On and Partners Reveal First-ever Shoe Made from Carbon Emissions

This is a significant moment in On’s journey to move away from petroleum-based resources by creating a new foam material called CleanCloud™, made using carbon emissions as a raw material.

Combination of Innovative Technologies:

On is the first company in the footwear industry to explore carbon emissions as a primary raw material for a shoe’s midsole, specifically EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, that could also be used in other shoe parts and products in the future.

“Holding the first-ever shoe made of carbon emissions in my hands is a huge milestone – not only for On, but for the whole sports industry”, explains Caspar Coppetti, co-founder and executive co-chairman of On. “Five years ago, this was barely a dream. Imagine what can happen in the future as we unlock the potential of alternative carbon sources with further research and in collaboration with the best partners.”

CleanCloud™ is the result of a pioneering supply chain partnership with some of the most innovative companies in biochemicals, process and material innovation, including LanzaTech, Borealis and Technip Energies.

LanzaTech is using a combination of cutting-edge genetic engineering, state-of-the-art biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and innovations in mechanical and chemical engineering to manufacture chemicals using a process that soaks up waste carbon rather than emitting it.

“Today we continue our journey to show the world that recycled carbon is a resource rather than a liability,” says Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “As we increasingly convert pollution into the products we use in our daily lives, we will reduce the need to extract more carbon from the ground! The partnership between On, Borealis,Technip and LanzaTech will change how the world thinks about sourcing carbon, enabling us to bend the carbon curve, keep our skies blue, and create a sustainable future for all.

Technip Energies is an engineering and technology company for the energy transition and in this consortium in charge of the process of dehydrating ethanol to the gas ethylene, which is a monomer and the most important building block of widely used plastics.

Borealis is a provider of advanced, circular and renewable plastic solutions and essential in creating high-performance, easy-to-process EVA foam for CleanCloud™. This collaboration clearly underlines Borealis’ commitment to a net zero future and fully aligns with its EverMinds™ ambition of accelerating circularity through partnerships.

Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis executive vice president Polyolefins, Circularity and Innovation & Technology: “Borealis is thrilled to be part of this unique value chain collaboration. With our creative partners On, LanzaTech, and Technip Energies we are proud to co-create circularity in carbon and decouple plastic from its reliance on fossil-based resources.

Source: Borealis

Alstom Coradia iLint train travels 1,175 km on one hydrogen tank

Global sustainable mobility leader, Alstom, has achieved a new milestone in its zero-emission long distance transportation as its Coradia iLint train crossed 1,175 kilometers without having to refuel its hydrogen tank.

The distance allowed the train to travel nearly the length of the United Kingdom without refueling.

The Coradia iLint was able to travel the distance on a full hydrogen tank without having to refuel. The only emission it released along the way was water, and it operated at a strikingly low noise level.

The locomotive is from the LNVG (Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen) and Lower Saxony transport authority fleet. It has been operating on the regular evb (Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH) passenger network since last August. Alstom partnered with the Linde gas and engineering project for the purposes of this project.

The single hydrogen tank brought the train from Lower Saxony to Munich.

The H2-powered Coradia iLint began its route in Bremervörde and traveled from Lower Saxony in Germany where the train was developed and built by Alstom. From there, it made its way through Hesse to Bavaria, then headed to Burghausen near the border between Germany and Austria. Finally, it made its final jaunt until reaching Munich. All this was accomplished without having to refuel the H2.

With the milestone journey complete, the train was then sent to Berlin, where several trips are expected to be made as a part of the InnoTrans 2022 premier International Trade Fair for Transport Technology. This achievement provided a clear demonstration of the range available on a single hydrogen tank, at a time in which there is considerable interest in sustainable mobility.

Source:HydrogenFuelNews

Covestro to Receive Biogenic CO₂ for MDI Production from SOL Kohlensäure

Covestro and SOL Kohlensäure GmbH & Co. KG have concluded a framework agreement for a supply partnership for biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2). With immediate effect, SOL, as one of the European suppliers of gases and gas services, will supply the liquefied gas to Covestro sites in North Rhine-Westphalia, where it will be used to produce plastics such as MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) and polycarbonate.

