#Sabic Expands Its PPE-based Product Range with Bio-based Versions of Every Grade

SABIC is now offering bio-based versions of all #NORYL™, Flexible NORYL™, NORYL™ GTX™ and NORYL™ PPX™ resin grades to help customers meet increasingly rigorous sustainability goals.

The bio-based versions, formulated with #polyphenyleneether (PPE) resin feedstocks certified under International #Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS, provide properties similar to those of fossil-based grades. Customers may select from multiple levels of #bio-based content for their chosen NORYL™ product.

Drop-in Replacements for Traditional Grades:

To demonstrate the feasibility of this bio-based approach, SABIC has proactively commercialized three popular NORYL™ grades; however, these example materials represent only a small percentage of the full offering.

The availability of bio-based versions broadens the choice of environmentally responsible NORYL™ resins beyond the company’s recently introduced post-consumer recycled (PCR)-based materials containing more than 25% PCR content.

"We’re pleased to provide customers with new choices to reduce the global warming potential of both existing and new applications made with NORYL™ materials,” said Joshua Chiaw, director, Business Management, LNP & NORYL™, Specialties, SABIC. “Bio-based PPE feedstocks enable SABIC to efficiently produce sustainable NORYL™ materials that can serve as drop-in replacements for traditional grades – with equivalent performance and processability. Expansion of our NORYL™ resin portfolio with bio-based versions is a key part of our strategy for helping brands, OEMs, tier suppliers and molders achieve their sustainability goals."

Properties of Sustainable Versions:

The following bio-based products are available now. Customers wishing to order bio-based versions of other NORYL™, NORYL™ GTX, Flex NORYL™ or NORYL™ PPX materials should contact their SABIC representative.

NORYL™ NH5120BIO4 resin is well suited for evaluation in housings and enclosures, heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) components and photovoltaic/solar junction boxes. It is a bio-based, non-brominated/non-chlorinated flame-retardant resin with a UL flame rating of V1 at 1.5mm with no intentionally added per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). NORYL NH5120BIO4 resin delivers a balance of heat resistance, flow, hydrolytic and dimensional stability, and creep performance, and retains its good mechanical properties in harsh outdoor environments.

NORYL™ GFN2BIO3 resin features high strength, hydrolytic and dimensional stability, low warpage and low specific gravity. This bio-based material carries a UL746C outdoor suitability rating of F1 and is an excellent candidate for indoor and outdoor applications in the building & construction and lawn & garden industries.

Source: SABIC/specialchem

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Low cost model in Hydroponics in India

 Ashwin Sawant was a successful sales engineer in Dubai when he met a client who was cultivating green fodder hydroponically for his large livestock. The client's farm was so impressive that Ashwin decided to leave his lucrative job and return to India to pursue hydroponic farming.

He knew that hydroponics could revolutionise the fodder industry in India. Traditional methods of growing fodder require large tracts of land and gallons of water, which are major problems in water-scarce countries like India.

“With hydroponics, however, we can reduce the area and water requirements. A one-tonne unit, installable in a 1,000-square-foot area, allows a farmer to save at least seven acres of land. This land can then be utilised to grow other crops. Using hydroponics, farmers can harvest one kilo of green fodder by utilising just 1.5 litres of water, saving 99 per cent of water compared to conventional methods,” he explains.

To introduce farmers to the benefits of hydroponic farming, Ashwin set up a research lab in Pune. He also founded Scientific Hydroponics to sell hydroponic systems to farmers.

Traditional green fodder grown through conventional methods can cost anywhere from 8 to 14 rupees per kilogram, whereas hydroponically grown green fodder only costs around 2 rupees per kilogram.

While hydroponics offers various benefits, such as land and water conservation, it is also an expensive technology. The cost of a one-tonne unit can reach up to Rs 16 lakh.

Click the link https://buff.ly/44eSBkF to learn how Ashwin developed an economical, low-cost model, priced at an average of Rs 3 lakh, and successfully trained over 1,000 farmers in hydroponic farming.

Source:The Better India

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#sustainablefarming #hydroponicfarming #farming

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: DITF develops water-spun lignin fibers as a PAN precursor alternative!

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

DITF develops water-spun lignin fibers as a PAN precursor alternative!

"The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research has developed a novel process for the production of carbon fibers from lignin, which the institute says is environmentally friendly and cost-saving through the avoidance of solvents and the use of natural raw materials. The process is also characterized by high energy savings in all process steps of the carbon fiber production process." 

"Lignin, a rigid and woody polymer that is a key structural material for plants, replaces #polyacrylonitrile (PAN) for the production of precursor fibers, which are converted into carbon fibers in a second process step. According to DITF, the raw material, a waste product in paper production, is inexpensive and available in large quantities."

