SANITIZED AG Offers Non-biocidal Technology with Bluesign® Sustainability Label

Polyester sport and functional textiles treated with Sanitized® Odoractiv 10 are protected against “permastink”. Already a holder of the Swiss Technology Award, the Sanitized® Odoractiv 10 odor-management technology can now carry the bluesign® sustainability label, the Skin Friendly certification from the Hohenstein Institute and the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® label. SANITIZED AG has been a bluesign® system partner for over 10 years.

Odor-free Polyester Functional Clothing

 An unwelcome odor can quickly develop in polyester sport and functional clothing, even if freshly washed. This is “permastink”. It’s a challenge to the textile industry as it generally reduces the attractiveness and market opportunities of sport and functional clothing made from polyester.

The patented, non-biocidal Sanitized® Odoractiv 10 technology provides specific solutions and sales arguments for the end products. It works in two ways: The odor-causing bacteria can’t stick to the textile surface and are washed out completely in a normal wash cycle. This is due to the anti-adhesive “coating” applied in the padding process. This effect has been proven in a test procedure developed in cooperation with EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology). Secondly, the treatment has an adsorbing effect. The odors are “trapped” and repeatedly expelled during a normal wash cycle.

No Binder, No Nano

Another characteristic: The treatment with Sanitized® Odoractiv 10 doesn’t apply an additional binder system. As with all of our products, SANITZED AG uses no nano technology. The safety and tolerability have been confirmed by the Skin Friendly certification from the Hohenstein Institute and ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® label. These have now been joined by the bluesign® accreditation.

Source: SANITIZED AG

 

Nestlé & Danimer Scientific to Produce Biodegradable Water Bottles Made from PHA

Nestlé and Danimer Scientific has announced a global partnership to develop biodegradable bottles. Nestlé and Danimer Scientific will collaborate to design and manufacture bio-based resins for Nestlé’s water business using Danimer Scientific’s PHA polymer Nodax™.
In 2018, the University of Georgia (U.S.A.) confirmed in a study that Nodax™ is an effective biodegradable alternative to petrochemical plastics. PepsiCo, an existing partner of Danimer, may also gain access to the resins developed under this collaboration.

Nodax™ PHA-based Eco-friendly Packaging

Stephen Croskrey, CEO of Danimer Scientific said: "Researchers have shown that PHA biodegrades in a wide range of environments, including industrial and home compost, soil, fresh and sea water,"
"As a material that is reliably biodegradable across both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, our Nodax™ PHA is an ideal fit to drive the creation of eco-friendly packaging for Nestlé’s products. Nodax™ PHA is suitable feedstock for industrial compost, home compost, and anaerobic digester facilities as well as reuse through recycling. We look forward to supporting Nestlé in the years to come.”

Addressing the Growing Global Plastic Waste Packaging Issue

In 2018, Nestlé announced its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. To achieve this goal, the company has already undertaken several initiatives including the creation of the Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences. This institute is dedicated to the discovery and development of functional, safe and environmentally friendly packaging solutions including functional paper and biodegradable materials.

Stefan Palzer, Chief Technology Officer for Nestlé said, "Strategic innovation partnerships play a key role for Nestlé as we make progress in improving the sustainability of our packaging. In order to effectively address the plastic issue in various markets, we need a wide range of technological solutions, including new paper materials and biodegradable polymers which can also be recycled."

Maurizio Patarnello, CEO of Nestlé Waters said, "Nestlé Waters is committed to addressing the growing global plastic waste packaging issue. A biodegradable bottle, which is also recyclable, can help improve the environmental impact of our business in countries without collection and recycling systems."

Source: Nestlé

New Catalytic Process to Develop Renewable Isoprene - Gevo

Gevo has announced that it has developed a proprietary, breakthrough catalytic process that transforms low-cost commercially available, or even waste by-product, renewable alcohols into renewable isoprene that would be expected to compete head-to-head on price with natural and petroleum-based chemical equivalents while reducing CO₂ emissions.

