Sustainable Plastics via BioMass and/or Recycling, JUNE 25-28, New York

HIGHLIGHTS

(1) Single most contributor to “Polymer/Chemical Sustainability” is RECYCLING. However, without near-perfect quality, full potential of recycling can never be realized; a highpoint of this conference!

(2) Executive Overview: Bio-Sourced PolyOlefins/PolyAmides/PolyCarbonates/PolyUrethanes & more!

(3) Bio-PolyEsters of Today & Tomorrow: PEF vs PET, PTF, PLA and game-Changing PHA. In addition to the performance attributes and Sustainability/Air-Pollution/Land-Pollution, a differentiating feature of PHA is its degradability in river & ocean waters; the latter being a severe ecological problem facing us today. Brand-Owners such as PepsiCo and Italeri will co-present on PHA.

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As of now, representatives from 14 countries will be participating along with brand-owners such as PepsiCo, Suntory, Italeri, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson
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Register for the conference via (973) 801-6212 or preferably on our website @
http://innoplastsolutions.com/bio.html
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Business Growth in Polymer Industry
Atlanta, OCT 2-4, 2018
via
(1) Polymer Failure & Defect Problem Solving
(2) Accidental Discoveries During Routine Workday

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Register for the course via (973) 801-6212 or preferably on our website @
http://innoplastsolutions.com/courses/polymer-failure-defects.html

Researchers Synthesize Biodegradable Alternative to Polyolefins

Researchers at Virginia Tech have synthesized a biodegradable alternative to polyolefins using a new catalyst and the polyester polymer, and this breakthrough could eventually have a profound impact on sustainability efforts.

Largest Challenges in Polymer Chemistry
One of the largest challenges in polymer chemistry is controlling the tacticity or the stereochemistry of the polymer. When multiplying monomer subunits into the macromolecular chain, it’s difficult for scientists to replicate a consistent arrangement of side-chain functional groups stemming off the main polymer chain. These side-chain functional groups greatly affect a polymer’s physical and chemical properties, such as melting temperature or glass-transition temperature, and regular stereochemistry leads to better properties.

Controlling Stereochemistry

There’s a good chance you’ve touched something made out of the polyolefin polymer today. It’s often used in polyethylene products like plastic bags or polypropylene products like diapers.

As useful as polyolefins are in society, they continue to multiply as trash in the environment. Scientists estimate plastic bags, for example, will take centuries to degrade.

Tong said his group has now found a way to create regular stereochemistry with polyesters.

“There’s no method available to do this kind of chemistry,” Tong said. “People have done similar work with polylactide before, but we’ve fundamentally shown that if we control the stereochemistry, the polyesters will have improved physical and chemical properties.”

Tong and his postdoc, Quanyou Feng, combined a new photoredox Ni/Ir catalyst — a surprisingly simple chemical process that uses a household light bulb to start the reaction — with a stereoselective Zn catalyst to initiate the ring-opening polymerization of the O-carboxyanhydride monomer to create these improved polyesters. The monomers can be conveniently polymerized within just a few hours with trace amounts of catalysts. The resulting material has a high molecular weight, thermal stability and crystallinity, and can degrade in basic water solution.

“If you use a regular catalyst, it doesn’t have stereochemistry control, but we found that our catalyst can do that,” Tong said. “In our paper, we demonstrate how to design such stereoselective catalysts and how they help with stereochemistry control.”

O-carboxyanhydrides are made out of amino acids, which are natural organic compounds, so these polyesters would degrade, unlike the current nondegradable polyolefins. In addition, O-carboxyanhydrides can bring different functional groups to the polyester and diversify the polymer’s application. Currently, the FDA has only approved a few polyesters for biomedical application.

After finalizing the synthesis, Tong then worked with Guoliang “Greg” Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and fellow affiliated faculty member with MII, to show that the new polymers had improved properties.

Polymerization Techniques

“Dr. Tong’s lab has outstanding catalyst design and polymerization techniques, and we have excellent characterization and processing skillsets, so it’s natural for us to work together,” Liu said. “Controlling and proving tacticity is not a trivial process. Using differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance, we provide strong evidence for the structure and properties that we’re going for.”
Developing these polyesters into applications is still down the line, but Liu said for now this is a significant advancement for materials research.
“This polyester synthesis that controls the tacticity can provide a new library of polymer materials that we haven’t had before,” Liu said.

Degradable and Green Plastics

This piece of innovative chemistry has Tong and Liu excited for a future that degradable and green plastics can be produced to replace today’s petroleum plastics that persist in landfills and oceans for decades or centuries.

Tong mentioned that this new polymer synthesis technology h

as been demonstrated only at the academic lab scale. There is still much work to be done to characterize these functional materials and perfect the patent-pending synthesis scale-up process.

“It would be our dream to see these degradable polyesters materialize in the marketplace, for both the plastic industry and biomedical application,” Tong said.

