KINECO ACQUIRES 100 % SHAREHOLDING CONTROL OF KINECO KAMAN SUBSIDARY

6th October 2024- Goa-based Kineco Limited (KINECO), a leading manufacturer of advanced composite products for the aerospace, defense, and railway sectors, has announced the acquisition of an additional 49% equity stake in its subsidiary, Kineco Kaman Composites India Private Limited (Kineco Kaman), from the U.S.-based J.V. partner Kaman Aerospace Inc. This transaction makes Kineco Kaman a wholly owned subsidiary of Kineco Limited.

Kineco Kaman was founded in 2012 as a joint venture between Kineco and Kaman Aerospace, with the aim of addressing the growing demand for advanced composite parts and sub-assemblies for the aerospace and defense industries in both India and globally. Over the past 12 years, the company has earned a strong reputation for manufacturing complex composite components and sub-assemblies used in aerospace, defense, and space applications. The company has received multiple Gold Supplier awards for excellence in quality and 100% on-time delivery from global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Kineco Kaman has also been a preferred supplier for major Indian defense and space programs, including ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan missions, as well as defense helicopter and combat aircraft programs.

Shekhar Sardessai, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Kineco Limited, expressed his appreciation for the long-standing partnership with Kaman Aerospace, highlighting the company’s consistent performance and world-class capabilities. “In over a decade of partnership with Kaman, we built a company that has demonstrated global competitiveness and credibility in the aerospace industry. We are deeply grateful to Kaman Aerospace for their unwavering support and trust throughout the years,” Sardessai remarked.
Sardessai also emphasized that this acquisition aligns with the company’s strategic focus on deepening its presence in the aerospace and defense sector and will be value accretive to the company in the medium to long term.
He added, Kineco now plans to integrate all of its aerospace & defence businesses into a single SBU to be branded as “Kineco Aerospace & Defence’.
This unification strategy coupled with full control of the SBU, will now position Kineco to pursue more ambitious growth targets.

source:KINECO

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : CARBON NANOTUBES DERIVATIVES

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Plastics are stronger and lighter thanks to carbon nanotubes derivatives

Reducing the environmental impact caused by plastics can be addressed through different strategies, such as the manufacture of more durable plastics or recycling. In general, there are two main types of plastics. The first is thermoplastics, which can be melted and molded to form other objects, although their mechanical properties weaken if they are melted several times. And the second, thermosets, do not melt at high temperatures, since the chains of the polymers that form them are intertwined by chemical bonds.

Thermoset plastics have advantageous properties compared to thermoplastics. They tend to have a higher resistance to impact and mechanical stress, although they are also more brittle. Epoxy resin, silicone or melamine are examples of thermoset plastics, commonly used in construction. To make these plastics stronger, engineers add reinforcement materials such as carbon fibers. They are already used to manufacture objects such as motorcycle helmets or sports equipment, which are very durable although they cannot be easily recycled.

At IMDEA Nanociencia, the Chemistry of Low-Dimensional Materials group, led by Emilio Pérez, is investigating a strategy to strengthen recyclable plastics in a collaboration with the company Nanocore. The plastic studied is a 'covalent adaptable network', whose molecular structure is similar to that of a thermoset plastic but with the particularity that it incorporates covalent– strong – bonds but at the same time reversible between polymer chains. Specifically, they work with imines, whose bonds are dynamic: can be broken by water or temperature, and re-arrange. The novelty of the study lies in the use of a derivative of carbon nanotubes that have a ring molecule around them - mechanically interlocked carbon nanotubes MINTs. The ring molecules are attached to the carbon nanotube mechanically, not chemically, so the bond between the two is very strong, but at the same time allows a certain movement of the molecule along the nanotube. The researchers have equipped the ring with two anchor points (two amines) so that they covalently bond with the polymers. In this way, the nanotube becomes a structural part of the polymer network.

Putting rings on nanotubes: a simple and very effective strategy

Carbon nanotubes are essentially a sheet of graphene rolled up on itself. To join a nanotube with other molecules, it is possible to do so directly by covalent bonds which break the tube a little, add defects and weaken it. The strategy pursued by the researchers uses the mechanical bond – a ring molecule around the nanotube – to integrate the nanotubes into the polymer lattice, preserving all their properties, and maximizing the load transfer from the matrix to the reinforcement. In other words, it cannot be done better.

