The resin, which is designed for the injection molding of semi-durable consumer products, features improved heat resistant properties that enable it to remain stable in temperatures of up to 120° Celsius (248 F), according to the company.
“The introduction of this high heat technology demonstrates that the Ingeo family is maturing significantly, steadily broadening into a host of applications where these materials are a performance substitute for non-renewably sourced plastics,” said Marc Verbruggen, President and CEO of NatureWorks.
In addition to heat resistance, the new Ingeo grade has a unique set of other product attributes including high impact strength and opacity, according to the company.
Introduction is expected to lead to innovation
The company expects that the introduction of the second-generation resin, which can be used in cosmetics and personal care products including lipsticks and compacts, will prompt innovations from packaging manufacturers.
“The fact that articles made from this new Ingeo grade are more heat resistant than say, polypropylene or the general purpose polystyrenes, means that it’s an opportunity for the manufacturers to now go and innovate with this low carbon footprint material,” Steve Davies, global marketing director at NatureWorks told CosmeticsDesign.com.
Davies explained that the company expects manufacturers to look at existing products in which this biobased resin can now be used as there is no longer the worry that it may deform at high temperatures.
Additionally, it is anticipated that manufacturers will look into where they can make products that they might not have been able to previously using polypropylene or polystyrene, as a result of the resin’s heat resistance.
Lower environmental impact and improved cost competitiveness
As the new Ingeo resin offers an alternative to traditional plastic components, brand owners can help to lower greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption along with reducing their dependence on non-renewable petroleum inputs and benefiting from the associated stable pricing structure of bio-based materials.
According to Davies, the company expects the cost competitiveness of the Ingeo bioresin to be significantly improved, explaining that now there is no processing cost disadvantage for brand owners.
“The processing cycle times for this new Ingeo grade are now very similar to that of the incumbent oil-based materials that manufacturers are seeking to replace,” he explained.
The new Ingeo technology is marketed as ‘low carbon, cost-competitive, performance replacement’ for styrenic resins, materials which are widely used for cosmetics and personal care packaging.