Laurel Biocomposite earns USDA biobased label for 3 products

Laurel BioComposite LLC has earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label for its Bio-Res PLA with 97 percent biobased content;  Bio-Res PE with 62 percent biobased content and Bio-Res powder with 100 percent biobased content.  The company first introduced the biomaterial in 2011 as a cost-effective, green replacement with improved performance properties for traditional petroleum-based resins in a variety of plastics manufacturing processes. The addition of Bio-Res powder to the USDA BioPreferred program expands the company’s product line-up and range of uses.

The plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the U.S. Recent reports reveal that reverse engineering—a technique for reconstructing and improving parts—will be a major trend for the industry. The practice is being applied on a large scale and gaining traction with suppliers interested in targeting more cost-effective, higher performing solutions. Laurel BioComposite’s biomaterials offer a robust option without sacrificing required physical properties. Bio-Res powder for example, replaces calcium carbonate in sheet-molded or bulk-molded thermoset composites while reducing part weight by up to 25 percent. Bio-Res formulas are especially suited to automotive and truck panel applications.

Bio-Res PLA products can be injection molded or extruded, are cost competitive and environmentally friendly.  Easy to mix with bio-resins, agriculture, lawn and garden markets are adopting the products for a range of uses. Independent assessment and reporting results on the biocontent, renewability and sustainability of Bio-Res PLA, Bio-Res PE and Bio-Res powder through the USDA BioPreferred program ensures the accuracy of these products’ biobased content. The newly certified products also are part of the Federal procurement preference program and may help achieve Materials & Resource Credits 6 (MR-6) as well as additional credit categories related to LEED certification.

Last year Laurel BioComposite completed Phase II enhancements to its 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. In addition to a second production line, the company added a lab extruder line, small injection molding machine ad testing equipment for physical properties and quality assurance for verifying impact, tensile and flexural strengths and melt flows. Laurel BioComposite produces 50 million pounds of Bio-Res products annually.

The USDA BioPreferred program was created by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill), and expanded by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). The purpose is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. The United States Department of Agriculture manages the program. Products that meet the USDA BioPreferred program requirements carry a distinctive label for easier identification by the consumer. To learn more about the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label please visit www.biopreferred.gov, and follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BioPreferred.

Laurel BioComposite continues to create new products that combine performance with green technology.  Its proprietary Bio-Res pellets are a cost-effective replacement for fossil-based resins. Bio-Res can also be mixed with bio-resins for a range of product applications in the agriculture, lawn and garden, shipping and automotive markets. The sustainable material replaces 20 to 40 percent of the neat resin in a variety of manufacturing processes. Laurel BioComposite’s Bio-Res powder is a replacement for traditional mineral fillers. Bio-Res pellets and powder are available in master batches.  In addition to its capability to produce up to 50 million pounds of Bio-Res material annually, Laurel BioComposite has the engineering expertise to partner with companies up and down the supply chain for implementation of Bio-Res in an existing product line or for commercialization of an original concept.