Teknor Apex: Bio-Based Vinyls May Cost Less

Vinyl compounds that incorporate bio-based plasticizers to make them flexible are equal or better in performance to their traditional counterparts based on petrochemicals, but may be more cost-effective. Custom plastics compounder Teknor Apex introduced the new materials at the NPE2012 show in Orlando, Fla. The BioVinyl flexible vinyl compounds incorporate DOW ECOLIBRIUM bio-based plasticizers, which are phthalate-free. The vinyl compounds have a smaller carbon footprint than alternative plastics like polyolefins or polyurethanes, and may also be more cost-efficient than plant-based polymers.

A new family of vinyl compounds that incorporate bio-based plasticizers will be used in a variety of consumer and industrial products, including shoe soles, bicycle grips, corrugated tubing for appliances, weatherstripping, and other construction applications. In tests conducted by Teknor Apex researchers on several application-tailored BioVinyl flexible vinyl compounds, the bio-based plasticizers showed 10 percent and 16 percent greater efficiency than standard DEHP and DINP plasticizers, respectively, Louis Cappucci, VP of Teknor Apex's vinyl division, told us. "This makes it possible to use less plasticizer per pound of compound, lowering costs. There are five or six other options for replacing phthalates, and many of them are expensive."

Typically, 30 percent of the compound by weight consists of plasticizers, 50 percent is PVC resin, and the other 20 percent consists of various custom ingredients, said Cappucci. Teknor Apex's BioVinyl compounds contain 35 percent or less petrochemical content. "Vinyl compounds that incorporate DOW ECOLIBRIUM bio-based plasticizers actually contain about 60 percent renewable resources, since half of the PVC polymer is derived from seawater." Substituting the new plasticizers for conventional phthalates makes the carbon footprint of BioVinyl compounds much smaller than that of many plastics. Comparative data compiled by Teknor Apex indicates that CO2 emission equivalents of BioVinyl compounds is half that of polyolefin resins and even lower than that of bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA).

One of the most significant features of BioVinyl compounds is their improved heat stability compared to conventional phthalate-plasticized compounds. Since overheating is a big problem with vinyls, stabilizers are generally used. "But BioVinyl compounds are more heat stable so you can run the extrusion process faster or run it longer without a lot of degradation of the polymers," said Cappucci. Another effect of better heat stability is the reduced color change of the compounds made for weatherstripping and gasketing than standard vinyl compounds after accelerated weathering tests. Based on life cycle analysis tests conducted by The Dow Chemical Company and reviewed by independent third parties, ECOLIBRIUM Bio-Based Plasticizers can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 41 percent or 0.7 lb. of carbon dioxide emissions for every 1.0 lb. of compound made with DINP, says Cappucci.

The ECOLIBRIUM plasticizers are manufactured by Dow Electrical and Telecommunications, a unit of The Dow Chemical Company, using non-food plant byproducts. As the result of a recently announced joint collaboration agreement, Teknor Apex has the exclusive right to market flexible vinyl compounds containing the DOW ECOLIBRIUM Bio-Based Plasticizers in certain applications in North America. Those applications include consumer and industrial products, automotive components, certain medical devices, and certain wire and cable uses. Teknor Apex has developed 80 custom BioVinyl compounds to date. The company also makes non-phthalate PVC compounds and DEHP-free PVC materials, and supplies versions of those compounds with low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions.

Source: Teknor Apex