New Biomass-derived PC Composite to Replace BPA-based Polycarbonates

Researchers from Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology have made a new, tough, transparent Polycarbonate composite reinforced with two biomass derived alternatives isosorbide and cellulose nanocrystals replacing both BPA and glass fibers.

These Polycarbonate sheets have outperformed traditional BPA-reinforced polycarbonate plastic in strength tests and can replace BPA-based polycarbonates in a variety of common applications.

The research team was led by Sung Hwang, Dongyeop Oh and Jeyoung Park from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology.

Safer Alternatives for BPA

Polycarbonate is a popular shatter-resistant alternative to glass in windows, display screens, bottles and optical fibers. However, polycarbonate plastics are frequently made using bisphenol A (BPA) and glass fibers.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor increasingly associated with regulations – Canada, the EU and the US Food and Drug Administration have banned BPA in baby bottles with the EU also banning BPA in food packaging – as well as health risks. And in the event of a fire, glass fibers generate fine particulates that can cause respiratory problems.

Scientists are therefore searching for safe alternative components that improve the transparency, and mechanical and thermal properties of polycarbonates like BPA and glass fibers do.

Properties of New Composite

Isosorbide already features in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and has a high thermal stability.

The research team first dispersed the cellulose in isosorbide and used an insitu polymerization to produce their composite. Cellulose disperses evenly throughout the material and only 0.3wt% is needed. The final material is stronger than BPA-based controls, with a tensile strength of 93MPa. The new composite was also highly transparent – transmitting 93% of light at 500nm.

‘The excellently dispersed cellulose nanocrystals minimally interfere with visible light and the synergetic interaction between the polymer and the filler reduces the microbubbles in the matrix, which can induce light scattering,’ commented Park.

Park and his colleagues attribute the synergistic interactions and high miscibility between the isosorbide and cellulose moieties to ‘the principle of like-dissolves-like’ as they are both derived from glucose and have ether linkages.

Applications of New Biomass-derived PC Composite

This Glucose derived polycarbonate plastic could be used in:

• optical fibers
• safer glazing plastics
• baby bottles

Stephen Miller, Sustainable Plastic Expert from University of Florida, said ‘the majority of bio-based polymers are interesting primarily because they are bio-based; it is the exception that they possess properties that surpass those of fossil fuel-based materials. That one polymer nanocomposite can accomplish all this is quite noteworthy.’

Source: Chemistry World

New Method to Develop Terpenes-based Sustainable Polymers for 3D Printing & Medical

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have developed a way of making organic polymers from the fragrant molecules found in conifers and fruit trees. The technique could lead to a new generation of sustainable materials for use in biomedical applications or 3D printing prototyping.

Molecules called as terpenes are found in the essential oils of a wide variety of plants and are often used in fragrances, cosmetics and other household products. Terpenes can also be used to produce resins.

Combining Terpenes & Thiols to Develop Light Activated Resins

In order to find a way to produce sustainable polymers, researchers have devised a technique for extracting the terpenes molecules and converting them into stable resins. By combining them with sulfur-based organic compounds called thiols, the resins can be activated by light to form a solid material.

Processing the terpenes in this way makes them particularly useful in a 3D printing process called stereolithography, where objects are built up in multiple layers and fused together under UV light to form 3D objects.

Lead author, Professor Andrew Dove, explains: “We need to find sustainable ways of making polymer products that do not rely on petrochemicals. Terpenes have been recognized as having real potential in this search and our work is a promising step towards being able to harness these natural products.”

Different terpenes produce different material properties and the next step for the team is to investigate those properties more fully to better control them. Although the fragrances are not key to the terpenes’ material properties, researchers are interested to see if they can also be harnessed in some products.

Their results are published in Polymer Chemistry.

Source: University of Birmingham

Haydale awarded funding to develop gas tanks for spacecraft propulsion systems

Haydale, a global advanced materials group, has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA), which is seeking to develop non-metallic gas tanks for spacecraft propulsion systems in a technology de-risking project.

The demand for small satellite launches has created a challenge within the existing space propulsion supply chain for low-cost reliable components. With the constellation market set to increase rapidly, the development of components that meet these criteria is critical. Haydale's non-metallic system offers a low-cost alternative with reduced lead time that can be offered in a wider range of configurations to exactly suit the end user requirement.

Haydale will formulate and model a largely de-risked tank, prior to the manufacture of development models for full testing. This will result in the qualification for specific Spacecraft Propulsion Systems.

Prominent producers of Satellite technology have been identified and are engaged in developing the specification and tank design for eventual manufacture and deployment. 

Haydale will be working alongside ISP International Space Propulsion Ltd through ESA Artes Competitiveness & Growth, in conjunction with UK Space Agency.

Source:www.haydale.com

New Two-step Process Turns Toxic FRs to Carbon Dioxide and Water

A team of environmental scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and China has for the first time used a dynamic, two-step process to completely degrade a common flame-retardant chemical, rendering the persistent global pollutant nontoxic.

New Process to Breakdown Common FR TBBPA

This new process breaks down tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) to harmless carbon dioxide and water. The discovery highlights the potential of using a special material, sulfidated nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI), in water treatment systems and in the natural environment to break down not only TBBPA but other organic refractory compounds that are difficult to degrade, says Jun Wu, a visiting Ph.D. student at UMass Amherst’s Stockbridge College of Agriculture and lead author of the paper published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Oxic and Anoxic Process

“This is the first research about this dynamic, oxic/anoxic process,” Wu says. “Usually, reduction or oxidation alone is used to remove TBBPA, facilitated by S-nZVI. We combined reduction and oxidation together to degrade it completely.” Wu emphasizes that “the technique is technically simple and environmentally friendly. That is a key point to its application.”

