Entire video about biopolymers
Prof. Alexander Böker, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP: “One vision with regard to biopolymers would in fact be that of eventually doing completely without petroleum for the production of polymers.”
Video transcript:
Richard Hurding: “Emotions are involved. This is also my personal challenge.”
Jörg Raulin: “And it just gives us a good feeling.”
Brian Crotty: “I think it’ll make the future of my children better… definitely.”
Kathrin Franck, Tumaly: “That is what we as parents all want.”
Kathrin Franck, Tumaly: “Three years ago we personally came across the topic of biopolymers when our second daughter was born and we asked ourselves, what is a diaper actually made of?”
Thorsten Perl, BioInspiration: “The whole thing actually started when we bought my son a doll and then it turned out that this doll contained plasticisers that were not supposed to be in it.”
Kathrin Franck, Tumaly: “After some research into what traditional disposable diapers actually contain, we were shocked to find out that diapers are largely made out of petroleum.”
Prof. Alexander Böker, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP: “One vision with regard to biopolymers would in fact be that of eventually doing completely without petroleum for the production of polymers.”
Thorsten Perl, BioInspiration: “I just want to be able to put things into the hands of my children that I can trust in terms of safety and transparency.”
Thorsten Perl, BioInspiration: “For me personally, biopolymers have radically changed the way I see polymers. Now it becomes very easy for us to use polymers because we understand that they can also be introduced into a loop, that they also degrade and that—this is another advantage—biopolymers can be produced primarily in a decentralised way.”
Joachim Venus, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy: “This is a poplar plantation. These poplars serve as the raw material for fermentation processes. Biopolymers can, in turn, be produced from the products resulting from the fermentation.”
Brian Crotty, BioInspiration: “Biopolymers, for example, always represent a high-quality way of using raw materials.”
Friedrich Streffer, LXP Group: “It all starts with the biomass. Up there we fill it into the container. There we add the solvent. Then it turns into a rather thick paste. Our goal was to produce sugars as far as possible without toxic by-products. Ultimately it is about controlling the evaporation process in such a way that we do not consume more energy than is contained in the biomass.”
Thorsten Perl, BioInspiration: “…or just add a carbon molecule…”
Brian Crotty, BioInspiration: “It is also possible to create very special biopolymers, in the same way as we do with polymers now. What is being somewhat underestimated is that nature itself has much better properties than the chemical industry. We know this for example thanks to our WillowFlex filament.”
Thorsten Perl, BioInspiration: “Here at BioInspiration we develop materials from renewable raw materials for 3D printers. Here, for example, we have a flexible filament that is produced out of starch and vegetable oils. We use it to make toys and other things.”
Joachim Venus, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy: “If we now develop products made out of biopolymers, then, fortunately, the situation is already such that the first products are already on the market, and it is of course fun to simply observe the progress that is being made and to be able to contribute to it to some extent.”
Dominic Franck, Tumaly: “The ‘fair nappy’ consists predominantly of renewable raw materials. Here we have the absorbent granulate material, which is made out of potato starch. It is then mixed with cellulose, which we obtain from sustainable forestry. This forms the absorbent core here in the nappy. We have now reached a share of renewable raw materials of 83%. Our vision is to move on and create fully biodegradable nappies.”
Brian Crotty, BioInspiration: “For us, biopolymers are a way to simply reduce our footprint. It is very important for our children that we start now. When they grow up, they will benefit from it.”
Prof. Alexander Böker, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research: “We have to think about obtaining polymers from nature and, of course, also about retrieving the polymers once they have been used and about recycling them and reintroducing them into a loop in a practical way.”
Richard Hurding, Zelfo Technology: “We work mainly with residual materials and this really makes sense. Packaging now accounts for 66% of our business activities. That’s a lot. Three-dimensional packaging or packaging paper, cardboard… that’s our main market now.” “You have to think regionally. For me, this is really the central concept of biopolymers.” “We have a small industrial sector here in Brandenburg. But we have a lot of land, we have a lot of water, we have a lot of opportunities when it comes to plants.”
Jörg Raulin, K/C Kunststoffspritzerei und Formenbau Oberkrämer: “If you take a look at the overall development in Germany, you will also recognise the advantages that turn into a competitive advantage, which we can, in turn, use. Our plastics are then so advanced that we are ready to launch mass production.”
Prof. Alexander Böker, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research: “Once the oil reservoirs are depleted and oil-based plastics are no longer an option, then the share of biopolymers will sooner or later have to move towards 100%. That is the point.”
Thorsten Perl, BioInspiration, Eberswalde: “These are interesting times because we are currently all in the initial stage.”
Richard Hurding, Zelfo Technology: “For us, being here in Brandenburg is perfect.”