Intelligent plastics technology company obtains patent for bioassimilable polyolefin technology

This technology can transform conventional PE and PP resins into materials that promote decomposition into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass rather than microplastics.

The patent covers HDPE/LLDPE blend formulations for soft packaging and polypropylene formulations for rigid applications.

The patent validated Smart Plastic Company’s bio-assimilation technology platform.

SPTek Eclipse is designed to address the post-consumer waste treatment challenges of PE and PP.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted Smart Plastic Technologies LLC U.S. Patent No. 12,668,672 B2, titled "Biodegradable Masterbatch Compositions, Methods for Producing Polymer Biodegradable Materials Using Same, and Products Produced Therefrom."

The claims of this authorization cover specific SPTek Eclipse masterbatch formulations for polyolefin applications, including formulations designed for functional lifespan scenarios of approximately 18 months and 24 months.

This patent marks the transition of Smart Plastic’s SPTek Eclipse technology platform from pending application status to an issued patent, representing a milestone in the company’s broader intellectual property strategy. Other continuation applications and some continuation-in-part applications for this technology are still under examination.

A patent aimed at the post-disposal treatment challenges of PE and PP.

In a plastic market saturated with competing claims of improved disposal solutions, intelligent plastics argue that an issued U.S. patent provides a milestone that has been vetted through prior-art citation review and is open to public scrutiny.

The authorized claims focus on the specific chemical components of SPTek Eclipse masterbatch that have been reviewed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, including references related to plastic microbial colonization and biodegradation testing. The smart plastics also support their technical claims through technical evaluations that include tests based on ASTM D5526 and D6954.

Yaman Peksenar, Chief Science and Technology Officer at Smart Plastic Technologies, said: “An issued patent is an important milestone for Smart Plastic and SPTek Eclipse. After years of review by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, we now have granted claims covering specific masterbatch chemical formulations that are at the core of our SPTek Eclipse platform. Combined with our third-party-validated technology test program, this provides manufacturers and brands with clearer grounds for evaluating the technology.”

SPTek Eclipse is designed for bioassimilation at the end of its service life.

Smart Plastic’s SPTek Eclipse technology uses masterbatch to modify conventional polyethylene and polypropylene (including resin types 2, 4, and 5), aiming to promote bioassimilation at the end of the product’s intended functional life.

The company stated that the technology aims to support the conversion of plastic materials into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass, rather than allowing them to persist in the form of microplastic fragments.

The newly granted patents cover formulations optimized for different applications, including:

An HDPE/LLDPE blend formulation designed for soft packaging with a service life of approximately 18 months.

A polypropylene formulation designed for rigid applications with an approximate 24-month service life, including food-contact tableware.

The granted claims specify that the addition ratio for the approximately 18-month formulation is 1%, and that for the approximately 24-month polypropylene formulation is 1.5%. Smart Plastic will separately evaluate the recyclability and food-contact suitability of the relevant products.

Acceleration Application Discussion

Smart Plastic states that the patented technology addresses a key issue for processors and brand owners when evaluating emerging plastics end-of-life technologies.

Robin Misir, Vice President of Operations at Smart Plastic Technologies, said, “Our manufacturing partners ask us the same question in every initial meeting: Is this real, or is it just another patent-pending application packaged as a solution? Now, the answer includes a granted U.S. patent number they can review for themselves, along with Smart Plastic’s technical data. That changes the conversation with converters and brand owners who have been waiting on the sidelines—they have been waiting for exactly this kind of granted-patent milestone and technical documentation before committing production lines to SPTek Eclipse.”

A new framework for bioassimilated plastics

Alongside the patent announcement, Intelligent Plastics is promoting its proposed “Smart Standard,” a waste disposal and labeling framework for bioassimilative plastics.

The company believes that traditional recycling can currently only handle a limited portion of plastic waste, and that industrial composting infrastructure is still lacking in many communities, resulting in many forms of polyolefin packaging lacking viable disposal solutions.