLA combined with petroleum-based materials such as polycarbonate (PC) is already being used for the casings of notebook computers and cell phones and in components for photocopiers and multifunction copier-based items.

The biggest challenge in using bioplastics for these products is achieving satisfactory flame retardance and moldability. To overcome PLA's lack of flame retardance, it is alloyed with resins such as polysiloxane-copolycarbonate, while new additives are used to enhance its heat resistance.

This year, a bioplastic developed by Toray Industries was adopted in new multifunction color copiers/printers launched by Japanese electronics firm Canon. The product has a flammability rating of UL94 5V, a world first for a bioplastic used in multifunction products for office use.

Bioplastics use is also increasing in automotive parts, including hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius (pictured above). Present applications are limited to parts such as floor mats, but research and development is focusing on exterior components where higher performance is required.

The growth of PLA has also encouraged the emergence of other bioplastics. Mitsubishi Chemical has developed a new plant-based bio-polycarbonate, modeled on its existing polybutylene succinate material.

The new product is a transparent, durable, heat-resistant engineering plastic with excellent optical properties. It is expected to be used in optical applications such as flat-panel displays, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

A further trigger for research efforts is the concern that growing use of bioplastics may push up food prices. The sensitivity of the perceived conflict between food and industrial products has encouraged producers such as NatureWorks to study the use of non-edible raw materials such as cellulose.

In Japan, Mitsui Chemicals has succeeded in developing a plant-derived polyurethane by replacing the polyol constituent with castor oil derived from the nonedible castor bean.

http://www.icis.com/Articles/2009/10/26/9257432/japanese-chemical-companies-focus-on-renewables.html

Frisbee Golf

Drive for show, putt for dough

By Tony Deligio 
Published: October 22nd, 2009

Pushed from selling the product to manufacturing it, David 
McCormack now injection molds and markets a highly popular line of discs for the expanding ranks of disc-golf enthusiasts, utilizing compounds from RTP for a line of “putters,” whose unique feel is creating devoted users.

How devoted? Browsing through user comments at Disc Golf Review, feedback on Gateway Disc Sports’ (St. Louis, MO) Sure Grip line includes, “[Gateway’s disc] has definitely taken a permanent spot in my bag,” “awesome,” “one of the greatest discs available,” and “one of the most versatile and reliable approach discs on the market.”

As in traditional golf, disc golf requires players to “putt out,”—in this case throwing specially designed putter discs toward the “hole,” which consists of a pole and chain netting.

From 1984-1998, McCormack actually sold discs for a current competitor before changes at the company forced his hand and had him machine shopping. “Long story short, one of my competitors, who I sold discs for, was splitting up their company and allowed one of the entities to take about 12 accounts from me, and would not give them back,” McCormack says. “As an idle threat I said, ‘I’ll just make my own discs then.’”

The company McCormack founded has been doing just that for about 10 years now, molding the discs in-house on two 170-ton Toshibas. McCormack says Gateway has molded about 80,000 through the first nine months of 2009, with 100,000 to be produced by the end of the year, if its thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and TPU blends are counted. Cycle time is approximately 40-45 seconds, with logos applied via hot stamping, although the company is working on incorporating inmold decoration.

Not your typical Frisbee
Disc golf, like its club and ball inspiration, features different discs for different shots, typically based on distance, including drivers, midrange, and putt and approach discs. The discs used bear little resemblance to giveaway Frisbees, with Gateway utilizing a mix of filled and unfilled TPUs, polyproyplene (PP), and thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) for products with a smaller diameter, greater thickness, and different tactile feel.

When the company looked to upgrade its Sure Grip line of putt and approach discs (the “hole” in disc golf is a metal pole with a chain net), it turned to custom compounder RTP Co. (Winona, MN) seeking a material that could accept mineral additives to reach a density of 2.0. At that mass, McCormack felt Gateway would be able to maintain the discs’ flexibility and allow them to be used in a variety of playing conditions. The company worked with other suppliers, only achieving a density of 1.6, before it reached 2.0 with RTP, applying its 2800 B Series high-gravity TPV. “We have used many other material suppliers. RTP is the best,” McCormack states plainly.

Gateway Disc Sports’ line of Sure Grip putter and approach discs for disc golf utilize a TPV compound from RTP that allows them to be highly filled for greater density.

McCormack says the method of mixing each batch to get the right flex and weight is a “cross between math, science, and art,” but the company prefers to dry blend its batches as opposed to using a masterbatch, since the dry blending allows the softest of the materials to migrate to the surface of the part, making for “soft, tacky, grippy discs” even if they are not that flexible.

