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Plastic pollution is one of the biggest climate-related problems mankind has. So what are your options? A bioplastic machine can help create an alternative to traditional plastics. Bioplastics, differently from regular plastics, don’t cause environmental contamination. Also, they don’t contain harmful ingredients and additives. Even with these benefits, the annual production of bioplastics is still less than one percent of all plastic making. However, the market is witnessing steady growth due to a rise in demand.

Which bioplastics equipment do you need?

Self-cleaning candle filtration system

Separating solids from liquids by filtration requires frequent cleaning or replaceme...

High performance classifier

For ultrafine classifying operations in inline mode of all types of fine to medium-fine products...

Fine cutting mill

When you want to mill soft to medium-hard plastics in the fineness range of several hundred µm to 2 mm, a f...

Torsion-resistant shredder

If you are shredding very difficult materials, you may need to choose a special construction to a...

Polymer line granulator

When it comes to the low-dust and cost-effective comminution of mouldings, blow mouldings and sprues ...

In-process weighing system for mills

When you need a throughput weigher for modern flour/grain milling applications, the we...

Hygienic open-mouth bottom-up baggers

Here are the open-mouth baggers that are specially designed for hygienic bagging of p...

Versatile open-mouth bagger

If you want highly precise bagger for bagging multiple bag materials, here you go. This versatil...

High-level layer palletizer

A palletizer that meets the middle and high-level needs of modern bagging lines. Quite suitable ...

Pelleting press for biomass

Utilization of biomass for energy and other applications requires consistent and reliable compac...

Deduster for plastic granules

Industries that use plastic granules see better product quality and decreased equipment wear a...

Deduster for injection moulding

High quality injection molded plastic parts require clean bulk resins free of dust and strea...

Small scale deduster for plastic granules

Industries that use bulk plastics see better product quality and decreased equip...

Laboratory granule dedusting analyzer

High quality clean bulk materials are used in many industries including plastics, foo...

Pipe bend to reduce fines

A specialized pipe elbow for pneumatic conveying systems that virtually eliminates the friction an...

Automatic bag slitter

Unacceptably high dust levels can be generated whilst manual emptying and handling of bags, also produc...

Big bag discharge system

Dust emissions, product loss and product contamination are the main risks when discharging products ...

Light duty rotary dust valve

In some light industrial applications there is limited pressure differential for valve operatio...

Special duty horizontal metering valve

Occasionally, there is no suitable standard valve available for a particular conveyi...

Hygienic FIBC handling line

There are many considerations when handling FIBC's (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers) or Bi...
Tumble dryer

Tumble dryer for granulated plastics

Vacuum drying at high temperatures is important in the production of granulated plasti...

Big bag solutions

Management of big bags requires specialist handling and selection of cost-effective configurations for fill...

Open mouth bagging machine

If you are a manufacturer of fertilizers, bulk chemicals, sugar, seeds, or any grains it is likel...

Open mouth bag filling machine for powders

The packaging of powdery products such as flour can be challenging as it is cru...

Form fill seal bagging machine

If you are in industries such as petrochemicals, fertilizers, animal feed, food, etc, you mus...

Vertical form fill seal machine

There is an increasing demand for a range of different package sizes of the same product. If...

Robot palletizing system

If you are a relatively large-scale producer, packing and transporting large quantities of products ...
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Tell us about your production challenge

When selecting production equipment for a production plant, it is important to talk to someone with experience in your field. Our industry experts have experience with various industrial applications. We’d love to help you!
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Production challenge: compounding bioplastics in a bioplastic machine

Bioplastic processing can be quite challenging, especially at the compounding stage. The wide range of available base polymers and differences in formulation makes it difficult to design a material handling and feeding system. For the final product to meet the required standard, you must set every process in the bioplastic machine to precision to avoid production loss.

However, technological developments in the compounding process make the process less challenging. One of them focuses on easily processing bioplastic polymer compounds through twin-screw extrusion. They increase the mixing efficacy of different components, providing a homogeneous result.

Is bioplastic completely better than plastics?

Bioplastics are indeed eco-friendly. They reduce fossil fuel usage and lower the release of toxic emissions. Moreover, their production significantly lowers the amount of non-biodegradable waste that pollutes the environment such as plastic shopping bags. In addition, they have a higher permeability to water vapor and do not change the taste of the food they contain. Bioplastic bag making machines also make softer and more tactile bags for cosmetics packaging.

However, the properties of some bioplastics, such as thermal instability, difficult heat saleability, brittleness, low melt strength, limit their use as a film in food packaging applications.

Another downside and worry in the production of bioplastics is their impact on agriculture and biodiversity. It competes with food production for agricultural resources and raw materials such as corn starch or sugar cane and utilizes a large portion of agricultural land.

The current trend in bioplastic manufacturing

Bioplastic is only likely to grow at an average of 3% relative to 3.5%-4% for polyethylene, polypropylene, and other plastics. The major factor contributing to this is the high cost of production. They cost twice or three times as much as conventional plastics. Another factor is the high competition for agricultural materials. In addition, some bioplastics have a shorter lifetime than traditional oil-based plastics due to their brittleness poor mechanical and barrier capabilities.

However, carbon emission taxation and single-use, fossil-based plastic bans already implemented in European countries such as France and Belgium may help boost the bioplastic industry by reducing the production of traditional plastics.

Lifespan of bioplastics

The longevity of a bioplastic depends on its end uses. For instance, for foods with a shelf-life of less than six months, opt for bioplastics with high biodegradability, including starch and cellulose. For foods with about five years shelf life, use options such as Polylactic acid (PLA). It takes a long time to biodegrade and undergo recycling. However, it is not advisable to store water-sensitive products in PLA for a prolonged period. Regardless of duration, bioplastics can be disposed along with other organic household waste. Microorganisms break them down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass at the same rate as other organic materials.

Processing steps involved in bio-plastics making

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