Key Chemical Building Block for Producing Rubber

Isoprene is predominantly used in the production of synthetic-based rubber. The market for isoprene is estimated to be approximately $4 Billion USD by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7% or greater driven by growth in the automotive sector.

Chemical-based Catalytic Process

Gevo recently developed a chemical-based catalytic process to convert low-value “fusel oils,” a mixture of alcohols that are byproducts from fermentation processes such as ethanol production, into renewable isoprene. Fusel oils from the ethanol industry alone equate to about 2.5 million tons of potential bio-based waste feedstock.
“Renewable, low-carbon, low-cost isoprene has been pursued by a lot of companies over the years without commercial success. Fermentation processes were always deemed to be too expensive to make isoprene directly. As it turns out, our catalytic chemistry team and engineers figured out how to make low-cost, renewable isoprene suitable for the market using a chemical catalyst that we apply to fusel oils, a mixed, renewable alcohol stream that is produced as a by-product or even as a waste during large industrial fermentations such as those in the ethanol industry."

"Our team was able to translate what we learned while developing renewable, sustainable jet fuel and isooctane, to enable other viable alcoholic feedstocks. I give credit to our catalytic chemistry team, led by Jonathan Smith, for this breakthrough. We expect to pursue a licensing strategy with this technology. Potential licensees could be ethanol producers that want to improve the profitability of their facilities, chemical plants that simply want cost competitive low-carbon isoprene, or even standalone businesses. This is the first time in my 30 years in this industry where I have seen what I believe to be a viable route to fully renewable, low-cost isoprene. I look forward to seeing this one get commercially developed. It looks as if this technology could address a large current unmet need in the marketplace and make money,” said Dr. Patrick Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo.
Source: Gevo 

New Study Claims FR Chemicals Increase SVOCs' Concentration in Exposed Children

Children living in homes with all vinyl flooring or flame-retardant chemicals in the sofa have significantly higher concentrations of potentially harmful semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in their blood or urine than children from homes where these materials are not present, according to a new Duke University-led study.

Higher Concentration of PBDEs in Children’s Blood Serum

The researchers presented their findings Sunday, Feb. 17 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C.

They found that children living in homes where the sofa in the main living area contained flame-retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in its foam had a six-fold higher concentration of PBDEs in their blood serum.

Exposure to PBDEs has been linked in laboratory tests to neurodevelopmental delays, obesity, endocrine and thyroid disruption, cancer and other diseases.

Vinyl Flooring Leads to Metabolite Concentrations

Children from homes that had vinyl flooring in all areas were found to have concentrations of benzyl butyl phthalate metabolite in their urine that were 15 times higher than those in children living with no vinyl flooring.

Benzyl butyl phthalate has been linked to respiratory disorders, skin irritations, multiple myeolma and reproductive disorders.

SVOCs in All Indoor Environments

“SVOCs are widely used in electronics, furniture and building materials and can be detected in nearly all indoor environments,” said Heather Stapleton, an environmental chemist at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, who led the research.
“Human exposure to them is widespread, particularly for young children who spend most of their time indoors and have greater exposure to chemicals found in household dust.” “Nonetheless, there has been little research on the relative contribution of specific products and materials to children’s overall exposure to SVOCs,” she noted.

Investigating Links between Products and Exposures

To address that gap, in 2014 Stapleton and colleagues from Duke, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and Boston University began a three-year study of in-home exposures to SVOCs among 203 children from 190 families.
“Our primary goal was to investigate links between specific products and children’s exposures, and to determine how the exposure happened -- was it through breathing, skin contact or inadvertent dust inhalation,” Stapleton said.
To that end, the team analyzed samples of indoor air, indoor dust and foam collected from furniture in each of the children’s homes, along with a handwipe sample, urine and blood from each child.
“We quantified 44 biomarkers of exposure to phthalates, organophosphate esters, brominated flame retardants, parabens, phenols, antibacterial agents and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS),” Stapleton said.
Stapleton is the Dan and Bunny Gabel Associate Professor of Environmental Health at Duke’s Nicholas School.
Source: Duke University

 