Tong’s team also include Yongliang Zhong, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student; Dong Guo, a chemistry student working in Liu’s lab; and the collaborator Linghai Xie, a professor at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications in China, who helped on the computation studies to elucidate the catalyst stereoselectivity mechanism.

The research was supported by grants from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund and start-up funding for Tong from Virginia Tech.

Source: Virginia Tech

 

  

 

Dr. Duane Priddy Comments on Gynecological Polypropylene Mesh Investigation

More than 100,000 women are suing surgically implanted gynecological mesh manufacturers like Boston Scientific in what is believed to be the largest multi-district litigation since asbestos. CBS News recently covered the story in a 60 Minutes special.

The mesh in question is made of polypropylene, a common plastic material used in packaging. 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley interviewed Dr. Duane Priddy, CEO of Plastic Expert Group and widely considered to be one of the leading experts on plastic technologies in the world, about the recommended use of polypropylene.

Oxidatively Unstable Plastic
Dr. Duane Priddy said:
“I can't, in my wildest imagination, imagine anybody that's knowledgeable in the science of plastics ever deciding that it was appropriate to use polypropylene in the human body. It's well known that it’s oxidatively unstable.FDA Clearance for “Marlex” PP Brand Only:Boston Scientific had clearance from the FDA to use a brand of polypropylene called “Marlex” made in Texas by a subsidiary of Chevron Phillips. But when concerns about the medical use of polypropylene caused Boston Scientific’s supply of the plastic to run dry, court documents show that they circumvented this shortage by smuggling in counterfeit material from a Chinese supplier.

CBS News hired Dr. Priddy as an independent consultant to analyze Boston Scientific's own internal test results of the Chinese plastic that was obtained in court documents.

“I would predict a significant difference in the antioxidant stability, or I should say the oxidation resistance of those products in the human body.”

When asked by Pelley how long the Chinese plastic could be expected to last inside the human body, he replied “just a few months.”

Lawsuits Against Boston Scientific

So far, Boston Scientific alone has attracted 48,000 lawsuits which claim that its gynecological mesh can inflict life-altering pain and injury.

Research Develops Biodegradable Plastic from Prawn Shell and Silkworms-based Protein

Angelina worked with a CSIRO mentor to develop a completely biodegradable plastic made from prawn shell and sticky protein from the silk of silkworms. 

New Research to Curb Environmental Issues

Now, Angelina and her shrimp bioplastic will be representing Australia at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania alongside over 1,800 high school students from 75 countries, regions, and territories.

After becoming a finalist in the 2017 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards for her research into the commercial viability of bioplastics, she decided to refine her research and worked with a CSIRO mentor.

Innovator to Market Award

It was this research that won her the Innovator to Market Award in the 2018 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards, a partnership between the BHP Billiton Foundation, CSIRO and the Australian Science Teachers Association.

Angelina said her project was inspired by being asked to pay for a plastic bag at a shop which prompted her to think of a way people could still have the convenience of plastic, without the harmful environmental effects.

"I'm driven by wanting to help – whether it's people, the environment or animals. It was amazing after months of research that I found a plastic that was suitable," she said.

"I was always a curious child asking why things work and this developed into a love of science. I believe science is the key to all the worlds' mysteries."

"I couldn't imagine a future where it isn't part of my life. I think I'd like to go into medicine as it is all about helping people."

Angelina will be in good company at ISEF with 2018 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards student finalists Caitlin Roberts, Kavinya Welikala, Ella Cuthbert, Cassandra Dods, Ashley Cain and teacher winner Adele Hudson also representing Australia at the fair.

All of their projects will be on show at the competition.

Rapidly Changing Future

CSIRO Education and Outreach Director Mary Mulcahy said showcasing Australia's brilliant science, technology, engineering and mathematics projects on the world stage was a key part in enabling Australia to adapt for a rapidly changing future.

"The world is changing faster than many of us can keep up with, but science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) can guide that future through innovation," Ms Mulcahy said.

"These students are showing on a world stage that Australian students are prepared more than ever for the future."

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), a program of Society for Science & the Public is the world's largest international pre-college science competition. Each year over 1800 high school students from more than 75 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for on average $4 million in prizes. The BHP Billiton Foundation and Intel Foundation provide support for the BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards Australian delegation attending the fair.

Source: CSIRO

Bio-fabrication of Nanocellulosic 3D Structures – A New Facile & Customizable Way

Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers are promising building blocks for the development of sustainable materials with the potential to outperform conventional synthetic materials. BC, one of the purest forms of nanocellulose, is produced at the interface between the culture medium and air, where the aerobic bacteria have access to oxygen. Biocompatibility, biodegradability, high thermal stability and mechanical strength are some of the unique properties that facilitate BC adoption in food, cosmetics and biomedical applications including tissue regeneration, implants, wound dressing, burn treatment and artificial blood vessels.

Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications

In the study published in Materials Horizons researchers at Aalto University have developed a simple and customizable process that uses super-hydrophobic interfaces to finely engineer the bacteria access to oxygen in three dimensions and in multiple length scales, resulting in hollow, seamless, nanocellulose-based pre-determined objects.