“The real reason we feel our putters are more successful is the range of grips and feels,” McCormack says. “It’s like buying a good micro brew compared to the same old Bud Light,” noting that Gateway still spends hours dry blending formulas for 200-1200 disc batches, while many competitors simply mass produce.—Tony Deligio

http://www.plasticstoday.com/articles/drive-show-putt-dough

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Southwest Goes Green

I believe that one of the key market pulls for soy or renewable polyols is in seating.  Anyone ever hear of this Garnier PUR Tec stuff?

Aerospace News

 

Southwest Airlines debuts "green plane" interior

Dan DeLong/Seattle P-I file

Southwest Airlines on Wednesday announced a Boeing 737-700 "green plane" that will test a more environmentally friendly interior.

One of the big ways the interior will be green is by saving a total of nearly 5 pounds per seat, cutting fuel use and reducing emissions, Southwest said.

"Efficiency in fuel consumption benefits our company as well as the environment, and this has been part of our business model since the beginning," Gary Kelly, Southwest's chairman, president, and chief executive, said in a news release.

Green products to be tested on the plane include:

• InterfaceFLOR Carpet, which is installed in sections, cutting labor and material use, and is remade into new carpet at the end of its service life;
• E-Leather lightweight, scuff-resistant seat covers on one side of the aisle and IZIT Leather lightweight, durable covers on the other side;
• A canvas life vest pouch that saves 1 pound over the current metal container and leaves more room under seats for carry-on items;
• Garnier PURtec foam that reduces weight and increases comfort in seat backs;
• Aluminum seat rub strips that are more durable than current plastic strips and are recyclable.

"We are excited to test their forward-thinking products and expect these green products to not only help the environment, but also create a fuel and materials cost saving for Southwest," Kelly said.

Southwest also announced a new co-mingled recycling program that would allow it to divert more recyclable material from the waste stream starting Nov. 1.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/182774.asp

Glycerin to Propylene Glycol

As we've discussed before, this process could have a large impact on the polyol market by replacing propylene oxide based PG with glycerin based and reducing PO capacity utilization for a while . . .

Biotransformation of Crude Glycerin

GlycosBio scientists examine a fermenter before testing it to validate alcohol production at different concentrations of glycerin.

The profitability of a renewable fuels production facility is often related to the value of its coproduct. With glycerin’s wide range of utility in specialty chemicals production, biodiesel producers can find opportunity in the biotransformation of its coproduct stream.

By David Gaskin

Fermentation processes, combined with traditional recovery methods, are emerging as a successful path to biobased coproducts from biodiesel production. Worldwide, interest in industrial biotechnology grows as new technologies prove product capabilities and economics. 

Glycerin is one of the most widely available chemicals in the world, touting a production of more than 2 billion pounds1 and growing. As the biodiesel industry well knows, the supply of glycerin will continue to dwarf demand until more than 5 billion pounds is expected to hit the world by 20201. Prices of glycerin in the U.S. have either been widely fluctuating or painfully low, reflecting a dependence on soybeans, refining capacity and biofuels policy, but predominantly reflecting the large supply of glycerin entering the U.S. marketplace. 

In 2008, biodiesel crude glycerin production reached approximately 251 kilotons in the U.S., on top of the estimated 150 kilotons of glycerin from nonbiodiesel sources2,3. U.S. demand for glycerin’s traditional uses in soaps and cosmetics, food additives, industrial foams and transportation fluids were outstripped by supply on the order of some 75 to 100 kilotons. The slow rise in crude oil prices over the past six months may give encouragement to biodiesel margins, but it won’t solve glycerin’s long-term picture.

Businesses and research groups around the world are focused on launching innovative and sustainable technologies capable of connecting glycerin to valuable applications. Researchers in the biotechnology industry are well aware of the supply issues surrounding glycerin, and have recently invested in the means to develop technologies to convert glycerin to biofuels and a portfolio of other end-products. 

