Castor oil smoothes polymer development

Fujitsu has developed a flexible biopolymer using castor oil, which could be used for small components of notebook PCs and mobile phones, such as connector covers.

In 2002 Fujitsu started using bio-based polymers based on polylactic acid, made from materials including corn, in the chassis of the FMV-BIBLO notebook PC. However, in order for plant-based materials to be used more widely in Fujitsu products, the company needed to develop a new bio-based polymer with a higher bio-content and superior flexibility which is suitable for mass-production.

To address this need, Fujitsu worked with French chemical company Arkema, and succeeded in developing a new bio-based polymer plastic that has as its principal component polyamide-11 (PA-11), which is derived from castor oil.

By weakening the interaction of the chain molecule in PA-11 and relaxing the stereo-regularity of their organisation, the resulting new material has increased flexibility. This means it can withstand repeated bending without causing the whitening that often occurs when such materials are strained.