LyondellBasell & Neste Achieve Milestone by Producing Bio-based Plastics at Commercial Scale

LyondellBasell and Neste have jointly announced the first parallel production of bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale.

The joint project used Neste's renewable hydrocarbons derived from sustainable bio-based raw materials, such as waste and residue oils. The project successfully produced several thousand tons of bio-based plastics which are approved for the production of food packaging and being marketed under Circulen and Circulen Plus, the new family of LyondellBasell circular economy product brands.

PP & PE Polymers Derived from Renewable Sources

"LyondellBasell has an innovative spirit that spans decades, and an achievement like this showcases concrete actions we are taking in support of a circular economy," said Richard Roudeix, LyondellBasell Senior Vice President of Olefins and Polyolefins for Europe, Asia and International. "Through the use of renewable resources, we are contributing to the fight against climate change and helping our customers achieve their environmental targets."

Drop-in Replacement Option to Fossil Materials

"We are excited to enable the plastics industry to introduce more bio-based material into its offering. It is very satisfying to see Neste's renewable hydrocarbons performing perfectly in a commercial scale production of bio-based polymers, providing a drop-in replacement option to fossil materials," said Neste's President and CEO Peter Vanacker. "This pioneering collaboration with LyondellBasell marks a major milestone in the commercialization of Neste's renewable polymers and chemicals business focusing on developing renewable and circular solutions for forward-looking sustainable brands."

This achievement is extraordinary in that it combined Neste's unique renewable feedstock and LyondellBasell's technical capabilities. LyondellBasell's cracker flexibility allowed it to introduce a new renewable feedstock at its Wesseling, Germany site, which was converted directly into bio-based polyethylene and bio-based polypropylene. An independent third party tested the polymer products using carbon tracers and confirmed they contained over 30% renewable content.

LyondellBasell sold some of the renewable products produced in the trial to multiple customers, one of which is Cofresco, a company of the Melitta Group and with brands like Toppits® and Albal®, Europe's leading supplier of branded products in the field of household film. Cofresco plans to use the Circulen Plus bio-based polyethylene to create sustainable food packaging materials. 

Source: LyondellBasell

ANTIBACTERIAL PLASTIC SHEET HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN MEDICINE CABINET/CATHETER CABINET IN INDIA

Antibacterial plastic sheet has been installed successfully in Medicine/Catheter cabin in a well known group in India.It is another milestone in penetrating into the market where only conventional products have been widely encouraged so far.

Now we have been using it on Furniture in the healthcare industry.Besides medical applications,now getting orders for offices and residence (living room,bed room and Rest room) in recent days.

Interested buyers/orders please contact me through private message on linkedin or my email rosaram211@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Job Opportunities in South India and Kolkotta

32)FRESHERS in Electrical and Electronics NEEDED for a well known Solar Maintenance company in India. 
Diploma Electrical, Electronics freshers needed - Bidar - Latur - Tanakallu, Mulanur, Jaipur, Bhiwadi each one position open 

ITI Freshers needed in Kolar, Perundurai, Jaipur & Bhiwadi But all of them should have undergone Personal Safety Training Depends on the state they get employed - Ranges between 11 - 13k CTC Local transport and accommodation will be on company's scope 
Local transport is fixed per hub / region and will be reimbursed Company will not provide any advance for the first 45 days They should join the company with Safety Shoe 

 33) Safety supervisor with min 1 yr experience.. qualification: full time BE or diploma.. location haldia.. CTC is 25k, 7 no's required..
 Interested candidates,please write to my email rosaram211@gmail.com to proceed further.

BASF & Paxis Work Together to Test Photopolymers on Paxis’ New 3D Printing Technology

BASF 3D Printing Solutions has announced that they will provide innovative additive manufacturing materials to Paxis LLC for their new WAV™ technology. This is currently in development and is designed to meet the needs of additive manufacturing users, advanced manufacturing as well as traditional manufacturing markets. 

