Ecomp 180 is a compounded polylactic acid (PLA) film grade developed for blown-film and cast-film conversion where industrial compostability under ASTM D6400-23 or EN 13432:2000 is a mandatory end-of-life requirement. The material is supplied in pellet form with a nominal density of 1.24 g/cm³ when measured according to ISO 1183-1:2019 and a melt flow rate of 6 g/10 min at 210 °C/2.16 kg when tested under ISO 1133-1:2022. Biobased carbon content is reported as 96% of total organic carbon by ASTM D6866-22 Method B. The compound is supplied in moisture-barrier packaging and is formulated without intentionally added perfluoroalkyl substances. The grade adopts a PLA backbone with a branched chain-extender package for melt strength, combined with a renewable slip/antiblock package; exact formulation proportions are proprietary, but the material is intended for conventional single-screw extrusion lines with 24:1 to 30:1 L/D ratios and no mandatory barrier-screw retrofit.

Material Composition and Compostability Certification Pathways

Certification of Ecomp 180 under industrial composting standards requires more than inherent biodegradability. The compound is designed to meet the disintegration and ecotoxicity requirements of EN 13432:2000 and ASTM D6400-23 when the finished film is tested by the methods listed in Table 1. The crystalline melting point determined by differential scanning calorimetry at 10 °C/min under nitrogen according to ISO 11357-3:2018 is typically 155–170 °C, and the glass transition temperature is 58–62 °C. Because the formulation is not starch-filled, moisture uptake is lower than that of starch-based film compounds, and haze values on cast film remain below 4% when measured according to ASTM D1003-21. The low D-isomer content of the PLA backbone permits crystallinity development during controlled cooling, but the material remains thermally processable within a melt temperature window that is narrower than that of polyolefin films.

Converters carrying the seedling logo on final film should request the active certification certificate and audit number from the supplier. Published data for batch-to-batch variance of Ecomp 180 under field-scale windrow composting is limited; laboratory certification does not automatically guarantee disintegration in every commercial composting facility because residence time, moisture, and aeration vary by location.

How does Ecomp 180 behave at the die lip during low-thickness blown film conversion?

In blown-film conversion, the primary processing constraint is melt strength. Neat PLA grades exhibit severe neck-in and bubble sway at die gaps below 1.2 mm; Ecomp 180 is formulated with a branching architecture that raises elongational viscosity and stabilizes the bubble at blow-up ratios between 2:1 and 3:1. On a 45 mm single-screw extruder with 24:1 L/D and an 80 mm annular die, a stable bubble has been reported at 80 µm film thickness and 12 m/min line speed. Die pressure is typically held at 120–160 bar; sustained pressure above 180 bar indicates gel accumulation, insufficient melt temperature, or inadequate screen-pack area. A representative barrel temperature profile from feed throat to die is 35/160/175/185/190/190 °C. Melt temperature measured at the die should not exceed 200 °C because sustained operation above 200 °C increases lactide volatiles and molecular weight reduction, producing bubble instability and off-odour in finished wound film. The lower boundary is similarly critical: melt temperatures below 175 °C produce incomplete melting and visible gel particles larger than 100 µm. The practical processing window is therefore 175–200 °C, and a control band of ±5 °C at the die is recommended to avoid batch-to-batch drift.

Prior to any extrusion run, the pellets must be dried in a desiccant-wheel dryer with a dew point of -40 °C or lower. The recommended drying condition is 80 °C for 4 h to reduce residual moisture below 250 ppm. At shop-floor relative humidity above 60%, hopper residence time should not exceed 30 min because PLA regains moisture rapidly. Hydrolysis during processing reduces intrinsic viscosity and shifts melt flow rate upward by 2–4 g/10 min within 30 min of wet feeding. Production-scale failure investigations of collapsing bubbles after start-up routinely identify wet resin as the root cause before die gap or melt temperature. Moisture verification by Karl Fischer titration at 160 °C following ISO 15512:2019 is recommended at each shift start.

When cast film clarity and gauge uniformity outweigh tear propagation resistance

On cast film lines, Ecomp 180 can be extruded through a slit die with a die gap of 0.4–0.8 mm and quenched on a polished chill roll held at 25–45 °C. A 50 µm film has been produced at 80 m/min on a 90 mm extruder with a 30:1 L/D screw and a 1200 mm web. Gauge variation measured by capacitance thickness scanning can be maintained within ±2 µm across the web after die lip resetting for thermal expansion. Chill-roll cooling restricts spherulite growth to a fine scale, giving cast film haze of 2.0–3.5% at 50 µm under ASTM D1003-21, compared with 4–7% for blown film of the same gauge. Elmendorf tear strength remains lower than that of PBAT-rich blown-film alloys: 10–18 g in the machine direction and 12–20 g in the transverse direction on 50 µm cast film tested according to ASTM D1922-23. This limitation must be considered in bag design; side-seal bags and produce packaging may require a minimum thickness of 35 µm rather than further downgauging.

The branched melt architecture of Ecomp 180 can be detected in oscillatory shear rheology. Representative apparent melt viscosity at 190 °C is 1200 Pa·s at 100 s⁻¹ and 300 Pa·s at 1000 s⁻¹; the shear-thinning index between these rates is 0.55–0.65. This viscosity profile differs from unfilled PLA film grades, which typically show a steeper shear-thinning response but lower melt tension. Clean edge trim can be dry-blended back at up to 20 wt% after shredding; higher regrind levels reduce melt strength because repeated extrusion lowers molecular weight. Filter packs of 80/120/80 mesh are recommended for cast film to remove unmelt gels larger than 100 µm.

Comparative property profile against PBAT-rich and starch-filled blown-film compounds

Table 2 is compiled from publicly available technical data for representative compostable film formulations at 50 µm thickness. The values are typical ranges, not a single interlaboratory study; lot-to-lot variation and processing history influence all reported data. Published data for this specific configuration is limited for some competitive grades, and direct substitution should be verified by the converter on production tooling.

The data place Ecomp 180 at the high-modulus, low-haze end of compostable blown-film options. The lower tear propagation resistance compared with PBAT-rich alloys is an operational boundary, not a defect. Bag design, seal geometry, and gauge selection must compensate for this property difference in applications requiring puncture resistance during automated filling.

For downstream conversion, corona treatment at 2.5–4.0 W/m²/min raises surface energy from 38 mN/m to 44–48 mN/m. Water-based flexographic inks and acrylic pressure-sensitive labels wet the film surface when dyne level is verified with ISO 8296:2003 test inks. Heat sealing is recommended at 135–155 °C jaw temperature, 1–2 s dwell, and 0.3–0.5 MPa pressure; seal strength on 50 µm film reaches 6–10 N/15 mm when tested according to ASTM F88/F88M-24 and when the seal area is not contaminated by migration of the slip package.

Storage before processing should be maintained in closed, moisture-barrier packaging at 10–30 °C. Opened bags under ambient warehouse conditions above 60% RH should be used within 4 h or transferred to a dry-air cabinet. Ecomp 180 is not intended for retort, ovenable packaging, or hot-fill containers above 60 °C because the glass transition at 58–62 °C limits dimensional stability. The compound should not be dry blended with amine-based masterbatches, as aminolysis and premature chain scission can occur at processing temperatures. Use of incompatible colour concentrates can reduce melt strength and produce viscosity-driven process drift within a single production shift.