Under the terms of the framework agreement, SOL Kohlensäure will already supply up to 1,000 metric tons of biogenic CO2 this year. From 2023, the supply volume is to be further increased substantially, enabling Covestro to save the same amount of CO2 from fossil sources at its NRW sites.

CO2 Obtained from Bioethanol & Biogas Plants:

The CO2 used is obtained by SOL Kohlensäure from various sources, such as bioethanol and biogas plants. In these plants, CO2 is produced as a by-product during the treatment of various biomasses, such as plant residues. This is separated by SOL carbon dioxide, purified and then made available to Covestro production as a raw material. In this way, the supply partnership supports the circular concept and contributes to reducing emissions.

Covestro’s Lower Rhine sites in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen are ISCC PLUS certified and can supply their customers with more sustainable products made from renewable raw materials.

“We have set ourselves the goal to become fully circular. To this end, we want to convert our raw material base to 100% renewable sources. We are very pleased to have found a partner in SOL Kohlensäure who will support us in this transformation with a pioneering spirit,” explains Daniel Koch, head of NRW Plants at Covestro.

“We at SOL Kohlensäure are advancing the shift to more sustainable CO2 sources. In this way, we are increasing security of supply, becoming independent of fossil raw materials, and reducing our environmental footprint at the same time,” emphasizes Falko Probst, sales manager at SOL Kohlensäure.

Goal to Become Fully Circular

Covestro has set itself the goal of becoming fully circular. This also includes using alternative raw materials. Biomass, CO2, as well as end-of-life materials and waste replace fossil raw materials such as crude oil or natural gas. Carbon is managed in a circular way. In realizing these ambitions, both companies are relying on long-term supply partnerships.

In addition to biogenic CO2, Covestro is investigating the use of other technical gases from renewable sources. The materials manufacturer is already offering its customers its first sustainable products, such as climate-neutral MDI. With the expansion of its alternative raw material base, this portfolio is set to grow further in the coming years.

Source: Covestro

Bucci Composites presents the 20” carbon fiber rim for the aftermarket

Bucci Composites S.p.A., a Faenza-based company of the Bucci Industries Group, presented the first 20 “carbon fiber rim dedicated to the aftermarket world, especially for the sports / supercars sector. The 20 “carbon rim guarantees an elegant and sporty design, combining excellent performance with a weight saving of over 20% compared to a forged aluminum wheel.

All the benefits of using the ultralight carbon fiber wheel are directly linked to the reduced weight of the wheel: a lighter component design means less rotational inertia, which translates into greater acceleration, shorter braking distance and better vehicle handling.

Furthermore, less unsprung mass means always having the best contact of the tire with the asphalt, thus guaranteeing excellent road grip characteristics.

A further key element of the Bucci Composites wheel is the hub-wheel system, which allows the wheel to be fixed to the hub in the traditional way, eliminating the risk of loosening torque of the bolts. This guarantees the ultra-light carbon fiber wheel all the ease of assembly and maintenance of a conventional wheel.

To cope with the high temperatures that occur especially with the use of carbon-ceramic brakes, a ceramic coating has been applied to the inside of the rim that protects the carbon fiber even from the most extreme temperatures, making it possible to use the rim in all conditions.

For this project, Bucci Composites has also equipped itself with a production technology (High Pressure RTM – HP-RTM) at the forefront of the sector, the only ones in Italy to have acquired the skills on the use that it will use to continue in the development of further models of wheels for the automotive sector.

For the development of the 20-inch wheel, advanced technologies were used and a dedicated team responsible for following the entire process from design to manufacturing of the component produced in Bucci Composites.

The rim will be available for sale in the first half of 2023, initially only for the Italian market.

