An independent EU-funded project, Bugworkers (Valencia / Spain; www.bugworkersproject.eu), has been established by 14 companies and organisations from different sectors with the aim of developing plastic parts based on biopolymers produced by fermentation from agricultural residues using ecologically friendly production.

The consortium, coordinated by the Spanish Technological Institute for Plastics (Aimplas, Valencia; www.aimplas.es), says that it has succeeded in developing compounds based on polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) that meets the requirements of target applications – audio and video door entry systems and components used in white goods – in terms of processability, dimensional accuracy and performance. The material has been produced by bacterial fermentation using sugar hydrolysates extracted from agro-industrial sources such as wheat straw as a raw material.

The reduced cost of the raw material, combined with a fermentation process with increased productivity allows for reduced cost production of PHB. Alternatives for the extraction and purification of the polymer have also been developed based on the use of environmentally friendly solvents. The output from the process is compounded to increase its mechanical properties and improve processability. After compounding, it can be processed using traditional processes including injection moulding, sheet extrusion and thermoforming, for the production of different case-study parts.

Additionally, at laboratory scale, cellulose nanowhiskers, highly crystalline and rigid nanoparticles, and lignin nanoparticles have been used for producing PHB-based nanocomposites with additional functionalities. After almost four years, the project is concluding. The consortiums said that the results are promising and final parts will be presented at the final meeting in June 2014.

The Bugworkers consortium includes Aimplas, end-users audio and video entry door systems producer Fermax (www.fermax.com) and white goods manufacturer Arcelik (www.arcelik.com.tr), Fraunhofer-ICT (www.ict.fraunhofer.de), NetComposites (www.netcomposites.com), Spanish technology centre Tecnalia (www.tecnalia.com), Portuguese engineering school IST Lisbon (www.tecnico.ulisboa.pt), biotechnological companies Biotrend (www.biotrend.biz), Wetlands (www.wetlands.be) and Biorefinery (www.biorefinery.de) and plastic transformers BH Industries (www.bhiproject.pl), Extruder Experts (www.extruder-experts.com), Promolding (www.promolding.nl) and Proform (www.pro-form.hu).