New Enzyme-based Polymerization Method Enable Greener PEF Production

Recently, polymer chemists from the University of Groningen, led by Prof. Katja Loos, have described an enzyme-based polymerization method to produce PEF, an alternative to PET, which can be made from bio-based furan molecules.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most successful plastics the material we use to make bottles and fibers for clothing. PET is used to make fizzy drink bottles because it has excellent barrier properties, which keeps the fizz inside. However, PET is made from petroleum-based building blocks.
"But furan-based polymers are a good alternative", says Prof. Katja Loos. Furans, which are characterized by an aromatic ring with four carbon and one oxygen atom, can be made from biomass-derived sugars, and polymerized into Polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate (PEF). This alternative to PET, polyethylene furanoate (PEF), can be made from bio-based furan molecules, but to polymerize these furans you need toxic catalysts and high temperatures. Other copolyesters can be created from furans as well, resulting in plastics with different properties.

Viable Alternative to the Current Catalytic Polymerization

"Furans are mainly produced with enzymes. But for the polymerization, the same processes are used as have been used for PET production for the last 70 years", says Loos. Toxic metal-based catalysts and high temperatures that are needed for this process mean that it is not very environmentally friendly.

That is why Loos and her colleagues looked for an alternative polymerization method, one that uses enzymes. "We eventually found a commercially available enzyme that would do this", says Loos.

• The polymers are made by combining furans with linear monomers, either aliphatic diols or diacidic ethyl esters.
• The enzyme Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) is a lipase that breaks down ester bonds, but the polymerization requires the creation of these bonds.

This may seem counter-intuitive, but it is not, explains Loos: "Enzymes catalyze equilibrium reactions, and we simply pushed the equilibrium towards the formation of ester bonds."

In their paper, the scientists describe how CALB and a number of furans and linear monomers are used to form different copolyesters. They succeeded in increasing the content of aromatic units in the polyester to a point that exceeds the properties of PET. The enzymatic polymerization therefore appears to be a viable alternative to the current catalytic polymerization.

"In our experiments, we used ether as a solvent, which you don’t want in a factory setting. But as the melting point of furans is quite low, we are confident that enzymatic polymerization will work in liquid monomers as well", says Loos.

Furan‐Based Copolyesters from Renewable Resources Using Enzymes

Greener Enzymatic Alternatives

As the CALB enzyme is commercially available, it is surprising that no one had used it before to avoid the process of toxic catalysts and high temperatures. The only explanation that Loos can offer is that most polyester production lines are geared to using these classical reactions, rather than the enzymatic alternative. And changing a production line is expensive. "However, our enzymatic polymerization process would be ideal for new companies working on green alternatives to PET."
Source: University of Groningen

Certifiably Complicated

One thing that became apparent at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 was that the issue of hydrogen tank approval had yet to be resolved. Though it had already been said years ago that tanks “must only get approved,” the process is taking much longer than expected. At present, there are few 700-bar type IV units for sale in Germany.

The key reason for the lack of products seems to be that European automakers have not made a firm commitment to purchase tanks in large quantities for their vehicles. So far, OEMs have been ordering only few units for testing or integration into prototypes. At the same time, they have been demanding a lot from the manufacturers of those tanks, for example, by restricting the space in which units could be installed.

 Tank manufacturers in Europe are deeply frustrated about the entire situation. Circumstances will not permit them to ramp up production capacity and make their business economically viable, so they are waiting to get products approved until companies start asking for more.
The outlook is a bit of a different for those manufacturing tanks for a pressure of 350 bars or 500 bars. Type IV units in that pressure range are available for sale. The needed tank volume is a bit higher than that for 700-bar ones, as the lower pressure level reduces energy density. However, 350-bar tanks, for example, are mainly used in commercial and railroad vehicles, which offer more space to install a unit. And 500-bar tanks are typically found in stationary systems, which is why they are produced in higher numbers, so that unit prices have fallen as well. Sometimes, more than a hundred of them make up a single system, which is sold as a containerized solution. For instance, in Meckenheim, Cologne’s mass transit company is planning to install a fueling station that includes a stationary container housing 162 individual 500-bar pressure cylinders with a total weight of 1 metric ton.