The concept is simple: by surrounding the nanotube with a ring, the agglomeration of these fibers that makes the reinforcement less effective is prevented. In addition, polymer interaction sites are provided in the ring, which improves stress transfer. Adding only 1% nanotubes by weight to the polymer mixture achieves a 77% improvement in Young's modulus, and a 100% improvement in tensile strength. Remarkably, the mechanical properties of this reinforced plastic remain intact after being melted down and recycled up to 4 times.

The mechanical properties of this reinforced plastic remain intact after being melted down and recycled up to 4 times.

In engineering, the Law of Mixtures indicates that the properties of a compound are the mixture of the properties of the original materials, according to their proportion. The study led by the Madrid researchers confirms that this is only the case when there is an efficient transfer of mechanical stress between both compounds, at the nanoscopic level. In their work, the researchers have achieved maximum efficiency in transferring mechanical stress from the polymer to nanotubes, the strongest material. Nanotubes have a Young's modulus of 1TPa, 5 times harder than steel, being a much lighter material. Adding more nanotubes to the plastic does not make it stronger, as the nanotubes begin to agglomerate and lose efficiency. The key to success lies in the covalent bond between the nanotubes and the polymer.

It all started with an ERC grant

The story of this scientific result begins in 2012, when researcher Emilio Pérez received a prestigious 'Starting' grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to develop an innovative idea: putting molecular rings on carbon nanotubes. With this grant of 1.5 million euros, Pérez consolidated his research group at IMDEA Nanociencia institute. For 5 years, they created mechanical bonds between ring molecules and carbon nanotubes and studied their properties, although without yet focusing on their possible applications. In 2017, Pérez received a call from Nanocore ApS, a Danish company pioneering the transfer of results to the materials production market. They also intended to modify carbon nanotubes, from a biochemical approach. They began collaborating together on a year-long project, and then obtained an ERC 'Proof of Concept' grant that promoted the experiments. In 2020 they would sign a contract of more than 3 million euros to work together on the reinforcement of plastics with carbon nanotubes.

 A myriad of applications

The collaboration with Nanocore continues to explore all the most commercially relevant polymers that can be reinforced. Producing plastics almost as strong as carbon fibers, which can be melted down and recycled, is a dream. A before and after, which can firmly contribute to a new, greener and more sustainable scenario. Pérez explains: “Producing lighter structures, such as cars, planes, etc., would mean considerable fuel savings.” Manufacturing with less material and ensuring recyclability draws a promising horizon.

This work has been carried out at IMDEA Nanociencia and is partially funded by the Severo Ochoa Seal of Excellence awarded to IMDEA Nanociencia (CEX2020-001039-S).

source:IMDEA NANOCIENCIA

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Marie Curie-The Nobel prize in 1911

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Marie Curie, née Skłodowska-The Nobel prize in 1911

Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist who became the first woman to win a Nobel prize. Along with her husband Pierre, she discovered two elements: polonium and radium. She also carried out pioneering research into radioactivity.

Born Maria Skłodowska in Warsaw on 7 November 1867, Marie moved to Paris in 1891 to study physics, chemistry and maths at the University of Paris, where she earned two degrees, supporting herself through her studies by tutoring in the evenings. There she met Pierre Curie, who worked at the university, and they married in 1895. The couple set up a joint laboratory in a basement, building their own equipment for their experiments. At the time no one knew about the effects of radioactivity on the body, so they handled the elements they used in their research without any of the precautions or protective clothing we would use today. Marie even kept vials of what she was working on in her pockets or her desk drawers. More than 100 years after their discoveries, the couple’s notebooks are still so radioactive they have to be kept in lead-lined boxes and handled only while wearing protective clothing.

1898 was a busy year for the couple. Marie had been investigating the unusual properties of pitchblende, a black mineral that is rich in uranium. Two years earlier Henri Becquerel had discovered that uranium salts gave off rays that could penetrate objects in a similar way to the newly discovered X rays, but Marie had noticed that pitchblende gave off much more of what she later called radioactivity than would be expected if uranium alone was to blame.

Excited by Marie’s work, Pierre stopped his own research into crystals to help her grind down tonnes of the mineral in search of an answer. That July, the couple announced the discovery of the element polonium, which they named after Marie’s native Poland. But it still didn’t explain all of the radiation seen in pitchblende. Then, on 26 December, they announced the discovery of a second new element: radium. It took Marie another 12 years before she could isolate pure metal radium from pitchblende and definitively prove its existence.

