The “K 2016” trade fair that just wrapped up in Düsseldorf / Germany is where Dutch biochemical company Corbion (Amsterdam; www.corbion.com) has launched “Luminy”, its portfolio of high heat and standard PLA resins. Corbion said the resins can be tailored to most commonly used plastics production technologies in various molecular weights.

Bioplastic applications being displayed at the exhibition include a mouse from Nager IT as well as a touchscreen computer from Supla and Kuender. High-performance under-the-hood and interior automotive parts from Röchling and Plantura, and Synbra’s BioFoam surfboard are also on show. These products, said Corbion, demonstrate the performance possibilities for applications with high heat PLA.

Another new development being showcased at K 2016 are the PLA bioplastic root protection containers designed to improve the agricultural and environmental efficiency of rubber trees in Thailand. Corbion said this application has been nominated for the Bioplastics Award at the upcoming "European Bioplastics Conference" (www.european-bioplastics.org) being held in Berlin / Germany on 29-30 November.

Corbion and German firm Succinity (Düsseldorf; www.succinity.com) are also promoting a model biopolymer compound of PLA and PBS that is said to offer strong heat resistance, balanced mechanical properties, biodegradability and a high biorenewable content. The blended properties of the two resins could be of interest in applications such as food serviceware, food packaging and coffee capsules.

Other bioplastic products at the show include toothbrushes from PolyAlloy, PLA-lined paper cups from Totempak and lids from WinGram, 3D-printed items with sparkly effects from Fillamentum, Florida disposable ice cream spoons, and a bioplastic-textile composite clock from DenimX.