PLA-FOAM

The Development of a Single-Screw Extrusion Process for Production of Low Density Biodegradable PLA Foam for Thermoformed Food Packaging Applications

Coordinatore	THE UK MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIMITED    more  Organization address address: MIDDLE ASTON HOUSE city: MIDDLE ASTON OXFORDSHIRE postcode: OX25 5PT contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Andy Cognome: Dean Email: send email Telefono: +44-(0)845-0947682 Fax: +44-(0)1664-501589
Nazionalità Coordinatore	United Kingdom [UK]
Sito del progetto	http://pla-foam.uk-matri.org
Totale costo	1˙393˙953 €
EC contributo	1˙078˙864 €
Programma	FP7-SME Specific Programme "Capacities": Research for the benefit of SMEs
Code Call	FP7-SME-2008-1
Funding Scheme	BSG-SME
Anno di inizio	2009
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2009-10-01   -   2011-09-30

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	THE UK MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIMITED  Organization address address: MIDDLE ASTON HOUSE city: MIDDLE ASTON OXFORDSHIRE postcode: OX25 5PT contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Andy Cognome: Dean Email: send email Telefono: +44-(0)845-0947682 Fax: +44-(0)1664-501589	UK (MIDDLE ASTON OXFORDSHIRE)	coordinator	38˙046.00
2	EMO EXTRUSION MOLDING GMBH  Organization address address: MULLERVIERTEL 2 city: MICHELDORF postcode: 4563 contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: David Cognome: White Email: send email Telefono: -210744 Fax: -	AT (MICHELDORF)	participant	220˙878.00
3	OMNIFORM SA  Organization address address: Avenue Franklin - Zoning Industriel Nord 2 city: WAVRE postcode: 1301 contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Alain Cognome: Wambeke Email: send email Telefono: +32 (0) 10 226955 Fax: +32 (0) 10 223665	BE (WAVRE)	participant	218˙261.00
4	C.I.B. CONSERVATORI INDUSTRIALI BREVETTATI SRL  Organization address address: Strada Statale 11 city: SONA postcode: 37060 contact info Titolo: Dr. Nome: Franco Cognome: Bocchini Email: send email Telefono: -457190051 Fax: -457190217	IT (SONA)	participant	189˙043.00
5	BOSCAROL SRL  Organization address address: Via Stelvio 12/09 city: BOLLATE postcode: 20021 contact info Titolo: Dr. Nome: Sonia Cognome: Manera Email: send email Telefono: -3503517 Fax: -3590453	IT (BOLLATE)	participant	184˙963.00
6	BIOPAC (UK) LIMITED  Organization address address: AINTREE ROAD UNITS 19 & 20 KEYTEC BUSINESS PARK city: PERSHORE postcode: WR10 2JN contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Mark Cognome: Brigden Email: send email Telefono: -557119 Fax: -557114	UK (PERSHORE)	participant	160˙074.00
7	MAILLEFER S.A.  Organization address address: Route Du Bois 37 city: ECUBLENS postcode: 1024 contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Daniel Cognome: Schlaefli Email: send email Telefono: -6944091 Fax: -6912123	CH (ECUBLENS)	participant	32˙925.00
8	"YKI, YTKEMISKA INSTITUTET AB"  Organization address address: Drottning Kristinas Vaeg 45 city: STOCKHOLM postcode: 11486 contact info Titolo: Ms. Nome: Marie Cognome: Sjoberg Email: send email Telefono: -50106045 Fax: -208960	SE (STOCKHOLM)	participant	22˙602.00
9	THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM  Organization address address: Edgbaston city: BIRMINGHAM postcode: B15 2TT contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Robert Cognome: Fekete Email: send email Telefono: -4158279 Fax: -4146133	UK (BIRMINGHAM)	participant	12˙072.00

Mappa

 Word cloud

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'450 k t p.a. of foamed polymer packaging (mainly expanded polystyrene, EPS) is consumed in the EU with 34% (150 k t p.a.) used for food packaging. Foam packaging is an essential part of the food processing and transport process to prevent damage and spoilage. However, they are made from synthetic polymers and have low density (50 kg/m3) which makes them difficult to recycle economically. Thus, the vast majority of foams are landfilled at the end-of-life where they take-up a large volume and resist degradation. In addition, foamed polymers constitute a very high level of litter which is persistent in the environment and is the main source of marine debris. As a result of these factors, food retailers are looking to develop foamed packing solutions based on biodegradable polymers from natural sources. Only Poly lactic acid (PLA) is produced in sufficient tonnages as a natural alternative. However, due to its’ chemical structure, PLA thermally degrades during processing which prevent the production of low density unmodified PLA foams using traditional extrusion technologies. Only modified PLAs have been successfully foamed to low densities. However these modified PLAs rely on technologies only available from the USA and the modification process affects the final properties and biodegradation behaviour. The proposed ‘PLA-Foam’ project will develop a supercritical CO2 assisted foam extrusion process and thermoforming method that will produce unmodified PLA foam products with greatly reduced thermal degradation. This will enable the consortium to produce low density foams using unmodified PLAs whose performance and biodegradation behaviour will exceed current alternative. This will allow our consortium to develop world-leading PLA foam technologies that are not dependent on US technologies, giving us global market leadership and leading to sales in excess of 100 million Euros 5 years after the project ends and increase profits across the consortium by 9 million Euros.'