Large Cured-in-Place Pipes with 40% Less Thickness

While expansion work of San Diego International Airport, Insituform’s iPlus® cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) technology, using Vipel® 102NA resin from AOC, helped reducing time and cost of the overall process.
The airport put a terminal over a 96-inch diameter concrete sewer pipeline, but the 25ft underground pipe was not designed for the structural loads that were most likely to emerge as part of the new project. The critical part was to maintain the wall thickness of the new liner under 1.26 inches such that the upgraded pipe’s flow rate could handle present and forthcoming projected volumes. To give appropriate strength to the liners, slip-lining could have added nearly 12-in while the conventional CIPP, an additional 2.07-in.
As an alternative, Insituform Technologies® installed a customized 518-m long fiber-reinforced iPlus® Composite liner, which comprised of carbon fibers. The pipes thus made are strong enough to withstand the new structural loads while keeping wall thickness less than 40 percent as compared to conventional CIPP.

Battelle Researchers Develop Soyabean-based Superabsorbent Polymers for Diapers

Anyone who's had a baby knows how fast diapers can pile up. Battelle scientists have developed a chemistry to make diapers and other absorbent products friendlier to the environment with the aim of making them cost competitive. The next step is to commercialize this new, green innovation a thoughtful idea that uses soybean meal to replace a third of the petroleum products currently found in such items.

Diapers and other materials that absorb liquids are effective because of hydrogels, which are known to scientists as superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) petroleum-based acrylic acid materials that can absorb hundreds of times their weights in liquid.

For several years, scientists at Battelle have been hard at work creating this soy-based replacement technology with funding provided by the United Soybean Board (USB) and the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC). Battelle's association with these organizations has led to other recent breakthroughs in soy research, such as flexible foams for bedding and furniture, toner for printers, lubricants, coatings, plasticizers and many other products that partially replace petroleum-based components.

Soybeans are about 20 percent oil, 70 percent soybean meal and eight percent hulls. Soybean meal is mainly used for animal feed and is the part Battelle scientists use to convert to the SAP.

The idea is to use soy meal to replace 33 percent of the acrylic acid-based SAPs, keeping the same absorption rate 200 to 300 times its own weight and, perhaps most importantly, maintaining a comparable price point. "We believe that everyone wants to be environmentally friendly, but they want products that perform exactly the same as their oil-based counterparts without costing more," said Marty Toomajian, President of Battelle's Energy, Environment and Material Sciences Global Business. "That is what we are trying to do with this new innovation. The aim is to replace a portion of the petroleum-based product with a sustainable one and work to make it cost effective."

The market for SAPs today is about 1.6 million tons per year, with personal care items making up the vast majority diapers account for 83 percent of that market. Even a modest penetration of the market could mean a large replacement of oil-based products with a renewable, sustainable replacement, reducing the need for dependence on foreign oil while helping American farmers.

These farmers are aided in such efforts by what is known as the soybean checkoff program, which is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is a is a dedicated effort to collect 0.5 percent of the market price of soybeans. These funds are then distributed to the USB on a national level and organizations such as the OSC on a state level. The purpose of these organizations is to use that funding for domestic and international marketing and commercialization, production research, consumer education and research in new uses or products from soybeans. "Soy products have proven their potential to provide economical green solutions for many industries," said Bob Haselwood, USB New Uses Committee Chair. "The checkoff is proud to partner with the Ohio Soybean Council to make investments like this in soy-based replacement technology."

Another use for the hydrogels applies to agriculture. In arid climates, the hydrogel could be added to soil to help hold moisture for plants to use. Hydrogels also can be used to coat seeds that have been planted, helping them absorb water and then use it when there's a lack of rain, extending the longevity and effectiveness of the seeds.

"The Ohio Soybean Council has worked with Battelle for more than 15 years to learn how to use soybeans to replace petroleum in commercial products," said Allen Armstrong, Chairman of the Ohio Soybean Council. "Soy hydrogels can replace a significant portion of petroleum-based products and provide profit opportunities for farmers as well as develop new economies for Ohio and the United States."

DSM Introduces GMP-compliant Vinyl Ester Resin for Food & Drinking Water Applications

DSM Composite Resins has announced Atlac® 5200 FC, its new vinyl ester resin, fully compliant with European regulations and manufactured using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for food and drinking water applications. Now, the GMP predicate is deployed for 9 different types of resins throughout 3 European locations. The high standard set, beginning in Xinghou plant, China, is now also available on various products in Europe.