Industrial biotechnology company Glycos Biotechnologies Inc. (GlycosBio) of Houston, Texas, recently developed a biotransformation technique that directs crude glycerin from the biodiesel process into ethanol at high-yield efficiency. Using microorganisms as biocatalysts—enzymes or microbes that initiate or accelerate chemical reactions—GlycosBio makes possible the conversion of a disadvantaged coproduct into another prominent chemical. Scientists recognize that glycerin is sometimes difficult to convert in a microbial transformation, but its inherent chemistry opens alternatives to produce hundreds of compounds. For that reason, biofuel producers can tap crude glycerin streams to produce new and valuable coproducts. 
What does this mean for the biodiesel industry? This new biological process enables owners of biodiesel plants to use glycerin streams within their plants to diversify coproducts and provide revenue management flexibility. Crude glycerin exiting the separation units can be converted to products such as ethanol and propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is an important component of polyester resins, industrial solvents and hydraulic fluids, and boasts a U.S. market of $786 million. At 85 cents per pound, propylene glycol has the potential to add 29 cents in production margin per gallon of biodiesel. If soybean oil prices begin to rise again, glycerin provides minimal plant contribution against low oil prices; but unlike glycerin, the industrial uses, and prices, for propylene glycol present a more sustainable source of economic value. 

Translating this into plant dollars, a 50 million gallon plant that converts nearly 4.5 million gallons of crude glycerin can churn out 25 million pounds of propylene glycol, the value of which is more than $21 million at today’s prices. 

 

Microbial Biotransformation 
The science begins by modifying the metabolic pathways of selected microorganisms to digest glycerin and ensuring that growth conditions and metrics are met by the cultured strains. From there, only strains that consume large amounts of glycerin with a minimum of interfering coproducts are selected. High-throughput screening expedites the selection of characteristics based on glycerin consumption, conversion yield and minimizing competing metabolites. Exclusive production of the desired product is crucial, but measures can be taken to moderate byproducts if they prove useful in maximizing the primary target. Successful strains are introduced into fermentation reactors containing crude glycerin with two goals in mind: minimize reaction time and select strains for actual process stream conditions. 

From there, the fermentation is scaled up and process development begins. In designing actual operating conditions, feedback to the laboratory fermentation work helps scientists to develop strains with the actual production process conditions. Over the past six months, GlycosBio researchers have doubled the production titer of certain products, while increasing the rate kinetics and glycerin consumption of the strain. 

The technical problems that industrial biotech companies such as GlycosBio face include the challenge of scaling a different bioreaction for each biobased product that the company rolls out. Those problems are compounded under risks of contamination, variable crude feedstock content and alignment with downstream recovery operations. However, those tasks can be overcome at manageable expense using prepilot bioreaction volumes far smaller than commercial scale. 

The disruptive capability of the technology is the ability to biologically ferment glycerin into higher value biochemicals or fuels that can provide revenue during periods of lower biodiesel crush spreads. That’s the concept of a biorefinery—like a petroleum refinery, several strata of liquid fuels, chemicals and energy are produced. The biorefinery was conceived to be a more economically sustainable model. 

Different Approaches 
The conversion of glycerin to propylene glycol is under development by Dow, UOP and Huntsman4. Separately, Dow and Solvay developed technology for converting crude glycerin to epichlorohydrin. DuPont-Tate & Lyle have been successful in their joint venture to produce and market 1,3-propanediol. 

Other companies such as Green Biologics in Oxford, UK, and Myriant Technologies in Quincy, Mass., are also developing processes around glycerin as a viable starting material for diverse chemicals such as butanol and acetone. Arkema SA in France is developing techniques to convert crude glycerin to acrolein, admittedly a small market itself, but having large potential as a precursor to acrylic acid. Arkema’s process is entirely non-biological and uses a dehydration reaction on a solid catalyst producing acrolein and by-products hydroxyacetone, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and acetone4. 

The production of biobased chemicals and materials is gaining momentum. ADM, Cargill and other traditional grain suppliers are among the most heavily involved in chemical production from biomaterials. Cargill owns the massive NatureWorks bio-polymeric plastics and resins operation in Nebraska. ADM formed its Industrial Chemicals unit in 2007, with the intent to produce USP-grade propylene glycol among other renewable chemicals. 

Industrial Biotech Incentives 
Companies have their sights set on a projected $215 billion biobased chemicals market. McKinsey & Co. predicts that sales of chemicals from renewable, biobased sources will consume 10 percent of worldwide chemical sales in 20125. It’s not a new idea, but the U.S. DOE is betting that these chemicals and other products will service biofuel plants as more profitable coproducts alternatives to glycerin. 

The successful approach for GlycosBio and others will be to demonstrate technologies converting high levels of glycerin to a single product, and obtain market traction quickly, making it easier to attract funding for more ambitious projects. 

