German engineering plastics producer Covestro (Leverkusen; www.covestro.com) has launched “Makrofol EC”, the first partially bio-based PC film in the company’s portfolio. More than 50% of its content is sourced from plant-based raw materials, which considerably reduces the film’s carbon footprint, said Wieland Hovestadt, head of research and development in Covestro’s Specialty Films division.

The Leverkusen-based group works with an unmentioned producer that supplies the partially bio-based PC, which Covestro uses for film extrusion. According to a Covestro spokesperson, the supplier is taking “a completely different path” in the manufacture of intermediate products and resin, instead of using phenol and acetone to produce bisphenol A, which is used to make PC and suspected of being toxic to reproduction (see Plasteurope.com of 18.07.2019). No further details were made available.

The properties of Makrofol EC are said to be comparable in quality to standard PC films of the Makrofol range and can be used in applications in the packaging, electrical, consumer and automotive industries. The film is suitable for printing, laminating and coating using standard processes as well as thermoforming or high-pressure forming (HPF) processes.

Covestro recently announced a collaboration with Finnish refinery group Neste (Espoo; www.neste.com) to use renewable feedstocks to produce polycarbonate (see Plasteurope.com of 10.06.2020).