Equipment

Compounding extruder for biobased polymers (Berstorff ZE 42)

Processing and compounding of biobased polymers enables to create innovative biobased materials and products with desired material properties. For this, the Berstorff ZE 42 Blue Power Twin screw, 42 mm 56D/40D extruder with modular screw and barrel set-up is available. This extruder can be provided with (side-)feeders, dosing pumps for fluids, degassing equipment including a stuffer, a melt pump and various pelletising systems.

The expertise and technologies are available for processing biobased polymers into various materials, such as bioplastics, coatings and adhesives, resins and composites. More about the development of new materials, processes and products that lower the ecological footprint of plastic products, e.g., biobased plastics, and the testing thereof, and optimizing end-of-life options via mechanical recycling or organic recycling can be found on the Sustainable plastics technology page.

Applications

Development of various materials and products based on biobased polymers available on the market and processing and producing novel polymers on a kg scale. The most important polymers are:

  • PLA including nucleated and sc-PLA
  • Starch blends
  • PHA’s
  • PEF
  • Thermoplastic celluloses
  • Various polyesters like PBS(A), PBAT, PCl and PGA