In Asia, the above-mentioned issues have already been dealt with. Toyota has built tank factories and uses 700-bar units in its Sora buses. Hyundai has partnered with a manufacturer that can rely on Nexo car sales to drive demand. By contrast, reports say Daimler will need barely more than 1,000 units for the time being and after a few fuel cell vehicles leave the factory, production will again be put on hold.
As for the tank manufacturers, they said that those many delays in bringing fuel cell cars to market in Germany had nothing to do with their products. The bottleneck was not the tank: Approval could be obtained in around 12 months.

Duisburg’s ZBT research institute, however, has determined that there is still some more work to do when it comes to hydrogen tank regulations. In partnership with the National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology, or NOW for short, and Germany’s Materials Research and Testing Institute, BAM, it will hold a workshop in Berlin for tank manufacturers from all corners of the country to figure out whether there really is a need for all those efforts to remove a pressure vessel from a system and test it for leaks by filling the tank with water.


Not without reason did the German transportation ministry launch a project called Delfin right before year’s end. Its aim is to develop a pressure vessel at a reduced cost and weight. The ministry said that it would provide around EUR 7.5 million to “clear away one of the main barriers to market growth.” It is worth noting that the list of project partners includes not only automaker BMW, Daimler subsidiary NuCellSys and supplier Nproxx but also Ford. It has been a long time since the corporation announced anything fuel cell-related.

It seems there are still some points to clear up.

Green Dot Secures USD6.5 Mn Funding to Develop & Commercialize New Bioplastics

Green Dot Bioplastics has closed a $6.5 million Series A Round of funding led by Fulcrum Global Capital. Funds will be used to implement management’s strategic plan to capitalize on rapidly rising demand for more sustainable plastics. Fulcrum Global Capital led the investment round with the participation of existing and new investors, including Open Prairie through its Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund and iiM (Innovations in Motion).

Green Dot Bioplastics: Offering Sustainable Solutions

Governments, advocacy groups and consumers are increasingly aware of the problems associated with traditional plastics and demanding more sustainable solutions. In response, the bioplastic sector is predicted to grow at a brisk pace of 18.8% CAGR to reach more than $68 billion by 2024. To capitalize on this opportunity, Green Dot will use the funds raised to implement management’s strategic plan in key areas: accelerate organic growth, develop and commercialize new bioplastic products and uses, and invest in new IP and capabilities.

• Headquartered in Emporia, Kansas, Green Dot Bioplastics is making plastics more sustainable by reducing the amount of petroleum-based feedstocks, maximizing the use of renewable and reclaimed materials, and enhancing the performance of biodegradable materials. 
• The Company began formal operations in 2011, introducing the market’s first compostable elastomeric bioplastic – a soft rubber-like plastic that is strong, pliable, and biodegradable. In 2013, Green Dot acquired a state-of-the-art research facility and commercial manufacturing plant. 
• The Company now offers a full line of bioplastics and biocomposites used in footwear, textiles, home furnishings, electronics cases, pet supplies, toys, outdoor recreation, lawn and garden, horticulture and construction.

Investors: Fulcrum Global, Open Prairie & iiM

“We are delighted to team with Fulcrum, Open Prairie and iiM as we aggressively move to accelerate our growth,” said Mark Remmert, CEO, Green Dot Bioplastics. “I am personally excited to have these highly regarded institutional investors join our Board of Directors and bring their leadership and professionalism to partner with our original investors and management. Together, we are a talented and motivated team seeking to make lasting change for the planet.”

Duane Cantrell, Managing Partner and CEO of Fulcrum Global Capital noted, “There is an increasing global issue with plastic pollution coupled with a growing demand to reduce or eliminate our footprint of plastic pollution in our landfills and oceans. With the increasing global challenge of plastic pollution, we are excited to invest in a company using agricultural byproducts to provide corporations with near-term solutions for truly biodegradable products and packaging that can reduce our use of chemical based plastics and begin to eliminate plastic pollution. As well, we are equally excited to partner with CEO Mark Remmert and the impressive Green Dot team. Mark brings a lengthy and impressive career from the plastics industry and has made remarkable advancements in new bio-based solutions since Green Dot was founded.”

