News
Kuraray Plastics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, President: Katsuhiko Kishi) has developed tarpaulin sheet made from a corn-based, plant-derived plastic. The sheet, which helps to reduce CO2 levels, the cause of global warming, has been developed for environmentally conscious municipalities and corporations.
The new plant-derived plastic tarpaulin sheet will be open to the general public at Eco-Products 2006, which is being held at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight), from December 14 to December 16, 2006.
The conventional compound tarpaulin sheet comprises layered sheets that sandwich a polyester woven fabric base between plastic films. Stronger and more stain resistant than cloth and paper, the sheet will be adopted for use as a material in a wide range of fields, from advertising banners and point-of-purchase (POP) advertising, to safety signs and protective sheets used at construction sites.
The raw material of this new plant-derived plastic tarpaulin sheet is corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) resin. The base uses 100% PLA resin in place of polyester and the film is made from 70% PLA resin. PLA resin ,which is a hard material ,provides suitable plasticity for tarpaulin sheets when combined with Kuraray Plastics'proprietary acrylic thermoplastic elastomers.
The use of biomass, a carbon-neutral material that is more effective than fossil resources in reducing the increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, has been growing rapidly in recent years.
Last month, Kuraray Plastics also launched a tarpaulin sheet that generates significantly less CO2 during incineration, in keeping with Kuraray Plastics'existing lineup of environmentally responsive products that contribute to measures combating the depletion of oil reserves and global warming.
Special features
- Uses eco-friendly, plant-derived plastic
- Equivalent performance (strength, printing properties) and texture (plasticity, feel) to conventional tarpaulin sheets
Applications
- Material for everyday use
- notebook cases , bags,all types of covers and cases, etc.
- Advertising-related
- ad banners, hanging displays, flags,tapestries, POP, etc.
- Construction-related
- safety signs, protective sheets used at construction sites, tent awnings, etc.
