| HS Code | 872959 |
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ |
| Melt Volume Rate 190 C 2 16 Kg | 5.0 cm³/10 min |
| Melting Temperature | 145 °C |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 85 °C |
| Tensile Modulus | 1400 MPa |
| Tensile Strength | 30 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | >200% |
| Charpy Notched Impact Strength 23 C | 10 kJ/m² |
| Shore D Hardness | 70 |
| Heat Deflection Temperature 0 45 Mpa | 75 °C |
| Bio Based Carbon Content | >30% |
| Compostability Certification | EN 13432, ASTM D6400, ISO 17088 |
| Processing Method | Thermoforming, extrusion |
| Moisture Content | <0.2% |
| Colour | Natural |
| Pellet Form | Pellets |
As an accredited ecovio TA1241 Thermoforming Compostable PLA Compound factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Packaged in 25 kg moisture-resistant paper bags, 40 bags per pallet (1,000 kg total), for safe storage and transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: palletized 25-kg bags of ecovio TA1241 thermoforming compostable PLA compound, shrink-wrapped, secured; approx. 20–22 MT per container. |
| Shipping | ecovio TA1241 Thermoforming Compostable PLA Compound is shipped as solid pellets in moisture-barrier bags or octabins, palletized and wrapped. Keep dry, cool, and out of direct sunlight. Not regulated as dangerous goods; use standard industrial handling. Transport in original sealed packaging; avoid excessive heat, moisture, and contamination. |
| Storage | Store ecovio TA1241 in a cool, dry, well-ventilated warehouse, preferably below 30°C and protected from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture. Keep original containers tightly closed to prevent water absorption and contamination. Maintain good housekeeping, avoid ignition sources and strong oxidizers, and use first-in, first-out stock rotation. Shelf life may be reduced by improper humidity or heat exposure. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is 12 months when stored in sealed original packaging under dry, cool conditions away from moisture and heat. |
In cold-chain dairy and chilled dessert packaging, ecovio TA1241 is run as 100 wt% virgin compound from a desiccant-bed hopper with dried-air dew point not higher than −30 °C; the standard acceptance criterion for this PLA-dominated material is a residual moisture content below 0.05 wt%, because hydrolytic chain scission above that threshold produces sheet edge tear, die-lip deposit formation, and a measurable downward drift in melt viscosity. The extrusion side of the line is conventionally a single-screw, barrier-flighted machine with L/D 30:1 and a gear-pump-assisted melt feed to a polished flat die; the polished three-roll stack is held in the range 20–35 °C to prevent premature crystallization and maintain amorphous sheet clarity. Food-contact compliance is demonstrated under Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 and Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 as amended; industrial compostability of the finished article is certified against EN 13432:2000, with disintegration and ecotoxicity outcomes reviewed for the full cup rather than only the raw compound. Formulation modification at this step is normally limited to skeletal regrind incorporation at ≤15 wt% via gravimetric dosing, plus a colour or opacity masterbatch at ≤3 wt% when white or pigmented portion cups are required; the regrind stream is ground from cut-in-place skeletals with fines extraction to reduce feeding instability. The thermoformer uses plug-assisted positive forming with aluminium female cavities, cut-in-place steel-rule trimming, and automatic stacking; product types include 125–500 mL chilled dairy dessert cups, portion cups for deli salads, and cold-beverage cups intended for cold or chilled service. Because the compound’s service window excludes hot-fill and boiling-water operations, hot-fill trials are not applied unless the cup design includes a separately sealed barrier layer; published creep-rupture data for this exact grade under hot-fill is limited.
