polymerguru

The French Senate recently adopted a law imposing a use restriction for products intended to come into direct contact with foodstuffs containing BPA. The members of the  PC /BPA and ERC groups express severe disappointment and concern upon this decision; it fails to respect EU and global authority risk assessments that repeatedly confirmed the safety of use for BPA in food contact materials, including products for newborns and small children. A new full reassessment of BPA by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is expected in May 2013. No unilateral national measures should be taken before EFSA releases its opinion on the safety of the substance. Industry is deeply disappointed to see the French government not respecting the existing EU rules for food safety, and will be considering all options as reaction to this decision. The French decision may result in a reduction, and not an enhancement, of French consumer safety, and will create a significant distortion of the interna

Putnam Plastics Corporation, a leader in advanced extrusion for minimally invasive medical devices, introduces Taper-Tie™ variable flexibility tubing for catheter shafts that require maximum flexibility on one end for forward navigation and rigidity on the other end for directional control by physicians. Taper-Tie is a proprietary continuous extrusion technology designed to replace traditional manual assembly of segmented shafts and eliminate associated labor costs. Diagnostic and interventional catheter devices can be over 100 cm (39 in.) in length to reach vascular sites deep within the body. The forward, or distal, end of the catheter must be soft and flexible to navigate complex vascular pathways while minimizing trauma. The end held by the physician, or proximal end, must be more rigid to allow the physician to advance and steer the catheter shaft. Variable stiffness properties can be achieved by changing materials, wall thicknesses or shaft diameters along the length of the

In a world that is constantly changing due to technological advancements and rapid innovation, it's rare that a product line can remain relatively unchanged yet continue to be relevant, decade after decade. But that's exactly the case with Eastman Chemical Company's Tenite™ cellulosics, a family of compounded cellulosic plastics introduced in 1932. "Although we have developed approximately 200,000 different formulations, colors and patterns over the last 80 years, we're fundamentally using the same process as when we began compounding Tenite™ cellulosic plastics," said Lucian Boldea, Ph.D., vice president and general manager, specialty plastics, Eastman. Working with customers and external partners, Eastman continues to look for new and inventive uses for Tenite cellulosics. "We are currently exploring new ways to use Tenite cellulosics and are beginning work with a new generation of university design students to experiment with the plastics to creat

Altuglas International, a subsidiary of Arkema group, with its Plexiglas® and Altuglas® acrylic resins (Americas and Rest of World, respectively) and NatureWorks, a leader in the  bio-plastics  market with its Ingeo™ biopolymers derived from plants, have signed a global co-marketing agreement. The agreement is designed to deliver a range of newly formulated bio-based, high performance alloys based on polymethylmethacrylate  and Ingeo™. The new materials will be marketed by Altuglas International as Plexiglas®/Altuglas® Rnew biopolymer alloys. Primary co-marketing efforts for these materials will be for durable goods applications, where the Plexiglas®/Altuglas® brand is synonymous with high performance, durability and clarity. The agreement grew out of the overwhelming response the two companies experienced during the US National Plastics Exposition (NPE) last April, during which they jointly displayed examples of molded and thermoformed products made with their collaborative t

The 4-year SPLASH project will develop a new biobased industrial platform using microalgae as a renewable raw material for the sustainable production and recovery of hydrocarbons and (exo)polysaccharides from the species Botryococcus braunii and further conversion to renewable polymers. The project comprises of 20 partners of which 40% SME and several large corporates plus universities and research institutes. Two bioproduction platforms will be explored: (1) green alga Botryococcus braunii on its own and (2) the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, to which the unique hydrocarbon and polysaccharides producing genes from Botryococcus will be transferred. SPLASH will deliver knowledge, tools and technologies needed for the establishment of a new industry sector: Industrial Biotechnology with algae and/or algal genes for the manufacture of polyesters and polyolefins. The building blocks for these polymers will be derived from the sugars (polyesters) and hydrocarbons (polyo

The Lubrizol Corporation offers Estane® soft plasticizer-free thermoplastic polyurethanes ( TPUs ) for athletic footwear applications. An alternative to conventional plasticized  TPUs,  Lubrizol's plasticizer-free TPUs provide an option for manufacturers sensitive to today's more stringent environmental requirements. Conventional soft TPUs contain a phthalate-type plasticizer that may be subject to regulation by environmental agencies. In addition, such plasticizers can gradually migrate to the surface of the molded product, creating poor aesthetics and altering the bonding strength. Lubrizol's line of plasticizer-free TPUs exhibit the performance attributes for which the company's engineered polymers are well known, including excellent flexibility, softness, abrasion resistance and moldability. Lubrizol's soft plasticizer-free Estane TPUs are available in both a polyester series (Estane T460AH, Estane T460A, Estane T465A and Estane T470A) and a polyether ser