"The new process for producing lignin fibers is based on an aqueous solution of lignin, removing the requirement for solvents or toxic additives. For this purpose, wood is separated into its components, #lignin and #cellulose . A sulfite digestion process enables the production of lignosulfonate, which is dissolved in water. An aqueous solution of lignin is then the starting material for spinning the fibers.

"The #spinning process itself is carried out in a dry spinning process, where an extruder presses the spinning mass through a nozzle into a heated spinning shaft. The resulting continuous fibers are said to dry quickly and uniformly in the spinning shaft. Use of dry spinning, which enables high spinning speeds is said to produce more material in a shorter amount of time than what is possible with PAN fibers.

"The following steps for the production of carbon fibers, namely stabilization in hot air and subsequent carbonization in a high-temperature furnace, are similar to those of the usual process when PAN is used as a precursor fiber, DITF notes. However, lignin fibers provide an advantage in that they can be stabilized particularly quickly in the oven with hot air and only require relatively low temperatures in #carbonization. The #energysavings in these process steps compared with PAN are said to be around 50%. The resulting fibers are homogeneous, have smooth surfaces and no adhesions, and have almost comparable mechanical properties to PAN-based #carbonfibers, DITF says, in terms of strength, resistance and light weight.

Source:#managingcomposites

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Covestro Develops Innovative Process for Recycling Polycarbonate

Covestro has developed an innovative process for recycling polycarbonate, i.e., polychain plastics. In this process, plastics are converted back into their monomers, a precursor of plastics, so that they can be fed back into the production process as alternative raw materials.

At Covestro in Leverkusen, the technical implementation of chemical recycling is now beginning on a pilot scale. On the way to industrial scale, the process is still being optimized and is undergoing further development stages.

Recyclate Serve as Raw Materials for Future Plastics

"As a manufacturer of plastics such as polycarbonate, we naturally have a responsibility in dealing with these important materials, including at the end of their product life. Our advantage is: we know how our products are designed and can therefore conduct targeted research into recycling solutions," says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Covestro's chief technology officer. "The chemical recycling of polycarbonate is another example with which our colleagues in development show that closed cycles are possible in the future. We need to use end-of-life plastics as a resource and reuse them as alternative raw materials to close the loop."

The return of plastics through recycling replaces primary fossil raw materials in production. Comprehensive recycling thus contributes to climate neutrality and the protection of natural resources and the environment. Mechanical recycling of polycarbonate is already an important component of Covestro's recycling strategy. The mechanical recycling process is used whenever waste streams are sufficiently pure and the recycled polycarbonate meets the requirements profile of the future application.

Chemical recycling works in a complementary way to mechanical recycling - it converts plastic building blocks back into monomers, i.e. their individual building blocks. These can be separated and serve as raw materials for future plastic. Chemical recycling can therefore make larger waste streams that are unsuitable for mechanical processes in particular accessible for recycling; it allows the production of plastics that meet the highest quality requirements. Covestro is therefore actively developing chemical recycling.

Chemolysis Process Adapted to Polycarbonate

The newly developed process, which was driven by an international team, is a specific chemolysis process adapted to polycarbonate. "Pre-sorted waste streams containing a product content of more than 50% polycarbonate can be recycled this way. This has been successfully demonstrated with various polycarbonate-containing plastic waste streams," explains Markus Dugal, head of Process Technology at Covestro. "With the help of this chemolysis, the cycle can be closed to a direct precursor of polycarbonate. This makes the recycling process very sustainable."

The recycled product, a precursor of polycarbonate, can be mass-balanced and reused as a raw material for the production of polycarbonate without further processing. "Such high-quality recycled raw materials are needed for applications that require top quality. These include, for example, applications in the automotive sector with special requirements in terms of safety, optical transparency or aesthetics, and products in our everyday lives such as consumer electronics," says Lily Wang, head of the Engineering Plastics Business Entity.

Pilot Plant for Further Expansion to Industrial Scale

Following successful development in the laboratory, the next stage of development, the technical implementation of a continuous process, has already started. A pilot plant, which is currently in the planning stage, will be used to gather the experience needed for further expansion to industrial scale. Millions of euros will be invested in this over the next few years. The pilot plant will be built in Leverkusen, Germany.

At the same time, Covestro is driving forward further processes for innovative recycling of polycarbonate in its research laboratories. These include chemolytic alternatives, recycling with enzymes that break down the plastic, and smart pyrolysis. Promising alternatives can also be tested with the pilot plant.

Plastics are key to sustainable growth and a green future. To ensure that plastic products do not become waste at the end of their life, they must be reused as alternative raw materials. Innovative recycling is one of the four fields Covestro is actively driving forward on the road to a circular economy. Covestro is therefore stepping up its research into recycling methods, with an open approach to technology, and promoting innovative approaches such as chemical recycling.

