Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Closed-look recycling

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Closed-look recycling

Eastman announces the successful completion of the closed-loop recycling project for automotive mixed plastic waste. Through a collaborative effort, Eastman, the United States Automotive Materials Partnership LLC (USAMP), automotive recycler PADNOS, and global automotive interior supplier Yanfeng demonstrated first-of-its-kind plastic recycling from the by-product of shredding end-of-life vehicles.

When automobiles are at the end of their life, metals, tires and glass account for 80-90% of the materials that can be recycled through traditional mechanical #recycling streams. The other 10-20%, referred to as automotive shredder residue (ASR), consists of mixed plastic and other non recycled materials that currently end up in landfills or are recovered through waste-to-energy technologies.

Under this initiative, PADNOS supplied a plastic-rich fraction of ASR as a sustainable feedstock to Eastman carbon renewal technology (CRT). Eastman successfully demonstrated the addition and conversion of that ASR feedstock into a synthesis gas (syngas), which is subsequently used downstream in the production of its polyester and cellulosic thermoplastics. Resins from this production process were further formulated and then supplied to Yanfeng. The parts molded by Yanfeng for demonstration were successfully tested to meet a variety of OEM — Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis — requirements, thereby demonstrating proof of concept for a truly circular solution.

The study proved the feasibility of Eastman’s carbon renewal technology (CRT), one of Eastman’s two molecular recycling technologies, which breaks down the plastic-rich ASR into molecular building blocks. By recycling these complex plastics in CRT, Eastman can replace fossil-based feedstock and create polymers without compromising performance for use in new automotive applications.

In addition to diverting waste from landfills, USAMP, a subsidiary of USCAR - US Council for Automotive Research, also sees the potential for energy savings and reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions. Deloitte Consulting estimates more than 10 billion pounds of ASR is sent to landfills globally each year.

“This is a prime example of how collaboration across the value chain is essential to making material circularity mainstream,” said Stephen Crawford, Eastman executive vice president, manufacturing, and chief sustainability officer. “Modern cars are made with approximately 50% plastic by volume on average, and this number is only expected to increase as automotive manufacturers continue to seek lighter electric vehicles. We’re demonstrating a future where automotive hard-to-recycle plastics and fibers are diverted from landfills and recycled to produce new automotive parts.”

Source:EASTMAN

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#plastics #plasticwastemanagement  #innovation #automotive #recycling  #circulareconomy #closedloop #automotiveindustry

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:Engineered Bamboo Window Wall & Curtain Wall

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Engineered Bamboo Window Wall & Curtain Wall

Bamboo Sequesters 10x Carbon vs Trees:

Bamboo has a unique geometric growth curve that makes it 10x faster than tree-based CO2 drawdown. Intensively harvested, our bamboo can sequester up to 1.76 tones CO2/clump/year, or up to 362 tones/hectare/year in an optimally managed farm. SEB (Structural Engineered Bamboo): Estimated Carbon Sequestration: 1,316 kg/m3 = of CO2(LCA)

Bamboo Produces 37% More Oxygen:

Guadua Bamboo not only sequesters carbon, but it also produces oxygen as it grows. Guadua bamboo produces up to 37% more oxygen than trees! During the industrial revolution and even today massive quantities of natural tree growth has been removed around the world. Timber construction is considered sustainable when compared to concrete and steel, but it is nowhere near the sustainability case for bamboo especially when accounting for the already depleted natural forests.

Bamboo is a Rapidly Renewable Resource:

The Guadua Bamboo integrated into our products is documented as a Rapidly Renewable Resource. Harvest begins at 6-8 years and continues every year after through the life of the bamboo plant. This continuous harvest produces 14 Tons of usable bamboo fiber/Acre/Year. The fiber yield of mature bamboo is 6 times the usable biomass of timber forests over a 25-30 year timeline (The typical growing period for softwood trees used in structural products) such as: Spruce, Southern Yellow Pine, and Douglas Fir.

Bamboo Stabilizes and Nourishes the Soil:

Guadua bamboo's root system stays intact throughout growth and harvest. When timber is harvested the root system dies and causes drastic soil instability, and the consequence is top soil erosion. Extreme cases of this have occurred all over the world in places such as India, Asia, and Central/South America. When old growth and timber farms are removed the quality top soil is lost and regrowth of any form of vegetation is limited.

Source:Adam Racomelara l Shorebird Consulting

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#naturalfibers #bamboo #bambooproducts #sequestration #sustainability #growth #construction #biomass #soilstabilization

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:Carbon Fiber phone case

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Carbon Fiber phone case:

Experts in the mobile phone industry know that carbon fiber material is an expensive raw material.Carbon fiber (CF) is a new type of fiber material with high strength and high modulus fiber containing more than 95% of the carbon content. Carbon fiber is "soft outside and rigid inside", and the quality is lighter than metal aluminum, but the strength is higher than steel, and it has the characteristics of corrosion resistance, high modulus and friction resistance, which is an important material in national defense and civil industry.