Berry-punnet lines in European packhouses typically run the compound as 100 wt% virgin or with ≤15 wt% post-industrial regrind; anti-fog or slip masterbatches are either avoided or limited to ≤2.0 wt% because migrating additives can alter surface wetting, create residues in compost screening, and complicate EN 13432:2000 ecotoxicity assessment. The applicable food-contact requirements are Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 for the finished punnet, while the industrial compostability certificate is held under EN 13432:2000; if the punnet is exported to North America, ASTM D6400-23 is the corresponding specification. Downstream production uses plug-assisted positive thermoforming with aluminium plug temperatures optimized against blocking, female cavity surfaces polished to avoid stress-whitening, and in-line needle or laser perforation for respiration of berries. The thermoformed sheet thickness is usually 0.35–0.8 mm, with hinge-wall draft angles not less than 3° to allow clean demoulding; sidewall condensation from misting accelerates surface stress cracking in some aliphatic polyester grades, so punnet designs avoid sharp undercuts and use ribbing instead of thin unsupported panels. Terminal product types are hinged punnets for strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and cherry tomatoes, with lid film heat-sealed or snap-closed. Published puncture-toughness data for ecovio TA1241 punnets under saturated chilled-mist conditions is limited; converter stacking trials with instrumented compression are recommended before committing to high-speed automatic packing lines.
Where cold bakery and delicatessen clamshells are produced, the critical control point is not initial sheet clarity but the repeated flexural fatigue of the living hinge, which is typically scored in-line on the forming tool. The clamshell is produced from 100 wt% ecovio TA1241 with post-industrial skeletal regrind limited to 15 wt%; if low-temperature impact modification is needed for thin-walled designs, the selected polymeric modifier must not reduce compostability below the EN 13432:2000 pass threshold. US food-contact suitability is evaluated through the applicable FDA 21 CFR food-contact clearances for the polymer components, and EU converters additionally verify specific migration under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 using food simulants appropriate to fatty or aqueous bakery products. The forming line uses plug-assisted cut-in-place tools with hinged-lid closure before ejection, or the hinge is scored after forming by a servo-driven blade; cavity release temperature and draft angle are set to prevent stress whitening at hinge roots. Terminal articles include sandwich clamshells, wrap bases, salad-bowl lids and bakery traylid sets used at cold or ambient service temperatures. Repeated opening cycles on 0.4–0.7 mm sidewall stock should be validated, because the hinge performance of PLA-dominated compounds is more sensitive to score depth and molecular weight than polyolefin benchmarks; published flex-cycle data for this specific grade is limited, so closure endurance is best measured on production tooling rather than on ISO test bars.
For hinged food-service lids and domed covers, regrind content is governed by the shear history of the compound rather than by a fixed percentage. The melt flow index, measured under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 190 °C/2.16 kg, is used as the leading control parameter; post-industrial regrind is normally metered at 15–20 wt%, and deviations in MFI from the virgin control of more than ±10% are treated as an alarm because plug-assisted thickness variation in a 0.5 mm sheet then becomes difficult to hold within ±0.05 mm. The closed-loop granulation section includes low-shear cutting, fines extraction and gravimetric dosing; the extruder is a single-screw machine with 25:1 to 30:1 L/D and a melt pump, because the melt pump dampens pressure fluctuations from mixed virgin-regrind feed. Industrial compostability is verified under ISO 17088:2021 and ASTM D6400-23, while European food-contact compliance for the lids falls under Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. The product types are flat and domed lids for cold-food service bowls and cups; the domed lid geometry is especially sensitive to deep-draw thinning, and regrind-related viscosity loss first appears as flange warpage and non-uniform wall thickness. If regrind loading is pushed beyond 20 wt% on this grade, the converter must verify that repeated thermoforming heat history has not reduced the molecular weight below the level required for EN 13432:2000 disintegration and for hinge strength; published correlations between MFI shift and lid top-load performance for ecovio TA1241 are limited, so production-scale SPC data from a specific line replaces generic regrind rules.
