South Korea's CJ launches PHA straws, which are marine degradable
On November 20, CJ Biomaterials recently completed a series of successful trials to produce straws using the new PHACT™ PHA compound CB0400A.
CJ Biomaterials, headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA, is a subsidiary of South Korea's CJ CheilJedang and a major producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers.
CJ has successfully developed a compound that is very suitable for straw manufacturing by using its unique amorphous (aPHA) and semi-crystalline PHA (scPHA) grades. All PHACT™ grades used in the compound have passed TÜV Austria's OK biodegradable marine certification, and marine degradability certification of the final compound is currently in progress.
"The market is increasingly seeking safe, biodegradable and compostable solutions for food cutlery applications, such as straws. These PHACT™ PHA compounds can meet market demands for specific performance attributes, such as softer, more durable straws that can also be certified for marine degradability,"said Max Senechal, Chief Commercial Officer at CJ Biomaterials.
The new CB0400A compound utilizes CJ's amorphous grade of PHA, PHACT A1000P, to reduce the brittleness and increase durability of straws compared to existing compostable polymers. In CB0400A, aPHA is combined with S1000P, a new semi-crystalline grade of PHA introduced earlier this year. The compound also expands the portfolio of PHACT grades available for straw manufacturing, which began with CA1270P, which is ideal for clear, industrially compostable straws.
Made from renewable resources, PHACT PHA is approved for food contact by the U.S. FDA and certified as a biobased product by the USDA BioPreferred Program.
