CERESTECH provides an alternative to 100 percent synthetic resins, creating a cost-effective, environmentally sustainable product that maintains the same functional performance properties as traditional polymer products. Cerestech, Inc., in partnership with Teknor Apex Company, is bringing to market an important breakthrough in polymer-blend material science through the development of a family of commercial quality thermoplastic starch blends called Terraloy™.
Cerestech is a spin-off of the École Polytechnique de Montréal. Its technology allows processors to replace a large percentage of synthetic resin with a cost-effective polymer/ thermoplastic-starch blend. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is made of annually renewable resources—conventional commodity starches such as corn (maize), wheat, tapioca and potato. The approach represents a more environmentally sustainable technology, since it replaces large quantities of a non-renewable synthetic resin such as polyethylene, with one from renewable sources.
Advantages of Terraloy™ Thermoplastic Starch Blends
Cost effective compared to pure synthetic resins
Presence of a large quantity of a renewable bio-based resource
Significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in non-renewable energy requirements
Recyclable
High flexibility in tailoring the properties to particular needs
High retention of key mechanical properties even at high loadings of thermoplastic starch (TPS)
Low sensitivity to moisture
Transparency even at high TPS loadings
Starch can be made to be fully accessible for biodegradation
Processible on most conventional plastic processing machinery
Conventionally sealable and also microwave sealable