VTT Technical Research Center of Finland has developed a technique to significantly improve the quality of bio-based plastic packaging. The new generation of bio-based plastic packaging is not only eco-friendly but also has several superior qualities compared to traditional plastic packaging. The plastic packaging industry is moving towards completely bio-based products. The volume of oil used every year in the production of plastics equates to approximately five per cent of the world's total oil consumption. Approximately 40 per cent of all plastics are used in packaging, which puts special pressure on the packaging industry to reduce dependence on oil. The use of renewable natural resources in industrial applications reduces dependence on oil and the carbon footprint attributable to consumption. A transition to bio-based economy nevertheless requires products that are not only ecologically sustainable but also competitive in terms of quality. VTT has developed a technique that

Continuum Recycling, ECO Plastics' groundbreaking joint venture with Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE) has been recognized at the Green Business Awards 2012. Sam Richardson, representing ECO Plastics, and CCE's Patrick McGuirk accepted the Partnership Award at a ceremony at Lords Cricket Ground on Monday 12th November. The award was given in recognition of Continuum's impact on the domestic recycling sector, as well as for the partnership's ongoing engagement with supply chains, customers and employees. An important milestone for both the drinks manufacturing and recycling industries, Continuum reprocesses used plastic bottles in its purpose built facility in Hemswell which are then transformed into new Coca Cola bottles. The joint venture has also provided an economic boost and created skilled jobs in rural Lincolnshire. The award is the latest in a string of prizes and short listings for the Lincolnshire business. These include listings on the Hiscox Tech Track 1

Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH is commercializing its BluCon™ — platform for complete, one-step conversion of non-food feedstocks to carbohydrates used in the production of fuels and chemicals. In the recent years Direvo has undertaken a huge research program identifying a portfolio of proprietary microorganisms, which enable the lowest cost production of valuable chemicals from non-food biomass. The BluCon™ platform is extremely flexible both for the type of feedstock and the resultant high value fuels and chemicals produced. BluCon™ converts various non-food biomass ranging from grasses and straw to agricultural and wood residues and can therefore be applied around the globe. From an end product perspective, BluCon™ delivers transportation fuels like ethanol or chemical building blocks like lactic acid. "After two years of extremely hard work, we are very excited to use our BluCon™ platform in solving global raw material supply and environmental concerns. Our technolo

The Bayflex® Lightweight polyurethane system from  Bayer  MaterialScience was honored with the "10th MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2012" at the MATERIALICA trade fair in Munich, Germany. A top-rank jury presented the "Best of" Award in the category "Material" for the high-performance and tough-elastic polyurethane construction material, which even floats on water due to its low density. "We are delighted with this recognition of our commitment to sustainable material solutions," said Dr. Birgit Meyer zu Berstenhorst, project manager for this development. "Our new material weighs up to 30 percent less than the standard material and is thus a perfect fit for future drive concepts such as electric mobility." This solution's light weight is attributable to the high-performance polyurethane system Bayflex® Lightweight together with a sophisticated combination of fillers instead of the mineral fibers used previously. "

Jindal Poly Films Ltd (JPFL), a leading flexible packaging films producer, has entered into an agreement with ExxonMobil Chemical (ExxonMobil) to purchase  ExxonMobil's Biaxially Oriented  Polypropylene  ( BOPP ) Global Films  business. The agreement was signed on 26th October, 2012. The transaction remains subject to necessary approvals from regulatory authorities. Mr. Hemant Sharma, CEO, JPFL said "We are excited to buy this business due to its excellent portfolio of premium products along with industry leading technology and R&D. We are equally excited to be acquiring an experienced and capable workforce. We are confident that, in combination with our existing Indian operations, we will be able to deliver effective long-term solutions to our customers globally." The agreement covers five  BOPP  production locations in the U.S. and Europe. The manufacturing sites are in Georgia and Oklahoma in the U.S. and in Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium in Europe. The

Compared with steel sheet or die cast aluminum,  polyamides  provide tremendous opportunities for reducing weight in the production of automotive engine oil pans. This is demonstrated by the 1.8 and 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engines used in the Audi A3, A4 and A6 as well as in the Volkswagen Passat for example. Their engine oil pans are made of Durethan AKV 35 H2.0, a  polyamide 66  from LANXESS, and weigh roughly one kilogram less than a steel component solution. They are around 50 percent lighter than an oil  pan  made of aluminum. "Not only do weight savings of this magnitude appreciably reduce the vehicles' fuel consumption and CO 2  emissions, they also improve the handling because this weight is saved in the area of the front axle," said Frank Krause, an expert for oil-bearing  polyamide  engine parts at LANXESS. The oil pans are manufactured by POLYTEC PLASTICS Germany GmbH & Co KG based in Lohne, Germany. Great design freedom There is a general tr

