NEC Corporation recently announced that it has succeeded in developing a flame-resistant plastic made from polylactic acid, a bio-based material derived from corn.

Previously, plastics containing polylactic acid lacked the flame-resisting qualities necessary for use in electronics products. NEC’s new process creates a bio-plastic that is suitable for electronics without using traditional flame-retarding additives such as halogen and phosphorus compounds, which are toxic when burned.

The new bio-plastic has passed top-level flame resistance standards regulated by Under Writer Laboratories, which will enable it to be widely used in electronic products. In addition, it boasts other important properties such as heat resistance, moldability, and strength that are comparable to those of fiber-reinforced polycarbonate used in desktop-type electronic products.

Halogen compounds such as organic bromine compounds and phosphorus compounds such as red phosphorus and phosphorus ester are widely used as flame-retarding additives, but such halogen compounds generate toxic gases when burning. In addition, phosphorus esters themselves are somewhat toxic and might cause biological damage after disposal.