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Biodegradability is a complex concept. There are many definitions. Biodegradability may be defined as the intrinsic capacity of a material to be degraded by various reactions in order to be finally converted into H2O, CO2 and/or CH4 and a new biomass under the action of micro-organisms.
Pushed by environmental pressure, biodegradable materials are experiencing a strong growth.
What is a biodegradable material?
Clextral has developed an extensive expertise in processes associated with biodegradable materials.
3 biodegradable material categories are distinguished :
• Natural materials, which group biopolymers and polymers directly derived from plant resources : starch, cellulose, lignin, etc.
o Bacterial polymers : PHB, PHBV, …
o Polymers synthesized from monomers derived from plant resources : PLA, …
• Fossil materials : polyesters, etc.
• Composite materials, which combine the polymers of the two previous categories
Clextral has developed notably with some customers 100% biodegradable starch-based products, biodegradable composites, and natural fibre based composites. .. and is pursuing its research in new twin screw extrusion applications in this field in tight collaboration with research and expert centres of competitiveness with which the company participates.
Clextral is participating in the EmaBio project aimed at developing a new type of biodegradable packaging adapted to the agro-food sector. This project labelled by the competitiveness expert center Plastipolis is driven by the Plastiques RG company in partnership with the producers Ceregrain, Rovip, JC Polymers, and the technical centres and laboratories of the European Plastics Technology Expert Centre (PEP), the Multi-Party Research Unit FARE INRA - University of Rheims, the LRGIA laboratory of the Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, the Technical Centre for the Conservation of Agricultural Products (CTCPA) and the SMTA.
In parallel, the demand in favour of sustainable materials is growing and is explained by the need of producers to obtain biodegradable materials featuring the best properties, which explains the development of biosource materials.
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