FKUR

Themed with “Plastics – made by nature!“ the FKuR Kunststoff GmbH was incorporated in 2003. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Oberhausen, FKuR has developed and launched a wide range of biodegradable plastics primarily made of renewable raw materials. In general, biodegradable raw materials (like e.g. CA, starch, PLA, PHA, PBS, etc.) have limitations in terms of processability and are generally not ready-to-use. Therefore, they need to be tailored to fulfil the requirements of the respective application by means of compounding. The processing of biodegradable raw materials requires intelligent raw material selection along with specialist knowledge in additives together with sensitive compounding.
The growth in the last few years has been based significantly on bioplastics for packaging of goods with a short shelf-life time (food packaging, waste bags, diaper back sheets, mulch films, etc.). In this context especially, the biodegradability and the associated alternative disposal route are of particular benefit for the consumer. However, the demand for bioplastics for durable goods is continuously growing and will in the medium term surpass the demand for short-life time applications. Since the importance of biodegradability is not the main goal for durables and sometimes not even requested, the research and development of FKuR concentrates increasingly on the exclusive use of renewable resources.

As a leading producer of customized bioplastics FKuR offers a broad range of biobased and biodegradable/compostable resins. Customers benefit from this variety of compounds as well as from FKuR’s global distribution program of several biobased standard petrochemicals (e.g. Braskem’s I’m green Polyethylene™ (biobased PE), Evonik’s Vestamid® Terra (biobased Polyamide). As the Bioplastic Specialist, FKuR provides innovative solutions for all processing methods and applications for a customer’s product of choice. As a result of their versatile and tailored properties these bioplastics have become firmly established in many commercial areas, such as e.g. the consumer, packaging and even the automotive sector to produce goods on an industrial scale. The compounds are being sold under the well-known and established brands Biograde®, Bio-Flex®, Fibrolon® and Terralene®. Dependent upon the grade, FKuR products guarantee a long service life or are biodegradable and break down into naturally occurring, harmless base materials. FKuR bioplastics are consummate products which do not require any further modification. They can be directly processed as a drop-in solution on existing equipment.
FKuR is one of the largest players worldwide within the niche of bioplastics having international subsidiaries and sales representatives. Today FKuR’s team counts more than 45 highly educated specialists both in technical support and R&D as well as sales & operations who are mainly employed within the German headquarters.