EPA Finalizes Air Toxic Emission Standards for PVC Production Facilities to Reduce Emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued strong final standards requiring facilities that produce polyvinyl chloride and copolymers (PVC) to reduce harmful air emissions, which will improve air quality and protect people's health in communities where facilities are located. Exposure to toxic air pollutants, like those emitted from PVC facilities, can cause respiratory problems and other serious health issues, and can increase the risk of developing cancer. In particular, children are known to be more sensitive to the cancer risks posed by inhaling vinyl chloride, one of the known carcinogens emitted from PVC facilities.

The final standards are based on currently available technologies and will reduce emissions of air toxics, such as dioxin and vinyl chloride. Facilities will have the flexibility to choose the most practical and cost-effective control technology or technique to reduce the emissions. Facilities will be required to monitor emissions at certain points in the PVC production process to ensure that the standards are met.

Currently, there are 17 PVC production facilities throughout the United States, with a majority of these facilities located in Louisiana and Texas. All existing and any new PVC production facilities are covered by the final rule.

PVC production facilities manufacture PVC resins that are used to make a large number of commercial and industrial products at other manufacturing facilities. These products include latex paints, coatings, adhesives, clear plastics, rigid plastics, and flooring.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner Passenger Plane Uses Lighter & Fuel-efficient High-tech Plastic Composites

The launch of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner passenger plane marks another step forward in aviation technology, the latest in a century-long history of dramatic advancements.

Over the last half-century, many of these advancements have resulted from innovations in plastics technology-and today plastics are helping create state-of-the-art airplanes that offer unparalleled durability, comfort, and fuel-efficiency.

The use of plastics in aircraft began in World War II. Remember in the film It's a Wonderful Life when Sam Wainwright offers George Bailey a "chance of a lifetime" making plastics from soybeans-and the angel Joseph later says that Sam "made a fortune in plastic hoods for planes" during World War II? Plastics also were used to construct the housing for radar equipment (since they don't impede the radar waves), they replaced rubber in airplane wheels, and they even were sprayed on fighter planes to protect against corrosion from salty seawater. Over the years, aviation technicians have found that the attributes of various plastics-favourable strength-to-weight ratios, heat resistance, flexibility, durability-make them useful in all sorts of aircraft. They can withstand the vibrations of helicopters, they help take astronauts into space, and they even make military aircraft less visible to radar.

New, high-tech plastics-such as carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP)-are helping make passenger aircraft lighter, more durable, and more fuel-efficient. CFRP are made of one or more plastics combined with fibers made from carbon, resulting in lightweight, extremely strong materials. State-of-the-art airplanes, including the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, rely on composites such as CFRP. Boeing states that 50 percent of the primary structure of the 787 is made with composites (up from about 12 percent in most aircraft) in place of traditional materials such as aluminum sheeting. These composites help reduce the weight of the aircraft and contribute to a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption. Better fuel efficiency also translates into lower carbon and other emissions during the lifetime of the aircraft. And the planes can fly longer without refueling, potentially resulting in longer non-stop flights. In addition, the use of plastic composites reduces the scrap and waste produced from working with traditional materials. And plastic composites also are less susceptible to fatigue and corrosion, so Boeing expects the aircraft to last longer and require fewer repairs.

The use of composite materials might even make for more comfortable travel. Why? The composite materials can sustain lower cabin pressure at high altitudes and higher humidity levels than traditional aluminum-bodied planes, so it's expected that passengers will fly more comfortably and arrive at their destinations feeling more rested.

What is next for plastic composites in flight? The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is researching the use of large composite structures for elements of its space flight programs. The high strength-to-weight ratio and overall lower mass of composite structures could make it easier for NASA to transport larger payloads to and from space. An integral part of aviation for more than half a century, plastics continue to inspire innovation in all sorts of aircraft.

Toray to Build a Plant at TMQ to Produce Artificial Kidneys Made of Polysulfone

Toray Industries, Inc. and Toray Medical Co., Ltd. (head office: Urayasu-shi, Chiba; President: Motonaga Tanaka; hereinafter referred to as "TMC") announced recently that they have decided to build a new plant to manufacture artificial kidneys at Toray Medical (Qingdao) Co., Ltd. (TMQ), which was established in Jimo City, Qingdao, Shandong Province, in July 2011.

TMQ was established by Toray and TMC as joint venture with Qingdao Jifa Group Co., Ltd. (head office: Jimo Qingdao, China; President: Chen Yulan, General Manager: Yang Weidong (General Manager); hereinafter referred to as "Jifa") for manufacture and sales of dialysis machines. The plant for manufacturing of the dialysis machines is currently under construction and is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2012. The company expects to start selling the products at about the same time.

