polymerguru

Just 5 years ago with oil at $150 a barrel, some stratagists were  guestimating the world oil reserves depleting by 2050 and "Pursuit of Oil  Independence" was the theme for most of the world. Today with crude at $45  a barrel, is it fair to reverse the push for BioChemicals (vs  PetroChemicals) ? Absolutely NO  ...................................................................  Reason 1-of-3: ENVIRONMENT; 2016 Presidential Candidates Support This Issue  BioMass based POLYMERS, CHEMICALS and FUELS will be the theme at this event  and you will get updated on how traditional as well as newer polymeric  materials are being developed from renewable “BioMass”, various types of  “Wastes” and “Greenhouse Gases” vs traditional PetroChemicals; thereby  revolutionizing the Sustainability & Environmental landscape like never  before !  ……………………………………………………………………………………………….  More details @:  http://www.BioplastConference.com

Metabolix, Inc., an advanced biomaterials company focused on sustainable solutions for the plastics industry, announces that it has entered into a $20 million common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC. Under terms of the agreement, Aspire has committed to purchase up to $20 million of Metabolix's common stock over a 30 month period beginning on the effective date of the registration statement relating to the transaction. Common stock may be sold from time to time at the company's option under a pricing formula based on prevailing market prices around the time of each sale.  "The agreement with Aspire Capital provides us with a new way to access capital. Because we control the timing and pace of stock sales under the agreement, we can use this facility to opportunistically supplement other sources of capital as we continue to build our specialty biopolymers business over the next several years," said Joseph Shaulson, CEO and President of Metabolix.

Bio based materials finds it application in various industry in the recent days.From waste to various bio-monomer and bio-polymer have been produced as the producers finds various options of feedstocks which even leads carbohydrates into PLA and Crude palm oil to PHA and others.  The world's first bioplastic touchscreen computer offers very good heat and scratch resistance with improved impact resistance and high dimensional stability.  *BioMass for Sustainable Future*  *Re-Invention of Polymeric Materials*  We are pleased to announce our 6th conference on BioMass:  *Polymers-Chemicals-Fuels*  Las Vegas, USA, February 9-11, 2016  *COMPELLING REASONS to ATTEND*  On October 27, 2014, President Obama announced BIO-BASED materials as  1-of-3 emerging technologies for U.S. competitiveness. Such actions by the  Governments around the world & private sector leadership have renewed the  spirit of innovation over the last 5-7 years in the field of Chemicals &  Polymers based on Bi

BASF and Genomatica have expanded the scope of their license agreement for the production of 1,4-butanediol based on renewable feedstock (renewable BDO) using Genomatica’s patented process. The parties added certain countries in Southeast Asia to their initial agreement, which focused on North America.  The license agreement allows BASF to build a world-scale production facility that will use the Genomatica process to manufacture renewable BDO. BASF has secured rights to allow production of up to 75,000 tons per year. Under the terms of the agreement, Genomatica will continue to advance its patented GENO BDO™ process technology for the production of renewable BDO. The process, which includes a single-step fermentation, can be based on dextrose or sucrose as renewable feedstock. It was agreed not to disclose financial details of the license contract.  BASF has produced commercial volumes of renewable BDO, offering it to customers for testing and commercial use. The quality of this BDO

Airbus Helicopters is replacing aluminum in a fitting in the aircraft door of the Airbus A350-900 with a high-modulus, carbon fiber-reinforced high performance polymer.  The brackets, now manufactured from Victrex PEEK 90HMF40, has been developed by Airbus Helicopters and is in serial production for commercial use after receiving the relevant component qualification. The successful substitution of metal has resulted in a 40% reduction in weight and costs. The injection-molded polymer solution replaces the higher cost manufacture of the bracket machined from an aluminum block.  The fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) structure of the A350 XWB’s aircraft door uses an outer skin coupled with a bracing structure on the inside. A fitting, now manufactured from PEEK thermoplastic, connects the outer skin to points on the internal bracing structure. The two components form a box-type support structure to exploit the maximum geometrical moment of inertia.  By using the carbon fiber reinforced high

Biodegradable drinking cups or vegetable wrapping foil: the bioplastic known as polylactic acid (PLA) is already a part of our everyday lives. And yet, PLA is not yet considered a full alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics, as it is costly to produce. Researchers from the KU Leuven Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis now present a way to make the PLA production process more simple and waste-free. Their findings were published in Science.  The bioplastic PLA is derived from renewable resources, including the sugar in maize and sugarcane. Fermentation turns the sugar into lactic acid, which in turn is a building block for polylactic acid. PLA degrades after a number of years in certain environments. If it is collected and sorted correctly, it is both industrially compostable and recyclable. In addition, PLA is biocompatible and thus suitable for medical use, for instance in absorbable suture threads. PLA is also one of the few plastics that are suitable for 3D print

Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global technology and specialty materials company, announces the introduction of Celanese® Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) to the Japanese market to meet the demanding product quality and materials specification needs of automotive customers in the country.  “Celanese® PPS is a highly stable and durable polymer and is a primary reason why customers in the Japanese automotive industry, among others, specify parts made from this material,” said Hajime Suzuki, Celanese managing director for Japan. “We see tremendous growth potential for a PPS polymer solution, and we are excited to bring our technical knowledge, processing expertise and product offering to regional and global OEM customers who call Japan their home.”  Celanese® PPS is a semi-crystalline polymer often used to replace metals and thermosets in various automotive, electrical/electronics, aerospace, fluid handling, and industrial and consumer applications.  Celanese will offer the following PPS