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Camposite©, a low cost sustainable plastic alternative , produced from Cambond bio-based resins and waste biomass, opening up the opportunity to enter plastic disposable products.
About
Camposite are produced by combing the Cambond© resin with plastic polymers and waste biomass. Cambond© is produced from Distillers Dried Grains with Soluble, ‘DDGS’, a by-product of alcohol or bioethanol production. The mechanical properties in composites of DDGS, the result of its complex mix of proteins, fats and oils, are widely recognized. Cambond© can add valuable properties such as tensile strength and flexibility when blended in composite mixes – and specifically in mixes which contain waste biomass. Biomass is already used as a filler in plastic. However, it tends to result in inferior material properties. Cambond© permits biomass to integrate easily with long chain polymers, creating highly functional composites. It can potentially offer processing benefits, including flow rates and melt temperatures, which increase manufacturing efficiencies. Camposite including up to 90% waste biomass from straw, peanut shells, pineapple tops and coffee grounds have been tested. Camposite can be processed with limited, or zero, alterations to existing moulding or extrusion manufacturing processes. Unlike some bioplastics, neither high temperatures nor catalytic chemistry are required: pellets can be mixed in a standard twin screw extruder. With no investment in new machinery needed, end prices remain low and the product can be processed at a comparable price to fossil-based plastics. Furthermore, the inclusion of up to 90% waste biomass raw material means that Camposite may be produced more cheaply than the polymer it replaces: Cambond calculates that it can produce a plastic with comparable qualities to Polypopylene (PP) /PLA/PHBH at between 10% and 15% less than current market prices. Camposite could replace some of the most common plastics – excluding clear plastics, since biomass is not transparent. The company’s strategy emphasises the formulation to replace the most common plastics such as PP and PE to ensure biodegradability. Cambond has also developed biodegradable formulations with PLA and PHBH™.
Key Benefits
Cambond addresses an acute need for truly recyclable tableware products: In the UK alone, c. 2.5 billion of theoretically ‘recyclable’ coffee cups are thrown away annually because even paper/cardboard cups contain a plastic lining which contaminates recycling channels. Coffee shops are increasingly concerned about sustainability – as are restaurant chains, airlines and companies such as IKEA. However, most options currently available to such customers also compromise on functionality. Camposite© promises to contribute to EU targets for a) reducing the impact of plastics on the environment, in our oceans and food chain; and b) climate change. Camposite will reduce the carbon cost of the plastics industry in two ways: • Displacing synthetic polymers in favour of biomass in Camposite products by up to 90% avoids the use of potentially millions of tonnes of oil. • Capturing carbon from agricultural waste avoids it otherwise being released when buried/burnt. Further, the use of agricultural biomass waste can help alleviate other environmental challenges, such as air quality issues resulting from agricultural fires. In addition to using biomass as a filler, the use of DDGS creates a market for this product: most DDGS is used as animal feed but volumes are growing due to the development of the bioethanol industry – and DDGS had reportedly exceeded the consumption rate of livestock feed by 2011 .
Applications
Cambond has secured interest from disposable catering product users for plastic cutlery and coffee cups. It has engaged with coffee chains, restaurant chains, leading airline cutlery producer, deSTER; and IKEA. Further Strategy is to produce in partnership with plastics compounders and manufacturers. Cambond aims to work with Kaneka Corporation, in Belgium: Camposite blends with Kaneka’s biopolymer, PHBT™, would open up new markets and benefit both companies for tableware, where there is a clearly demonstrated customer need. Longer term, Cambond will target mainstream markets, such as construction and automotive plastics, through licensing deals.