Toray and TMC are planning to build a plant for manufacturing artificial kidneys at a site adjacent to the dialysis machine plant by investing about 6 billion yen, aiming to start sales in the latter half of 2014. The plant will manufacture TORAYLIGHT™ NV, a polysulfone membrane artificial kidney(generic name: hollow-membrane dialyzer; authorization number: 22200BZX00871000), which was launched in Japan in April 2011. This will double Toray Group's production capacity for TORAYLIGHT™ products. Demand in the global dialysis market is expected to expand led by Asia and other developing nations. In particular, demand is expected to increase significantly in China boosted by factors including state policies on establishment of medical insurance systems. By enhancing this artificial kidney plant, Toray plans to expand its business to meet the growing demand in the future.

More than half of the demand for dialysis machines and artificial kidneys in the Chinese market is currently met through imports. Toray, by building a supply system with these two products, will swiftly respond to this current market requirement. At the same time, Toray expects to contribute to the improvement of dialysis treatment by bringing in the Group's entire dialysis technology to China. Toray and TMC position TMQ as the beachhead for the pharmaceutical and medical product business in China, and plan to strengthen the customer service in China and expand from the existing dialysis machine and artificial kidney business into other fields. With TMQ, the Toray Group aims to drive its business growth in the life science field, which is one of the Intensively Developing and Expanding Businesses to spearhead the next-generation business expansion under the medium-term management program Project "AP-G 2013".

Braj Binani Group Acquires Europe's 3B - The Fiberglass Company for a Total Outlay of € 275 Mn

Binani Industries Limited, the holding company of USD 1.6 billion Braj Binani Group, recently announced the acquisition of 3B - The Fibreglass Company ('3B'), a Europe-based major in fiberglass products and technologies. Binani Industries Limited is one of India's leading global diversified business houses, with interests in cement, zinc, glass fiber, composites and ready-mix concrete.

The Braj Binani Group has acquired a 100% equity interest in 3B from Platinum Equity. This acquisition is part of Braj Binani Group's strategy to expand its footprint in the global fiberglassmarket. It further augments the Group's technological and marketing capabilities in the fiberglass business.

Mr. Braj Binani, Chairman, Binani Industries Limited, said, "The acquisition, costing us €275 million, will strengthen our group's core operations at a global level. The group is present in fast-growth business segments, of which fiberglass is one. We are among one of the few groups globally that has a robust presence in this niche segment and we are working to accelerate our fiberglass operations further over the coming years. 3B is therefore a perfect match. We look forward to leveraging its expertise, strong R&D and excellent customer network."

This acquisition gives Binani Industries full ownership of 3B's global operating capacity of 1,50,000 tones per annum (tpa). It also provides access to its established customers, world-class technologies, marketing network, vast marketing geographies and skilled manpower. 3B has an extensive portfolio of products including chopped strands, direct rovings and continuous filament mats. Goa Glass Fiber Limited, a subsidiary of Binani Industries based in Goa, India with a manufacturing capacity of 20,000 tpa, has state-of-the-art operations in similar product categories and exports its products to over 15 countries across five continents.

The acquisition allows Binani Industries to consolidate its position in the global fiberglass market by increasing its product and customer base. The company will become a prominent supplier to industries such as automotive, wind energy, electrical, electronics, marine, infrastructure and transportation, primarily in Europe, where approximately 90 per cent of 3B's customers are based. Furthermore, the manufacturing plants that Binani Industries will own in Battice (Belgium) and Birkeland (Norway) will help it serve blue-chip customers in northern and central Europe. 45 per cent of 3B's customers are in Germany followed by the Netherlands and Belgium (14% each).

With regards to technology, Binani Industries will benefit from 3B's continuous product innovation and product development undertaken at its in-house R&D unit at Battice. This technology expertise will place Binani Industries in a premium position in the global fiberglass market.

Rhodia to Use Avantium’s YXY Technology to Develop Renewable Polyamides

Rhodia, member of the Solvay Group, and Avantium recently announced that they have entered into a partnership to jointly develop a range of new bio-based polyamides targeting a variety of applications.

This partnership expands and completes the previously announced development agreement in the field of bio-based engineering plastics between Solvay and Avantium. Building on the newly combined forces of Rhodia and Solvay, the extended relationship offers the partners a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of compositions and applications based on Avantium's YXY technology in the larger Polyamidefield. In the frame of this joint development, the companies will explore the market potential of polyamide compositions on the basis of YXY building blocks. Produced from renewable and bio-based feedstock, these compositions are expected to exhibit superior environmental profile and at the same time to deliver applicative performances at a competitive cost. Rhodia will test these new polyamides for fibers and engineering applications in various areas such as consumer goods, automotive and electronic materials. Rhodia and Avantium have entered into a multi-year, exclusive collaboration towards commercialization of these new polyamides.

"This collaboration perfectly fits with our strategy to deliver new sustainable products to our markets, and will combine our know-how in polyamides with Avantium's YXY technology to produce building blocks for green materials. This open innovation partnership is inspiring for our teams and we are confident that it will deliver breakthrough in the development of bio-based competitive polyamides", explained Louis Neltner, R&D Vice-President at Rhodia. Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium, about the new collaboration: "Rhodia is a world leading player in the development, manufacturing and supply of polyamides. We are very pleased to work with Rhodia on developing performing, sustainable and competitive solutions for a broad range of customers. Together with our existing partnerships in polyamides, we are now completely covering all application areas for polyamides on basis of our green building blocks."