The WAV™ (Wave Applied Voxel) process was created with the end-user firmly in mind in an effort to solve trapped volume issues of current liquid resin-based technologies.

Extending AM Application Possibilities

"The combination of BASF materials and Paxis’s system will revolutionize the way end-applications are designed, manufactured and integrated into production", states Arnaud Guedou, Business Director Photopolymer Solutions, BASF 3D Printing Solutions. 

"With the new WAV™ technology, Paxis extends the application possibilities of additive manufacturing to a much broader scope than current technologies allow. What’s more, equipment and processes can be adapted to requirements that were previously unimaginable in additive manufacturing. BASF’s innovative photopolymer materials are a perfect match for Paxis's WAV™ technology."

BASF’s Ultracur3D ST 45 Reactive Urethane Photopolymer

BASF’s Ultracur3D ST 45 reactive urethane photopolymer for tough applications has been designed to fulfill the requirements of functional applications for high accuracy and mechanical strength, where existing 3D printing materials often reach their limitations. 

Ultracur3D ST 45 can be used to produce high performance functional parts by using a wide variety of equipment, such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

Paxis’s primary focus are commercial manufacturing applications in the:

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Dental and medical sectors, as well as
• Identifying potential vertical markets within advanced manufacturing that have so far been ignored due to the limitations of existing technologies.

Opening Up New Possibilities in Part Manufacturing

Commercial manufacturers will benefit from a scalability of size and speed previously unknown in current additive-manufacturing resin-based systems. Hand-selected companies will be invited during the early stages of hardware and product development to work closely with industrial producers on solving their application requirements. 

Adaptability to specific commercial manufacturer needs coupled with a system capable of far greater scalability will further accelerate additive manufacturing beyond mass customization, with the goal of opening up new untapped vertical markets.

“Pairing innovative materials at the earliest stages of designing the WAV™ technology is critical to meeting the needs of end-users – that is, the commercial manufacturers”, explains Mike Littrell, CEO, co-inventor of WAV™ and Founder of Paxis LLC. 

“Too often, the material is modified to work within the limitations of existing technologies. Through our early access program our approach is to work with progressive material manufacturers like BASF, as well as commercial manufacturers at the earliest stages of product development in order to push system capabilities and forge future hardware improvements. Developing the materials prior to launching the WAV™ technology will enable end-users to integrate the technology quickly into their operations.”

“BASF’s collaboration with Paxis will enable customers to access a modular additive manufacturing technology, whether they are producing large quantities of small parts, small quantities of very large parts, or anything in between”, says Oleksandra Korotchuk, Business Development Manager BASF 3D Printing Solutions.

"The combination of BASF materials and Paxis’s WAV™ technology will revolutionize the way end-applications are designed, manufactured and integrated into scalable production.” 

Source: BASF

New Transparent Bioplastic for Fully-compostable Food Packaging

Group of scientists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania have created biodegradable plastic, which decays in a compost bin in a couple of years. Bioplastic created at KTU is transparent and all the materials in its composition are suitable for contact with food.
Globally, the amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. Only 9 percent of it is recycled, and the rest is slowly degrading in the landfills. The plastic disintegration process takes from several hundred to a thousand of years; during the time plastic is disintegrating into microplastic particles, which get into the ground waters and from them – into our food and environment.
It is estimated that by 2050 in our oceans there will be more plastic than fish.
War with plastic waste is among the priorities of the current generation. The European Parliament has approved a law banning a wide-range of single-use plastic items, such as straws, cotton buds and cutlery by 2021, and numerous legislations around the world are being passed in order to control plastic waste. Scientists are also taking part in the movement while creating more environmentally-friendly solutions.

Biodegradable Packaging Alternatives

A team of researchers from the KTU Faculty of Chemical Technology have created a fully-compostable packaging for food products from bioplastic, which disintegrates with the help of microorganisms.

