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Our offtake partner Terphane is currently testing a PET based film combined with Avantium’s plant-based and fully recyclable material PEF on the production line of Terphane’s factory in Bloomfield, New York. The test results are successful, according to this positive testimony.
Terphane and Avantium sign partnership for the development of plant-based recyclable PET film
11/10/2022
Terphane strengthened the strategic partnership with Avantium, started in 2020, for the development of a PET (polyester) film partially made with PEF (polyethylene furanoate), which is 100% plant-based and fully recyclable. The new film is being tested at the Terphane plant in Bloomfield (USA).
According to Marcos Vieira, Global Director of R&D at Terphane, this development will be crucial for Terphane to meet this new demand from the global market for sustainable solutions in flexible packaging. "The film is partially made of PEF and has all the properties of traditional PET film, including post-consumer recycling. In addition, PEF ensures excellent thermal resistance and superior barrier, increasing the shelf life of packaged products," he explains. Initial tests in the United States also showed that the material behaves perfectly on the extrusion lines.
Recently Ambev announced a new agreement with Avantium precisely to use PEF in its portfolio of multilayer bottles for soft drinks in Brazil and Latin America.
A pioneer in the renewable and sustainable chemical industry, the flagship of the Dutch Avantium is PEF (polyethylene furanoate), whose base is FDCA (furandicarboxyl acid) made from sugars of vegetable origin. The company is building the first commercial plant in the world for the production of FDCA, with inauguration scheduled for the end of 2023; the commercial launch of the PEF should take place in 2024.
"As a result of this important step in the research and development of biomaterials for packaging, Terphane is preparing to offer its customers differentiated and innovative polyester films," says Célia Freitas, Business Development Manager at Terphane. She sees as great applications for the new films the industries of coffee, milk powder and bag-in-box packaging for various applications.
Terphane estimates to produce, from 2025, about 2,000 tons of these films from renewable and 100% recyclable sources. The new material has already been tested, in several concentrations, by important international laboratories that have confirmed that PEF (polyethylene furanoate) does not harm the recycling of PET.