Solvay Acquires Eastman’s 50% Stake in Cellulose Acetate Production JV

 Solvay and Eastman Chemical Company have signed a definitive agreement to end their cellulose acetate production joint venture Primester with Solvay acquiring Eastman’s 50 percent stake in the U.S.-based plant and becoming its sole owner.

“After our partnership of 25 years, this agreement allows Solvay to continue securing the most economical long term supply of cellulose acetate flake for its own tow business in Germany, Brazil and Russia, while adapting capacity to demand," said Philippe Rosier, President of Solvay Global Business Unit Acetow. 

Following the transaction, Eastman will provide the long-term supply of basic utilities and raw materials to the plant, based in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Closing should occur in the second quarter of 2016, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Source: Solvay 

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DSM’s Dyneema® UHMWPE-based Ballistic Protective Insert Reduces Weight of Armor

DSM Dyneema announced that company First Armour, an affiliate of the KADDB Investment Group (KIG), is showcasing at SOFEX Jordan 2016 exhibition the lightest available insert. This panel, to be worn in combination with a protective vest, was tested according to NIJ Standard-0101.04 Level III and 7.62x39 MSC, featuring Dyneema® Force Multiplier Technology. The new DP3/3+/L insert, weighing less than one kilo, sharply decreases the load carried by operational units while maintaining a high level of ballistic protection.

Dyneema® Force Multiplier Technology is a radical innovation based on Dyneema®, one of the leading brands of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber. It enables customers to create very light armor solutions. The protective insert is manufactured by First Armour in Jordan, for high-end use in law enforcement and embassy guards in the region.

“Reducing the weight, and thickness of protective equipment is a key objective for military and law enforcement personnel in Jordan and around the globe,” said Muneer Al Assi, General Manager of First Armour. “Our productive, ongoing collaboration with DSM Dyneema and the exceptional properties of Dyneema® Force Multiplier Technology enabled us to design this new ultra-lightweight protective insert. With this insert, the officer can enhance endurance, speed, comfort and freedom of movement. We are pleased to offer a state-of-the-art ballistic protection solution to the region.”
First Armour will soon start offering various types of body armor based on different high-performance grades of Dyneema®.

“We congratulate First Armour on its innovative ballistic protective insert, which combines dramatic weight reduction with highly demanding protection requirements,” said Marcio Manique, Global Business Director, Life Protection, DSM Dyneema. “


Source: DSM 

PolyOne Launches UltraTuf LED Sheet Made of Eastman’s Copolyester

 PolyOne announced the launch of UltraTuf™ LED, a premium light diffusing sheet that combines excellent light transmission and diffusion properties with toughness, chemical resistance and improved design flexibility. UltraTuf LED sheet is made using BPA-free Eastman Spectar™ Stratus copolyester, which has received UL GREENGUARD Certification for Indoor Air Quality. 

Fig. 1: UltraTuf LED Sheet

“We developed new UltraTuf LED sheet with the ability to transmit up to 91% of light while still effectively diffusing the light across the lens,” said Kendall Justiniano, marketing director, Designed Structures and Solutions at PolyOne. “And we also harnessed the design flexibility and exceptional durability inherent in the base material to deliver a complete solution to LED lighting system designers.” 

Because it offers deep draw thermoforming capabilities, UltraTuf LED sheet can be used to create visually stunning designs that allow OEMs to differentiate their lighting systems. It also has superior durability, withstanding direct impact in shipping or use of up to 15 times that of most traditional light diffuser materials for simpler handling and longer installed life. Good chemical resistance makes UltraTuf LED suitable for demanding environments, and ease of processing helps to improve operational efficiency during manufacture. 

BGI Selects Solvay’s Semi-crystalline PEEK for Use in Genome Sequencer

Solvay Specialty Polymers, among the leading global suppliers of high-performance thermoplastics, announced that its KetaSpire® polyetheretherketone (PEEK), one of the highest performing semi-crystalline thermoplastics commercially available, has been chosen by BGI, one of the world’s largest genomics organization based in Shenzhen, China, for use in its next-generation sequencing platform, BGISEQ-500. This is a milestone development for Ketaspire® PEEK, marking its first application in the genomics research industry.

“Traditionally, glass is used for the flow cell chip holder, but it is easily broken and difficult to process. The toughness and injection molding capabilities of Solvay’s KetaSpire® PEEK solved this problem perfectly,” said Jing Wang, R&D manager of BGI. “KetaSpire® PEEK also demonstrates excellent biocompatibility, no absorption or interaction with reagents, and excellent dimensional stability, which enables highly accurate assembly in the flow cell.”

In October 2015, BGI launched the BGISEQ-500, a desktop high-throughput sequencing system powered by combinatorial Probe-Anchor Synthesis (cPAS) and improved DNA Nanoballs (DNB) technology. “Accuracy, flexibility, speed, simplicity, and expandability make the BGISEQ-500 sequencer a high-throughput, open sequencing platform that provides a one-stop solution,” explained Qiang Shi, Product Manager at BGI.

Unlike other commercial systems, the BGISEQ-500 sequencer can process two different chips (FCL and FCS) in a single run, consistently producing highly accurate data. This avoids the need for several sequencers and makes genome sequencing more affordable and accessible for all users.