Atlac® 5200 FC was launched in April 2011 especially for application in the manufacture of composite components such as storage tanks, vessels, pipes and auxiliary equipment that comes into direct contact with European regulations on food and drinking water. Commenting on the deployments to date, Wilfrid Gambade, Director, DSM Composite Resins, said: "The strong interest generated by Atlac® 5200 FC since its launch is wholly consistent with our strategy to invest in new technologies that deliver value for our clients in terms of superior performance and functionality, environmental sustainability and better health and safety for workers and the population at large."

Gambade continued; "DSM's brand promise is all about using our bright science to create brighter living for current and future generations. Atlac® 5200 FC achieves this by setting a new standard in safety for food and drinking water applications, significantly contributing to a healthier future for all."

Antimicrobial Fabrics for Cyclists Control Unpleasant Odor

SANITIZED AG has made available its performance apparel technology to the Levi’s® brand “Commuter” series, keeping in mind the specific needs of the urban commuter cyclist. Sanitized™ hygiene function is a textile finish in fabrics that protects from odors and bring long-lasting comfort to the wearer. Built around the 511™ Skinny Jean and the Levi’s® Trucker Jacket, the collection features fabric that provides increase mobility and durability while commuting.

The denim fabrics benefit from the Sanitized™ T20-19 hygienic finish for textiles; non-denim fabrics contain the Sanitized® Silver hygienic protection for textiles which is based on silver salt (scientifically recognized as having natural antimicrobial properties). Sanitized™ products prevents growth of bacteria and hinders unpleasant odors. Additionally, the Sanitized™ products carry bluesign® approval and the Oeko-Tex 100 registration (class I-IV).

Composite military helmets

The use of composite materials for military helmets and other armouring solutions differs in many respects from traditional structural composite applications.

For optimum ballistic protection, the laminate has to be “suitably weak” in structural terms. This is achieved by optimizing materials and lay-up to allow absorbing the energy introduced by the projectile through delamination, failure of the fibre-matrix bond, and fibre breakage. Due to the three-dimensional shape of helmets, it is an extremely challenging task to optimise the laminate lay-up in a way that the ballistic performance is achieved all over the helmet area, whilst keeping the helmet weight at a minimum. In helmet production, numerically-controlled automatic cutting of each reinforcement ply is used to achieve high precision and quality. After pressing and water-jet cutting to the right shape, the helmets are sealed with an integrally manufactured edge in order to minimise moisture pick-up of the laminate.

 
High-performance aramid fibres for outstanding protection

FY-Composites’ helmets are made from high-performance aramid fibres and offer an excellent performance-weight ratio. In addition to protection against fragments, they also offer high protection against bullets. The standard combat helmet developed in co-operation with the Finnish Defence Forces offers a protection area of 0.12m2 and a protection level over 580 m/s against a 1.1-g fragment and 420 m/s against a 9-mm, 7.5-g FMJ bullet. The total weight, including the inner suspension, is only 1.1kg. The advanced design of these composite helmets provides the user with the following features: large protection area; possibility to wear ear protection; versatile options for attachment of other equipment such as visor, gas mask, headset, etc.; easy to clean, good weather and wear resistance; and inner suspension ensuring excellent support, comfort and impact absorption. Compared with traditional metal helmets, composite helmets offer considerably lighter weight combined with much higher ballistic protection.

 
Individually developed helmets
Typically, FY-Composites’ helmets are developed individually in close co-operation with the customers and tailored to their needs. Customers appreciate the in-house advanced analysis and design tools, as well as the thorough understanding of various composite materials and production methods, which is necessary to achieve lightweight and cost-efficient products while keeping development time short. The market for ballistic helmets includes armies, police SWAT teams and UN troops, amongst others. For instance, a special helmet model with a ballistic visor is used for mine-clearing operations. Other special models include tank crew and police helmets.

PepsiCo Canada Launches 7UP EcoGreen™ Bottles Made from 100 Percent Recycled PET

PepsiCo Beverages Canada has announced the introduction of the 7UP EcoGreen™ bottle, Canada's and North America's first soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic.

The development of the 7UP EcoGreen bottle is a significant achievement for PepsiCo and a breakthrough for the Canadian beverage sector because the company has identified a way to couple existing technology with the best sources of recycled PET plastic and best-in-class processing techniques to produce a 100 percent recycled PET, food-grade bottle that meets all regulatory requirements and is of the highest quality. Creating a bottle made from 100 percent recycled plastic for soft drinks is more challenging than creating a bottle for non-carbonated beverages because of the stress on materials from carbonation pressure.

By introducing the 7UP EcoGreen bottle in Canada, PepsiCo Beverages Canada will reduce the amount of virgin plastic used by approximately six million pounds over the course of one year. Studies published by the Association for Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers in 2010, estimate this reduced use of virgin plastic will lead to a reduction of more than 30 percent in greenhouse gas emissions and more than 55 percent in energy use, based on current 7UP production levels.