“We are used to get sandwiches, snacks, pastries, sweets and many other products in a paper bag with a plastic window. With a clear window on the front face, the products in the bag can be viewed easily. Although paper is biologically degradable, it is complicated to separate paper from plastic, and the package is considered non-recyclable and non-compostable. However, if we made the window from biodegradable plastic, it could be composted. Moreover, we could even use the bag for collecting biodegradable waste and put all into the compost bin together”, says Dr Paulius Pavelas Danilovas, the lead researcher of the team.

Compostability is a characteristic of a product that allows it to biodegrade under specific conditions under the influence of microorganisms.

“There are plenty of microorganisms in compost and they digest our plastic very well”, says Dr Danilovas.

According to EU standards, in industrial compost centers, which sustain the temperature of 58°C, bioplastic degrades in half a year. However, in a compost bin at home, the process would take a couple of years.

…But it is Expensive

Bioplastic created at KTU laboratories is made from cellulose – a natural material, the main building block of plant cells’ membranes. Usually derived from timber, cellulose is the most common biopolymer found in nature.
According to researchers, the main challenge while creating bioplastic is not only to make it degradable but also transparent, as this quality is often required by customers.
“Usually, to become fluid plastic needs to be heated. However, if you heat paper (which is also based on cellulose) it will not only not become liquid, but will also burn! We are excited to have found composites, which not only allow cellulose to turn into fluid condition but also are non-toxic, which is very important in all products related to food handling”, says Dr Danilovas.
He admits that being environmentally-friendly has its cost – the biodegradable package created at KTU is several times more expensive than usual. However, the growing number of eco-conscious users is encouraging industries to take an interest in biodegradable packaging alternatives. 
 
Source: Kaunas University of Technology

Alaka’i Technologies launches world’s first hydrogen-powered air mobility system

Alaka’i Technologies unveiled Skai, the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered air mobility solution designed to transform the way the world moves. From its sleek, uncluttered design, radically simple and safe electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, to its fuel source - a system that runs entirely on hydrogen fuel cells - Skai is poised to be one of the safest, cleanest and most versatile air mobility solutions introduced to the world.

Skai’s core team members are nationally-recognized aerospace experts, engineers, and veteran pilots who have served in top-level positions at NASA, Raytheon, Beech, Cirrus, DayJet, and the Department of Defense who collaborated on the vision of solving some of the world’s most-pressing global challenges across transportation, energy and the environment. Skai is co-designed by Designworks, the design innovation studio for the BMW Group, to leverage its creative expertise to help shape a world-class vehicle. The result is Skai, stripped away of all unnecessary complexity, waste and possible points of failure, leaving the most essential elements for the craft and optimizing them for the most intuitive experience.

Brian Morrison, Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of Alaka’i Technologies said:
 “This remarkably impressive team have come together to build on our collective experience to finally realize our singular, critical vision to launch Skai and transform transportation. Skai offers practical, real-life solutions to everything from relieving traffic congestion to delivering supplies during natural disasters. Skai is set to offer affordable, realistic applications in the commercial, private, freight, and personal air mobility markets.”

The heart of Skai, and one of its most revolutionary features, is the use of hydrogn fuel cells, a clean environmental solution from end to end. With the advantage of being 95% reusable and the remaining (99%) recyclable, Skai’s hydrogen fuel cells offer reliable, safe and environmentally clean emission comprised solely of heat and water. This is a stark alternative to traditional fuel and battery sources. Hydrogen fuel cells allow Skai to travel further distances and carry a greater payload.

 Holger Hampf, President of Designworks said:
 “Air mobility is a very exciting and fascinating topic. Our focus for this project was to help build a new consumer facing brand from scratch - considering and designing all touchpoints - digital, physical and service. And as a result, delivering an all-encompassing user-centric experience which is purposeful and highly desirable in all aspects.”

