Technological watch

Clariant and Floreon Collaborate to Expand High-Performance Biopolymer Applications

Clariant’s Additives business and Floreon-Transforming Packaging Ltd. announced a new collaboration to further extend the performance properties and market potential of biopolymers while preserving their environmental benefits.

Floreon develops and markets proprietary compounds based on PLA and containing 70 to 90% renewable plant-based raw materials. Image courtesy Floreon.By integrating the benefits of Clariant’s additives with Floreon’s proprietary material solutions, the collaboration aims to open up additional possibilities for plastic manufacturers and brand owners to consider biopolymers as a viable, low-carbon-footprint alternative to fossil-fuel-based plastics for both single-use and durable applications.

Markets that can potentially benefit from the new enhanced grades include rigid and flexible packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, hygiene products, consumer goods, and automotive.

Floreon develops and markets proprietary compounds based on PLA and containing 70 to 90% renewable plant-based raw materials, thus containing carbon sequestered from the atmosphere by plants. The compounds are typically mechanically tougher than traditional PLA and can deliver significant energy savings in processing.

“Brand owners and plastic converters are seeking more-sustainable material solutions to offer their customers, driven by goals ranging from recyclable solutions and improving waste management to lowering carbon footprint and reducing resource use. Floreon can contribute toward these goals,” said Shaun Chatterton, CEO, Floreon.

Clariant’s portfolio of sustainable additives includes a range of bio-based additives, which deliver both high performance and sustainability to the plastics value chain, said Clariant. “The bio-based additives help reduce fossil resource intensity and enable more sustainable materials,” said the company.  

Stephan Lynen, head of Business Unit Additives, Clariant, commented: “We are excited to be working together with Floreon using the advantages of our range of sustainable additives to close the performance gap between biopolymers and other materials. This is just another way we can contribute to giving the plastics value chain a greater choice of options for meeting sustainability targets and consumer demand and, in doing so, support the transformation to a circular economy.”

The companies expect to launch their first product from the collaboration into the market during the first half of 2020.

Publication date: 25/03/2020

Plastics Today

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Last update: 2022-01-31