polymerguru

  UC Santa Barbara researchers have developed a one-pot, low-temperature catalytic method that upcycles polyethylene — a polymer that is found in about a third of all plastics produced, with a global value of about $200 billion annually — into high-value alkylaromatic molecules that are the basis of many industrial chemicals and consumer products. Adding value to what would otherwise become trash could   make plastic waste recycling a more attractive and practical pursuit   with an environmentally beneficial outcome. New Direction for Plastic Waste This method represents a new direction in the lifecycle of plastics, one in which waste polymers could become valuable raw materials instead of winding up in landfills, or worse, in waterways and other sensitive habitats. “This is an example of having a second use, where we could make these raw materials more efficiently and with better environmental impact than making them from petroleum,”  fellow chemistry and chemical e...

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have modified a single microbe to simultaneously digest five of the most abundant components of lignocellulosic biomass, a big step forward in the development of a cost-effective biochemical conversion process to turn plants into   renewable chemicals . Engineering Bacteria to Produce Renewable Chemicals The team engineered the Pseudomonas putida bacterium to consume glucose, xylose, arabinose, coumaric acid and acetic acid in a single bioreactor, eliminating the need for multiple tanks and microbes for each of those components. The one-pot process also breaks down lignin — traditionally a waste product of biomass conversion — so that every part of the plant can be used to create valuable products. “ We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly and well the microbe consumed these components, as they are structurally different and utilized via very different pathways. You had all of this carbon converging in the central metabolism and b...

Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced the next steps in the Government’s plan to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030. The Six Items Proposed for Ban A key part of the plan is a ban on harmful  single-use plastic  items where there is evidence that they are found in the environment, are often not recycled, and have readily available alternatives. Based on those criteria, the six items the Government proposes to ban are: Plastic Checkout Bags Straws Stir Sticks Six-Pack Rings Cutlery Food Ware Made from Hard-to-Recycle Plastics The Government of Canada is proposing to establish recycled content requirements in products and packaging. This will drive investment in recycling infrastructure and spur innovation in technology and product design to extend the life of plastic materials. The Government wants to hear from Canadians and stakeholders on this approach to protect the environment from plastic pollution and reduce wast...

  SI Group  has announced the launch of  ELAZTOBOND™ B8-3410  modified phenol-formaldehyde thermoplastic resin for use in rubber bonding. ELAZTOBOND™ B8-3410 resin is based on  bio-renewable  materials and is resorcinol-free, making it a more sustainable and safer solution than traditional bonding resins used in the  rubber  industry. In addition to its improved safety profile, ELAZTOBOND™ B8-3410 has shown to offer comparable or better performance than resorcinol containing resins in aged and unaged testing. Safer Material for Rubber Bonding Applications ELAZTOBOND™ B8-3410 has been developed as a safer replacement for resorcinol and resorcinol-formaldehyde polymers in rubber bonding applications.  “A bonding resin with zero free-resorcinol enables tire manufacturers to use safer materials in their factories while still achieving maximum performance,”  stated Gordon McNeilage, business director at SI Group. ELAZTOBOND™ B8-3410 is partic...

  Evonik  has developed a new osteoconductive polyether ether ketone (PEEK),  VESTAKEEP® iC4800 , for the medical technology market that improves the fusion between the bone and the implant. With the introduction of the new biomaterial, Evonik is launching a new product line of next-generation,  PEEK-based implant materials  that it will market under the brand name VESTAKEEP® Fusion. Evonik will unveil the product at the virtual Eurospine conference October 6–9. Easy Osteointegration for Accelerated Bone Fusion The osteoconductive properties of the new  PEEK  material were achieved by using a special functional additive - biphasic calcium phosphate - and allow bone cells to adhere to implants more quickly, thus positively influencing fusion, so called osteointegration, at the boundary between the bone and the implant. This, in turn, will accelerate bone fusion and convalescence. As the first biomaterial in Evonik’s new Fusion product line, VESTAKEEP® i...