USA – Material supplier Origin Materials has joined forces with Terphane, a leader in specialty PET polyester films, biaxially oriented PET (BOPET) to produce environmentally sustainable, high-performance biopolymer films.
Terphane, part of Tredegar Corporation, signed a multi-year capacity reservation agreement to purchase the advanced bio-polymer polyethylene furanoate (PEF) for use in film applications, including F&B packaging and high-value industrial applications.
BOPEF is biaxially oriented PEF, and together with BOPET, the stretched polymer films are valued for their strength, transparency, barrier properties and electrical insulation.
Rich Riley, co-CEO of Origin Materials said: “We are pleased to partner with Terphane, a trusted global leader in films with expansive customer and partner relationships.
“We are thrilled to work together to develop advanced, performance-enhanced products that help to enable a net zero material economy. This partnership represents further progress in Origin’s mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials.”
Marcos Vieira, global director of R&D for Terphane added that the development of this film will be critical to Terphane’s efforts to meet this new global demand for [environmentally] sustainable flexible packaging solutions.
Vieira explains that the film is partially made from PEF and has all the traditional properties of a regular PET film, including post-consumption recycling.
“In addition, PEF provides excellent thermal resistance and superior barrier performance, extending the shelf life of the packaged products. Initial tests in the US proved the material works perfectly in extrusion lines,” added Vieira.
Origin Materials’ patented technology platform represents a potential breakthrough in commercializing cost-competitive and low-carbon PEF.
Made from furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), the primary precursor to PEF, Origin PEF is a polymer with an attractive combination of environmental sustainability and performance characteristics for packaging including enhanced barrier properties.
Origin Materials expects its PEF to be 100% plant-based, fully recyclable, have beneficial unit economics and offer a significantly reduced carbon footprint, with superior strength, thermal properties and barrier properties compared to today’s widely used petroleum-based materials.
Origin expects to develop and sell 100% bio-based, low-carbon “PET/F” polymers offering full recyclability and “superior performance” compared to traditional 100% petroleum-derived PET.
Recently, Origin materials partnered with Husky to commercialize PET (polyethylene terephthalate) incorporating the sustainable chemical FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) for advanced packaging and other applications.
The companies used Husky’s injection molding technologies and manufacturing equipment, a commercial manufacturing-scale level of processing demonstrating the ability of PET/F, a polymer made with FDCA, to be integrated into existing PET production systems.
For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
