19-01-2012

Successful start-up of a PLA plant with innovative Sulzer technology

The first PLA plant running with innovative Sulzer technology was successfully put into service by Synbra Technology in the Netherlands. Furthermore Sulzer will invest in a 1,000 ton per year PLA plant open for customer tests, which will be operational at the beginning of 2012.

The first polylactic acid (PLA) plant running with innovative Sulzer technology was successfully put into service by Synbra Technology in Etten Leur, the Netherlands. The plant was built by Sulzer Chemtech and is based on a cost-efficient polymerization process jointly developed with Purac, a company of the Dutch CSM group. The plant can produce up to 5,000 tons PLA per year and Synbra plans to further expand the capacity.

The construction of the plant was completed in early 2011, followed by a commissioning and testing period. The start-up has been successfully finalized and various grades of high quality PLA are being produced.

"Plastics made from renewable raw materials are becoming increasingly more important and have a high market potential", says Torsten Wintergerste, Director Polymer Technology at Sulzer Chemtech. "They constitute a sustainable alternative to conventional oil-based plastics". The bioplastic PLA can be used in many applications, and is produced through the ring-opening polymerization of lactide monomers. The lactide monomers are based on lactic acid produced by the fermentation of sugar or starch. In the near future cellulosic material from wood, grass or agricultural wastes shall substitute sugar as raw material in order to avoid any competition with the food chain which also bears new synergy potential for the pulp and paper industry.

"One major advantage of PLA is its versatility. Its properties can be engineered so that it can biodegrade quickly or, alternatively, remain functional for years", Torsten Wintergerste further adds.

For long-term success in the industry, it is crucial to improve the heat resistance of current bioplastics and to make them more competitive in price. Therefore, Sulzer Chemtech and Purac have developed solutions to produce high quality heat-resistant PLA polymer based on Purac’s unique feedstocks i.e. L- and D-Lactides. With its substantially improved heat resistance the new PLA product endures temperatures of up to 180oC.

Applications in the automotive, electronics and the textile industries using this new type of heat-resistant PLA are currently under development.

The importance Sulzer puts to bioplastic developments is demonstrated by its recent decision to invest in its own 1,000 ton per year PLA production plant. This will enable Sulzer to support its customers in the development of new PLA applications, both by providing samples in sizeable quantities and by demonstrating the feasibility of Sulzer's PLA polymerization technology. The plant will be operational at the beginning of 2012 and will be located in Switzerland.

For more information, please visit www.sulzerchemtech.com