3D Systems Launches New Photopolymers to Expand Its Portfolio

3D Systems announced new materials to enhance its Stereolithography (SLA) and Figure 4® portfolios – Accura® AMX Tough FR V0 Black, Figure 4® Tough FR V0 Black, and Figure 4® JCAST-GRN 20.

These new high-performance materials are enabling efficient production of end-use parts in industries such as automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, and consumer goods.

Flame-retardant with UL 94V0 Rating for SLA:

3D Systems is continuing the evolution of its SLA materials with the introduction of Accura® AMX Tough FR V0 Black. The company’s materials scientists developed a new chemistry based on its Figure 4® materials that enabled the industry’s first flame-retardant material for SLA. As a result, the material is also available as Figure 4® Tough FR V0 Black for use with 3D Systems’ Figure 4 platform, allowing customers to scale part sizes and leverage the system advantages provided by each platform.

Accura® AMX Tough FR V0 Black delivers enhanced part quality and resolution for SLA that was previously only achievable with Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technologies. This new flame-retardant material achieves UL 94 V0 rating and is uniquely positioned in the market with its combination of flexural modulus and unmatched elongation at break of nearly 35%. These properties combine with long-term stability to make the new Tough FR V0 Black material ideal for applications such as printed circuit board covers, semiconductor equipment, electrical housing, covers, hangers, brackets, and flame-retardant parts for trains and buses.

Accura® AMX Tough FR V0 and Figure 4® Tough FR V0 Black are planned for general availability in the third quarter of 2023.

Explore what is additive manufacturing, the process of manufacturing, and the types of polymers that are generally used in each process.

Affordable Solution Optimized for Jewelry Design:

3D Systems’ Figure 4® Jewelry is an affordable solution optimized for jewelry design and manufacturing workflows. The company is announcing Figure 4® JCAST-GRN 20, its latest jewelry casting material optimized for clean and easy burnout of finely detailed, high-resolution, accurate, repeatable jewelry patterns for direct casting.

This new offering is the ideal complement to 3D Systems’ industry leading MultiJet Printing (MJP) offerings for jewelry casting. The material’s enhanced properties make it ideal for the production of master patterns for gypsum investment casting of all types of jewelry, and suitable for a range of precious metals. The fully integrated workflow includes jewelry-specific build styles in 3D Sprint which provides design flexibility. The integrated workflow can also eliminate the need for post-curing, enables a fast turnaround of casting patterns.

Source: 3D Systems/jeccomposites

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Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:adiabatic heating

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Do you know what "adiabatic heating" means when referring to Injection Molding ?

There's a bit of misunderstanding out there because there are two distinct aspects to consider.

"Adiabatic compression", the mere fact that polymers are locally quickly compressed at high P, leads to a temperature increase of abt. 5-10°C under 1000 b. This T increase relaxes back as you decompress. Just like in a perfect gas.

 

On the other hand, the very fast character of filling a cavity in I.M., leads to "quasi adiabatic conditions" for the heat transfer to the steel. As a result, any frictional heat generated by the shear (known as "shear-heating") turns into strong localized temperature increase in the high shear layers. Because there is almost no heat conducted out within that short time (precisely, what we call ADIABATIC conditions), one can quite accurately estimate total/average shear heating temperature increase from the flow pressure drop. A 1000 bar pressure loss (that is a direct energy measurement !) translates into abt. 40°C average increase in melt temperature.

Source:Vito Leo

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China Has Approved More Than 50 Gigawatts Of New Coal Power

China’s coal output increased 9% to 4.5 billion tons last year.

China approved more than 50 gigawatts of new coal power in the first half of 2023.

The global energy crisis brought by Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered a coal ‘spring’ in Europe.

Last year, China emerged as the world’s clean energy champ, with the country accounting for $546 billion, or nearly half, of the $1.1 trillion that flowed into the sector as countries everywhere rushed to beef up their energy security. But those mammoth investments will do little to change China’s tag as the planet’s biggest polluter, if the country’s fossil fuel investments are any indication. China approved more than 50 gigawatts of new coal power in the first half of 2023, environment group Greenpeace has revealed. China is building coal-fired power plants at a record clip as it tries to counter the effects of drought on hydropower production.

