polymerguru

The Saertex Leo series stands for optimum fire protection in rail transport, the marine market or the construction industry. For the renovation of the floor panels in 66 trains of the ICE fleet of the Deutsche Bahn with fireproof Saertex Leo materials, Saertex received two awards.  On November 5th, Saertex was awarded 3rd place at the AVK Award in the Products/Applications category for its project at the International Composites Congress (ICC) in Stuttgart. In addition, the entry won 1st place in the Railways category at the JEC Asia Innovation Award, which was presented on November 15th at the JEC Asia trade fair in Seoul, Korea.  The Saertex Leo composite system meets the high HL2 fire protection requirements in R10 in accordance with EN 45545 for use in rail vehicles. In contrast to conventional fire protection systems, Leo does not negatively influence mechanical parameters. The Leo system consists of four components, with SAERfoam as the core ma...

Solvay has broadened its portfolio of high-performance filaments for premium additive manufacturing (AM) applications with the introduction of three medical grade products for use in the healthcare industry. Medical-grade AM Filaments A neat KetaSpire® polyetheretherketone (PEEK) AM filament (NT1 HC) and a 10-percent carbon fiber reinforced KetaSpire® PEEK AM filament (CF10 HC) , together with a neat Radel® polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) AM filament (NT1 HC) are Solvay’s first medical grade AM filaments for limited contact applications ( Christophe Schramm, Additive Manufacturing business manager at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers global business unit (GBU), said: “The healthcare industry is quickly emerging as a leading market to benefit from AM technology which makes customized parts for single use or low volumes possible. However, there is still a very limited choice of high-performance filaments that meet the stringent regulatory requirements in healthcare and this is...

Stora Enso has increased its ownership up to 100% in Cellutech AB. The company specializes in the development of new materials and applications based on cellulose, micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) and other wood-based components. Replacing Fossil-based Materials with Renewable Ones The acquisition of Cellutech supports Stora Enso’s vision of replacing fossil-based materials with renewable ones originating from wood. The acquired company works, among others, in the areas of foams for packaging and hydroponics where the markets are continuously growing. Cellulosic foams can, for example, be used in packaging to replace polystyrenes which are the most widely used plastics. Adding a New Dimension to Fiber and Cellulose Capabilities “The acquisition of Cellutech will add a new dimension to our fiber and cellulose capabilities particularly in lightweight cellulose foams and spheres. We are investing in technologies and expertise that will further broaden appl...

ElogioAM B.V., a newly formed Joint Venture between Swedish Perstorp AB and Dutch 3D4Makers B.V, continues to introduce its new filament solutions to advance FDM additive manufacturing . Following its breakthrough, easy to print Facilan™ C8 delivering superior finish, mechanical properties and minimum post-processing for demanding prototyping, models and spare parts, ElogioAM now introduce its new addition, Facilan HT. Designed to Overcome Common Product Limitations FDM Additive Manufacturing requires more durable and high strength materials to take full benefits of 3D printing. PLA and PET are of limited use for durable application due to their relatively low temperature resistance while ABS suffers of warping and relatively low strength. Facilan HT is designed to address those common product limitations and specifically designed for 3D printing.  It is safe copolyester with high temperature resistance with heat deflection temperature of 89°C.  Its high s...

Ashland Global Holdings Inc. has recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Composites business and the butanediol (BDO) manufacturing facility in Marl, Germany, to INEOS Enterprises in a transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion. The transaction is expected to close prior to the end of the June 2019 quarter, contingent on certain customary regulatory approvals, standard closing conditions and completion of required employee information and consultation processes. Divestment to Become Premier in Chemical World Ashland expects net proceeds from the sale to total approximately $1 billion and anticipates that proceeds primarily will be used for debt reduction. Prior to reporting its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2019, Ashland plans to update its outlook for both the first quarter and for the full 2019 fiscal year to reflect the impact of moving these businesses to discontinued operations. Ashland's Compos...

Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam have joined together to study the feasibility of a large green hydrogen cluster in the Amsterdam region. The three parties consider green hydrogen as vital for reaching climate targets and building a more circular economy, for example by combining it with emissions from steel manufacture to make new products. Studying the Feasibility of Green Hydrogen Cluster     As a first step, the parties will study the feasibility of a 100 megawatt water electrolysis facility to produce up to 15,000 tons of hydrogen per year as well as oxygen at Tata Steel’s IJmuiden site, near Amsterdam. By using renewable electricity, the initial unit will enable a carbon saving of up to 350,000 tons of CO 2 per year, equivalent to the emissions of more than 40,000 households. A final investment decision is expected in 2021. The partner companies have the ambition to further scale up the techno...

Hexagon Composites will supply compressed hydrogen tanks for serial production of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) to be launched by an automotive OEM. Supporting Anticipated Production Activities Hexagon is currently developing the tanks to support anticipated production activities as early as the 2020 timeframe. Production is planned to run for at least five years. Hexagon estimates the combined value for development and serial production to be in the range of USD 50 to 70 million (approximately NOK 0.4 billion to 0.6 billion). Rick Rashilla, Senior Vice President of Hexagon Composites' Hydrogen Automotive business, said: "This is a major contract for Hexagon and for the growing FCEV industry. Hexagon Composites is committed to investing resources into the success of this project and for the adoption of Hydrogen in combination with fuel-cell technology as a low-carbon alternative fuel for mobility applications. This selection further confirms our lead...

Chinese company Haiyuan New Material Technology will build a carbon fiber production base in eastern Zhejiang province to develop ultra-light materials for new energy vehicles.Chinese company Haiyuan New Material Technology will build a carbon fiber production base in eastern Zhejiang province to develop ultra-light materials for new energy vehicles. Regarding the new plant, Haiyuan signed a framework agreement with Zhejiang Sea Port, an investment firm set up by Zhejiang province's government, Shenzhen-listed Fujianese chemical firm's parent Haiyuan Composites Technology said in a statement to its stockholders. The company said that Haiyuan has designed a production line for ultra-light car bodies while securing intellectual property rights. The investment firm will also establish a car industry fund for new material development, to which Haiyuan will invest in. The fund will have an initial investment of CNY2 billion (USD290 million) and later it will acquire...

At U of T Scarborough, researchers have found a way to produce high quality PHAs using food waste in a cost-effective way – while also mitigating the effects of plastic pollution. PHAs have many benefits over other forms of bio-plastics. Three-step Process to Produce PHAs Developing materials from food waste Process Genecis uses a three-step process to produce its PHAs, explains Michael Williamson, the company’s head of mechanical engineering and U of T engineering grad. First, they use a mixture of anaerobic (without oxygen) bacteria that breaks down the food waste into volatile fatty acids, similar to how food is broken down in our stomachs.  Next, the fatty acids are added to a mixed culture of aerobic (with oxygen) bacteria that are specially selected to produce PHAs in their cells. Finally, they use an extraction process to break open the cells, collect and purify the plastic. It’s no wonder that passion led Yu to team up with a talented gr...