Supporting Rural-Based Companies

“Green Dot Bioplastics is a leading example of our efforts to support rural-based companies operating at the intersection of science, agriculture, and sustainability. We look forward to working with the Green Dot Bioplastics team as the company enters its next phase of growth and executes on its mission of improving the environment through the implementation of innovative bio-based solutions,” said Matt McKenna, who will represent Open Prairie on the Green Dot Bioplastics Board of Directors.


Source: Green Dot Bioplastics

New Method to Produce Graphene Fibers with Optimized Conductivity & Strength

A team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed a new microfluidics-assisted technique for developing high-performance macroscopic graphene fibers. Graphene fiber, a recently discovered member of the carbon fiber family, has potential applications in diverse technological areas, from:

• Energy storage 
• Electronics and optics 
• Electro-magnetics 
• Thermal conductor and thermal management
• Structural applications

Their findings are published in a newly released issue of Nature Nanotechnology. It has historically been difficult to simultaneously optimize both the thermal/electrical and the mechanical properties of graphene fibers. However, the Rensselaer team has demonstrated their ability to do both.

High Thermal, Electrical & Mechanical Properties

Macroscopic graphene fibers can be manufactured by fluidics-enabled assembly from 2D graphene oxide sheets dispersed in aqueous solutions forming lyotropic liquid crystal. 

• Strong shape and size confinements are demonstrated for fine control of the graphene sheet alignment and orientation, critical for realizing graphene fibers with high thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. 
• This microfluidics-enabled assembly method also provides the flexibility to tailor the microstructures of the graphene fibers by controlling flow patterns.

“The control of different flow patterns offers a unique opportunity and flexibility in tailoring macroscopic graphene structures from perfectly aligned graphene fibers and tubes to 3D open architecture with vertically aligned graphene sheet arrangement,” said Jie Lian, a professor in the Rensselaer Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering (MANE) and the lead author on the article.

Optimizing Fiber Assembly and Microstructure

The latest article builds on work by Lian’s group that was previously published in Science in 2015. This work, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is a collaboration with fellow MANE researchers, including Associate Professor Lucy Zhang and Professor Suvranu De, who heads the department.

“This research paves the way for new sciences to optimize the fiber assembly and microstructure to develop high-performance graphene fibers,” said Lian. “This approach could be extended to other materials to manufacture hierarchical structures for diverse functional applications.”
 

Source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Airbus and Dassault Systèmes embark on a five-year strategic partnership

Airbus and Dassault Systèmes have signed a five-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to cooperate on the implementation of collaborative 3D design, engineering, manufacturing, simulation and intelligence applications.

This will enable Airbus to take a major step forward in its digital transformation and lay the foundation for a new European industrial ecosystem in aviation.
Under the MOA, Airbus will deploy Dassault Systèmes’ 3DExperience platform, which delivers digital continuity, from design to operations, in a single data model for a unified user experience, making digital design, manufacturing and services (DDMS) a company-wide reality for all Airbus divisions and product lines.

DDMS paves the way for breakthroughs in new product design, operational performance, support and maintenance, customer satisfaction and new business models, as it represents a move from sequential to parallel development processes. Instead of first focusing on product performance, Airbus will be able to co-design and develop the next generation of aircraft with the manufacturing facilities that will produce them, reducing costs and time to market.

 “We are not just talking about digitalisation or a 3D experience, we are rethinking the way aircraft are designed and operated, streamlining and speeding up our processes with customer satisfaction in mind.” said Guillaume Faury, President Airbus Commercial Aircraft. “DDMS is a catalyst for change and with it we are building a new model for the European aerospace industry with state of the art technology. Our target is a robust production setup that offers a reduction in product development lead time.”

 “Nothing exemplifies the intersection of technology, science and art more than aviation. When we reflect on how the industry has evolved to where it is today, it’s a blend of technical prowess, digital precision and inspiration,” said Bernard Charlès, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “The Aerospace industry has a proven track record of fast transformation, faster than in most industries. It delivers high quality innovation and new services for operations in highly complex and regulated environments. The 3DExperience platform will accelerate the digital transformation of Airbus. Airbus can capture insights and expertise from across its ecosystem to deliver new experiences that only the digital world makes possible.”

