Terrasol®

100% biodegradable water-soluble plastics for extrusion and injection molding

Terrasol® is a family of water-soluble and biodegradable plastics in aqueous environments which are based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). These water-soluble thermoplastics are characterized by high tear strength and elasticity. All Terrasol® granules are tailor-made and offered with controllable water dissolution temperatures of 5-70 °C.

Compared to other water-soluble polymers, Terrasol® stands out due to its high crystallinity. This leads to less shrinkage in the finished product and at the same time enables shorter cycle times than with standard PVOH granules.

As a thermoplastic, Terrasol® can be processed using standard plastics processing methods. It is suitable for film extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding and blow molding.

Typical applications of Terrasol® include the manufacture of a wide variety of water-soluble products, such as mono- and co-extruded films, packaging, foams, hoses and profiles. Finished products, such as water-soluble films, are also available on request.

Hot and cold water soluble granules allow individual timing of dissolution

After contact with water, products made of Terrasol® dissolve completely and without residue. Once dissolved, Terrasol® is completely degraded to water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) by the action of microorganisms and bacteria. Unlike non-degradable polymers, whether fossil-based or bio-based, once dissolved water-soluble PVOH granules and products do not generate microplastics. In waste incineration, Terrasol® burns residue-free to CO2 and water.

Our extensive portfolio of hot water soluble and cold water soluble granules allows the duration and temperature of the desired dissolution process to be individually adjusted.

Water-soluble plastics for pouches and packaging: well packaged without packaging waste

Water-soluble films are versatile and useful. As a component of water-soluble individual packaging, for example for dosing pods of detergents and cleaners, Terrasol® films enable exact and precise dosing. During use, the film forms an excellent oxygen barrier and dissolves completely in water. Terrasol® is also resistant to almost all organic solvents as well as oil and grease.

Water-soluble laundry bags made of Terrasol® play an important role in hygiene. For example, they increase safety when handling infectious and dirty laundry. The sealed Terrasol® laundry bags can be placed directly in the washing machine, where they dissolve completely and leave no potentially infectious residues. Water-soluble laundry bags are a cost-effective solution that significantly reduces the risk of contamination and cross-infection for patients, housekeeping staff or laundry workers.

Excellent barrier properties for packaging, multilayer films and laminates

Packaging made of water-soluble and fully biodegradable PVOH films is multi-purpose due to its high strength and resistance to oil and grease. Thanks to its strong material characteristics and high barrier properties against almost all common gases, Terrasol® is also ideally suited as a barrier layer in a film laminate for food packaging. Terrasol® can be processed both as a laminate and in a co-extrusion to multilayer films.

Water-soluble plastics for toys

Our water-soluble plastic Terrasol® is non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin. This makes it ideally suited for the production of creative craft materials, such as water-adhesive beads (e.g. called Aquabeads¹). Our toy type meets the standards for toy safety according to EN71.

Polyvinyl alcohols (PVA and PVOH) are non-toxic and are already used on a large scale in medical and cosmetic applications and for packaging household and food products.

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1}„Aquabeads“ is a trademark of EPOCH Company, Limited.