* YXY (pronounced icksy) is Avantium's brand name of a family of green building blocks for making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil based alternatives, and which have a superior environmental footprint. Based on Avantium's patented catalytic technology to convert biomass into furanic building blocks, YXY can be implemented in existing chemical production assets.

RadiciGroup to Display Yarns Made from Post-consumer Recycled Polymer at Heimtextil 2012

At the Heimtextil trade fair from 11 to 14 January 2012, RadiciGroup is exhibiting its product range for the home and contract textile markets. Yarn lines that were developed to meet any request, requirement and application need: yarn produced from post-consumer recycled polymer or made from polylactic acid biopolymer; microstructured yarn; yarn with flame-retardant, anti-UV and bacteriostatic/antimicrobial properties; and two-component yarn. Thanks to its superior quality level, production know-how and expertise in innovative production and processing technologies, the Group can provide its customers with state-of-the-art, high value-added products.

RadiciGroup customers are demanding ever more innovative products. They want high-quality, high-performance customized yarn that enables them to make technologically advanced fabrics. That is why, in the yarn design stage, RadiciGroup allows customers to choose the count, lustre, quantity and type of yarn they need. Colour can also be totally customized. Furthermore, customers can select any combination of additional features. RadiciGroup can supply multi-functional yarn produced with a mix of additives to give the yarn various performance characteristics, such as flame, UV ray and/or bacterial-resistance, as well as with solution dyeing. During the design stage, the customer has no limits. Innovation, quality and sustainability: these are the distinctive traits of RadiciGroup.

During the event RadiciGroup companies Noyfil SA and Noyfil SpA leading European manufacturers of a wide range of polyester yarns are exhibiting their product portfolios.

RadiciGroup is also showcasing the following lines at the fair: Starlight® feel yarn incorporating a silver nanocompound to provide bacteriostatic properties, CornLeaf solution-dyed yarn with antimicrobial functionality made from Ingeo™ polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer, RADYARN® FR flame-retardant yarn, STARLIGHT® UV-GUARD anti-UV yarn, MICRALON® PES/PA two-component yarn, and MICRELL® microfiber.

Cool Polymers' Thermally Conductive Thermoplastic Finds Use in LED Applications

More than 80 million LED lights are running cooler, thanks to CoolPoly® thermally conductive plastics, notes Cool Polymers®, Inc., currently celebrating ten years of successful thermal management of high power LEDs. This equates to annual energy savings for users of as much as $115 million.

Cool Polymers, Inc. of North Kingstown, is the original manufacturer of thermally conductive thermoplastics for injection molding. The firm first targeted heat problems in laptops computers and quickly realized that thermally conductive plastics were a flexible and low cost solution for managing excess heat from the tiny LED chips. Due to ongoing accelerated sales in the LED marketplace as well as other markets, the firm recently moved to expansive new facilities in North Kingstown, just south of Providence and Boston.

General Manager, Kevin McCullough, recounts that "In initial LED applications, customers benefited from high brightness and low power consumption, but experienced significant corrosion problems with metallic heat sinks. The marine industry was one example. They wanted the benefits of LEDs and the thermally conductivity of our CoolPoly product line eliminated all corrosion and environmental concerns while managing the heat the same as aluminum."

The Cool Polymers General Manager continues, "Early adopters were excited about using LEDs in their applications and the design freedom of plastics. Many users also had captive injection molding and found they could manufacture parts in-house which they previously had to purchase from outside vendors. This helped them reduce the risk of uncontrolled costs and uncertain supply. Ten years of manufacturing plastics for successful LED applications has enabled Cool Polymers to rapidly and efficiently support existing and new customers in all lighting segments. We help optimize part, tooling and heat transfer designs as well as provide support that only comes from a decade of experience."

Today, the applications are growing rapidly and CoolPoly thermally conductive plastics are used for LEDs in automotive, transportation, architectural, medical, aerospace, and general illumination. As the industry grows, "We're seeing a consistent movement towards plastic thermal solutions" states Jessica Weimar, Operations Manager at Cool Polymers. "Thermally conductive plastics provide light weight and design flexible heat sinks and housings that can be injection molded on the same equipment used to manufacture LED optics. This is a tremendous benefit to the integrated manufacturing concept," she continues, "thus enabling manufacturers to reduce total cost and eliminate margin stack-up."

Looking forward, McCullough points out that, "We're highly pleased with the first ten years and our ability to contribute to an estimated $115 million/year in energy savings to users. We anticipate that the next ten years will bring unprecedented demand worldwide for thermally conductive plastics to manage the heat and enclosure challenges in LED lighting."