polymerguru

Bus travelers in Cork were the first passengers to ride a ‘green bus’ in Ireland on March 25.  With zero carbon emissions, this biomethane vehicle is a viable alternative for Ireland’s public bus fleet, and the bus has been part of national trials looking at its performance, air quality impacts and CO2 emissions, among other criteria. “Energy Cork has been advocating the benefits of adopting CNG and biomethane for our public bus fleet in Cork for a number of years, so we are delighted to be making a journey on Ireland’s first zero carbon emissions bus,” said Michelle O’Sullivan, Energy Cork spokesperson and Cork Chamber Public Affairs Senior Executive. “Never has the demand for public transport been greater in Cork with the city centre expecting an additional 10,000 jobs in the next 5 years. We have the opportunity now to shape how we grow and be proactive in adopting technologies that work for the city and which protect our environment and air quality. This technology is...

As part of Dow’s commitment to reducing plastic in the environment and delivering circular economy solutions through innovation, the company constructed two new polymer modified asphalt (PMA) roads by improving them with post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) at its Freeport, Texas facility. Both private roads—Plastics Road and Gulfstream Road—are now open for traffic. DuPont’s Technology Enabled Several Benefits for the Road Enabled by  DuPont™  Elvaloy® asphalt modification technology, these roads achieved the following: Used 1,686 pounds of recycled linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) plastic —the equivalent weight of 120,000 plastic grocery bags Covered a combined length of approximately 2,600 feet Saved PMA material cost Met Performance Grade 70-22 requirements “We’re excited about the technological implications of this project, and it’s worth mentioning that PCR helped to reduce the material cost of PMA in road construction ,” said Jennifer Li, global co...

Researchers at The University of Manchester have discovered unexpected phenomena in graphite thanks to their previous research on its two-dimensional (2D) relative – graphene. The Quantum Hall Effect in Bulk Graphite The team led by Dr Artem Mishchenko, Prof Volodya Fal’ko and Prof Sir Andre Geim, discovered the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in bulk graphite – a layered crystal consisting of stacked graphene layers. This is an unexpected result because the quantum Hall effect is possible only in two-dimensional materials where the movement of electrons’ motion is restricted.  They have also found that the material behaves differently depending on whether it contains odd or even number of graphene layers - even when the number of layers in the crystal exceeds hundreds. The work is an important step to the understanding of the fundamental properties of graphite, which have often been misunderstood. Graphite Delivering Different Phenomenas “For decades graphite was used by researc...

Nouryon  has unveiled a new version of its Butanox M-50 Vanishing Red peroxide at JEC World, a leading trade event for the composites market. The new version contains a less-hazardous dye solvent that makes it safer for customers to handle and reduces its environmental impact while maintaining its industry-leading performance. Safer for Customers and Reduces Environmental Impact Vanishing Red is widely used by customers in the composites market as part of the curing process for unsaturated resins. Its red color gradually vanishes as resins cure, allowing customers to better monitor the dosing, mixing, and curing progress. Vanishing Red is especially useful for automated processes used to make products such as wind turbine blades and boats. Prevent Failures without Leaving a Trace “ Customers using automated dosing equipment may face problems if peroxide doesn’t properly flow through the dosing line, leading to under-cured or uncured end products ,” said Raymond ten Br...

In close cooperation with Joma-Polytec and Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, the   engineering plastic Ultramid from BASF   has successfully been used to manufacture a number of fuel cell system components. This innovative solution is being used as standard in the new Mercedes GLC F-CELL, which combines a fuel cell with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.   Plastics increase efficiency – not only in hybrid, plug-in and electric vehicles but also in internal combustion engines.   Andreas Stockheim, Segment Manager Powertrain and Chassis at   BASF   explains , “Our extensive plastics portfolio offers all sorts of advantages which help us to satisfy specific customer requirements, depending on the drive concept and the specific component,”   “By continually developing new products in close collaboration with our customers, we are also able to adapt our portfolio to trends and changes in the market.” Meeting Qualit...

In the EU research project “ComMUnion”, the two Aachen-based Fraunhofer Institutes for Production Technology IPT and for Laser Technology ILT, in collaboration with 14 partners from industry, research and academia, are developing industrial processes and solutions for hybrid lightweight design by combining metal and polymer-matrix composites for automotive and aerospace applications. Hybrid components made of steel, locally functionalized with fiber-reinforced plastics combine high mechanical performance with low weight. The project partners are presenting the component made using this method to the professional visitors at the lightweight construction trade fair JEC World in Paris on the “Composites in Action Area” at Booth 5D17. Combined Process, Suitable for Mass Production The new hybrid manufacturing process is based on a combination of laser texturing and laser-assisted tape placement:  For this purpose, components are first pre-processed using the laser to provide a...

Driven by the wish to tackle environmental issues and work towards the EC Plastics Strategy, the composite materials developed in the Bio4self project are fully bio-based, easily recyclable, reshapable and even industrially biodegradable. The composites are produced using one type of material:  Poly(lactic acid) or PLA , a thermoplastic bio-polyester derived from renewable resources such as agricultural waste, non-food crops or sugar cane.  Apart from some medical applications (e.g. tissue scaffolds), PLA use is currently very limited, e.g. low-demanding packaging or agrotextiles.  Bio4self brought PLA to the next level of application , such as parts for automotive and home appliances, by combining two types of PLA to form so called self- reinforced PLA composites (PLA SRPC). The associated partners in this project are Centexbel, Comfil, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Overcoming PLA SRPC Production Challenges Two different PLA grades are required to produce SRPCs: a low ...

Researchers from EPFL's Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites have developed a material that can easily heal after being damaged. This cutting-edge composite could be used in aircraft, wind turbines, cars and sports equipment.  When a wind turbine blade or an airplane is hit by something, the damaged part has to be either replaced or patched with resin. Replacing the part is expensive, while repairing it with resin can make it heavier and change its properties. But now, with this new, patented technology, researchers at EPFL have found a way to quickly and easily  repair cracks in composite structures . Heat-based Self-healing System "With our technology, a repair agent is incorporated in the composite material," says Amaël Cohades, a researcher at EPFL School of Engineering's Laboratory for Processing of Advanced Composites (LPAC).  Cracks in the resin can be repaired on site in little time by simply heating the material to 150°C. The heating pr...

Seeking solutions that contribute to the circular economy and to sustainable development, Braskem announces new partnerships for the development of chemical recycling. It will be focused on transforming post-consumer plastics, such as grocery bags and packaging films for snacks and cookies, once again into chemical products that can be used by various different value chains and will benefit the general public. Braskem has applied its knowledge and commitment once again to move the industry towards the circular economy. Research into Technologies Transforming Plastics The partnerships seek to further research into technologies that can transform plastics that are more difficult to be recycled mechanically into new chemical products. The research is being conducted in partnership with: Polymer Engineering Laboratory (EngePol) at the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute of Graduate Studies Research in Engineering of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE/UFR...