Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre (Faksi; www.vtt.fi) has developed a new technique that it says enables a more efficient production of polygloycolic acid (PGA) made from sugar. The resultant polymer is able of “significantly improving the quality of bio-based plastic packaging,” the centre says. One of its key characteristics, according to research professor Ali Harlin, is its oxygen barrier capacities, which he says are the highest known to date.

The Finnish researchers claim that bio-based PGA plastic is 20-30% stronger than that based in PLA, currently the most popular bioplastic on the market, and can also withstand temperatures that are up to 20° C higher. PGA is also claimed to break down more quickly than PLA, and its biodegradability can reportedly be regulated, too.

e-Service:
Presentation of PGA by Prof. Ali Harlin on YouTube