Biocomposites are renewable and traceable materials that can replace plastics and reduce the plastic content of products.
UPM's goal is to create added value with biobased products and to help strengthen the resource-efficient circular economy. One of the company's recent innovations is a wood pulp-based cellulose fiber pellet product for biocomposite production.
Like plastic pellets, but pulp.
The new product is not a finished biocomposite, but a fiber product. The biocomposite producer can combine it with the matrix as needed. The new product is also not a bulking agent, but rather an ingredient that has a significant impact on the performance of the product.
There are currently no other similar innovations on the market, and the fibers must be used with the same plastic. For example, if a fiber is combined with polypropylene, it can no longer be combined with polyethylene.
The raw material composition developed by Fenring Fenberg has no such limitations, and their wood pulp-based cellulose fiber pellets can be mixed with different types of plastics.
Cellulose fiber pellet is a wood-based product. It is made from wet coniferous wood pulp that is chemically treated, pelletized and dried. The chemical treatment increases the hydrophobicity of the fibers and improves their ability to bind to hydrophobic plastics.
Cellulose fiber pellets can be used in combination with fossil-based and bio-based plastics. If the plastic is biodegradable, then the entire biocomposite can be considered biodegradable.
The finished product is similar to the plastic pellets used in injection molding. The injection molding technique is a commonly used method in the production of plastic products. It melts plastic pellets and then injects them under pressure into a cavity in a mold, where they harden into the shape of the mold after cooling.
Lighter, Stronger, Stiffer Biocomposites
Cellulose fibers are reinforcing fibers that increase the strength and stiffness of plastic materials. Because of their high strength, cellulose fibers can be used in objects that must withstand pressure and stress.
When cellulose fibers make up 10-40% of the finished biocomposite. Most of the strength effects can be achieved when the cellulose fiber content is about 30%.
The low fiber density makes biocomposites lighter than plastic products. The light weight makes it easier to process and transport the product.
Some in the industry see three uses for the finished product as having great potential: plastic consumer products, construction products and the automotive industry. In terms of consumer products, the most interesting are reusable products, which could provide new long-term uses for wood fibers; in the construction industry, cellulosic fibers could be used to build infrastructure, among other things; and in the automotive industry, where the light weight of biocomposites is a key factor in improving fuel efficiency.
Whereas the technical properties of cellulose fiber pellets are in the product development phase, UPMF is currently testing them with partners. Launching new products requires a thorough understanding of the entire value chain.