Professor Orlando Rojas, explained:
“The developed process is an easy and accessible platform for 3D bio-fabrication that we demonstrated for the synthesis of geometries with excellent fidelity. Fabrication of hollow and complex objects was made possible. Interesting functions were enabled via multi-compartmentalization and encapsulation. For example, we tested in situ loading of functional particles or enzymes with metal organic frameworks, metal nanoparticles with plasmon adsorption, and capsule-in-capsule systems with thermal and chemical resistance.”

Future Benefits

This facilitated bio-fabrication can be explored in new ways by the biomedical field through scaffolding of artificial organs. Advances in bioengineering, for instance by genome editing or co-culture of microorganisms, might also allow further progress towards the simplified formation of composite materials of highly controlled composition, properties and functions.
 

Source: Aalto University

Total Corbion PLA Launches New Full Stereocomplex PLA Tech. for Industrial Applications

Total Corbion PLA has announced the launch of a novel technology that can create full stereocomplex PLA in a broad range of industrial applications. The proprietary technology will enable PLA applications able to withstand temperatures close to 200°C (HDT-A). Samples of glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA will be made available to those wanting to test the new technology for their applications.

Breakthrough in PLA Temperature Resistance

The new technology enables stereocomplex PLA – a material with long, regularly interlocking polymer chains that enable an even higher heat resistance than standard PLA. 
This breakthrough in PLA temperature resistance unlocks a range of new application possibilities, and provides a biobased replacement for PBT and PA glass fiber reinforced products. 
For example, injection molded applications for under-the-hood automotive components can now be made from glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA, offering both a higher biobased content and a reduced carbon footprint. 
The technology can offer these same sustainability benefits to the wider automotive, aerospace, electronics, home appliance, marine and construction industries.

Commercializing New Technology

Stefan Barot, Senior Business Director Asia Pacific, said:
“Over the past decades, the benefits of full stereocomplex PLA have been studied by universities and R&D departments on a laboratory scale. Now, Total Corbion PLA is the first company to scale up this technology and make it available for a broad range of industrial applications. The technology enables full stereocomplex morphology not only in the lab environment but also in commercial production facilities.” 

Commercial samples of full stereocomplex PLA will soon be made available for customer evaluation. Total Corbion PLA is looking for brand owners, converters and compounders that wish to validate and capitalize on this new technology.

Sandia's first 3D printed wind turbine blade mold wins national Technology Focus Award

We’ve reported before on the pioneering 3D printing work of Sandia National Laboratories, one of the Department of Energy’s main research and development facilities. Sandia has been working on improving energy technology, with a particular focus on sustainability, and 3D printing has become a key focus. 3D printed solar panels were explored last year, and the lab has been researching 3D printed wind turbines for a while now. Sandia recently won the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer’s national 2018 Technology Focus Award, for developing the first wind turbine blades fabricated from a 3D printed mold.

Wind energy is one of the most promising sources in terms of sustainability and reliability, but the turbine technology used is still imperfect. The size of the average turbine blade means that testing and prototyping can be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. 3D printing could solve this issue due to its improved design flexibility and speed of production when compared to conventional casting methods.

To fabricate the turbine blades, Sandia teamed up with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a leader in the field of 3D printing, as well as TPI Composites, the nation’s largest independent manufacturer of wind turbine blades. "The wind department at Sandia has expertise in designing blades, but our group doesn’t work with additive manufacturing," said Sandia researcher Josh Paquette. "This project was an opportunity to combine expertise from two laboratories and an industry adviser that could immediately bring this knowledge into the private sector."

Using 3D printing technology enables the prototyping phase for new turbine blades to be drastically shortened. Conventional methods for making a mold were incredibly time-consuming and labour-intensive, and each new prototype mold would take around 16 months to complete, before the blade could eventually be built and tests carried out on it. 3D printing the mold instead has cut this time down to just three months.

The wind turbine that was fabricated by Sandia and partners was a relatively small one, 13 meters (42.6 ft) in length. Sandia led the design phase of producing the blade, which included an assessment of the feasibility of using additive manufacturing. TPI were consulted about the mechanical parameters, and performed the structural CAD design required to successfully mold the blade. ORNL then 3D printed the mold in several sections, in just two weeks. The final assembly and manufacturing of the blade itself was carried out at TPI.

The collaborative, digital approach enabled total production time to be reduced by over a year. In future, this will lead to a reduction in costs and create opportunities for engineers to design more freely and test their ideas more extensively. The kind of risks that could now be taken will allow for more innovation and more potential improvements in energy efficiency.

The winners of the Technology Focus Award were honored on April 25, 2018, at an award ceremony at the Federal Laboratory Consortium’s national meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sandia received the award for its collaborative approach to solving a pressing industry problem. Sandia was also given the FLC’s Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for advanced nanomaterial window films, which could save consumers billions in energy costs each year.

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