What is the difference between PLA and BioPBS?

As energy prices rise and environmental problems become increasingly prominent, the replacement of traditional petroleum products by biodegradable biomaterials worldwide has shown a gradual acceleration. So do paper cups. As the need for drinking conveniently, compostable paper cups have been invented to protect the environment.

What is the difference between PLA and BioPBS™ paper cups?

What is the difference between PLA and aqueous coating?

What is the difference between compostable, degradable and biodegradable paper cups?

What is the difference between PLA and BioPBS™ paper cups?

Biodegradable materials include polymer materials directly prepared by biotechnology, such as polyhydroxy fatty acid esters (PHA); a class of materials obtained by polymerization of raw materials prepared by biotechnology, such as polylactic acid (PLA), Polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polyamino acid.

PLA is a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane. It is one of the most popular bioplastics, used for many applications ranging from plastic cups to medical implants. PLA can be used to create dimensionally accurate parts, printing details down to 0.8 mm and minimum features down to 1.2 mm. Due to its lower printing temperature, PLA is less likely to warp, making it easier to print with and can print sharper corners and features when properly cooled. PLA can rapidly lose its structural integrity and can begin to droop and deform, particularly if under load, as it approaches 60°C. PLA is stable in general atmospheric conditions and will biodegrade within 50 days in industrial composters and 48 months in water.

Polybutylene succinate or PBS is a biodegradable semi-crystalline plastics. It is a soft and translucent polymer with heat deflection point of 90°C. BioPBS™ can easily be used with existing injection molding machines and extruders. In case of blow film extrusion process, it is preferably processed through LDPE blown film lines. BioPBS™ is produced from the polycondensation of two main raw materials: succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol. BioPBS™ products possess high heat deflection temperature point. The material has high seal strength in heat sealing. Excellent with various applications, BioPBS™ is highly compatible with other polymers such as PLA. Through the rapid crystallization rate in its property, products made from BioPBS™ are suitable for a variety of processing methods such as film and sheet forming. BioPBS™ is not compostable when buried in industrial landfills due to lack of oxygen.

What is the difference between PLA and ABS?

PLA is one of the most common thermoplastic materials used in 3D printing and it is a corn-based biodegradable thermoplastic polymer created from sugar plants such as sugarcane, corn, and tapioca. PLA can be recycled and because it’s non-petrochemical plastic, it’s an eco-friendly choice of material. ABS, on the other hand, is an oil-based thermoplastic with a much higher glass transition temperature but is not environmental friendly as PLA because of its oil-based plastic composition. Unlike PLA, ABS can be difficult to work with as well and requires a heated build platform for printing.

Both PLA and ABS filaments are the most common materials used for 3D printing. However, PLA is harder and flexible than ABS but features a far lower melting point than ABS around 180 to 220 degrees celsius. While ABS is considered to be amorphous which means it has no true melting point. ABS is made by polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene which allows the polymer to soften gradually as temperature rises. PLA exhibits higher friction than ABS making it extremely difficult to extrude.

PLA filaments have greater tensile strength but are relatively quite similar in performance as the ABS filaments. PLA has more consistent quality when outputted from the extruder and it does no exude an unpleasant odor. Moreover, it rarely bubbles or warps during the printing stage, making it ideal for more detailed objects. ABS, however, are not recommended for highly detailed designs since it is prone to bubbling during the extrusion stage. Unlike PLA, ABS can also be difficult to work with and it requires a heated build platform, which many at-home printers do not have.

What is the difference between compostable, degradable and biodegradable paper cups?

Degradable paper cups are petroleum based and have other chemicals including heavy metals added. These degradable paper cups break down eventually, that’s what “degrade” means. All paper cups are degradable, either because they’re intentionally broken down or through the natural degradation of the material, which could take hundreds of years. When a label says “degradable,” there’s really no telling how long the paper cup sticks around after you throw it away.

Are degradable paper cups a greener alternative to regular paper cups? Unfortunately, experts say they’re probably just as bad for the planet. Degradable paper cups just break down into millions of tiny pieces of paper, which makes them harder to remove from the environment and easier for animals to ingest. Some of the “microplastics” left behind enter the food chain via smaller species like plankton, fish, and birds, eventually making their way into human bellies. Degradable paper cups go into the general waste bin, which are not suitable for compost bins or worm farms. Degradable paper cups are recycled, but not biodegradable.

Biodegradable paper cups can be made from sustainable materials, like rice husks, or they can be made from oil. And like degradable paper cups, biodegradable paper cups contain chemical additives that give them certain properties. Here, the added chemicals allow them to break down under the action of microorganisms, usually bacteria. As with degradable paper cups, there’s no way of knowing just how long it takes before a biodegradable plastic bag breaks down completely. Another problem is that there are no restrictions on the toxic residues that biodegradable paper cups may leave behind. Biodegradable paper cups are not suitable for the compost pile. They go into the general waste bin along with the degradable paper cups.

Compostable paper cups are made from renewable raw materials like corn starch and soy protein. Bacteria digest compostable paper cups and turn into compost. A compostable paper cup must meet certain requirements to earn its label. For example, compostable paper cup must biodegrade within a specific time frame. It can’t leach heavy metals or other harmful residue, can’t be toxic to worms, and must be able to support plant life. Hold water or drink in compostable paper cup. When it’s full, dump the compostable paper cup into your home compost bin or send it to a local composting facility. Don’t put compostable paper cup in the general waste bin, because it won’t as compost well in landfill.

Learn more something about compostable paper cups can know the difference between compostable, degradable and biodegradable paper cups and the difference between PLA and BioPBS™. If you want to buy high-quality compostable paper cups with reasonable price, ANBAO PAPER PRODUCTS CO., LTD. can help you to open up a further and larger market, it is wise to choose us as your business partner.