Floreon wins US bioplastics innovation award

Iranpolymer/Baspar Floreon, a spin-out technology from the University of Sheffield, has won the 2024 Innovation in Bioplastics Award.
The US Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) awarded Floreon for its Therma-Tech halogen-free, fire-resistant PLA-based compound, the world’s first bioplastic to achieve UL94V-0 flammability certification. The material is an alternative to flame retardant oil-based Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The PLA compound offers a safe and sustainable option for electrical goods. Derived from plants, it is suitable for chemical and mechanical recycling and has an up to seven times lower carbon footprint than oil-based plastic.
“Innovation is about providing people with more options, not less,” said Patrick Krieger, PLASTICS’ vice president of sustainability. “Floreon Therma-Tech offers companies that want to use biobased materials in durable applications, like building and construction, with sustainable attributes from beginning to end of life.”
Floreon makes proprietary compounds based on polylactic acid bioresin (PLA) containing 70% to 90% renewable, plant-based raw materials, including corn and sugar cane. The company says the materials are tougher than traditional PLA and can deliver significant energy savings in processing. Its compounds can be injected moulded in existing manufacturing equipment and are suitable for construction, medical, cosmetics, automotive, electrical, toys, food & drinks, and 3D printing applications.
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