If a compostable insert tray for a cosmetic sampling kit is required, the dimensional tolerance of the hinged closure often determines the forming method, not the material’s intrinsic thermal stability. The compound is run at 100 wt% virgin or with ≤15 wt% clean scrap, and opaque or coloured masterbatch is limited to ≤2 wt%; non-food applications do not require the food-contact statements of Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, but the article remains within the scope of REACH under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, and packaging intended for cosmetic products should not release substances that compromise the cosmetic product under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Compostability claims are typically supported by EN 13432:2000 or ISO 17088:2021 for industrial composting; consumer-facing labels should match the certification. The downstream process uses thin-gauge vacuum forming on aluminium or steel tooling with hinged-lid features and steel-rule die cutting; the low melt strength of PLA-dominated melt at deep draw ratios requires lower sheet temperatures in the female cavity and plug assist when necessary. Terminal product types are cosmetic sampling trays, point-of-sale cups, and non-food clamshell inserts for personal-care kits. Formulations containing particulate fillers or non-compostable impact modifiers should be avoided unless the converter validates disintegration and ecotoxicity of the final article, because the industrial compostability certificate of the base resin does not automatically cover heavily modified compounds.
Under intermittent refrigeration, condensation on the underside of a clear lid and repeated peel-and-reseal cycling generate stress concentrations at hinge roots, snap undercuts and seal flanges. The lid is normally produced from 100 wt% ecovio TA1241 with regrind held at ≤10 wt%, which is lower than the general 15–20 wt% limit used for flat tray applications; the restriction reflects the need to preserve hinge flexural integrity and to minimize variability in snap-fit retention. The applicable compliance set includes Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 for food contact and EN 13432:2000 for industrial compostability; if the lid is exported to North America, ASTM D6400-23 applies. The forming route is thick-gauge plug-assisted thermoforming from 0.5–0.9 mm sheet, with in-mold scoring of the hinge and precise trimming of the snap-fit lip. The terminal product is a clear or translucent lid for cold-pressed juice cups, smoothie bowls, and chilled salad bowls; compatibility with essential-oil-containing juice must be checked because limonene and related terpenes can act as environmental stress-cracking agents on PLA-dominated formulations. Published data for ecovio TA1241 specifically in cold-pressed juice lidding is limited; converters should subject lids to torque-fit, repeated-opening and condensate-aged top-load tests on production articles rather than extrapolating from dry standard test specimens.
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BASF ecovio TA1241 Thermoforming Compostable PLA Compound is a rigid, polylactic-acid-rich formulation that incorporates a biodegradable copolyester fraction to increase melt strength and reduce brittle failure in cast-sheet and plug-assist thermoforming. The compound is supplied as pellets for sheet extrusion with subsequent production of industrially compostable rigid packaging. Specification testing for the grade typically includes melt-volume rate under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 190 °C/2.16 kg, density under ISO 1183-1:2019, tensile modulus and tensile strength under ISO 527-2:2012 and ISO 527-3:2018 for cut sheet, flexural modulus under ISO 178:2019, notched Charpy impact under ISO 179-1:2023, Vicat softening temperature under ISO 306:2022 method A50, and heat deflection temperature under ISO 75-2:2013 method B. Lot-specific numerical values are supplied on the certificate of analysis; the current BASF technical datasheet governs the commercial specification. The material is directed toward rigid trays, clamshells, lids, portion cups, and inserts with formed wall thickness between 0.15 mm and 1.00 mm where industrial composting certification under EN 13432 or ASTM D6400 is required. Because the compound is a thermoforming-specific grade, it differs from PLA film grades and from soft PBAT-rich film formulations in stiffness, sheet gauge stability, and plug-assist force response.
Unmodified PLA is highly shear-thinning and has relatively low melt elasticity, which produces poor sheet sag resistance and non-uniform plug penetration at draw ratios exceeding 2:1. In cast sheet extrusion, neat PLA exhibits a narrow processing window between melt fracture and thermal degradation; the upper melt-temperature limit is often below 220 °C before hydrolysis and lactide reformation increase free monomer. The copolyester phase in ecovio TA1241 increases elongational viscosity and tear energy without removing compostability. In production-scale thermoforming, melt strength values commonly cited for PLA-rich sheet are 0.12 N to 0.35 N measured by extensional rheometry at 180 °C. Sheet below this band can sag into ceramic heaters and produce gauge variation greater than 0.05 mm across a formed lid; sheet above the band may require excessive plug force.
