NEC Corporation, in collaboration with the Kyoto Institute of Technology and a representative Japanese lacquerware artist, Dr. Yutaro Shimode, has developed a bioplastic using resin from grasses, trees and other non-edible plant resources.
The plant resources used in bioplastic manufacturing features the “Urushi black” color of Japanese traditional lacquerware.
In order to create the new cellulose-based bioplastic, NEC developed a unique technology for mixing additives to adjust coloration and light reflectance of the material, enabling, for the first time, the realization of optical properties (low brightness, high glossiness, etc.) similar to the deep and shiny “Urushi black” color of high-grade Japanese lacquerware.
The new plastic balances a high level of environmental friendliness and decorativeness and makes it possible to mass produce products of various shapes and patterns using the usual molding process for ordinary plastics, NEC said.
Going forward, NEC will pursue business partnerships aimed at commercializing the new bioplastic in durable products and high-grade materials that require a high level of decorativeness, such as the interior components of luxury cars, the company said.
The new bioplastic uses cellulose resin produced from cellulose that is widely available from non-edible plant resources, such as grasses, the stalks of cereal crops and wood, and has the potential to be used as a substitute for petroleum.
The new bioplastic realizes the advanced optical properties (Urushi black) of high-grade Japanese lacquerware.
NEC is scheduled to present this technology at the 24th Material Processing Technical Conference (M&P 2016) to be held at Waseda University in Tokyo from November 25 to 26, 2016.
Rajani Baburajan