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(plasteurope) -- A new polymer made
from exhaust gas containing CO2 holds promise as a "green" substitute for
ABS, says German E&E giant Siemens.
In an ongoing project funded by
the German federal research ministry, BMBF, to find industrial applications for
CO2, Siemens is cooperating with academic and industrial partners such as
universities in Hamburg and Munich as well as chemical and plastics giant
BASF.
The new composite material is being touted as a competitive
ecological alternative to ABS, for example in household appliances. The polymer
mixture contains polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) made from renewable raw materials
such as palm oil and starch.
As PHB is brittle, polypropylene carbonate
(PCC) manufactured by BASF is used in the process to make the mixture softer.
The PPC input, consisting of 43% of CO2 by weight, is being obtained from power
plant emissions. Along with being transparent, biodegradable and resistant to
light, the polymer is easily processed, the researchers say. |
