China based Bluepha and Dutch company Helian Polymers announce their cooperation today. Aim of the cooperation is to bring a new PHA based building block to the market, targeting various applications as a drop-in replacement for existing petrochemically based plastics. This addition will enable Helian Polymers to create and offer an even broader range of PHA based material formulations.
Founded by scientists with interdisciplinary backgrounds in 2016, Bluepha has strong research and engineering expertise in cellular agriculture area for molecule and material innovations. Based in Beijing with additional offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen, Bluepha is currently one of China's cutting edge innovative bio-based material companies. On Jan 1st, 2022, Bluepha's first industrial PHA project with 25,000 tonnes capacity per annum broke ground.
Helian Polymers has been active in bioplastics ever since 2007, as well as trading in color concentrates and additives on an international scale. With increased regulatory pressure and social concerns regarding petrochemically based plastics Helian is stepping up its efforts to supply both biobased and biodegradable materials and develop bespoke applications with its customers.
In late 2021 both companies signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the intent that Helian Polymers will start importing and using Bluepha's unique PHBH based building blocks for developing specific PHA based compounds. Helian Polymers expertise in bioplastics already lasts for 15 years and has culminated in their own brand PHAradox, launched mid last year. Under the PHAradox umbrella multiple PHA based materials have been developed with the aim of offering more sustainable alternatives compared to existing materials.
By using various PHA grades like P3HB, PHBV and P3HB4HB Helian Polymers is uniquely suited in the world to combine these grades with Bluepha's PHBH material to compound custom-made materials for various applications. By utilizing these natural building blocks Helian Polymers is able to mimic properties of more traditional plastics like PP and ABS. By copying, or at least approaching, the properties and thus the functionality of these materials the transition is easier to make and to communicate with converters and customers alike.