On sheet lines with single-screw extruders of 28:1 to 36:1 L/D, processors often observe that a pure PLA grade has difficulty maintaining stable sheet gauge at haul-off speeds above 12 m/min, while the modified compound tolerates a broader speed range. The compound is typically run with a screw having a low-shear barrier-flighted metering section and a compression ratio of 2.5:1 to 3.0:1. This equipment description is a field-observed starting condition, not a substitute for lot-specific process validation. Capillary rheometry under ISO 11443:2021 can be used to compare the neat PLA and the compounded grade; the compounded product typically shows a higher extensional viscosity at the same melt temperature, which is the primary rheological distinction relevant to thermoforming.
Compostability certification for ecovio TA1241 is a matrix of disintegration, biodegradation, ecotoxicity, and constituent analysis rather than a single material property. Under EN 13432:2000/AC:2005 a final aerobic biodegradation threshold of 90 % relative to a positive reference within 180 days is required, and disintegration after 90 days must leave no particles above 2 mm when screened. For North America, ASTM D6400-21 sets analogous criteria. Heavy-metal and fluorine content are constrained by the relevant annexes of EN 13432 and ASTM D6400; these are assessed by microwave digestion followed by ICP-OES or ICP-MS and by combustion ion chromatography. The compound does not make claims for home composting below 40 °C, marine biodegradation, or open-soil degradation. Any downstream printed closure, adhesive, coating, or oxygen-barrier layer must be separately assessed because these components can alter the final article’s disintegration profile and ecotoxicity result. Published data for the specific combination of ecovio TA1241 with every adhesive or water-based dispersion is limited; compatibility testing under ISO 20200 or ISO 16929 is required for converted articles.
For food-contact applications, the compound may be supplied with a regulatory statement based on European Union Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 or U.S. FDA 21 CFR suitable for specific food types and temperature conditions. However, these statements are grade-specific, lot-specific, and limited by overall migration testing under EN 1186-1:2002 and EN 1186-14:2002 or by U.S. migration cell tests. They do not automatically cover high-alcohol packaged goods, hot-fill above 70 °C, or fatty products with long shelf life. The processing temperature history can also influence residual monomer and oligomer migration. Disintegration tests are not equivalent to landfill or windrow decomposition. Under ISO 16929:2021, ecovio TA1241 formed parts may disintegrate in a controlled composting environment but not in anaerobic landfill because methanogenic conditions lack the thermophilic aerobic phase. This distinction is critical for packaging disposal claims. The compound should not be labeled as degradable under anaerobic conditions unless tested to a specific anaerobic standard such as ISO 15985:2014 for high-solids anaerobic digestion, and no such claim is automatically transferred from industrial compostability certification.
| Framework | Relevant criterion | Test/assessment method |
|---|---|---|
| EN 13432 | Aerobic biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity, constituent limits | ISO 14855-1:2012, ISO 16929:2021, OECD 208 |
| ASTM D6400 | Compostable plastics for municipal or industrial facilities | ASTM D5338-15, ASTM D6868-21 |
| ISO 17088 | Specification for compostable plastics | Biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity, characterization |
| ISO 16620-2:2019 | Bio-based carbon content | 14C accelerator mass spectrometry or liquid scintillation counting |
| EU food contact | Overall migration, specific migration | EN 1186-1:2002, EN 1186-14:2002, EN 13130-1:2004 |
Before extrusion, ecovio TA1241 should be dried in a dehumidifying hopper dryer with a dew point no higher than -40 °C. A material-bed temperature of 70 °C to 80 °C for 4 h to 6 h is normally sufficient to reduce residual moisture below 0.025 wt%; inline moisture analysis by Karl Fischer titration or a process hygrometer is recommended. If residual moisture exceeds 0.05 wt%, hydrolysis during plastication reduces melt strength, produces edge tear, and causes silver streaking. On a single-screw extruder with barrel zones from 175 °C to 200 °C, adapter at 190 °C to 205 °C, and flat die at 195 °C to 210 °C, melt temperature should be held below 210 °C. Above 220 °C, molecular weight loss can accelerate and the sheet may develop yellowing and increased extractable oligomers.