Alaka’i Technologies has initiated their test program with the FAA. Pending certification, Skai will create new possibilities in personal mobility for everyone, efficient emergency responses, economical freight distribution, and the utilization of hydrogen fuel cells as a highly reliable, zero-emission power source.
Skai Highlights Include:  

• Co-designed by Designworks with inherent quality craftsmanship
• Powered by clean hydrogen fuel cells, with zero emissions
• Range: Up to 4 Hours, ~400 Miles
• Six reliable, quiet, efficient electric motors with designed-in redundancy
• Seats up to five passengers
• Reliable, fault-tolerant architecture for safety and security
• Piloted version launched first, with autonomous versions to follow
• Designed for the ultimate in safety, with an Airframe Parachute

 Source:www.skai.co

evian® Unveils Unique Bubble-design Water Appliance Made from 100% Recycled Plastic

evian® unveils its latest innovation – evian® (re)new – a stunning in home water appliance which provides consumers with the unique purity of evian® natural mineral water at home from the source with a significant reduction in plastic packaging.

A 5L evian® “bubble” - Reduction in Plastic Packaging

Reinventing the way evian® natural mineral water is delivered directly to consumers, the collapsible 5L ‘bubble’ surrounding the water incorporates new generation design thinking leveraging the physics of materials: the thin and light ‘bubble’ of evian® water is 100%recyclable and made of a 100% recycled plastic (rPET) skin that contracts when the natural mineral water is consumed, taking on a new shape after each use. It uses 66% less plastic than a 1.5L evian® bottle1.

Sleek In-home evian® Water Appliance

The introduction of the sleek in-home evian® water appliance is the latest move from evian® in its journey to become a circular brand by 2025 and will build on the brand’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2020.
Patricia Oliva, evian® Global Brand VP said: “At evian® we owe everything to nature and are committed to a healthy planet. This will only be achieved by new ways of thinking and of doing business. And this is why we’re challenging ourselves to reinvent new ways to provide evian® natural mineral water to consumers. This unique bubble design represents a breakthrough in design thinking which brings the purity of evian® natural mineral water from the source to the home in a more circular way.”
 Virgil Abloh, evian® Creative Advisor for Sustainable Innovation Design has endorsed the project: “I’ve always been inspired by great design and how it can shape our lives, which is why I’m excited to see evian® pushing the boundaries with the design of this disruptive new product that will transform the way we drink evian® water at home.”
Consumers will be able to order evian® at the touch of a button on the base of the appliance, which is connected to the evian® (re)new app. The app is able to track the amount of water consumed and notify the user when a re-fill is needed. The effortless ecommerce offering provides a free, connected experience meaning consumers will never be without the unique purity of evian® natural mineral water.
evian® (re)new will launch as part of an initial pilot in Paris and London in May this year with200 selected consumers*, who, along with Virgil Abloh, will help evian® test and learn ahead of wider product launches in the future.
Commenting on the pilot phase, Patricia Oliva added: “We are inviting consumers to join a community of early adopters who will be an extension of our innovation team, helping us to co-create this solution. Together we will fine-tune evian® (re)new with a view to bringing a scalable and circular solution to market.”

2025 Commitment to Circularity

This latest innovation is a further example of evian®’s 2025 commitment to circularity following the launch of the evian® by Virgil Abloh SOMA® bottle earlier this year, evian® refillable glass bottle and perfect on-the-go accessory to use with evian® (re)new.
In January 2018, evian® announced it will make all of its plastic bottles from 100% recycled plastic by 2025, a move that will see the natural mineral water brand adopt a ‘circular approach’ to its plastic usage, where plastic is kept within the economy and out of nature. evian® aims to achieve its 2025 commitment to becoming a circular brand through pioneering partnerships and collaborations, redesigning packaging with the evian®(re)new innovation program, accelerating recycling initiatives and recovering plastic waste from nature. 
 
Source: evian®