"China's government has put energy security and energy transition at odds with one another. Beijing has clearly stated that coal power will still grow at a 'reasonable pace' into 2030," Greenpeace's Gao Yuhe has told Reuters.

China’s coal output increased 9% to 4.5 billion tons last year, more than half the world's total, and is set to continue to rise in the current year as Beijing looks to offset a 22.9% decline in hydropower generation.

China is not the only country whose hydropower sector has been hit by climate change. Electricity generation from hydro power sources has fallen quite dramatically in Europe, North America and Asia in 2023 compared to the corresponding period in 2022 with overall global hydro generation now 3% below the 2019-21 average. Reduced supplies of non-emitting hydro power in these regions means that utilities are increasingly deploying other sources of dispatchable but more polluting power, such as coal and natural gas, to meet electricity demand.

Alarmingly, North America, the United States in particular, is the hardest hit region in the world. Drier than normal conditions in Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Colorado--all key hydro states--have led to a disastrous 17% decline in hydropower generation in the country. Mexico is not much better off, with output down around 15%.

The rest of Latin America is faring much better, with Brazil, the third largest hydro producer globally, recording a 3.4% growth in production while Colombia is experiencing a roughly 10% increase.

Asia--the global hydropower heavyweight accounting for ~43% of production--has not been spared by the hydropower crisis. China--the continent’s largest producer accounting for 30% of global capacity--has recorded a worrying 7.2% drop in output so far this year while India, the second largest producer, has seen production decline 5%. Vietnam, the ninth largest global hydro producer and currently in the throes of a massive heatwave, has seen output drop by 10.5%.

Source:Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

Swancor obtained “The first GRS Certified 100% Recycled Carbon Fiber”

GRS certified recycled fibers are obtained from composites made from Swancor’s circular recycling material “EzCiclo”, through a simple degradation process, This is the first GRS certified 100% recycled carbon fiber in the world according to Swancor.

It fully reflects Swancor’s research and development capabilities in innovative products and new technologies, enhancing the feasibility of sustainable circular economy. It provides their customers with reliable product declarations, traceability, and meets the environmental and social responsibility requirements applicable to various industries.

“EzCiclo” changes recycling rules through innovative chemical processes, increasing the possibility of material reutilization. It provides a solution for practicing a green circular economy by establishing a business model and value chain for the recycling of thermosetting materials.

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is a global recycling standard that is based on the concept of the circular economy. To obtain GRS certification, a product must contain at least 20% recycled fibers and be 100% free of pollutant. The goal is to build truly sustainable products with zero waste and

Source:Swancor/jecomposites

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China's 2023-2024 net HDPE imports:

NOBODY IN the petrochemicals industry really knows what’s happening inside any government and how that translates to policies for our industry, no matter how well connected they believe they are.

This makes understanding policy direction essentially a guessing game, based on always imperfect access to policy details and – here is the key – interpretations of how policies might be applied. It is one thing to set a new direction for petrochemicals, but on-the-ground implementation of that direction is almost an entirely separate thing.

This is not me talking, but instead some “wise old hands” who work, or have worked, at very senior levels in petrochemical companies. I’ve known some of these guys (and its mainly guys, unfortunately) for more than 20 years.

China’s percentage shares of global capacities in higher-value products are forecast by ICIS to substantially increase in 2024 compared with 2022.

For example, China’s share of global capacities of acrylic acid esters is expected to jump to 13% in 2024 from 1% in 2022. China’s share of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers, some of which can be high value, is forecast to rise to 17% in 2024 from 8% in 2022.

China 2024-2034 HDPE net imports at either 105m tonnes or 19m tonnes

For illustration purposes only, let me show you what can be done with our data to produce scenarios for China’s net imports of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in 2024-2034, factoring in the variables detailed above.

These scenarios need refining in the context of, as I said, workshops with the support of our excellent analytics team in China and our global consulting team.

You always need to start with a base case. The ICIS base for China’s net HDPE imports in 2024-2034 assumes that capacity will grow by 5.7m tonnes/year as demand increases by an average of 3% per year with the operating rate averaging 73%.

This would compare with 2000-2023 annual average demand growth of 9% and an operating rate of 93%.