Investment in additional chemical products and capabilities logically follow these initial breakthroughs. In fact, many companies in this space are pursuing the green field of bioderived solvents, monomers and chemical intermediates. According to McKinsey, biofuels will account for $91 billion of these sales. By 2020, most chemical manufacturers will have significant capacity devoted to bioprocessed fuels and chemicals. 

David Gaskin is director of planning for Glycos Biotechnologies Inc. Reach him at dgaskin@glycosbio.com. 

References 
1. Glycerin Market Analysis, ABG, Inc. for the U.S. Soybean Export Council (2007) 
2. Monthly Energy Review, Energy Information Administration (2009) 
3. BBI International 
4. Patent Watch, American Chemical Society (2008) 
5. Industrial White Biotechnology, Chemical Week (2009) 

http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=3785&q=&page=all

Expandable Polypropylene Used As Seating Foam?

The performance front seats of the new Opel Insignia OPC - which obtained the quality seal of the Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V. (AGR - Healthy Back Campaign) - were developed by Opel and Recaro with BASF's assistance. These seats are made of two special polyamides belonging to the Ultramid family as well as of the specialty foam Neopolen.

The new Opel Insignia OPC comes with a novel performance front seat that not only looks sporty but also has remarkable ergonomic properties. The center parts of the seat are made of two special BASF polyamides: the backrest shell and the crossbar (light blue and dark blue in the CAE-image on the right) are made of Ultramid® B3G10 SI, a material with high surface quality, while the seat pan (orange in the CAE-image) is made of Ultramid B3ZG8. The seat structure was designed on the computer employing BASF’s ULTRASIM™ simulation package. The foam Neopolen® (purple in the CAE-image) is an energy-absorbing material that concurrently serves as carrier for various modules. Photo: BASF - The Chemical Company, 2009

The seat pan, backrest shell and crossbar were designed using BASF's broadly applicable ULTRASIM simulation package. The plastic parts are now replacing the steel frames that used to be employed. The performance seat lends itself for high-volume serial production and will be exhibited together with the Opel Insignia OPC in Hall B4, Stand 4108, near BASF's stand (B4, Stand 4308) at the Fakuma trade fair, from October 13 to October 17 in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Thanks to the ULTRASIM program package, BASF developers were able to design the parts so as to meet the requirements set by Recaro and Opel: low weight, high mechanical strength, outstanding ergonomic properties and a sporty look. Since this simulation tool allowed the seat structure to be predicted on the computer, it was possible to reliably dimension and optimize the plastic parts as to crash requirements. The seat pan makes use of Ultramid B3ZG8, a very tough and yet sufficiently stiff PA6 that ensures high energy consumption values. Ultramid B3G10 SI is employed in the large, free-standing backrest shell as well as in the crossbar. This material, which is likewise optimized in terms of its crash behavior, yields good surfaces in spite of its high glass fiber content, successfully meeting the requirements made of backrests for the interior of vehicles. The very precise characteristic values needed for simulations employing ULTRASIM are available for these two materials. Particularly the aspect of processability, in other words, the flow properties of the material, plays an important role when it comes to manufacturing the high backrest. The insert for the backrest shell is made of Neopolen P 9225 K (EPP), an energy-absorbing foam that also covers edges and serves as a module carrier for motors and seat components such as the spinal column support.

At the time of the K 2007 plastics fair, the then newly founded BASF Competence Team for Seats, along with Recaro and Opel, unveiled a prototype made of various BASF materials. This broad-based competence in material and component development is now being put to direct use in the serial development of the Opel Insignia OPC seat, which also complies with GM's global requirements in terms of crash behavior.

Live at the Fakuma: Opel Insignia OPC at BASF

The new seat will be showcased together with the Opel Insignia OPC at the Fakuma trade fair. More than 20 individual components made with BASF plastics are serially installed in this car model, ranging from the lower bumper stiffener (LBS) and the high-strength engine mounts made of Ultramid, to numerous interior parts made of Terblend N (ABS+PA) and Miramid (PA), all the way to instrument panels made of Elastoflex (PU) and exterior applications such as mirror housings made of Luran S (ASA).

