— By Plasteurope.com correspondent — 

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (Umsicht, Oberhausen, Germany; www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de) are seeking to address the lack of biobased alternatives for plastics used to protect electrical components, cabling, and wiring.

According to the institute’s researchers, the plastics most commonly used to safeguard electrical equipment are fossil-based materials such as polyamides and polycarbonates. However, a new two-year research project under the banner HighTech PLA aims to develop a biobased, high-performance compound based on polylactic acid.

The institute estimates that 1 mn t of plastics are processed annually in the German electrical and electronics sector. The majority of these were fossil-based, while recyclates play only a minor role. A biobased alternative could help the country’s ambitions of achieving CO₂ neutrality by 2050, the researchers believe.

Related: Fraunhofer develops solvent-based process for hard-to-recycle plastics

Led by the Fraunhofer team, the research consortium is to draw on expertise from research and industry in the fields of materials development, injection moulding, and production development. 

Christina Eloo, group manager of the institute’s circular and biobased plastics department, said the initial goal was “to gain a deep understanding of the structure-property relationships in PLA compounds to resolve conflicts between crystallisation behaviour, impact strength, and flame retardancy”.

A structure-property model will then allow formulations and processes to be simulated in practical conditions and validated in real production facilities, she added. Close integration of material and process development aims to keep cycle times comparable to conventional processes.

“Our goal is to ensure that project’s results can be quickly transferred into market-ready products. The results also have the potential to be extended to other industries,” Eloo said.