polymerguru

The new Opel Astra OPC, a sport coupe, which was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show at the beginning of March 2012, has a seat  pan made from a thermoplastic laminate with continuous fiber reinforcement (organo sheet). This is the world's first auto seat  pan  based on this technology manufactured for a production vehicle. The plastics used are  polyamide  specialties from BASF's Ultramid® product range. The seat  pan  is 45% lighter than its predecessor. Thermoplastic laminates with continuous fiber reinforcement, also called composites, are plastic-impregnated fabrics that are processed into laminates. They serve as the reinforcement in plastic parts that must be especially lightweight yet still exhibit exceptional performance. BASF developed two special Ultramid grades for the Opel Astra OPC seat  pan : an unreinforced grade acts as the material in which the  glass fiber fabric is embedded, an impact-modified, short  glass fiber- reinforced Ultramid is used as over molding m

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed that companies be required to report to EPA all new uses, including in domestic or imported products, of five groups of potentially harmful chemicals. Over the years, these chemicals have been used in a range of consumer products and industrial applications, including paints, printing inks, pigments and dyes in textiles, flame retardants in flexible foams, and plasticizers. This action is part of EPA's work to ensure chemical safety in order to protect Americans' health and the environment. The five chemicals EPA is targeting are polybrominated diphenylethers  (PBDEs) ,  benzidine dyes , a short chain  chlorinated paraffin , hexabromocyclododecane  (HBCD ), and phthalate di-n-pentyl phthalate  (DnPP) . The agency is also proposing additional testing on the health and environmental effects of PBDEs. "Although a number of these chemicals are no longer manufactured or used in the U.S. they can still be imported in consum

The discovery of massive shale gas resources has brought about a major increase in U.S. natural gas reserves. This development has particular significance for the chemical and plastics industries. When natural gas is passed through crackers, abundant, low cost supplies of some chemical feedstocks result. The emergence of shale gas brings into question the economic viability of renewable chemicals and drop-in biobased plastics, especially high volume  PE ,  PP  and  PET . At the BioPlastek 2012 Forum, on March 28-30 in Arlington, Virginia, USA, this will be one of the key issues to be discussed during several of the sessions. This much we do know: U.S. polyethylene producers are already big beneficiaries of the shale gas boom. This is because ethane is primarily produced when passing natural gas through crackers. On converting the low cost ethane into ethylene, U.S.  PE  producers now a major feedstock advantage. Still to be clarified is whether the shale gas sourced PE has a cost adva

 Gevo, Inc., an innovative renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, recently announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted U.S. Patent No. 8,133,715, entitled "Reduced By-Product Accumulation for Improved Production of Isobutanol." "Yeast naturally produces isobutanol at low yields," said Brett Lund, EVP & General Counsel of Gevo. "In order to produce isobutanol at commercially relevant yields suitable for commercial implementation several improvements to the pathway need to be made, including elimination of pathways that "hijack" carbohydrates. Pathway hijacking lowers yield and creates unwanted by-products. The patent issued today covers the technology to eliminate one of the hijacking pathways, and improves yield of isobutanol by 20 percent. Without this technology, it is doubtful that an isobutanol producing yeast would be commercially viable." "When you design a biocatalyst it needs to be ef

Envoy Medical Corp., St. Paul, Minn., has developed the industry's first totally implantable hearing system for moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The Esteem® prosthetic hearing restoration device features two terminal connectors made of Zeniva polyetheretherketone  ( PEEK ) resin from Solvay® Specialty Polymers USA, LLC. Zeniva®  PEEK -  part of Solvay's family of Solviva® Biomaterials - provides biocompatibility, strong insulative properties, and excellent mechanical performance.   Unlike hearing aids, the Esteem implantable hearing device does not use a microphone or a speaker. Instead, it uses the natural ear drum to detect sound and send a clear message to the brain, via the auditory nerve, by stimulating the cochlea with its prosthetic simulator. Last year, Envoy Medical received pre-market approval (PMA) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for commercial distribution of the Esteem® implantable hearing device. "We believe that the Estee

Production-run pellets made partially from plastic ocean litter have become a reality, thanks to 18 months of cooperation between packaging brand designer Method and recycler Envision Plastics Industries LLC. The first batch of pellets streamed off the production line at Envision's Chino plant around noon March 1. Executives from both companies beamed with pride and excitement, and captured the technology breakthrough, snapping pictures and video. They then watched as the otherwise unassuming black pellets were loaded into 1,200-pound boxes, ready to be molded into a Method-designed container that will hit a major grocery chain this fall. "We did a couple of fist pumps," smiled Adam Lowry, co-founder, CEO and chief groundskeeper of the  San Francisco-based Method, whose packages are made from 100 percent recycled materials. Lowry declined to name the product that will be made from the ocean scrap, but he said that it will be an existing product, in one of the company'

Kindness is the basis of happiness. Kindness is the basis of the life we live. Kindness is the basis of the dharma. The basis of practicing the dharma should be on a caring positive mind. So kindness is understanding. Kindness is a thing that you don't take advantage of. It is seeing that it is directly and indirectly benefiting you. For example, if you are giving alms to a beggar and if you have a feeling of savior or superiority, then think twice. Who is doing a favor to whom. I would say that the beggar is doing a favor to you. If there is no beggar, and if you have the motivation of accumulating merit by giving alms to beggars, then who are you going to give to? Kindness can produce a good caring heart. So think of kindness towards your parents who care for you, your friends who are doing something special to you, and even to a waiter who is serving you. Don't take advantage of that or think you own that because it is their responsibility or that they should since you are