polymerguru

Global meeting place of the hemp industry in Cologne in June at the "15th International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association". The participants will vote for the first time the “Hemp Product of Year”. In the 17th century, at the heyday of sailing, hemp flourished in Europe and was an important agriculture crop. Almost all ship sails and almost all rigging, ropes, nets, flags up to the uniforms of the sailors were made of hemp due to the tear and wet strength of the fibre. Trade and warfare depended on hemp; 50 to 100 tons of hemp fibre were needed for the basic equipment of a ship and had to be replaced every one to two years. Until the 18th century hemp fibres together with flax, nettle and wool were the raw materials for the European textile industry. Hemp seeds were food and feed; hemp oil was used both as food and in technical applications. In the 17th century, several 100,000 hectares of hemp were cultivated in Europe. In competition ...

Total Corbion PLA, global technology leader in Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), announces the launch of a novel technology that can create full stereocomplex PLA in a broad range of industrial applications. Biobased Replacement for PBT The new technology enables stereocomplex PLA – a material with long, regularly interlocking polymer chains that enable an even higher heat resistance than standard PLA. This breakthrough in PLA temperature resistance unlocks a range of new application possibilities, and provides a biobased replacement for PBT and PA glass fiber reinforced products. Sustainability Benefits For example, injection molded applications for under-the-hood automotive components can now be made from glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA, offering both a higher biobased content and a reduced carbon footprint. The technology can offer these same sustainability benefits to the wider automotive, aerospace, electronics, home appliance, marine and construction i...

Sandia National Laboratories scientists have demonstrated a new technology based on bioengineered bacteria that could make it economically feasible to produce all three from renewable plant sources. Productive Bioconversion Cell Factory Economically and efficiently converting tough plant matter, called lignin, has long been a stumbling block for wider use of the energy source and making it cost competitive. Piecing together mechanisms from other known lignin degraders, Sandia bioengineer Seema Singh and two postdoctoral researchers, Weihua Wu, now at Lodo Therapeutics Corp., and Fang Liu, have engineered E. coli into an efficient and productive bioconversion cell factory. “For years, we’ve been researching cost-effective ways to break down lignin and convert it into valuable platform chemicals,” Singh said. “We applied our understanding of natural lignin degraders to E. coli because that bacterium grows fast and can survive harsh industrial processes.” The...

HIGHLIGHTS (1) Single most contributor to “Polymer/Chemical Sustainability” is RECYCLING. However, without near-perfect quality, full potential of recycling can never be realized; a highpoint of this conference! (2) Executive Overview: Bio-Sourced PolyOlefins/PolyAmides/PolyCarbonates/PolyUrethanes & more! (3) Bio-PolyEsters of Today & Tomorrow: PEF vs PET, PTF, PLA and game-Changing PHA. In addition to the performance attributes and Sustainability/Air-Pollution/Land-Pollution, a differentiating feature of PHA is its degradability in river & ocean waters; the latter being a severe ecological problem facing us today. Brand-Owners such as PepsiCo and Italeri will co-present on PHA. ……………………………………………….. As of now, representatives from 14 countries will be participating along with brand-owners such as PepsiCo, Suntory, Italeri, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson …………………………………………………………………… Register for the conference via (973) 801-6212 or preferably on our website @...

Researchers at Virginia Tech have synthesized a biodegradable alternative to polyolefins using a new catalyst and the polyester polymer, and this breakthrough could eventually have a profound impact on sustainability efforts. Largest Challenges in Polymer Chemistry One of the largest challenges in polymer chemistry is controlling the tacticity or the stereochemistry of the polymer. When multiplying monomer subunits into the macromolecular chain, it’s difficult for scientists to replicate a consistent arrangement of side-chain functional groups stemming off the main polymer chain. These side-chain functional groups greatly affect a polymer’s physical and chemical properties, such as melting temperature or glass-transition temperature, and regular stereochemistry leads to better properties. Controlling Stereochemistry There’s a good chance you’ve touched something made out of the polyolefin polymer today. It’s often used in polyethylene products like plastic bags ...

More than 100,000 women are suing surgically implanted gynecological mesh manufacturers like Boston Scientific in what is believed to be the largest multi-district litigation since asbestos. CBS News recently covered the story in a 60 Minutes special. The mesh in question is made of polypropylene, a common plastic material used in packaging. 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley interviewed Dr. Duane Priddy, CEO of Plastic Expert Group and widely considered to be one of the leading experts on plastic technologies in the world, about the recommended use of polypropylene. Oxidatively Unstable Plastic Dr. Duane Priddy said: “I can't, in my wildest imagination, imagine anybody that's knowledgeable in the science of plastics ever deciding that it was appropriate to use polypropylene in the human body. It's well known that it’s oxidatively unstable.FDA Clearance for “Marlex” PP Brand Only:Boston Scientific had clearance from the FDA to use a brand of polypropylene c...

Angelina worked with a CSIRO mentor to develop a completely biodegradable plastic made from prawn shell and sticky protein from the silk of silkworms.  New Research to Curb Environmental Issues Now, Angelina and her shrimp bioplastic will be representing Australia at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania alongside over 1,800 high school students from 75 countries, regions, and territories. After becoming a finalist in the 2017 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards for her research into the commercial viability of bioplastics, she decided to refine her research and worked with a CSIRO mentor. Innovator to Market Award It was this research that won her the Innovator to Market Award in the 2018 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards, a partnership between the BHP Billiton Foundation, CSIRO and the Australian Science Teachers Association. Angelina said her project was inspired by being aske...

Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers are promising building blocks for the development of sustainable materials with the potential to outperform conventional synthetic materials. BC, one of the purest forms of nanocellulose, is produced at the interface between the culture medium and air, where the aerobic bacteria have access to oxygen. Biocompatibility, biodegradability, high thermal stability and mechanical strength are some of the unique properties that facilitate BC adoption in food, cosmetics and biomedical applications including tissue regeneration, implants, wound dressing, burn treatment and artificial blood vessels. Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications In the study published in Materials Horizons researchers at  Aalto University have developed a simple and customizable process that uses super-hydrophobic interfaces to finely engineer the bacteria access to oxygen in three dimensions and in multiple length scales, resulting in hollow, seamless, nan...

Total Corbion PLA has announced the launch of a novel technology that can create full stereocomplex PLA in a broad range of industrial applications. The proprietary technology will enable PLA applications able to withstand temperatures close to 200°C (HDT-A). Samples of glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA will be made available to those wanting to test the new technology for their applications. Breakthrough in PLA Temperature Resistance The new technology enables stereocomplex PLA – a material with long, regularly interlocking polymer chains that enable an even higher heat resistance than standard PLA.  This breakthrough in PLA temperature resistance unlocks a range of new application possibilities, and provides a biobased replacement for PBT and PA glass fiber reinforced products.  For example, injection molded applications for under-the-hood automotive components can now be made from glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA, offering both a higher biobased content and ...

We’ve reported before on the pioneering 3D printing work of Sandia National Laboratories, one of the Department of Energy’s main research and development facilities. Sandia has been working on improving energy technology, with a particular focus on sustainability, and 3D printing has become a key focus.  3D printed solar panels  were explored last year, and the lab has been researching  3D printed wind turbines  for a while now. Sandia recently won the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer’s national 2018 Technology Focus Award, for developing the first wind turbine blades fabricated from a 3D printed mold. Wind energy is one of the most promising sources in terms of sustainability and reliability, but the turbine technology used is still imperfect. The size of the average turbine blade means that testing and prototyping can be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. 3D printing could solve this issue due to its improved design flexibility an...