polymerguru

As refineries are idled across the Middle East as the Iran war escalates, and the Strait of Hormuz remains paralyzed, global plastics supply chains may be among the collateral damage of this conflict. Massive export volumes of chemicals and plastics go through the Strait of Hormuz from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait, with key destinations being China, the rest of Asia, and the European Union, writes Joe Chang, Global Editor, Chemical Business, at business intelligence firm ICIS. 84% of Middle East polyethylene (PE) capacity depends on the Strait of Hormuz for export access, along with 14 million tonnes of methanol, and 6.5 million tonnes of ethylene glycol, a precursor chemical for PET and other resins, he writes in his analysis published on the ICIS website. US companies sheltered from economic impact: While this will put upward pressure on prices globally, US companies could end up being net beneficiaries, according to analysis from Goldman Sachs....

  Today's KNOWLEDGE Share 💸 STOP overpaying for injection molds. The secret to lower tooling costs isn't just procurement—it's in your 3D geometry. A few smart "Design for Manufacturing" (DfM) tweaks can slash your tooling budget significantly. If your design requires complex side-actions or slow EDM machining, costs skyrocket instantly. Here is your 7-point checklist to keep injection mold costs down . 👇 📐 The Designer’s Cost-Reduction Handbook 1️⃣ The "Open-Close" Rule (Keep it Simple) The most economical mold is a simple two-plate mechanism. The Cost: Every slider or lifter needed for complex kinematics adds roughly 20–30% to the tool price and increases maintenance risks. 2️⃣ Eliminate Undercuts smartly Don't default to expensive sliders. Solution: Use "Shut-offs" (designing through-holes so the core and cavity interlock), shift the parting line to expose the feature, or use "bump-offs" for flexible materials. 3️⃣ Radii ...

Materials manufacturer Covestro and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT have signed a contract to operate a 2kt per year pilot plant for smart pyrolysis of rigid polyurethane foam waste. The plant will be operational by 2028. The agreement marks a significant milestone in scaling up the technology to convert insulation waste from appliance and construction into high-purity re-aniline for the production of MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate). The resulting MDI meets the same purity standards as conventional MDI with up to 40 percent lower carbon footprint compared to conventional fossil-based production routes. "The contract with Fraunhofer UMSICHT is a decisive step towards industrializing our smart pyrolysis technology," said Dr. Markus Dugal, Head of Process Technology of Covestro. "This partnership combines our chemical and technology expertise with Fraunhofer's process engineering capabilities and assets to scale a t...

James Cropper Advanced Materials and Hexcel are working together through the Aerospace & Defence working group of the European Composites Circular Alliance (ECCA) to advance the development of high value composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre that support both performance and circularity across aerospace, automotive and mobility sectors. The collaboration between #JamesCropper and #Hexcel centres on the use of UNIMAT, enabled by James Cropper’s VECTIS aligned fibre technology, as a practical model for how recycled #carbonfibre materials can achieve the alignment and fibre volume fractions needed to compete in demanding composite applications. The objective is not alignment alone, but the development of enhanced, high-value recovery #composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre that deliver meaningful structural performance. Within ECCA, a core focus is the advancement of composite materials derived from recycled fibre for aerospace and defence applications, ...