Under the trade name “MBA900H PLA”, Panasonic Electric Works (Osaka / Japan; www.panasonic-electric-works.com) has begun marketing what is described as a “highly heat resistant” polylactide (PLA) moulding compound composed to 80% of plant-based renewable feedstock. The new bioplastic product was developed jointly with Teijin (Tokyo / Japan; www.teijin.co.jp), using the Tokyo company’s “Biofront” PLA. The Japanese E&E giants
say the new product, aimed at applications in housings for mobile phones and other mobile devices and consumer electronics, provides for a “significantly reduced moulding cycle time of about half that of conventional PLA compounds.” Plans are to produce an initial 1,000 t/y by March 2011.

The companies say the new biomass-derived compound solves problems usually associated with conventional petrochemical-based PLA because of its higher heat resistance as well as its shorter cycle time. Teijin plans to “continue to accelerate” its search for new applications for Biofront. During the current fiscal year (31 March 2011) it aims to produce around 5,000 t of the bioplastic, said to achieve semi-crystallisation in 20-25% of the time required for conventional PLA. At an undetermined date in the future, output could be ramped up to “several tens of thousands of tonnes.”