Applied CleanTech transforms human fecal matter into a variety of end products. Applied CleanTech's Sewage Recycling System turns the solids in sewage streams into a fertile source of energy and other consumer end products such as paper, envelopes and plastics. Because ACT extracts — rather than digests — the bio-solids in raw sewage, its process reduces total sludge formation by up to 50%. Other advantages of ACT's Sewage Recycling System include a 30% reduction in wastewater treatment plant costs(and such costs, in turn, represent 30% of sewage processors' operating costs) and a 15% increase in plant capacity. ACT's automatic recycling process also enables a reduction of accompanying odor problems during the treatment process, improves general plant maintenance and results in cleaner water. The company monetizes the 30% reduction in energy costs borne by the sewage operator by selling carbon credits. The immediate product that comes out of ACT's recycli

An above-average positive development in  bioplastics  production capacity has made past projections obsolete. The market of around 1.2 million tons in 2011 will see a fivefold increase in production volumes by 2016 — to an anticipated almost 6 million tons. This is the result of the current market forecast, which the industry association European  Bioplastics  publishes annually in cooperation with the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites from the University of Hannover. The worldwide production capacity for bioplastics will increase from around 1.2 million tons in 2011 to approximately 5.8 million tons by 2016. By far the strongest growth will be in the biobased, non-biodegradable bioplastics group. Especially the so-called 'drop-in' solutions, i.e. biobased versions of bulk plastics like  PE  and  PET  that merely differ from their conventional counterparts in terms of their renewable raw material base are building up large capacities. Leading the field is part

One of the European leaders in pultruded composite material profiles is going to provide 20 kilometers of the Thailand capital with third rail covers. ICCO COMPOSITES produces top contact third rails up to 4 and 6 meters long which comply with safety and resistance requirements. Delivery is planned for early 2013 and should be open to the public on 2015. Maximum underground safety ICCO COMPOSITES pultruded profiles (especially designed for the top contact third rail) comply with all local security requirements and provide fire-resistant solutions for an even better safety. Totally insulating, these profiles show many fire-resistant features and benefits: fire-resistant, low smoke emission, UV resistant, etc. "The fact that one quarter of our activity is dedicated to the railway industry enables us to have a perfect knowledge of the market and business demand as regards safety issues. We can comply with our customers' most important safety requirements and have been

SABIC's Innovative Plastics business recently announced new LEXAN™ FST3403 (flame-smoke-toxicity)  polycarbonate  ( PC ) copolymer, the first thermoplastic solution for rail seating applications to meet the strictest fire safety requirements under the CEN/TS 45445 standard. Now commercial a full two years before this European standard goes into effect, new high-performance. LEXAN FST3403 copolymer — developed specifically for seat back shells and side covers — achieved the highest possible hazard level rating (HL3) under CEN/TS 45445-2 R5. In addition to its exceptional heat release, smoke density and toxicity performance, documented by independent laboratory testing, the LEXAN FST copolymer delivers high flow properties for injection molding large parts with excellent aesthetics and impact strength. Today's new product launch demonstrates SABIC's commitment to meeting evolving public safety standards with tailored thermoplastic solutions that support the needs of t

Solvay announced recently a capacity increase of 70% at its Panoli plant, India, for the production of its high performance polymers KetaSpire polyetheretherketone  ( PEEK )® and AvaSpire® polyaryletherketones (PAEK). Panoli is Solvay's largest plant worldwide for these two innovative ultra performance polymers that tower at the top of the plastics performance pyramid. Nearly half of this capacity increase has already been implemented and successfully brought on-line. The second phase of the project will be completed by mid 2013 and will allow the plant to continue to satisfy growth in demand. The ultra-high performance of KetaSpire®  polyetheretherketone  ( PEEK ) and AvaSpire® polyaryletherketones (PAEK) along with their ease of processing provide substantial value for design engineers. The products are used in a diverse range of applications spanning many industries including aeronautic, automotive (e.g. mechanical components in cars), healthcare ( medical equipment  and

Swedish airline Malmö Aviation recently introduced a new catering container on its flights aimed at significantly reducing the problem of disposing of waste from their on-board catering service. It was the airline caterer Picknick served by Omikron, packaging manufacturer, who was searching for a new sustainable solution. The Swedish manufacturer Iggesund Paperboard supported them with suitable material for the purpose. Iggesund, specialized in coated paperboard for the premium packaging market, is a long-standing partner of Novamont. In addition to the box, which is made from a virgin fiber-based paperboard called Invercote, the solution also includes a serving tray suitable for fresh food, made of Invercote Bio, extrusion coated with Mater-Bi®, Novamont's biodegradable and compostable bioplastic (according to EN 13432). Produced in a modified atmosphere to ensure the food remains fresh, the serving tray — thanks to the use of Mater-Bi® — can be disposed of together