"After three years of research and development, we have cracked the code to commercially develop a soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic, and Canada has proudly led the way," said Richard Glover, President, PepsiCo Beverages Canada. "Consumers want products and packaging that reflects their desire to protect the environment, and PepsiCo is committed to delivering on that with this kind of world-class innovation."

"At Pitch-In Canada we initiate recycling and composting programs to clean up and beautify streams, wilderness and urban areas," said Misha Cook, Executive Director, Pitch-In Canada, one of Canada's oldest not-for-profit environmental organizations. "Any action that reduces the use of virgin plastic by approximately six million pounds annually gets my nod of approval. I commend PepsiCo Beverages Canada and its 7UP brand for taking this important step, and I encourage other manufacturers to follow their lead. Together, we can make a significant difference."

The 7UP EcoGreen bottle will be available across all 7UP and Diet 7UP package sizes beginning in early August, and will look and feel like any other PET plastic soft drink bottle consumers will not detect a difference to the packaging or refreshing taste of Canada's number one lemon lime soft drink.

PepsiCo Beverages Canada's long-term plan is to increase the use of bottles made from 100 percent recycled plastic. Currently, PepsiCo leads the industry by incorporating an average of 10 percent recycled PET in its primary soft drink bottles in Canada and the U.S.

With this announcement, PepsiCo reinforces its steadfast commitment to Performance with Purpose and finding innovative sustainable packaging solutions. To drive progress against the company's goal of rethinking the way that it grows, sources, creates, packages and delivers its products to minimize the impact on land, PepsiCo adheres to the following guideposts for sustainable packaging:

Reduce: Optimize the amount of packaging required through light weighting and minimizing the use of secondary and transport packaging. For example, Aquafina introduced the Eco-Fina bottle in 2009, the lightest bottle of its size among U.S. bottled water brands. Reuse: Reuse packaging materials and components. Recycle: Design packaging to be recyclable, use recycled content in our packaging and promote responsible recycling practices. In May 2011, PepsiCo began offering five options of eco-friendly, recyclable and compostable cups to Foodservice customers in the United States. Renew: Leverage packaging materials derived from renewable sources, as PepsiCo did when it introduced the world's first 100 percent plant-based PET plastic bottle in March 2011.

Researchers Develop Nanocomposite-based Trachea Scaffold for Medical Applications

A UCL scientist and his team designed and built the synthetic windpipe 'scaffold' used in an operation in Sweden announced by the Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet.

The windpipe (trachea) implanted in this patient was developed using nanocomposite materials which were developed and patented by Professor Alexander Seifalian (UCL Division of Surgery & Interventional Science), whose labs are based at the Royal Free Hospital.

Together with Professor Paolo Macchiarini at Karolinska, who also holds an Honorary appointment at UCL, Professor Seifalian designed and developed the trachea scaffold using a material known as a novel nanocomposite polymer.

Professor Seifalian has worked closely with UCL Business (UCLB), responsible for technology development and commercial transactions at UCL, to patent these materials and develop their use in medical devices. As well as being used for tissue scaffolds, the materials have other potential uses such as coronary stents and grafts.

A nanocomposite is a material containing some components that are less than 100 nanometres (nm) in size. To give a sense of scale, a human hair is about 60,000 nanometres in thickness. A polymer is a repeating chain of small, identical molecules (called monomers) which are linked together.

Polymers are already used in medical devices, but the properties of these novel polymers reduce the risk of rejection, rupture, or the need for repeat surgery. They have better elasticity, strength and versatility and are formulated to encourage cell growth.

A full size 'y-shaped' trachea scaffold was manufactured in Professor Seifalian's labs. This was accomplished using a CT (computerised tomography) scan of the patient as a guide, to create the exact shape and dimension needed. A mould was then made using glass.

When the polymer scaffold had been made, it was taken to Karolinska where the patient's stem cells were incorporated to it (or 'seeded') by Professor Paolo Macchiarini's team, and the full biological trachea was grown in a bioreactor - a device designed for the procedure by Harvard Bioscience which provides the correct environment for the tissue to grow. This process means the trachea very effectively simulates natural tissue and has the same properties as a 'real' trachea.

Professor Seifalian said: "Professor Macchiarini has previously performed successful transplants of tissue engineered tracheas, but on those occasions the tracheas used were taken from organ donors and then reseeded with the patient's own stem cells."

"What makes this procedure different is it's the first time that a wholly tissue engineered synthetic windpipe has been made and successfully transplanted, making it an important milestone for regenerative medicine. We expect there to be many more exciting applications for the novel polymers we have developed."