Posted Oct 13, 2009

http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=19294

Placing A Value on Patents

BASF and Dow Announce Support for New Patent Asset Index

-- Patent-based indicator provides better measurement of Innovation Strength
-- Dow leads in Competitive Impact(TM)
-- BASF leads overall Patent Asset Index(TM)

• Press Release
• Source: The Dow Chemical Company

• Companies:

   
  • The Dow Chemical Company

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany and MIDLAND, Mich., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BASF SE (Deutsche Borse: BAS) and The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: Dow - News), the world's two largest chemical companies, today jointly announced their support for the Patent Asset Index, a new methodology that measures research and development (R&D) effectiveness, innovation strength and how these factors lead to sustained competitive advantage. Findings based on 2008 results rank BASF first in the overall Patent Asset Index. Dow ranks first in a critical measurement of the Patent Asset Index - Competitive Impact(TM). These results show that BASF and Dow are among the most innovative companies in the global chemical industry.

The new Patent Asset Index created by Professor Holger Ernst of the WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (www.whu.edu) is a science-based metric that overcomes the key limitations of current patent analytics by offering a global perspective, more transparency and a more robust quality measurement for the assessment of patent portfolios. In comparison to other methodologies, the Patent Asset Index takes into account the total global patent portfolio of a company and is not restricted to a just a single country or a limited period of time.

"We now have an important indicator for the sustainability of innovative strength, especially with regard to technology and R&D oriented companies on a global level," said Ernst.

Ernst, Chair of Technology and Innovation Management at WHU and renowned expert in the area of measuring innovation, has initially applied his new methodology to rank the innovation strength of large, global chemical companies and plans to rank companies in other industries in the future.

The Patent Asset Index is comprised of several sub-components and measures the overall strength of a company's patent portfolio. It is based on two factors: (1) "Portfolio Size" (the number of worldwide active patent families) and (2) "Competitive Impact," which is the combination of Technology Relevance and Market Coverage. "Technology Relevance" measures the number of citations a patent receives in other patents, and "Market Coverage(TM)" measures the extent of patent protection in global markets. Thus, the Patent Asset Index offers a more detailed, accurate and robust perspective than current methodologies used to measure innovation strength.

According to the 2008 results, Dow's patents are the most cited in other patents, placing Dow first in the Technology Relevance measurement and thus also in the related Competitive Impact metric. BASF clearly leads the overall Patent Asset Index showing the company's global innovation strength.

"The nature of R&D has changed significantly in the past decade, however the methods for analyzing the performance of R&D organizations have not changed," said Dr. William F. Banholzer, Dow's Executive Vice President and Chief Technology officer. "We are in complete support of this new method, which takes into account the quality and quantity of innovation and provides a result that not only allows a company to benchmark itself against its peers, but also provides an accurate, overall view of the impact and efficiency of an enterprise's investment in innovation."

Comparing companies on the strength of their patent portfolio is an important measure of innovation, especially in the chemical industry where competition occurs at a global level.

"The essential role that patents play in the chemical industry is often ignored, and we are happy that we now have a better method to compare the patent portfolios of global companies even more accurately," said Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, member of the Board of Executive Directors and Research Executive Director of BASF SE. "The method is valuable not only to demonstrate the importance of our patent portfolio to investors, but also to internally evaluate our patent strategy over time."

For further information about method and results of the patent benchmarking based on the Patent Asset Index, please visit: www.whu.edu/tim/pai

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/BASF-and-Dow-Announce-Support-prnews-3297754173.html?x=0&.v=1

BASF Introduces New Isocyanate

BASF Polyurethanes launches Lupranate 280 Isocyanate for MDI-based foams 

WYANDOTTE, MI, September 30, 2009 – BASF Corporation is launching its innovative LupranateÒ 280 Isocyanate for MDI-based foam.  The resulting foams provide excellent quality and performance and have intrinsic fire retardant qualities.

“Lupranate 280 Isocyanate is unique because it provides the manufacturer a high-quality foam that passes California Technical Bulletin 117* without the addition of separate flame retardants,” said John Maloney, Business Manager, Polyurethanes Division at BASF.  ”In addition, Lupranate 280 is significantly slower to discolor than foams with added fire retardants.”

Lupranate 280 can be used in furniture and furnishing applications.  Manufacturing using Lupranate 280 is efficient and compatible with much of today's existing equipment, processes and production conditions.

BASF Corporation is a Diamond Sponsor of the 2009 CPI Polyurethane Technical Conference and will introduce Lupranate 280 Isocyanate at this event, which will take place at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center at Fort Washington, Maryland (Washington, DC) on Oct. 5-8, 2009.

*This numerical flame spread rating, as in other tests of flammability, is not intended to reflect hazards presented by this or any other material under actual fire conditions.

http://www2.basf.us/corporate/news_2009/news_release_2009_00211.htm