polymerguru

Amyris, Braskem and Michelin announced recently that Braskem is joining a collaboration already launched in 2011 between Michelin and Amyris. This collaboration was initiated to develop and commercialize renewable isoprene, sourced from various biomass as an additional sustainable pathway to produce isoprene. Under the terms of the agreement, Braskem, Michelin and Amyris will work together to develop a technology to utilize plant sugars, such as those found in Brazilian sugarcane or cellulosic feedstocks, to produce renewable isoprene. Adding the expertise of Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas and one of the global leaders in the production of biopolymers, Amyris and Michelin will accelerate the industrialization of renewable isoprene. Amyris will share its rights to commercialize the renewable isoprene technology developed under this collaboration with Braskem. Michelin will maintain certain preferential, but not exclusive, access to the renewable isopren

DSM, among the global leaders in biomedical materials science and regenerative medicine, announced the launch of its Dyneema Purity® Radiopaque fiber, one of the radiopaque  ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene  ( UHMWPE ) medical fibers in the world. The fiber is the newest addition to DSM's medical Dyneema Purity® fiber portfolio. Dyneema Purity® Radiopaque fiber is designed to support the development of medical devices for use in orthopedic trauma. The fiber contains a radiopacifier, which makes it the only  UHMWPE  fiber currently available that is visible in x-ray images. This feature helps surgeons with medical device and implant visualization both during and after surgical interventions. The fiber will initially be used as a replacement for metal surgical cables that are used in procedures to treat bone fractures. The fiber is 15 times stronger than steel but maintains high pliability and increased flexibility, which may help lower the risk of bone damage. Steel

Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in Taiwan has become a new tier-one supplier for Airbus. Under the agreement, which followed a thorough evaluation process, AIDC will produce composite panels for A320 Family aircraft aft belly fairings. The contract was signed by François Mery, Airbus Senior Vice President Aerostructure, Procurement and Tony Liou, AIDC Senior Vice President. The Airbus A320 Family is one of the world's best-selling single aisle product lines. As of end July 2014, the A320 Family had accumulated over 10,900 firm orders, with more than 6,100 aircraft delivered. The latest version A320neo, featuring new engines and Sharklets, has already gathered 3,200 orders before even entering service. To date, 83 Airbus aircraft have been ordered by airlines in Taiwan, including China Airlines,  EVA  and TransAsia Airways, with 67 in operation. As among the leading aircraft manufacturers, Airbus seeks to explore further collaborations with industries in

Meredian Inc., a privately held biopolymer manufacturer and one of the world's largest producers of PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), announced the receipt of an investment from the world class engineering and construction group, Perry-McCall. Prior to this investment decision, the group was selected and is currently building out Meredian's manufacturing facility to produce the completely biodegradable plastic. "As part of our validation of proof of concept and business model we addressed scalability with Tate and Lyle and modularity and buildout with Perry Mcall. Our model has been validated every step of the way by third party credible professional organizations," said Paul Pereira, Executive Chairman to the Board of Directors at Meredian Inc. In August 2013, the Engineering and Construction Group of Perry-McCall started working with the Engineering and Process Development Group at Meredian to create the design for the facility. After eight months of studying the process

Ask anyone in the automotive design or engineering community what technologies they are working on to lower emissions and improve fuel economy and half the time you'll hear "lightweighting," according to the results of a July WardsAuto survey sponsored by DuPont. Also topping the list are engine efficiency programs, vehicle electrification and adoption of diesel for engines. Sixty six percent of the nearly 900 respondents said again this year that the 2017-2025 CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards) could get more stringent as a result of the upcoming mid-term reviews. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards require, on an average industry fleet-wide basis, 163 g/mile of CO 2  in model year 2025, which would be equivalent to 54.5 mpg (4.3 L/100km) if this level were achieved solely through improvements in fuel efficiency. "The automotive industry is racing to develop safe, fun and affordable vehicles that are much more fuel efficient a

LAUNCH is an open innovation platform that was founded by NASA, NIKE, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and The U.S. Department of State to identify and foster breakthrough ideas for a more sustainable world. LAUNCH aims to move beyond incremental change and make an impact at a system-wide level. LAUNCH is currently focused on positively transforming the system of materials and manufacturing, which can have dramatic social, environmental and economic impacts on the world. In order to harness the innovation needed to advance this system, LAUNCH has issued a series of global challenges to address key barriers. Its current challenge focuses on green chemistry, a crucial component in a sustainable materials and manufacturing system. A portfolio of approximately 10 innovators will be selected for support, networking, and mentoring from influential business and government leaders. With this LAUNCH System Challenge: Green Chemistry, LAUNCH seeks innovations that l

Genomatica announced that major nylon intermediates – including hexamethylenediamine, caprolactam and adipic acid (HMD, CPL and ADA) – are the focus of its third publicly-disclosed development program. Genomatica is developing complete process technologies for the biobased production of these intermediates, which it will then license to major firms in the nylon value chain. These three chemicals, with a total market of over $18 billion per year, are used primarily in the production of nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, also referred to as the polyamides PA 6 and PA 6,6. Genomatica has been building a comprehensive set of nylon program assets over the last few years. The nylon program builds on a large body of intellectual property (IP), which includes but is not limited to eight issued U.S. patents and numerous pending applications worldwide, as well as trade secrets that include engineered strains, with some of the IP developed internally and some from a recent IP acquisition. A number of the