Purac will be presenting biobased solutions for high performance Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) at Fakuma 2012, 16-20 October in Friedrichshafen, Germany [#booth 4207 in Hall B4]. Fakuma 2012 is one of the most important exhibitions for the plastics processing industry worldwide, and will provide the forum for Purac to present its PURALACT® Lactide innovations. These innovations open up new possibilities for producers seeking biobased alternatives to current fossil fuel based engineering plastics. PLA now offers the possibility to replace  PS ,  PP  and  ABS  in those applications where heat resistance is a key requirement. Purac's technology can increase the heat stability of PLA to the range of 80 - 180 degrees Celsius. Purac's solutions for high performance PLA for the injection molding and thermoforming industries unlock bioplastic potential for high temperature applications, such as microwavable food packaging and hot beverage cups, and also for durable applications in a

Amidst current automotive industry concerns about nylon 12 supplies, two new injection molding compounds based on  nylon 6  /12 provide comparable performance in the fuel-line components that comprise the major application for nylon 12, it was announced recently by the Nylon Division of Teknor Apex Company. New Chemlon® 813 CI and 830 GHI fiber-reinforced compounds based on  nylon 6  /12 polymer provide the excellent chemical resistance and low moisture absorption required in fuel line components, according to Jeff Schmidt, Automotive Market Manager. He noted that the compounds are already in commercial use for one such application. The 13% loading of carbon fiber in the Chemlon 813 CI product provides antistatic conductivity often called for in fuel line components. Chemlon 830 GHI compound has a 30% loading of  glass fiber  for enhanced strength and rigidity in applications such as connectors. [Physical properties are outlined in the accompanying table.] While some nyl

' Bioplastics ' that are naturally synthesized by microbes could be made commercially viable by using waste cooking oil as a starting material. This would reduce environmental contamination and also give high-quality plastics suitable for medical implants, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn Conference at the University of Warwick. The Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family of polyesters is synthesized by a wide variety of bacteria as an energy source when their carbon supply is plentiful. Poly 3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the most commonly produced polymer in the PHA family. Currently, growing bacteria in large fermenters to produce high quantities of this bioplastic is expensive because glucose is used as a starting material. Work by a research team at the University of Wolverhampton suggests that using waste cooking oil as a starting material reduces production costs of the plastic. "Our bioplastic-produci

It's the stuff of dreams that became a reality in a University of Southern Mississippi laboratory. Inspired by his own dream of a technology now considered revolutionary in the world of plastics research, polymer science professor Marek Urban developed a unique type of plastic material that turns red or "bleeds" when damaged. When the damage occurs, or when stressors mount that portend damage to the material, the molecule links that span along chains of chemicals within the material split and release a color simulating bleeding. After exposure to sunlight or change in temperature, the material begins repairing itself in much the same way human skin does. "I dreamed of developing this after thinking about how human skin repairs itself when damaged, and how blood coming from the injury works as a sign of that damage," Urban said. "Sometimes, damage to material may not be visible to the human eye, but with the release of the colors that mimic bleedi

Arkema Inc. announces that Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has granted a final Relative Thermal Index (RTI) rating of 150°C mechanical and 140°C dielectric for its black Kynar® film, used in the construction of photovoltaic backsheet. This RTI rating is among the highest that has been granted by UL. The new, black version of Kynar® film will enable solar panel module makers to source black Kynar®-based backsheets to produce modules which can be more visually appealing and consistent in color to the dark silicon cells. The backsheet provides insulation and protection from electric shock. The Kynar® film typically is the outer layer of the backsheet laminate structure, where  PET  film is used as the primary dielectric layer. However,  PET  weathering performance and hydrolysis resistance is poor. "The primary function of the Kynar® film is to protect the PET such that the backsheet does not degrade over the life of the module," said Ron Partridge, senior business developm

Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (EPP) is riding on a wave of medal-worthy achievements, as it celebrates its part in the success of the 2012 Summer Olympics and in the forthcoming 2014 Royal Commonwealth Games in Scotland. Chosen to design, manufacture and supply the deck pool grating & channel rail system for the three major pools and circular plunge pool at the London 2012 Olympic Park Aquatics Centre, Quadrant has also been awarded the contract for the development and manufacture of the innovative new pool deck grating used at The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh. The venue will host the diving events for the Glasgow 2014 Royal Commonwealth Games. The grating provides the cover for the front end of the filtration system and substantially increases the return rate of water in all three major competition swimming pools. Unlike the new build completed for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Royal Commonwealth pools have been refurbished, presenting a differen