Novamont launches 2nd generation Mater Bi: sharp improvement in environmental performance and increase in the use of renewable materials.During the 4th European Bioplastics Conference Novamont, the leading Italian company in the bioplastics sector, presented the 2nd generation of Mater-Bi, now available on an industrial scale. It is a wide range of grades for technical applications in the sectors of flexible films and coatings characterised by an increase in the content of renewable raw materials, low levels of production of greenhouse gases and less dependence on mineral oil based feedstocks.
This new achievement forms an important step in Novamont’s long-term strategic plan as described by Head of New Business, Stefano Facco. The plan is, characterized by a full innovation approach with ambitious targets for new technologies, materials and industrial capacity to be continuously implemented.
Behind the 2nd generation of Mater-Bi materials are the integration of Novamont’s starch-based
technology with the technology of polyesters from vegetable oil, covered by an abundant patent
portfolio and a significant investment in new plants and new capacity. Today Novamont’s Biorefinery has a total production capacity of 80,000 tons/year.
The 2nd generation Mater-Bi material recently introduced in high quantities by some leading
European retail chains for compostable shopping bags, was presented in detail by Mr Facco.
The next step of the strategic plan is the integration of Novamont’s proprietary technology for
monomers from vegetable oils in its Biorefinery with the build-up of the first production of this type
world-wide. The first industrial site for the production of monomers under the Novamont technology
platform, which is planned to be operational in the second quarter of 2011, enables the creation of an integrated, low impact chain of local raw materials.