Scenario 2 involves only 3.7m tonnes/year capacity growth between 2024 and 2025. I have also assumed that 1.1m tonnes/year of HDPE plants, each with capacities of less than 100,000 tonnes/year, will shut down from 2025 onwards as part of China’s drive to improve economic efficiency and lower carbon output.

Under Scenario 2, I have kept demand growth and the operating rate unchanged from our base case at 3% and 73% respectively.

Scenario 3 involves the same capacity growth and shutdowns as Scenario 2. But I raise the operating rate to 93% while keeping demand growth at 3%.

Scenario 4 involves the same capacity growth and shutdowns as Scenarios 2 and 3. The operating rate is again 93%, but I lower demand growth to just 1%.

The chart below shows these four different outcomes in terms of net imports for selected years between 2024 and 2034.

Source:John Richardson,ICIS

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Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:Petrochemicals Historical timeline- Part 5

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

Petrochemicals Historical timeline- Part 5

1937 Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol become available as an anti-freeze. Methanol was used until this time.

1937 German chemist Otto Bayer patents polyurethane and further tests created moulded foam with bubbles. Between 1943 and 1944, the

Germans secretly used polyurethane on wartime aircraft components. In the post-war years, it became highly successful in mattresses, insulation

and furniture padding. Polyurethane is also used in paints, varnishes and sportswear fabrics.

1938 First major discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia.

1938 Dow Chemical Company introduces STYRON polystyrene resins.

1938 American chemist Roy Plunkett develops Teflon after accidentally exploding tetrafluoroethylene gas. The white, waxy powder that

remained was a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene which was used as the basis for Teflon, a new non-stick, heat-resistant plastic. Gore-Tex, the breathable, waterproof textile, is also a result of this discovery.

1939-1945 World War II. During this time, the US supplied more than 80% of aviation gasoline and American refineries manufactured synthetic rubber, toluene, medicinal oils and other important petrochemical-based military supplies.

1941 DuPont chemists John R. Whinfield and James T. Dickinson created the polyester fibre from ethylene, glycol and terephthalic acid. This was called Terylene and was manufactured by ICI.

(to be continued soon)

Source:World Petroleum Council Guide

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Montauk Renewables, Inc. Signs Letter of Intent with European Energy to Provide CO2 for e-Methanol Production

Montauk Energy Holdings, LLC, announced the Company signed a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) with EE North America, LLC (“EE North America”), a North American subsidiary of Denmark–based European Energy, to deliver all biogenic Carbon Dioxide (“CO2”) volumes from all its Texas facilities sufficient for large scale production of e-fuels such as e-methanol. The initial delivery period is expected to begin in 2026 and is expected to last for 15 years upon final agreement. The LOI immediately commits Montauk’s CO2 from its Texas facilities to EE North America’s Texas project.

EE North America is a North American subsidiary of Denmark–based European Energy that, for the past 19 years, has been committed to being a leading player in the development of renewable energy. EE North America intends to construct a Power-to-X facility in Texas that would take the biogenic CO2 from Montauk’s locations and use it in the production of e-methanol. The e-methanol would then be used to fuel vessels for maritime shipping operations. The LOI between Montauk and EE North America assists Montauk in synchronizing capital commitment timing at its Texas facilities with EE North America’s project.

The planned delivery would prevent a critical amount of biogenic CO2 from entering the atmosphere and put it to beneficial use, creating a new fixed-price commodity revenue stream for Montauk.

“The expected agreement between Montauk and EE North America will have a positive impact on the global reduction of CO2, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, while continuing to expand and diversify our revenue sources, in this case with fixed-price commodity sales,” said Sean McClain, CEO of Montauk. “Our relationship with European Energy is another example of Montauk’s commitment to environmental stewardship, its multi-faceted development strategy, its ability to align itself with industry leaders and its commitment to enhancing shareholder value.”

EE North America's CEO, Lorena Ciciriello, expressed her enthusiasm for the agreement, stating, "By thinking creatively, building robust relationships, and strategically assembling the pieces for long-term growth, we are at the forefront of the clean energy transition. With genuine excitement and a shared vision, EE North America and Montauk are forging a powerful partnership, propelling us towards a brighter and more sustainable tomorrow. Our passion for driving the transition to cleaner energy fuels our dedication every step of the way."

Source: Montauk Renewables/globenewswire
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