(PlastEurope) -- Synbra Technology (Etten-Leur/The Netherlands) has launched a heat-resistant injection mouldable PLA polymer which it says has an impact strength comparable with that of ABS.
The polymer, branded "Synterra IM", is produced by mixing 100% pure PLLA (poly-L-lactide) with 100% PDLA (poly-D-lactide) and has a heat deflection temperature of 123╟C. Polymerisation of the optical isomers PLLA and PDLA takes place at the company's new 5,000 t/y plant in Etten-Leur, which was commissioned in early 2011.
Synterra IM's temperature and impact properties are better than those of conventional PLA, and after injection moulding the material is able to withstand boiling water, Synbra says. The company launched Synterra IM in the second half of this year, and last month the material was awarded an Accenture "Blue Tulip" innovation award at the RAI Elicium in Amsterdam/The Netherlands.
A Synterra compounding grade is also being used in some FKuR Kunststoff (Willich/Germany) products.