On continuous thermoforming lines with quartz or ceramic infrared heaters, the sheet is heated through a multi-zone oven with upper and lower heater banks. PLA-rich sheet has a narrower effective forming window than amorphous PET or PS; operators typically set the upper heater temperature 80 °C to 110 °C and lower heater temperature 70 °C to 100 °C, but the sheet surface temperature remains the control variable. Because PLA absorbs less radiant energy than PS in some IR regions, heater emissivity and reflectors should be selected for polymer-specific absorption; trial sheet temperature profiles are required to prevent cold corners. A sheet loop between oven and forming station with a sag distance below 25 mm is maintained by a photocell, and the forming press closes at 300 mm/s to 600 mm/s depending on draw depth. Air pressure for plug-assist and final forming is commonly 4 bar to 7 bar; lower pressure may fail to reproduce sharp radii, while higher pressure can produce thin-out at plug-contact points.
Sheet surface temperature at the forming station is a primary control variable. For plug-assist thermoforming with aluminum plugs, a sheet surface band of 75 °C to 95 °C is commonly required for ecovio TA1241; below 65 °C the sheet can crack at plug corners, while above 105 °C it may stick to the plug and produce burn marks. The mold temperature is typically set at 20 °C to 40 °C; chilled water at 10 °C to 15 °C is sometimes used to reduce cycle time, but overcooling below 10 °C can initiate surface haze on deep-drawn parts. Plug material and pre-heat are influential: acetal or syntactic foam plugs with surface temperatures of 60 °C to 80 °C reduce chill marks, while steel plugs require lower temperatures to prevent sticking. Draw ratios up to 3:1 are commonly reported for PLA-rich sheet; higher draw ratios can be achieved but require clamp-frame dwell and uniform sheet-temperature distribution.
Scrap regrind can be reincorporated into the sheet skeleton if the regrind is dried in the same manner as virgin compound. In production, regrind rates up to 30 wt% are often tolerated without significant loss of melt strength; above 30 wt%, sheet thickness variation and notched Charpy impact can drift because repeated heat histories increase carboxylic acid end-group concentration. Reground material should be sharp, dust-free, and free of foreign polymer contamination from label trim. A static melt-volume-rate check under ISO 1133-1:2022 should be performed on the dry blend before start-up when regrind exceeds 20 wt%. Processors on high-output lines with extruder throughputs of 250 kg/h to 800 kg/h report that fines from brittle regrind can segregate in the hopper and cause periodic screw overload if a low-level alarm is not fitted. Mold shrinkage for unannealed PLA-rich sheet after 24 h at 23 °C is typically 0.3 % to 0.6 % in the machine direction and 0.2 % to 0.4 % in the transverse direction; part-specific shrinkage must be established experimentally because cooling rate and plug-induced orientation alter these values.
Differentiation between ecovio TA1241 and other compostable or incumbent sheet materials is best expressed through the processing-intensity and end-use property envelope. The table below compares class-typical values for ecovio TA1241 with unmodified PLA, PBAT-rich compostable film grades, and general-purpose polystyrene sheet. The values are assembled from published test-method guidance and polymer-science literature for rigid thermoformable bioplastics, not from a single production lot. They are not specifications and should not be used for purchase decisions.
