Bluepha, a China-based cutting-edge biotech company, launched its first portfolio of marine degradable biopolymers, Bluepha™ PHA.
Bluepha founders and two of their colleagues introduced the product properties, applications, production processes, biorefinery construction, and the revolutionary technology ‘Biohybrid’.
PHA is a natural polymer found in the cells of a wide range of microorganisms, where it serves as a storage of carbon and energy. This polymer has existed on Earth for billions of years as a part of nature. What Bluepha did was develop an industrial process for its mass production, which is named Bluepha™ commercially.
Unlike the other five groups of natural polymers, –paper and wood, natural rubber, cotton and linen, leather, and silk– Bluepha is produced by microorganisms rather than plants or animals, using biomass as fermentation feedstocks. The material can degrade in almost all typical environments without leaving a trace.
Bluepha has mechanical properties similar to petrochemical plastics. It offers excellent performance in terms of toughness, heat resistance, and barrier properties. Therefore, it can be used to manufacture green packaging, cosmetics, fabrics, and other advanced products.
The biggest difference from other degradable materials is that Bluepha can be degraded in all typical artificial and natural environments. In home composting, Bluepha completely degraded in only 10 weeks. In marine degradation, it takes 16 weeks to reach a biodegradation percentage of nearly 90%, which is very close to cellulose.
Bluepha is not only biodegradable but also biobased, which can be produced from various renewable biomass. Currently, Bluepha is made out of sustainably sourced plant oil, and both grades were certified to have 100% biobased carbon content by TÜV Austria, a third-party authority.
To satisfy different requirements from customers, Bluepha will not only deliver raw materials but a complete solution. It includes not only customized grades for specific applications, but also mature processing guidelines that have been verified in mass production, as well as experts with rich practical experience to provide technical support.