Source:Bucci

Teijin Frontier Develops First-ever Tire Cord Made from Recycled Polyester

Teijin Frontier, the Teijin Group's fibers and products converting company, has developed an eco-friendly tire cord made from a low-environmental impact chemically recycled polyester fiber for rubber reinforcement, and also incorporates an adhesive that does not contain resorcinol formaldehyde (RF), which is harmful to the human body and the environment.

According to the company, this is the world's first commercialization of a tire cord that combines an RF-free adhesive and a chemically recycled polyester fiber.

Improve Environmental Value

Teijin Frontier will now begin to develop reinforcing-fiber applications for various rubber products, including tire cords, belts, hoses and other diverse uses. The company will start test production of its new tire cord in 2023, targeting annual production of 200,000 tons by 2030.

Teijin Frontier, guided by its THINK ECO® environmental initiative, is striving to improve its environmental value by developing greener materials and products for applications ranging from clothing to industrial materials. The new tire cord is a result of the company’s increasing emphasis on low-environmental impact solutions.

Thanks to its use of an adhesive polymer compound instead of RF, the new tire cord reduces the environmental impact of adhesive processing. In addition, due to its strong affinity with fibers and rubber, its adhesion performance is equivalent to that of conventional resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL) adhesives. Also, its chemically recycled fibers, which are made from polymers produced with chemical recycling method, maintain their strength, fatigue resistance, dimensional stability and heat resistance. Compared to conventional tire cords made from petroleum-derived polyester fiber, the new tire cord achieves the same levels of quality and performance in addition to reducing CO2 emissions during production.

Increased Demand for Eco-friendly Tires

The demand for more eco-friendly tires is growing due to rising environmental awareness. In response, Teijin Frontier has been actively developing eco-friendly materials and products for tires as well as other rubber products. In 2008, it launched the world's first tire cord incorporating chemically recycled polyester fiber, and in March 2020 the company introduced an eco-friendly rubber-reinforced fiber cord that does not contain RF.

The newly developed tire cord will be exhibited at the International Tire Exhibition and Conference, one of North America's largest tire-related exhibitions and conferences, in Akron, Ohio from September 13 to 15.

Source: Teijin Frontier/omnexus-Specialchem

Gujarat government and Vedanta group sign MoU to set up semiconductor unit

 The Gujarat government and mining giant Vedanta group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a part of which the company will invest more than Rs 1.54 lakh crore in the state to set up a semiconductor and display fabrication unit, the state government said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The proposed semiconductor manufacturing fab unit will operate on the 28nm technology nodes with wafer size 300 mm; and the display manufacturing unit will produce Generation 8 displays catering to small, medium and large applications,” a joint statement released on Tuesday read.

The union minister for electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present in Gandhinagar at the signing of the MoU, along with the state’s chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and the minister for education, science and technology Jitubhai Vaghani.

Of the Rs 1.54 lakh crore investment, Rs 94,500 crore will be used to set up a display fabrication manufacturing unit, while another Rs 60,000 crore will be invested in the state to manufacture a semiconductor fabrication and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) unit.

ET had on Monday reported that the Vedanta-Foxconn JV was likely to pick Gujarat as its home state for setting up semiconductor and display fabrication units. The JV was in talks with other states such as Maharashtra as well. Sources had told ET that Maharashtra lost out at the last moment as it did not agree to some of the incentives being demanded by the two companies.

Vedanta is the third - and the last - applicant to decide its investment destination under the central government’s Rs 78,000 crore semiconductor manufacturing incentive scheme to create a semiconductor ecosystem in the country.

As of now, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu would play host to the semiconductor fab and display units to be set up by the three applicants - Vedanta Foxconn, ISMC Analog, and IGSS Ventures.

The semiconductor manufacturing scheme has triggered intense competition among the rival states, each sending large teams regularly to meet with company representatives and lobby for their states.

A senior executive of one of the applicant companies told ET: “It’s obvious that the states fought a tough war to bag these investments. One only has to look at Taiwan to know what semiconductors can do to a nation”.

Source:Economic times