US-based Laurel BioComposite announced that it has earned the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified bio-based product label for its Bio-Res PE and Bio-Res powder products.
The company first introduced the biomaterial in 2011 as a green replacement with improved performance properties for traditional petroleum-based resins in a variety of plastics manufacturing processes.
Bio-Res Powder is made from distillers grains utilizing a proprietary process. Bio-Res Powder is high purity and characterized by controlled particle size and color. According to the company, the feedstock is a by-product of the ethanol process and is a renewable, sustainable resource that is biodegradable.
he BioPreferred label assures that Laurel BioComposite products contain bio-materials in the amounts specified. The company’s newly certified products also are part of the Federal procurement preference program and may help achieve Materials & Resource Credits 6 (MR-6) as well as additional credit categories related to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Laurel BioComposite noted that its Bio-Res are able to economically raise the renewable or “green” content of plastic products by as much as 40%. The biomaterial is available in pellet formulations which blend easily with polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) matrices. The product has been tested to replace 20-40% of the neat resin in a variety of manufacturing processes.
In September 2013, Laurel BioComposite moved into a newly constructed 20,000sq foot manufacturing facility. Its production line is operating at a capacity of 7 million pounds a year. Phase II of the expansion, which includes a second production line and bulk material handling, is underway and is expected to raise Laurel BioComposite’s annual capacity to 48 million pounds.
Source: http://www.adsalecprj.com/Publicity/MarketNews/lang-eng/article-67010391/NewsArticle.aspx