| Property / Test method | ecovio TA1241 class | Unmodified PLA | PBAT-rich film grade | GPPS sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melt-volume rate ISO 1133-1:2022, 190 °C/2.16 kg | 3–10 cm³/10 min | 2–8 cm³/10 min | 3–8 cm³/10 min | 3–15 cm³/10 min |
| Tensile modulus ISO 527-2:2012 | 2000–3000 MPa | 3000–3500 MPa | <100 MPa | 2500–3500 MPa |
| Notched Charpy impact ISO 179-1:2023, 23 °C | 2–6 kJ/m² | 1–3 kJ/m² | No break | 2–4 kJ/m² |
| Heat deflection temperature ISO 75-2:2013 method B | 50–70 °C | 50–60 °C | 30–45 °C | 70–85 °C |
| Industrial compostability | EN 13432/ASTM D6400 certified class | certified class | certified class | not compostable |
The practical difference from unmodified PLA is not simply alloying; it is the shift of the thermoforming temperature window and the reduction in splintering failure at cut edges. Compared with PBAT-rich film grades, ecovio TA1241 has higher bending stiffness and lower elongation, making it appropriate for side-wall rigidity but not for blown film or very deep-stretch packaging. Compared with general-purpose PS sheet, the balance of heat resistance and water-vapour transmission shifts; PLA-rich sheet is not suitable for hot-fill above 70 °C and is more sensitive to continuous high humidity because PLA undergoes hydrolytic degradation when exposed to 50 °C and 90 % RH over extended periods. The moisture-vapour transmission rate of PLA-rich sheet is higher than that of PET or PP, so ecovio TA1241 is typically not used for long shelf-life moisture-sensitive products without a barrier coating. Oxygen barrier at 23 °C and 50 % RH is also lower than PET but higher than LDPE; published oxygen transmission rate data for PLA-copolyester sheet vary by crystallinity and thickness. Permeation testing should follow ASTM D3985-17 for oxygen and ISO 15106-1:2015 for water vapour transmission, using the actual formed part thickness and not flat sheet only.
Within the ecovio portfolio, TA1241 is a thermoforming compound, not a blown-film grade. Film-grade ecovio products are generally higher in PBAT and lower in PLA, yielding elongation at break values above 200 % in ISO 527-3 testing, whereas rigid thermoforming grades sacrifice this elongation for bending stiffness. An injection-molding PLA compound may have a higher melt-volume rate and lower melt strength; using it in sheet extrusion can result in poor melt curtain stability and draw resonance. Conversely, TA1241 should not be used in thin-wall injection molding because its melt viscosity and thermal stability are not designed for fast injection fill and hot-runner dwell times above 5 min.
ecovio TA1241 is not a drop-in replacement for PS, PET, or PP in every thermoforming program. The heat deflection temperature is below that of general-purpose PS, so continuous exposure to coffee, soup, or microwave steam above 70 °C can deform trays or lids. The polymer matrix is hydrolytically labile; pre-drying is required not only before initial processing but also when regrind or stored sheet is exposed to ambient air at relative humidity above 60 % for more than 2 h. In humid production environments, sealed foil-lined bags and a dry-air purge on the hopper are necessary. The material is not designed for retort, hot-fill, or pasteurization above 65 °C. It is also not intended for continuous contact with aggressive ethanol-water mixtures above 10 vol% at 40 °C; such contact can increase migration and accelerate stress cracking. For refrigerated and frozen distribution, the impact properties remain adequate at -20 °C only if the formed part is not flexed; brittle-fracture behavior should be assessed by drop testing under ISO 6603-2:2023.
Film-grade ecovio products have higher copolyester content and lower tensile modulus, whereas injection-molding PLA compounds may require higher melt flow and are less suitable for plug-assisted sheet forming. The product should not be blended with amine-based processing aids, as amines can catalyze ester cleavage and reduce molecular weight during extrusion. It should also be kept away from polyvinyl chloride processing lines where chloride-based volatiles can contaminate the sheet surface. Combination with unapproved impact modifiers, nucleating agents, or chain extenders can shift the compostability certification and should be controlled through a documented change-management process.