“We are very pleased to collaborate with Solvay. Their polymer knowledge, expertise and responsive technical support helped us meet critical performance requirements”, commented Jing Wang. “Solvay’s experience as a key materials supplier to the healthcare industry spans more than 25 years. With our broad product portfolio, we are firmly positioned as a strategic supplier to the Chinese healthcare market,” added Dr. Luke Du, managing director Asia, and executive vice president of Solvay Specialty Polymers. 

KetaSpire® PEEK is one of the industry’s most chemically resistant plastics and offers excellent strength, superior fatigue resistance, and a continuous-use temperature of 240°C (464°F). It can withstand more than 1,000 cycles of steam sterilization without significant loss of properties and is also compatible with other sterilization methods, including ethylene oxide, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and gamma radiation. Based on biocompatibility testing as defined by ISO 10993-1, KetaSpire® PEEK demonstrates no evidence of cytotoxicity, sensitization, intracutaneous reactivity or systemic toxicity.

Source: Solvay 

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DSM Introduces Stanyl HGR1 to Reduce Frictional Torque in Automobile Engine Timing Systems

Royal DSM, one of the global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, has launched an innovative new high performance material based on Stanyl® polyamide 46. This new material, Stanyl HGR1, reduces frictional torque in automobile engine timing systems and will provide OEMs with a very cost-effective tool for reducing fuel consumption.

Automobile makers are constantly trying to improve the torque they can obtain from their engines, so that they can reduce engine capacity - and hence fuel consumption - without loss of mechanical performance. (Torque is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, and in engines it is closely related to horsepower.) Their strategy includes reducing frictional torque, which is the negative force caused when a rotating object moves against another surface.

Part of the frictional torque arises in engine timing systems when the timing chain moves over an element that keeps it under tension. This chain tensioner is often injection molded in polyamide 66, but increasingly this material is being replaced by DSM’s Stanyl PA46, owing to its improved performance, both in terms of mechanical properties, as well as its frictional and wear characteristics.

DSM has continued to work on developments to improve the properties of Stanyl PA 46 for use in chain tensioners. Stanyl HGR1 and the next generation Stanyl HGR2, which will be introduced soon, offer further enhancements in friction reduction. Extensive tests have proven that chain tensioners in Stanyl HGR1 produce lower frictional torque than any other material at relatively low engine speeds ranging from idle to 1800 rpm. HGR1 also performed well at vehicle cruise speeds.

Stanyl HGR1 polyamide 46-based material has already made its market debut on the latest version of the Pentastar V6 engine, built by Fiat Chrysler America (FCA) and fitted to numerous vehicles. The new material reduces frictional torque in the Pentastar engine timing system, helping reduce fuel consumption in a highly cost-effective way.

Source: DSM

NatureWorks & Metalvuoto Launch High Barrier Ingeo-based Flexible Film for Long Shelf Life

 NatureWorks and Metalvuoto announced a new generation of high barrier Ingeo-based flexible substrates designed to keep processed foods fresh on store shelves. While Ingeo film has been used for years in fresh food packaging, this is the first application for longer shelf life foods that are increasingly packaged in flat, stand up, or squared bottom pouches.

The introduction comes in response to a strong interest from the flexible packaging market in packaging simplification, with brands looking to move from complex multilayer laminates to simpler packaging solutions without compromising shelf life. The Metalvuoto film allows using a two-layer pouch with performance matching that of three-layer pouches.

Fig. 1:
This New Ingeo-based Film from Metalvuoto Provides High Oxygen and Water Vapor Barrier Properties Which are Ideal for Shelf Stable Food Packaging.

Gianni Costanzo, Metalvuoto Executive Director, explained, “Until now, the flexible packaging industry has grown up around the use of multi-material laminates because no one material was able to provide multiple functionality. For example, brand owners often use an aluminum layer for barrier, a PET layer for external aesthetics, and an internal PE layer for heat-seal ability. Now, we have used the Metalvuoto Oxaqua coating technology with an Ingeo base film to replace two layers of different materials with one layer that simultaneously provides excellent barrier and heat-seal ability.”

The new film, which Metalvuoto terms “Ingeo Propylester©”, has barrier properties of less than 0.75 cc/m²/24hr for oxygen and 2.5 g/m²/24hr for water vapor¹. This provides a significantly better oxygen barrier than metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Barrier performance is compared in the figure below against a range of materials normally considered for use in flexible packaging markets.

Fig. 2:
This New Film Allows Using a Two-layer Pouch with Performance Matching That of Three-layer Pouches for Simpler Packaging. These two Layer Pouches are 100 Percent Bio-based.

Metalvuoto’s Ingeo-based film provides good seal strength (>80 g/cm²), eliminating the need for an additional sealant layer and enabling a structural package simplification. Costanzo said that Metalvuoto expects strong interest from the market in two-layer structures in which the Ingeo and Oxaqua biocoating technology are combined with paper to provide a fully biobased performance package at a cost competitive with current three-layer structures.

Ingeo Propylester is well suited for food packaging in both horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal applications, and has demonstrated good process ability. In testing on pouch making machines, 30 to 40 units per minute were produced, depending on the type of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper pouch – flat, stand up, or square bottom.

Metalvuoto is giving a presentation on the new possibilities this technology offers for the pouch market at Innovation Takes Root, the global Ingeo users’ forum, March 30 – April 1 in Orlando, Florida.

Source: NatureWorks LLC