Source: Covestro

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫::

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:

𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫::

• Roughly 12.8 million people are employed in manufacturing, making it the 5th largest employer (Source: https://lnkd.in/eNSDg2T2)

• Of the 271,705 identified exporters in 2020, 25% were manufacturers (Source: https://lnkd.in/enyrG-gC)

• 292,825 factories in the United States. The vast majority (268,000) have less than 99 employees. There are 846 factories that employee 1,000 or more employees (Source: https://lnkd.in/enEQzYxM)

• The sector contributes $2.3 Trillion to the U.S. GDP, amounting to 10.8% of total GDP (Source: https://lnkd.in/enSZs6wd.)

• Average compensation in U.S. manufacturing is 10.2% higher than that for total private industry (Source: https://lnkd.in/enSZs6wd.)

• The Boeing Everett Factory in Washington State is the largest factory in the world with a surface area of 398,000 m² (98.3 acres). (Source: https://lnkd.in/eWe2hA4F.)

• California has the most manufacturing jobs (1,541,050) and the most number of manufacturing companies (24,304), followed by Texas in both categories (Source: https://lnkd.in/eR37SQPM)

Map generated by: https://lnkd.in/eFvekxMS

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#Manufacturing #usajobs #usa

Evonik to Supply Catalyst for Röhm’s New Methyl Methacrylate Production Plant

Evonik signs an agreement to scale up and produce custom catalyst for Röhm’s new methyl methacrylate (MMA) production plant in Bay City, Texas, USA, which is due to be opened in 2024.

Methacrylate monomers and their derivatives are important precursors used in the automotive, electronic, medical and construction industries.

Catalyst with Reduced Environmental Impact

“This agreement once again, underscores our commitment and capability in custom Catalysts arena. We’re delighted to be able to work with the Röhm team to enable commercial scale production of MMA,” said Sanjeev Taneja, head of Evonik Catalysts.

Taneja continued, “These catalysts play a key role in Röhm’s newly developed LiMA (Leading in Methacrylates) technology to produce MMA with efficient resource use and reduced environmental impact. In many ways, LiMA sets new standards and is the most efficient MMA production technology to have been developed.”

Compared to other MMA processes, the LiMA technology has clear sustainability advantages, as it enables a high yield with low energy consumption and reduced wastewater volumes.

Methacrylate monomers & their derivatives are also essential precursors used in the production of PLEXIGLAS® and specialty applications such as contact lenses and adhesives.

Source: Evonik/specialchem

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#polymers #mma #rohm #technology #production #precursors #contactlenses

Researchers to Study Atomic-level Mechanical Force for Chemical Production

Understanding the atomic-scale mysteries of "crushing" chemistry is the goal of an expanding research center with a newly awarded $20 million investment from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).

Managed by Texas A&M University, NSF's Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry (CMCC) will conduct a rigorous exploration to know how the mechanical application of force can enable new advances in chemistry, with the potential to make industrial processes cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Explore Mechanochemical Reactions

Mechanical chemistry, or mechanochemistry, is the crushing of chemicals to produce reactions and substances. It has long been used by chemists and nature alike — for example, diamonds are created when carbon is squeezed under enormous pressure inside the Earth. While mechanical chemistry has been used to grind out everything from pigments in Renaissance-era paintings to medicinal compounds at local pharmacy, the atomic-scale processes at the heart of such crushing transformations are not fully understood or predictable.

Moreover, while heat or light are often used to impart the energy needed to make and break bonds in chemical reactions, the use of mechanical force to impart that energy and thus drive new types of chemistry remains an underexplored frontier.

The additional funding will enable the center to become a nexus for mechanical chemistry research across the U.S. by supporting work at 11 U.S. institutions in nine states.

"Using traditional chemical methods, chemists have discovered many effective ways to create substances that have enhanced human health and prosperity — like the ammonia essential for agricultural fertilizers, which help provide the world's food supply. But such substances could potentially be produced in a more sustainable way through undiscovered techniques of mechanical chemistry," said NSF assistant director for mathematical and physical sciences Sean L. Jones. "NSF's Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry will focus on providing the insights necessary for innovative minds across America to scale it up."

NSF's Support for CMCC's Research Advancements

The center itself is being scaled up. The $20 million from NSF is a phase two award from its Centers for Chemical Innovation program, which supports multiple centers aimed at solving fundamental challenges in chemical research and developing subsequent innovations. CMCC received a $2 million phase one award in 2020.

Source: National Science Foundation/specialchem

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#chemicals #mechanochemical ##polymerindustry #chemistry #production