Source:AIRBUS

SABIC Begins Production & Commercialization of Certified Circular Polymers

SABIC has announced another major milestone in its ground-breaking project to pioneer the production of certified circular polymers using a feedstock from mixed plastic waste.

Commercializing Certified Circular Polymers

The latest achievement – the production of the first certified circular polymers – is part of what is known as a ‘market foundation stage’. Launched in January, this stage is an important step towards creating a new circular value chain for plastics. During this stage, initial volumes of pyrolysis oil from plastic waste are introduced as feedstock at SABIC’s Geleen production site in The Netherlands. The patented pyrolysis oil has been produced by PLASTIC ENERGY Ltd from the recycling of low quality, mixed plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration or landfill.

As part of the market foundation stage, SABIC has begun to produce and commercialize the first monthly volumes of certified circular polymers - polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). This is prior to the projected start-up in 2021 of the commercial plants planned by SABIC and PLASTIC ENERGY in the Netherlands to manufacture and process the alternative feedstock.

Closing the Loop on Reutilizing Plastic Waste

Frank Kuijpers, General Manager Corporate Sustainability at SABIC said, “Certified circular polymers are a disruptive innovation and SABIC’s market foundation stage is a critical phase in their development,”

“It will act as a bridge moving from a linear economy to a circular one and will enable the value chain to become familiar with the products and consider how they can best be implemented in their own markets. It will allow confidence in this pioneering product to grow before SABIC goes into full scale production.”

The polymers are certified through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification plus (ISCC+) scheme that certifies:

• Circular content, and 
• Standards across the value chain from source to end product

The ISCC+ certification works on what is known as a “mass balance system”, meaning that for each ton of circular feedstock fed into the cracker and substituting fossil-based feedstock, a ton of the output can be classified as circular.

Certified circular polymers will help SABIC’s customers to meet consumer demand for more sustainable products and will contribute to closing the loop on reutilizing plastic waste.

Source: SABIC

Recent Study Reveals New Renewable FR Material Using Coffee Waste

Dr Henry Leung from the School of Chemical and Life Sciences and his team of three final-year students from the Diploma in Medicinal Chemistry found a way to lessen the environmental impact of coffee waste. They have turned used coffee grounds into a flame retardant that could potentially be used to improve fire safety in homes and offices.

Leveraging Slow-burning Properties of Coffee By treating coffee waste and mixing it with epoxy resin – a material commonly found in floorings and walls of homes – the team were able to leverage the slow-burning properties of coffee to create a material that could withstand a fire by as much as two times that of regular epoxy resin. This new material has also attained an “HB” grading, which indicates slow burning on a horizontal specimen, based on initial findings by a third-party testing laboratory. Apart from its fire-resistant qualities, the coffee-epoxy resin has the potential to become a total solution for reducing coffee waste as grounding coffee waste into compost requires large storage space. The incineration of compost is also a space- and energy-consuming process. Source: NYP

Calvera delivers mobile gas pipeline to transport biomethane in Finland

The Industrial Group Calvera has recently supplied a customer in Finland with several units of their containers for the transport of biomethane, a mobile gas pipeline solution. The innovative equipment is designed under the flexible Hooklift system that includes easy loading and unloading with a Multilift hydraulic arm coupled to a truck, which makes logistics much easier by taking natural gas storage where it is needed and without leaving the tanker truck, only the container.

Calvera’s equipment was custom-made in terms of capacity and weight, adjusting the product as much as possible to the client’s specific needs and offering high levels of efficiency and profitability through the use of the latest available technology.

In this case, the client produces renewable natural gas from a wood waste digester, which is then compressed and marketed in biomethane service stations that serve buses, trucks, cars and light vehicles in Finland.

The Nordic countries and Finland in particular have been betting on biomethane and on this type of mobility solutions that are gradually being extended thanks.

Source: Calvera/Gasnam