HighTechPLA: Bio-based materials for the electrical and electronics industry

The "HighTechPLA" project is developing a bio-based high-performance material based on polylactic acid (PLA). This is demonstrated using technical components from the electrical and electronics industry, which have high requirements in terms of heat deflection temperature and impact strength. The aim is to provide a bio-based alternative to the fossil-based plastics such as PA, PC, and ABS that have been used to date.

The project addresses a significant market: in Germany alone, around 1 million tons of plastics are processed annually in the electrical/electronics sector. If development is successful, the participating companies plan to replace 10% of their fossil-based plastics with the material to be developed in the short term, with the long-term goal of completely converting their product range. This would contribute significantly to the industry's CO₂ neutrality by 2050 and address the growing demand for sustainable solutions. It is also conceivable that the results could be transferred to other industries after the end of the project.

The project team investigates and optimizes the correlations between crystallization behavior, impact strength and flame-retardant properties of the material to be developed. This is necessary to systematically resolve existing conflicting goals by developing a deep understanding of the structure-property relationships in PLA-based compounds. Only then will it be possible to provide industrially relevant solutions for technical applications that have all the required properties.

Fraunhofer UMSICHT develops customized impact modifiers using copolymerization and processes them further as part of compound development. In addition, the degree of crystallization is precisely controlled, and the morphology is specifically influenced by adding further additives (including nucleating agents). The structure-property model to be developed will allow to adjust the compound recipes and process settings which can subsequently be validated on real production lines. The close link between material and process development is intended to ensure that cycle times remain comparable to those of the conventional production, thereby maintaining process efficiency and economic viability. The consortium combines research expertise with industrial expertise along the entire value chain: additive development, compound production (Fraunhofer UMSICHT, FKuR Kunststoff GmbH), injection molding and component manufacturing (Georg Schlegel GmbH & Co. KG, Bodo Ehmann GmbH, Werner Langer GmbH & Co. KG, LED Linear GmbH). This constellation enables the project results to be transferred quickly and effectively into market-ready products.

• Georg Schlegel GmbH & Co. KG
• Bodo Ehmann GmbH
• Werner Langer GmbH & Co. KG
• FKuR Kunststoff GmbH
• Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT