The world of biomaterials is really still in its infancy within the plastics industry. Currently, most biopolymers on the market are intended to replace commodity grade plastics, such as polystyrene or polyethylene, though there are some materials which are being developed for engineering grade applications, as well. Additionally, there is a great deal of time and money being spent to further this market and increase the material selection currently available. However, for those who aren’t already familiar with the materials, some of the terminologies used to classify biopolymers can be somewhat ambiguous. Words like “bio-based” or “bio-degradable” might sound alike, but they do not necessarily mean the same thing. So, if you’re in the market for a green material solution for your injection molding project or even if you’re just a bit confused by an existing product’s marketing terminology, here are some quick definitions to help you navigate basic biopolymer properties:
Bio-degradable- This is the most commonly misinterpreted term. Biodegradable means that a material will break down into biologically useful components in natural environments, without pressure or high heats. This means that a biodegradable material will, theoretically, dissolve on the side of the road, on a forest floor, or at the bottom of a lake.
Compostable- This means that a material can be broken down in the presence of oxygen, heat, and pressure into components which will be biologically useful. Keep in mind that these materials can be produced with varying degrees of compostability—some materials might be able to break down in a consumer’s small compost pile at home, while others may need to be processed in an industrial composting facility using high heat and pressure in order to break down properly.
Bio-based- This means that the material was produced using renewable sources of plant matter (such as potato or corn starch), as opposed to petroleum products. Bio-based materials may or may not be biodegradable or compostable.
As the popularity of biomaterials increases, new and improved products will become available on the market offering properties comparable to current petroleum based engineering grade plastics.
As Elite Plastics continues to grow, one area in which we have had a constant focus is quality. Recently we have added to our family of measurement equipment with this vision and touch probe capable CMM from 
Knowing that, it is very important that your equipment and fixturing is highly repeatable. Here at Elite Plastics, repeatability is controlled and measured by performing Gauge studies. This new piece of equipment adds to an already impressive arsenal of equipment and ensures we can continue to provide the best overall quality!
Selecting which plastic material to use for your injection molding process can be a lot like deciding on a new car—you have to know what you need to use it for in order to make the right decision. You wouldn’t buy a sport car if you needed to haul gravel, would you? Just like with vehicles, plastic grades each have their own strengths and weaknesses. This is one of the things that I love about plastics—there is no “best” type of plastic. The best kind of polymer for any project is one that will perform accordingly with the part’s intended use in the most cost effective way.
Working with recycled materials isn't just using regrind anymore. We all know the pros and cons to using post molded regrind in the plastics world. But recently our team at Elite got a chance to test the new 
The ideal strategy for decorating high-wear applications is Insert In-mold Decorating (IMD). The process offers unmatched durability, design flexibility and allows complex 3-D parts to be decorated with ease.