Carbon fiber mobile phone case has a super thin bare phone case with waterproof, friction resistance, anti-fall characteristics. Some companies currently showing on the iphone series,they currently produce the real carbon fiber mobile phone cases of the iphone, samsung, huawei,moto, oppo, etc. 

Source:Kataria Jiang

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#carbonfiber #phonecase #userfriendly #iphone #huawei

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:Nylon Structure vs. Moisture Absorption

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Nylon Structure vs. Moisture Absorption

 

Nylon, also known as polyamide (PA), resins are a diverse group of materials. The versatility of polyamide makes this family of polymers one of the most widely used thermoplastics. Could Wallace Carothers ever have anticipated the significance of his material invention?

 

The molecular architecture, and especially the ratio of carbon atoms to amide functionality, is what gives each different type of polyamide structure its unique characteristics. This structural relationship affects all the properties of the material, including:

 

·     Mechanical properties

·     Thermal characteristics

·     Degradation resistance

·     Water absorption

 

Water absorption is an extremely important metric for polyamide materials since the fundamental properties of these materials are different at varying levels of water absorption. The level of water absorption within aliphatic polyamides is directly related to the ratio of olefinic content to amide functionality. The higher the relative proportion of olefinic structure, the less the water absorption, which in turn results in a lower level of property alteration.

 

Source:The Madison group

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#plastics #nylon #polyamide ##materialsscience #materialselection #polymers #failureanalysis #moisture

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:Reuse of Wind Blade:

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Reuse of Wind Blade:

We're facing a big problem when it comes to the recycling of wind turbines.

They generally have a service life of around 20 years, and they're unfortunately made of materials that aren't easy to recycle.

85% of the components in a wind turbine, such as the steel mast and electrical parts composed of metals like copper, can be recycled.

The problem however is that the turbine blades cannot be recycled, and they make up 10% of Europe's waste stream of fibre-reinforced composite materials.

By 2050, The University of Strathclyde estimates that globally there will be 2 million tonnes of wind turbine waste needing safe disposal.

Now for the good news!

Several innovative solutions have emerged, from using them as a bike shelter (pictured below), to using them to build bridges. The materials that make them hard to recycle also make them durable and strong, allowing them to be reused in a number of ways.

In 2021, Siemens Gamesa launched the world’s first recyclable wind turbine blade for commercial use, meaning that at the end of its lifespan the blade can be disassembled and recycled into new applications.

There are some progress taking place in the recycling of thermoset plastics in research projects in recent years.Advanced Pyrolysis recycling process will emerge as a solution to this problem in the coming years.

Source:Martijn Lopes Cardozo/Siemens Gamesa

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#composites #windblade #recycling #reuse #waste #sustainability

#windindustry #windturbines

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: KENAF

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

KENAF:

Kenaf, or Hibiscus Cannabinus, belongs to the Malvacean family and producers are based around the globe, although India and China are the major producers. Often compared with jute and hemp, kenaf applications could be classified as it follows:

• traditional uses, low value: rope, twine, clothing, animal bedding and feed

• Innovative Applications, medium value: Paper, engineered wood, environmental mat, oil and liquid absorbent material

• Kenaf Oil: edible oil, can also be used in cosmetics, lubricants and production of biofuel

• Composite materials, high value: kenaf fibres can be used as filler or reinforcement, with either epoxy or thermoplastics

Apart from these applications kenaf also shares its condition as a hardy plant with jute or hemp.

Kenaf puts more carbon into the soil than trees. It will also produce more wood fibers per acre than trees by a factor of 4-5 times more than fast growing trees over a 15-20 year period. Farmers utilizing their fields for growing kenaf can have an impact on the harvesting of trees. Kenaf is a cost saving resource and a pollution reduction in the process of making paper products. The reduction of bleach in the process of whitening the fibers and this reduction means less bleach going into our natural waterways.

Kenaf fibers may be modified either physically or chemically and used for either thermoset or thermoplastic polymer systems. Fields of use for kenaf fiber-reinforced composites include construction, automotive, corrosion resistance, electrical, marine, and transportation.

Kenaf has an ability to absorb huge quantities of CO2, the global warming gas, comparatively 3 times more than a tree. It can convert more CO2 than a tropical rain forest during its growth. Further, it can also improve the soil structure while fixing soil nutrients. It is biodegradable, as no chemicals or pesticides are used during its cultivation.

Fibers spun from kenaf are extremely long, making it a good choice for weaving fabrics. The plant’s stalk contains less than 30% lignin, making its fiber extraction easier when compared with other natural fibers. Kenaf fibres find useful applications in making knit and woven textiles. These fibres blend very well with cotton and find commercial and healthy applications in making outerwear owing to its natural absorbency, and fire-retardant abilities.

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

#kenaf #naturalfibers #environmentallyfriendly #environmentalsustainability #sustainability #co2capture #carbonneutral #automotive #oil #textileindustry #farming