Feasible Process to Degrade Refractory Brominated FRs

“This research can lead to a decrease in the potential risk of TBBPA to the environment and human health,” says Wu, who began the research at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei. At UMass Amherst, Wu works in the pioneering lab of Baoshan Xing, professor of environmental and soil chemistry, corresponding author of the new study and one of the world’s most highly cited researchers.

“Our research shows a feasible and environmentally friendly process to completely degrade refractory brominated flame retardants in a combined oxic and anoxic system,” Xing says. “This is important for getting rid of these harmful compounds from the environment, thus reducing the exposure and risk.”

More Research Needed to Best Apply the Process

Among the most common flame retardants that hinder combustion and slow the spread of fire, TBBPA is added to manufactured materials, including computer circuit boards and other electrical devices, papers, textiles and plastics.

Associated with a variety of health concerns, including cancer and hormone disruption, TBBPA has been widely detected in the environment, as well as in animals and human milk and plasma.

Although Wu and Xing’s research breaks new ground in the efforts to develop safe and effective processes to remediate groundwater and soil contaminated with TBBPA, they say more research is needed to learn how to best apply the process.

Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Another Milestone in my Consulting service

Another Milestone in my service:

Have started discussions with various State Governments (more than 10 states so far) for adding FRP and Polymeric products in the Government projects (Construction,Electrical,Automotive,Agriculture,Medical,Railways etc).It's been a good start and have started meeting both officials and ministries this month.The talks were encouraging me to offer business consulting service to the players in Indian market.

Interested product manufacturers can approach me with your private message on Linkedin/rosaram211@gmail.com to move proceed and expand your business activities in Indian market.

A New Eco-friendly Way to Produce Cashew Nut Shells-derived UV Absorbers

A team of international scientists has found an environmentally friendly way of producing aromatic compounds that show good UVA and UVB absorbance by using cashew nut shells, a waste material. 

Eco-friendly Way of Producing Aromatic Compounds

The team of “green chemists” from the University of the Witwatersrand, along with colleagues from Universities in Germany, Malawi and Tanzania, are working on techniques to produce useful compounds from wood and other fast growing non-edible plant waste, through a chemical process named xylochemistry (wood chemistry). 

By using cashew nut shells, the team has produced new aromatic compounds that show good UVA and UVB absorbance, which may be applied to protect humans, livestock, as well as polymers or coatings from harmful rays from the sun. The research has just been published as the cover article of the European Journal of Organic Chemistry.

Conventional UV Filters

To mitigate UV damage, both organic and inorganic compounds are used as UV filters. Ideal organic UV filters display a high UV absorption of UVA rays (in the region ranging from 315–400 nm) and UVB rays (280–315 nm). One important family of UV absorber molecules are derived from aromatic compounds known as phenols, which contain a hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl group that plays an important role in the dissipation of the absorbed energy.

For example, an organic compound known as oxybenzone is a common ingredient that has also been added to plastics to limit UV degradation. Apart from their petrochemical origin, a major drawback of current UV protection agents is their negative effect on aquatic ecosystems associated with a poor biodegradability. 

As a result, there is growing attention from regulatory bodies and stricter regulations are being enforced on the production of sun filtering products. 

Producing New UV Absorbers from CNSL

“With the current concerns over the use of fossil resources for chemical synthesis of functional molecules and the effect of current UV absorbers in sunscreens on the ecosystem, we aimed to find a way to produce new UV absorbers from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as a non-edible, bio renewable carbon resource,” says Professor Charles de Koning, of the Wits School of Chemistry and principal author of the paper, together with Till Opatz from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. 

“Cashew nut shells are a waste product in the cashew-farming community, especially in Tanzania, so finding a useful, sustainable way to use these waste products can lead to completely new, environmentally friendly ways of doing things.”

The team has already filed a patent application in order to commercialize the process in South Africa. 

Source: University of Witwatersrand

Braskem to Launch Sugarcane-based Hydrocarbon Solvent

Committed to developing sustainable and innovative solutions, Braskem has announced its first solvent made from renewable resources. The product will reinforce the company's already robust portfolio of specialty chemicals and has applications in segments such as inks, thinners and adhesives. 

New Solvent with Lower Toxicity and Greater Solvency Power

Made from sugarcane, HE-70S is the result of an investment of R$1 million and Braskem's constant search for sustainable solutions. The new biobased oxygenated solvent features lower toxicity and greater solvency power compared to traditional hydrocarbon solvents. The solution already has been adopted in clients' production process and others are in the test phase to customize the product to the specific needs of each application.

In Brazil, the hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvent segments has annual production of approximately 700,000 tons. As one of the country's industry leaders, Braskem seeks to offer alternatives to ensure the industry's sustainable growth. In line with the company's strategic vision to foster Green Chemicals, bioproducts can be used as a tool for capturing carbon from the air, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Innovating and Standing Apart in Industry

"We focus on offering clients the possibility of innovating and standing apart in their industry. We work to maintain close relationships to understand better our clients' challenges and to meet their needs as effectively as possible, including by customizing solutions to leverage their performance in the market," explained Cláudia Madrid, sales manager at Braskem's Solvents Business. 

HE-70S solvent is the first product developed by the Solvents Laboratory, which was inaugurated by Braskem in 2018 at the Petrochemical Complex in the ABC region of Greater São Paulo. "Since the lab's inauguration, we have made progress in the research that already was being conducted internally, and we arrived at this new product that will serve an important part of the value chain," added Cláudia. 

Source: Braskem