Materials & Compounding

To meet the market requirements, Galatea Bio Tech Srl developed a new innovative class of PLA compounds.
Since the mid of the last century, PLA is a well-known polymer It is biobased and it is completely biodegradable and compostable under industrial conditions. PLA is an aliphatic thermoplastic polyesters and shows characteristics similar to those of the traditional petrochemical derived plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS). It has good resistance to oil, grease and chemical agents showing good barrier properties against water vapor and humidity. However, PLA has limited gas barrier capacity especially against carbon dioxide (CO2). Furthermore, it is brittle and stiff polymer with low elongation.
PLA can be processed using traditional plastic processing machineries like extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding and fiber spinning.
PLA can be used for different market applications and competes with the well-known traditional plastics. To reach the desired performance, the addition of additives is required (compounding) aiming to modulate different mechanical or physical properties.

The traditional compounding process consists of preparing different formulations of a polymer mixed or blended with other polymers or additives. The additives used nowadays are traditional chemical additives developed by the traditional chemical and plastic industries.
Galatea Bio Tech Srl developed a new class of compounds and additives to meet the follow requirements:

  • Different formulations for different applications: developing of new PLA based compounds with different formulations to identify the best candidate for a specific application.
  • 100% Biodegradable: the EN 13432 law identifies the limits that compounds must have to be “considered” biodegradable. In this respect, chemicals and not biodegradable additives can be included in the final product in the maximum percentage of 1% w/w; up to five different additives can be included (therefore, a maximum of 5% w/w of not biodegradable compounds). Galatea Biotech Srl developed compounds with additives fully biodegradable.
  • 100% Compostable: the EN 13432 law defines also compostable requirements. Each plastics has to disintegrate in 12 weeks and biodegrade in 6 months. Galatea Bio Tech Srl develops compounds fully compostable with no environmental impact after the degradation.
  • Use and Develop ecofriendly additives: Galatea Bio Tech Srl wants to use and develop a new class of additives that are completely environmental-friendly that can substitute the traditional chemical ones.
  • Galatea Bio Tech Srl will develop new compounds on your demand.