Technological watch
Mitsui Chemical: Newly Developed Biodegradable Biopolyester Resins
The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (the MCG Group) announces that it has developed new biodegradable biopolyester resins with a high biomass content and flexibility among other features.
The newly developed SA916N and SA916F are biodegradable resins which are degraded by microorganisms found in nature. Their high biomass content of over 60%, flexibility, high tear strength, and excellent processability have been achieved thanks to the MCG Group's proprietary material design and manufacturing technologies. They can be used for various applications such as food packaging, plastic grocery bags, and agricultural mulch film.
As a specialty materials group that provides innovative solutions, the MCG Group is committed to further advancing our technological development to provide high-value-added products and contribute to the realization of sustainable societies.
1. Features of the developed products
The following features have been achieved by combining biomass-derived monomers using the Group's proprietary material design technology.
Sample work will be started in Europe and Japan from January 2024, followed by the U.S., for applications such as food packaging, plastic grocery bags, and agricultural mulch film, and promote further technological development.
Degradation test
The newly developed SA916N and SA916F are biodegradable resins which are degraded by microorganisms found in nature. Their high biomass content of over 60%, flexibility, high tear strength, and excellent processability have been achieved thanks to the MCG Group's proprietary material design and manufacturing technologies. They can be used for various applications such as food packaging, plastic grocery bags, and agricultural mulch film.
As a specialty materials group that provides innovative solutions, the MCG Group is committed to further advancing our technological development to provide high-value-added products and contribute to the realization of sustainable societies.
1. Features of the developed products
The following features have been achieved by combining biomass-derived monomers using the Group's proprietary material design technology.
- Biodegradability
- Biomass content of 60% or more
- Flexibility
- High tear strength
- Excellent processability
- Transparency
- High impact strength
- Low gel content
- Compatibility with other biodegradable resins including our BioPBS™
Sample work will be started in Europe and Japan from January 2024, followed by the U.S., for applications such as food packaging, plastic grocery bags, and agricultural mulch film, and promote further technological development.
Degradation test
- Test method: Conducted degradation tests in-house using compost
- Conditions: Grade "SA916N" 50?m-thick film placed in compost and soil at 60°C
- Result: We have verified that most of the material was degraded in 31 weeks.
This project has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 837761.
