Dietrich Scherzer, BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Ludwigshafen

1

Plastics from Renewable Resources Has the
time come?

• Dietrich Scherzer, BASF Aktiengesellschaft,
  Ludwigshafen

2
Content

• Renewable resources
• Availability
• Cost
• Fuels/Energy
• 2. Intermediates based on renewable resources
• White Biotechnology
• Polymers
• Prices and Costs
• 3. PLA and PHAs
• Properties
• LCA, Ecoefficiency

3
Global Trends

• Sustainability is worldwide accepted as general
  concept
• Climate-change is considered a dominant problem
• Fossil resources are limited
• Securing energy becomes a political priority
• Solar energy (in different forms) is considered
  sustainable

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Green Energy
5
World Biomass Production
World biomass per year 21011 tons 21015
MJ/year
World oil consumption 3.5109 tons 1.41014
MJ/year
93 unutilized
7 utilized
Plants are a gigantic sun reactor. Of the
yearly energy from sun of 51018 MJ, only 21015
MJ are use to build up biomass. Only approx 7 of
the biomass is used by mankind.
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Polymers from Plants
The build up biomass is about 1000 times bigger
than the amount of plastics produced world
wide. The amount of paper produced world wide is
about twice as big as the produced amount of
plastics.
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Use of fossil oil in Germany 2002
(in )
Other uses
2,3
Heating
25,8
Bitumen, coke, lubricants, residues
4,7
52,8
14,5
Transportation
Chemistry
7
Total Germany 127 Mio. tons/year
Plastics
Quelle Mineralölwirtschaftsverband 2003
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Renewable Resources - Biodiesel and Agriculture
Diesel consumption in Germany 30 mio. tons (40
of all fuel)
Overall area Germany 36 mio. ha
22 mio. hectar needed to substitute the whole
diesel consumption in Germany
660 000 hectar needed to replace 3 of the
diesel consumption in Germany
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Renewable Energy and Resources
Renewable resources and consumption in
(MJ/year) Fossil resources know (in MJ)
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Renewable Resources - Biodiesel, Bioethanol and
Agriculture
1 ha 100 x 100 m²
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Fuel for Transportation - BTL
Plant for 15 000 tons (20 mio. liters) / year is
built in Freiberg (Germany). This requires 65 000
t of biomass
Source Bild der Wissenschaft 2/2005
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How to use biomass?
Feedstock for fermentation
Direct use wood, cellulose, Starch plant
oil biodiesel food
Biomass
Energy Biomass power plant
Cracking CO, H2 C1-value chain
Biogas CH4
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Plastics from Nature
Thermoplastic polyester like PHA (poly
3-hydroxyalcanoates) and PLA (poly L-lactic
acid) show best potential to fit into existing
structures
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Fossil Oil becomes expensive
US-/Barrel
Quelle http//www.wallstreet-online.de
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Production of Biodegradable Polyesters(Estimated
costs)
The production costs of polymers based on fossil
resources are in the same range as the costs of
polyesters produced from renewable resources if
the feedstock for the fermentation is price
competitive.
Ester Feedstock (kg/kg polymer) Energy (MJ/kg)
Fossil polymer 1 x mineral oil 40
PLA 1.5 x sugar 60
PHA 3 x sugar or 1.5 x plant oil 60
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Synthesis of Polyesters
Polylactic acid (PLA)
Polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHA)s
Starch, sugar Lactic acid (fermentation) Dilactid
(purifcation) Polylactic acid (PLA)1) (e.g.
NatureWorks 2))
Starch, sugar, plant oil, PHA1)
(fermentation) Purification
Energy
Energy
1) PLA and PHA belongs to the group of
polyesters 2) NatureWorks trademark of
NatureWorks LLC
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Properties of PHA and PLA
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DSCs PHB and PLA
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DSCs PHB and PLA
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Polymers by white biotechnologyPolyhydroxybutyrat
e (PHB)
Glucose, palm oil
PHB

• Cheap and available feedstock
• One step process at mild conditions but low
  yield
• Costly separation of PHB from biomass
• The PP of biodegradables

Cells of Alcaligenes latus DSM 1122 in the late
in the late accumulation phase (magnification
10000x) (Source Zentrum für Elektronenmikroskopie
, Graz)
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Variation of Properties by Incorporation of
Comonomers

Examples
Poly-3-hydroxy-butyrate-co-4-hydroxy-butyrate
Poly-3-hydroxy-butyrate-co-3-hydroxy-valerate
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Polymers by biotechnology PHB The PP of the
Biodegradables
Fields of application
4000
PLA
E-Modulus MPa
PBT
injection molding
extrusion
2000
I-PP
PHBs
r-PP
LDPE
Ecoflex
0
0
50
100
150
200
250
Tm C
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Comparison PHB Polypropylene
Specific Gravity
5 4 3 2 1
Oxygen Barrier
Modulus
UV Stability
Elongation
Heat Resistance
PHB
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Products from renewable Resources
Plates from PHB/Ecoflex-blends
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Products from renewable Resources
Tray with plates, cup and cutlery all from
PHB/Ecoflex-blends
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Products from renewable Resources
Parts from PHB/Ecoflex- blends
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Products from renewable Resources

• Walkman-housingWM-FX202 (three colors),
  WM-EC1(white, European model)
• Parts of the AIBO-Roboter-dog ERS-7 (AIBO jap.
  friend)
• Material PLA-based (gt 90 PLA)
• Producer Sony with Mitsubishi Plastic, Inc. and
  Sanpo Kasei K.K.
• Market entrance 2002

Source IZM
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Products from renewable Resources

• Laptop-housing
• Material PLA with low flammabiliy and
  form-memory-effect
• Producer NEC(also announcement of Fujitsu
  Limited with Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd for
  FMV-BIBLO NB computer)
• Prototype/market entrance 9/2004(2010 gt 10
  biodegradable plastics in PCs)

Source IZM
29

Products from renewable Resources
Source IZM
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Fossil Energy for the Production of 1 kg Polymer
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Energy Consumption Split up into Fossil and
Regenerative
MJ / 50 000 bags
160 000
regenerative energy
fossile energy
120 000
Recovered energy
80 000
40 000
0
-40.000
PHA from rape
LD-PE
PHA by fermentation
Ecoflex
Ecoflex/ starch blend
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Carrier Bags from Different PlasticsCollected
and Incinerated
environmental pollution (normalized)
0.4
High Eco-efficiency
PHA from rape
Customer related benefit Production, usage
of 50 000 bags and incineration
LD-polyethylene
PHA fermented
1
Ecoflex
Ecoflex/starch blends
Low Eco-efficiency
1.6
0.4
1.0
1.6
Costs (normalized))
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Carrier Bags from Different PlasticsLeft in
Nature, littered in the Countryside
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Conclusions

• Biomass cannot cover the energy needs of mankind.
• Solar energy will provide sufficient energy in
  the long term.
• There is enough biomass to replace fossil fuel as
  the feedstock for the chemical industry. But the
  technology has to be developed.
• Biomasse can be used in different ways. The use
  as chemical feedstock competes with the
  production of energy.
• BTL and ethanol connect the prices of biomass
  with the costs of fossil oil.
• PHA-copolyesters have the potential to substitute
  PP (injection moulding) and PE (films). Using the
  published figures the LCAs (ecoefficiency
  assessments) of PLA and PHB are bad. The process
  energy is high the process has to be improved.
• PHAs made via green biotechnology may be more
  competitive than fermented PHAs.

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The Field of the Future
wind generator
solar panels
energy plants
cattle