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#5 German researchers demonstrate a wood waste-to-bioplastic process

In Germany, researchers at the Fraunhofer IGB are developing a process to convert biobased terpene into 100% renewable polyamide.

The project, dubbed TerPa, has already demonstrated the four-step, single-reactor catalytic process. The result was a transparent, thermally stable bioplastic from 3-carene, a waste product from cellulose production.

“We have achieved this by carefully selecting the catalysts and reaction conditions – and it saves time and money,” project lead Paul Stockmann tells Plastics Insight.