The couple’s work on radioactivity won them a share of the Nobel prize in physics in 1903, alongside Becquerel, making Marie the first woman to win a Nobel prize. It almost didn’t happen – the Nobel committee wanted to honour only Pierre and Becquerel, but Pierre, alerted in advance, complained and Marie’s name was added. She also won the Nobel prize in chemistry, in 1911, for the discovery of radium and polonium, and the isolation of radium. With this she became the first person to win two Nobel prizes. She is still the only person to have won two Nobels in two different scientific fields.

source:New Scientist/Nobel Prize Organization

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share:Toray Launches High Performance Poly Ether Sulphone composites

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Toray Advanced Composites announces launch of high-performance Toray Cetex® PESU thermoplastic composite material

Toray Advanced Composites, a leading innovator in advanced material technology, today announces the launch of Toray Cetex® TC1130 PESU thermoplastic composite material. This high-performance thermoplastic composite material is specifically engineered to address the growing need for lightweight and environmentally sustainable materials in aircraft interior applications, offering significant benefits to the aerospace industry.

Suited for monolithic and thermoplastic-based sandwich panel constructions, Toray Cetex® TC1130 PESU (PolyEtherSulphone) continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite enables the creation of mono-material sandwich structures when combined with core materials of the same chemistry. Compared to materials currently used, this not only achieves additional weight savings and cost-effective post-processing, but also ensures fully recyclable homogeneous sandwich structures. Additionally, Toray Cetex® TC1130 offers excellent fire, smoke, and toxicity (FST) performance, outstanding impact resistance, and toughness, which are essential for demanding interior applications.

“We are excited to share our latest product development with the world,” states Marc Huisman, Director Research and Development, Toray Advanced Composites Europe. “As a leading material supplier, we understand the challenges faced by the aerospace industry to achieve full circularity. We’re proud to continue our long legacy of material technology innovation by bringing this latest generation of sustainable material solutions to market.”

Toray Advanced Composites’ global technical and commercial teams are ready to support immediate demand for Toray Cetex® TC1130.

credit: Toray/jeccomposites.com

Ingevity to present and exhibit Capa® polycaprolactone at the FEICA European Adhesive and Sealant Conference and EXPO 2024

Ingevity Corporation will participate in the FEICA European Adhesive & Sealant Conference and EXPO 2024 in Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands,. The company will launch Capa® L, the next generation of sustainable and innovative polycaprolactone polyols for polyurethane adhesives that can be used in flexible food packaging, construction and industrial applications.

“The latest generation of Capa polyols provides formulators with the performance and sustainability benefits they are seeking,” said Ingevity senior vice president and president, Advanced Polymer Technologies, Steve Hulme. “We’re excited to debut our newest Capa polyol technology, Capa L, which offers liquid products at room temperature, an enhanced rate of biodegradation and is food contact compliant in the EU.”

Ingevity’s advanced polymer technologies business is the global leader in caprolactone technology and innovation, with a 50-year history of improving performance in a wide variety of end-use applications. Ingevity supplies Capa products into multiple markets, largely helping formulator and applicator customers make tougher, more durable, flexible and resistant products with more sustainable end-of-life solutions.

FEICA is a multinational association representing the European adhesive and sealant industry. Its annual trade show and technical conference is dedicated to serving as a global business platform and educational forum for the adhesive and sealants industry, offering essential insights into the key issues affecting the industry.

source:Ingevity

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Risk Evaluation for Tris(2-chloroethyl) Phosphate (TCEP)

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Risk Evaluation for Tris(2-chloroethyl) Phosphate (TCEP)

Risk Evaluation Findings:

EPA reviewed the exposures and hazards of TCEP uses and made risk findings on this chemical substance. EPA considered relevant risk-related factors, including, but not limited to: the hazards and exposure, magnitude of risk, exposed population, severity of the hazard, and uncertainties, as part of its unreasonable risk determination.

EPA has determined that TCEP poses an unreasonable risk of injury to human health and the environment. TCEP has the potential to cause kidney cancer, damage the nervous system and kidneys, and harm fertility.

EPA assessed TCEP exposure to potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations (PESS), like workers, pregnant women, infants that breastfeed, children, people living in fenceline communities near facilities that emit TCEP, and people and Tribes whose diets include large amounts of fish. EPA identified health risks for PESS, including neurological effects, reproductive effects, developmental effects, kidney effects, and cancer from exposure to TCEP.

