polymerguru

The Plastics  Industry   Trade Association  and the  American National Standards  Institute (ANSI) announced the publication of two recently revised and approved American National Standards on plastics machinery safety. ANSI/SPI B151.20 - 2013 Safety Requirements for Plastics Sheet Production Machinery, and ANSI/SPI B151.27 - 2013 Safety Requirements for the Integration of Robots with Injection Molding Machines, both of which address detailed safety requirements for the specific machine or group of machines. Both  standards  represent significant and substantive changes from the previous editions and both are considered Type-C standards according to the ISO Type A-B-C standard level structure. ISO Type A standards (basis standards) provide basic concepts, principles for design, and general aspects that can be applied to  machinery . ISO Type B (generic safety standards) addresses one or more safety aspects or one or more types of safeguards that can be used across a range of machin

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polyesters  produced  and stored intracellularly by  bacteria  as  energy and  carbon   storage material . In the last decade globally various organizations including CSIR-CSMCRI are actively engaged in R&D activities on different aspects of PHA. Owing to the diversity in PHA structural properties and amenability to produce in sufficient quantity various applications have been sought e.g. in packaging films, disposable items, biocompatible implants, bone replacements, blood vessel replacements, scaffold material in tissue, engineering of heart valve, etc. Further, due to biodegradability and biocompatible nature of PHAs they have been recognized by FDA (Chen etal 2009) for the above listed uses. Global bioplastic packaging demand alone has been projected to reach 884,000  tons  by 2020. According to a  new study  by Pira International, a new breed of  bioplastics  will be major drivers as packaging  market demand  gradually shift

TPX®  polymethylpentene  is a lightweight,  transparent ,  semi -crystalline material with  outstanding   resistance  to both  steam sterilization  and a wide range of chemicals. Unlike some polymeric materials that discolor or embrittle after just a few cycles in an autoclave, TPX® remains transparent and strong. Items made with this exceptional polymer can be reused many times, promoting reuse rather than recycling and contributing to greater sustainability. Characteristics of TPX® include: Low density Resistance to steam and  chemicals Does not absorb water Visible  light transmission  ~92-94% Low  refractive  index Nonstick properties The numerous benefits of TPX® make it ideal for use in  food containers , sterilization cases,  laboratory equipment , LED molds, etc. TPX® also has excellent UV transmission characteristics, making it useful in UV  sterilization equipment . TPX® is available in  film , sheet, rod and granule form from  Goodfellow , one among the le

An  Iranian   researcher  from University of Tehran used multi-scaled modeling and investigated the effect of non-straight form of  carbon nanotubes  on nanocomposite properties at the final material scale. The researcher  assumed  the non-straight form of carbon nanotube as a random parameter in his  modeling , and he took into account all possible formations during the process of producing the nanocomposite object. Results of the research can be used in different industries such as aerospace,  automobile manufacturing , transportation, and energy because all these industries enjoy the advantages of polymeric composites. The aim of this research was to estimate the  mechanical properties  of a nanocomposite containing multi-walled carbon nanotube. In this part of the research, the focus was on the effect of non-straight form of the nanotube in resin bed. The purpose was to study the amount of effect of non-straight form of carbon nanotube in resin media on the mechanical p

 Teijin Limited, Onward  Holdings  Co., Ltd. and  Fuji Xerox  Co, Ltd. announced that they will launch a closed-loop recycling system for uniforms in China. The system is based on Teijin's ECO CIRCLE *1  that incorporates the world's  first technology  for the chemical recycling of polyester. Nantong Teijin Co., Ltd. , the Teijin group's  polyester   textile manufacturing  and processing company, weaves and dyes recyclable polyester textiles, which are then used for the uniforms designed and produced by Onward Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a Shanghai-based Onward group company  engaged in the design, manufacturing and sales of uniforms. From January 2014, the uniform will be worn by 500 customer engineers *2  at Fuji  Xerox  (China) Limited, a Beijing-based Fuji Xerox  sales company , and 200 production line workers at Fuji Xerox Eco-Manufacturing (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., which recycles used copiers, printers and cartridges. The  uniforms  will be collected after their u

The new Ford 3.5L and 3.7L engine  manifold  uses a cross-over  coolant  component made of DuPont™ Zytel® HTN  PPA  resin instead of brazed  metal , shaving one pound to improve  fuel economy . Behind the scenes, the running change illustrates the trend toward using  high performance  thermoplastic where it is essential. And it shows how collaboration in the value chain continues to drive cost and weight saving by developing and investing in innovative techniques to help the industry meet new fuel and emissions regulations. The team from  Illinois Tool Works , Inc. (ITW) in Ohio arrived at DuPont's Innovation Center in Troy to brainstorm how to integrate a crossover coolant component into a V6 engine manifold that is made of traditional nylon polymer. The crossover coolant component is a hollow port that allows engine coolant to bypass the manifold as it circulates through the engine. Traditional  nylon 6  polymer doesn't withstand long-term exposure  to heat and long- life

The Environmental Protection Agency has honored the University of Delaware's Richard Wool with its Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for his extensive work developing bio-based materials to support the green energy infrastructure. Wool was recognized during a presentation at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Now in its 18th year, the EPA awards program recognizes the design of safer and more sustainable chemicals, processes and products. Awards are conferred annually in five categories: Academic, Small Business, Greener Synthetic Pathways, Greener Reaction Conditions and Designing Greener Chemicals. Wool, UD professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and director of the Affordable Composites from Renewable Resources (ACRES) program, is among the world leaders in developing safer chemical substances from renewable resources through processes that require less water and energy, and produce less hazardous waste compared to petroleum-based processes. The