When calcium carbonate filler has successfully demonstrated its vital role in the plastic industry, bio filler masterbatch seems to be unfamiliar to many manufacturers. In this article, let’s take a look at this substance to see if you have missed an effective material solution.
As human’s awareness regarding environmental problems, especially plastic waste has been significantly rising over the last decade, a large number of consumers have switched to eco-friendly products. This eventually puts plastic manufacturers under pressure: get adapted to survive or die.
1. Bio filler – the mix between bioplastic and filler masterbatch?
Well, the answer is yes and no. It’s yes because bioplastic functions as the resin for bio filler. This is a type of material produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust,… The introduction of bio-resin allows end-products to be biodegradable after use, thus minimizing the harmful effects on the environment.
However, bio filler is just simply named after its category – filler masterbatch and not created by filler masterbatch, but some specific fillers such as talc, barium or calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Depending on end-products’ properties, a suitable formula and loading rate will be determined to ensure it can suit best.
2. How does bio filler benefit our end-products?
Thanks to its composition, bio filler offers tremendous benefits to not only end-products, but also the manufacturing process.
2.1. Cost reduction
The embedding of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder into bio filler reduces the amount of bioplastic consumed, which is relatively high-expense, thus helping manufacturers save costs. Furthermore, as CaCO3 is a good thermal conductive, it considerably shortens the product cycle and minimizes energy consumption, which facilitates production efficiency.
2.2. Mechanical properties enhancement
A common misperception of most manufacturers is the use of bio filler comes at the cost of mechanical degradation. In fact, end-products’ original properties are completely preserved since this filler contains a small amount of processing aid additive. Hence, its application hardly afflicts end-products’ properties.
Moreover, by adding this, end-products are provided with great stiffness, flexural durability, less shrinkage, and good thermal conductivity. Meanwhile, barium sulfate is applied to increase the level of whiteness and transparency of end-products.
2.3. Processing aid additive
Not only offers end-products with quality enhancements, bio filler also functions as a processing aid additive to streamline the blown film process. Very often, the blown film phase of PBAT resin is interrupted by the adhesion of film layers. To fix this, manufacturers can apply a small proportion of 4-5% bio filler into the manufacturing process to reduce the blocking between them, thus improving the effectiveness of the production.
3. Common types of bio filler and their uses
As mentioned above, these fillers are tailor made based on end-products’ requirements, which also means there are several types of different product. Here are some most popular ones and their applications in the plastic industry.
3.1. Filler containing calcium carbonate powder (CaCO3)
Calcium carbonate powder has been widely known for its affordability and great mechanical properties. The embedding of CaCO3 powder into bio filler considerably reduces the material cost, thus raising your products’ competitiveness. Plus, it helps increase the printability, especially the anti-blocking effect of end-products thanks to the introduction of processing aid additives.
CaCO3 bio filler is widely used in several industries, such as blown film, extrusion, injection moulding,… Thanks to its great biodegradability, it is specifically preferable in manufacturing single-use products.
3.2. Filler containing talc powder
Talc powder is another common type of plastic filler. It is also called “soft stone” thanks to its low hardness, which minimizes the abrasion on equipment’s surface during the manufacturing process. Also, talc powder is widely known for its thermal resistance as the result of the platy shape, thus reducing the level of shrinkage.
Hence, the addition of talc powder to bio filler provides end-products with a good thermal resistance, good stiffness and low shrinkage. Like CaCO3 type, talc bio filler is widely used in a wide variety of fields ranging from blown film to extrusion, thermoforming, and injection moulding.
3.3. Bio filler containing barium sulfate
Barium sulfate (BaSO4) is an inorganic compound that is odorless and insoluble in water. It is commonly used as a plastic filler to increase the whiteness of end-products. Being introduced to this type of filler, BaSO4 offers them an excellent degree of transparency, along with a good dispersion and light resistance.
Accordingly, BaSO4 bio filler is specifically preferred in the retail industry (shopping bags, roll bags,…), F&B (food packaging films,…) and agriculture (mulching film, greenhouse films,…).
Though in terms of components, they are different from each other, they share a common in the great biodegradability, thus making it an ideal solution to the environmental pollution and green consumption. Like other types of filler masterbatches, this is tailor-made based on customer’s needs. Depending on each end-product’s requirements, a suitable type of bio filler with specific formula is determined. This customization ensures they can fit well with the end-products.
4. BiOMates – high quality bio filler from EuP Egypt
With 17 years of experience, EuP Egypt has become one of the leading filler masterbatch manufacturers in the plastic industry. We take pride in providing a wide variety of products outside filler masterbatches, for example BiOMates.
With a composition of bioplastic resins and other fillers, EuP Egypt’s bio filler offers end-products a great biodegradability and significant mechanical properties enhancements. Currently, EuroPlas supplies 3 main types of BiOMates for the plastic market include calcium carbonate (CaCO3), barium (BaSO4), and talc. Our products are widely used in several industries such as blown film, injection molding, extrusion,… by thousands of manufacturers worldwide.
For further details and consultation, please contact us!