EPA found that TCEP presents unreasonable risk of kidney cancer and noncancer health effects to workers and consumers. EPA determined that seven out of 21 conditions of use of TCEP contribute significantly to the unreasonable risk to workers:

Manufacturing imports;

Paint and coating manufacturing;

Polymers used in aerospace equipment and products;

Aerospace equipment and products and automotive articles and replacement parts containing TCEP;

Paints and coatings for industrial use;

Paints and coatings for commercial use; and 

Laboratory chemicals.

EPA found unreasonable risk to consumers from three out of 21 conditions of use: fabric and textile products; foam seating and bedding products; and wood and engineered wood products. Consumers are most at risk when they breathe or ingest dust from TCEP that comes off of fabrics, textiles, foam and wood products. 

EPA found unreasonable risks for people who eat large amounts of fish contaminated with TCEP. The chemical can accumulate in fish if they live in a stream or other waterbody with high concentrations of TCEP. These concerns are particularly notable for groups that eat higher quantities of fish, such as subsistence fishers and Tribes.

EPA assessed the impact of TCEP on aquatic and terrestrial species and found that TCEP poses unreasonable risk to aquatic species like fish and aquatic invertebrates.

EPA will now move forward on risk management to address the unreasonable risk presented by TCEP. EPA will release a proposed rule under TSCA section 6 to protect people and the environment from the risks EPA identified.

Background on TCEP

TCEP (CASRN 115-96-8) is a colorless liquid. The primary use for TCEP is as a flame retardant and plasticizer in polymers used in aerospace equipment and products, and as a flame retardant in paint and coating manufacturing. Information from the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) for TCEP indicates the reported production volume was 39,682 lbs/year. While no companies reported the manufacture (including import) of TCEP in the United States from 2016 to 2020, the reporting threshold for TCEP in CDR is 25,000 lb and some manufacturing could be occurring below that threshold.

Uses of TCEP

In the final scope of the risk evaluation, EPA identified conditions of use associated with the importing; processing; distribution in commerce; industrial, commercial and consumer uses; and disposal of TCEP, for example:

• As a flame retardant in paint and coating manufacturing, polymers, and articles;
• In industrial and commercial aircraft interiors and aerospace products;
• For laboratory chemicals; and
• In commercial and consumer products, including paints and coatings, fabric and textile, products, foam seating, and construction materials.

source:EPA

Project Successfully Reduces Time Taken to Perform Bioplastics Biodegradation Tests

The BIOFAST Project has successfully concluded and achieved its main objective: to reduce the time taken to carry out biodegradation tests on bioplastics in composting environments.

This research was coordinated by the Plastics Technology Centre (AIMPLAS) with the participation of the Materials Technology and Sustainability Research Group (MATS) in the Chemical Engineering Department of the ETSE School of Engineering at the Universitat de València, and the company Prime Biopolymers.

Greater Efficiency in Compostable Bioplastics Development:

The BIOFAST Project received funding from the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) through the Strategic Projects in Cooperation Program and ERDF. It not only demonstrated an effective reduction in the time taken to perform biodegradation tests applied to bioplastics, but also generated significant economic and environmental impact.

Speeding up biodegradation studies allows for greater efficiency in the development processes of compostable bioplastics by reducing operating costs and improving the sustainability of new product lines.

“This breakthrough represents an important step towards a circular economy model in which bioplastics can be rapidly broken down and valorized, thus reducing the accumulation of plastic waste and mitigating its environmental impact. The methodological protocol developed could be adopted on a large scale to promote more sustainable and efficient practices in the treatment of compostable bioplastic waste,” said researchers involved in the project.

The project consortium therefore developed and validated an innovative methodological protocol that combines specific bioplastic formulations, various oxidative pretreatment technologies and compost enrichment to speed up the bioplastics biodegradation process.

Collaborative Effort to Optimize the End-of-Life Assessment Conditions

Specifically, the MATS Research Group applied a series of abiotic pretreatment technologies to biopolymeric materials, including plasma and UV irradiation, as well as hydro- and chemo-thermal degradation. The impact of the oxidative pretreatments was evaluated in terms of the short- and medium-term stability of the materials’ structure, morphology and functional performance.

Meanwhile, Prime Biopolymers successfully prepared several compositions of compostable biopolymeric materials of great impact on the current market. AIMPLAS, the project coordinator, analyzed factors that significantly affect the biodegradation process to develop a strategy to speed up the process based on increasing the potential of the biotic and abiotic components involved in composting.

Source: AIMPLAS/omnexus.specialchem.com