polymerguru

Three new thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) wire and cable compounds from Teknor Apex Company combine the rubber-like durability and flexibility valued by hospital and clinical professionals and the high degree of purity required for meeting stringent medical standards, the company recently announced. Teknor Apex will introduce the compounds at Interwire 2013, April 22-25, (Booth 406). Medalist® 8421, 8431, and 8451 elastomers can be used for insulation, jacketing, and molded fittings and connectors. They have Shore A hardness levels of 92, 69, and 82, respectively, a flammability classification of HB (UL-94), and a maximum continuous operating temperature rating of 105 °C (UL-1581). The three compounds retain high levels of tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation after autoclave, gamma irradiation, and EtO sterilization. They are resistant to the cleaning solutions commonly used in medical facilities. The new TPEs are analogs to specific Elexar® non-medical wire and cab

Powered by sunlight, microalgae are tiny biofuel generators that soak up carbon dioxide to produce energy-rich lipids, which are showing promise as a potential source of clean energy. Maximizing lipid production is the focus of many research efforts, but the material remaining after lipid extraction has caught the attention of Md. Mahabubur Rahman Talukder and his co-workers at the A*STAR Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences. Currently, this 'lipid-depleted biomass' is either burned for energy, or simply discarded as a waste product. Talukder and his team have developed a process that turns this material into a valuable chemical feedstock. The researchers have pioneered a two-step biochemical process that converts lipid-depleted biomass into lactic acid. This substance is in increasing demand as a feedstock for polylactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer with numerous medical applications, ranging from surgical sutures to orthopedic implants. The high cost of raw materials u

Natureplast, a French company specialized in bioplastics, has developed with its daughter company, Biopolynov, a brand new range of bioplastics made from non-food resources. Established in late 2006, Natureplast is still the only company in Europe to supply European industries with bio plastics produced throughout the world. Natureplast's expansion led us to expand expertise with the creation of Biopolynov in 2010, the first research and development laboratory in Europe dedicated to bio plastics. This new division aims to modify and improve bio plastics' properties according to a functional book of specifications. For more than ten years, the bio plastics market has been experiencing strong growth (20% per year). This growth comes from the continued development of new materials/additives and the creation of new production units throughout the World. However, today's bio plastics materials cannot always fulfill market demand. To resolve this lack, Biopolynov deve

Breville Group, a global designer and manufacturer of small kitchen appliances will purchase and market Cardia's compostable "juicer bags" as part of its Juicer accessory offering to consumers. Cardia announced that Breville Group Limited, one among the global designers and manufacturers of small kitchen appliances will purchase and market Cardia's compostable "juicer bags" as part of its Juicer accessory offering to consumers. The agreement is expected to generate strong sales for Cardia and the launch follows on from Cardia's ASX announcement made on the 21st of August 2012. Breville is a leader in juicer sales and has launched the compostable "juicer bags" in packs of 30, for sale. Breville's launch in the USA has implemented the 100% compostable "the Clean & Green™" juicer pulp bag, with its Juice Fountain® range of juice extractors to encourage environmentally-friendly waste disposal practices. Breville'

BioSolar, Inc., developer of breakthrough products and materials that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, recently announced that it has received its first commercial BioBacksheet order. The first shipment of BioBacksheet will be used for the manufacture of specialty PV panels for electric utility vehicles with anticipated further shipments to be used by military and other mobile applications. The customer's PV panels feature lightweight, high-power-to-weight ratio, highly durable, customizable shapes, sizes and colors. Dr. David Lee, the company's CEO commented, "This first commercial order marks an important event in the history of our company. In spite of recent turmoil in the solar market, we have found success. Customers are attracted to the unique product features of BioBacksheet, including single layer composition, reliability, efficiency and cost competitiveness. Though the sales cycle for specialty PV panels can be shorter than mainstream PV

FibeRio, the developer and manufacturer of ground breaking Forcespinning® nanofiber production systems recently announced it has completed a $13M capital raise led by two global strategic investors — SABIC Ventures B.V., Saudi Basic Industries Corporation's corporate venture capital arm, and Aster Capital Partners, sponsored by Solvay, Schneider Electric, Alstom and the European investment fund. The funding will be used to accelerate the company's commercial growth, introduce larger scale production systems to the market and execute on a growing pipeline of orders and global opportunities with industry leading customers. "The support of two of the leading, knowledgeable strategic investors in this space, SABIC and Aster Capital, is a strong validation of the uniqueness of our Forcespinning technology and will help the company accelerate our growth, open new markets and enable new applications for all of our customers" commented Ellery Buchanan, CEO of FibeRio.

To support its research in metabolic engineering, Braskem has acquired a High Throughput Screening (HTS) system from the U.S. company Hamilton, one of the world leaders in the field of robotics. This robot is Hamilton's most modern in use in South America and the first ever in Brazil to be used for this application. The robot will be used in projects involving the genetic manipulation of microorganisms known as synthetic biology for the development of new renewable polymers. The HTS system will allow researchers' work to be multiplied by 100 to 1,000 times in the same period of time. To learn more details about the robot's operations, four Braskem researchers will receive special training in the United States. Hamilton also created a technical support team in Brazil especially to provide support for the HTS system. "The HTS system is yet another tool that will enable Braskem as well as Brazil to accelerate their development of competencies in biotechnology and