Speciality chemicals distributor and industrial minerals producer Omya (Oftringen / Switzerland; www.omya.com) has launched "Omya Smartfill 55-OM", a calcium carbonate product for use in biopolymers, in particular polylactic acid (PLA). Conventional calcium carbonate products lead to PLA degradation due to hydrolysis during processing, whereas Omya Smartfill 55-OM shows almost no hydrolysis when processed at filler loads of up to 40%, says the company. It adds that using the additive in films, sheets and injection-moulded items improves product stiffness, impact resistance, elongation and heat transfer.

Omya Smartfill 55-OM is food-contact compliant according to EU regulation No 10/2011 and FDA approved. It also passes the biodegradable criteria for heavy metals, fluorine and ecotoxicity, outlined in the European standard EN 13432.