Laurel BioComposite said the certification applies to Bio-Res grades with 97 percent PLA content, 62 percent PLA along with polyethylene, and a PLA powder. The USDA BioPreferred program aims to boost usage of bio-based products under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.
Bio-Res PLA products can be injection molded and extruded. They can be mixed with other resins to make items used in agriculture and lawn and garden applications. Another potential application is the use of Bio-Res powder to replace some calcium carbonate in sheet-molded or bulk-molded thermoset composites where it can reduce part weight by 25 percent in vehicle panel applications.
Laurel BioComposite recently expanded PLA production capacity and the laboratory at its Laurel, Neb., headquarters plant.