Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Michelin Shifts Gears With Biobased Innovations

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Michelin to construct EUR60 mn demo plant for bio-based 5-HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural) in France

Michelin announces the construction of an initial industrial demonstration unit for the 5-HMF molecule. This bio-sourced and non-toxic molecule can replace ingredients derived from fossil fuels in a wide variety of industrial fields. This unit, which will be located on the Osiris platform in Péage en Roussillon, France, will have an annual production capacity of 3,000 metric tons, making this site the largest production site in the world for this molecule. This project represents a total investment of EUR 60 million, partly subsidized by the ADEME in France and the CBE JU1 at European level. It will allow for the creation of approximately 30 direct jobs and should begin its activities during 2026.

A molecule with extremely promising properties:

5-HMF, also known as 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, is a platform molecule with multiple possible derivatives. It is bio-sourced and non-toxic, allowing it to replace ingredients sourced from oil or those of concern. It is known as the “Sleeping Giant” due to its versatility and its ability to replace a wide range of conventional molecules. This molecule is obtained from fructose that has been transformed using green chemistry processes.

5-HMF will therefore be one of the rare monomers that meet the following characteristics: bio-sourced, non-toxic, available on an industrial scale in thousands of metric tons, and produced in Europe using European raw materials.

 

A potential market of over 40,000 metric tons by 2030

This project, entitled CERISEA, was developed within the framework of a partnership bringing together multiple industrial, institutional, and academic stakeholders.

Supported by the ADEME3, it forms part of the France 2030 program, which aims to support industrial innovation and the ecological transition. It also benefits from support from the CBE JU1 at European level.

The European 5-HMF market is still emerging, as the molecule is produced solely in Asia, in very small quantities, and it remains prohibitive for industrial uses.

Already used in the manufacture of non-toxic adhesive resins developed by Michelin ResiCare, this molecule allows these resins to reduce operator and consumer exposure to harmful products. The production of this initial industrial scale unit will allow for safeguarding Michelin ResiCare’s supply and for lowering costs. It also paves the way for the marketing of new materials in a variety of sectors, such as cosmetics, agriculture, industry, construction, transport, aeronautics, or electronics, as well as in many other fields of application. The projects launched demonstrate a potential market of over 40,000 metric tons by 2030.

Provision has been made for 20,000-metric ton units to be duplicated via a license system, in order to develop a production network for this bio-sourced molecule, in conjunction with the project’s industrial partners.

 

source:Michelin

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Breaking a plastic part

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Have you ever asked yourself if breaking a plastic part (or tensile bar) always means you are breaking polymer chains ?

It is not a trivial question and it is actually quite an important aspect to address if we want to better understand a polymer performance.

As it turns out it has a lot to do with the polymer chain entanglement density of the polymer of interest (and the temperature).

In a loosely entangled polymer, like Polystyrene, the lower ability to delocalize stress inside the network will allow an easier reach of the carbon-carbon bond strength limit, allowing thus significant chain scission when breaking a PS sample.

On the other side, highly entangled polymers like PC or PSU/PES/PPSU will spread the stress around the much denser entangled network, making carbon-carbon bonds way more unlikely to fail. The result is that failure will be dominated by disentanglement.

This has been proven by observing the significant appearance of free radicals (testifying chain scissions) on the PS fracture surface, contrary to the lack of free radicals for a PC fractured sample.

Of course, at very low temperatures, plasticity is almost totally suppressed, leaving chain scission as the only failure mechanism for all polymers, regardless of their entanglement density.

The Physics at play is not so different from what we observe in GF filled grades. Classical short GF (150-250 micron long) are too short to develop a stress higher than the glass stress at break, so fibers will be pulled out when breaking a sample.

LGF (long glass fibers, say longer than 1 mm) will typically break because the fibers are beyond the “critical length”, allowing the maximum stress in the fiber to reach the strength of glass.

source : Vito leo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Panacol unveils moisture-resistant cyanoacrylate adhesive for medical devices

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

New Water-Resistant, Biocompatible Cyanoacrylate Adhesive

Panacol presents its latest moisture- and water-resistant cyanoacrylate adhesive Cyanolit® 290 WR. This acrylate-based instant adhesive impresses with its fast curing time and high adhesive strength on metals and thermoplastics such as ABS and PVC.

The Cyanolit® 290 WR instant adhesive is a solvent-free 1-component adhesive that cures within seconds utilizing atmospheric humidity. After just a few minutes, the adhesive strengths lead to substrate fractures on plastics and achieve tensile shear strengths of up to 16 MPa on metals.

 

The main feature of Cyanolit® 290 WR is its reliable adhesion after several hundred hours in an ageing test at 85°C and 85% humidity. Here, the latest cyanoacrylate from Panacol still achieves more than 50% of its initial performance. Cyanolit® 290 WR exhibits extreme media resistance, especially after storage in pure engine oil, isopropyl alcohol or water. Even after 500-1000 hours, no loss of tensile shear strength can be determined. This extreme chemical resistance in particular makes Cyanolit® 290 WR an ideal adhesive for fast, reliable bonding between plastics and metals that may also be exposed to media.

This newly developed Cyanolit® 290 WR adhesive has also been tested in accordance with DIN ISO 10993-5 and is therefore also suitable for use in medical devices or articles and wearables.

source: Panacol

Avantium secures EU funding to advance production of biobased HMF

Avantium N.V. has been awarded a €200,000 grant by the EU Horizon Europe program to participate in a consortium for the large-scale production of the biobased chemical 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF).

The consortium, consisting of 12 European partners and led by Michelin Engineered Polymers, aims to construct and operate an HMF Flagship Plant to demonstrate the wide range of applications for HMF. The project also plans to assess synergies with Avantium’s FDCA Flagship Plant.

Linking HMF and FDCA for circular chemical value chain:

HMF is a biobased chemical derived from sugars, such as fructose. Due to its versatility and ability to replace a broad range of conventionally produced building blocks, HMF serves as a key intermediate between biomass and biochemicals.

Despite its significant potential, there are currently no large-scale industrial processes to produce HMF. Michelin Engineered Polymers, specialized in developing advanced polymer materials, plans to engineer and construct an industrial-scale HMF plant under the grant program.

The grant consortium will also explore a wide range of bio-based sustainable applications for HMF. HMF can for example be used as an intermediate in the production of FDCA. This creates a direct link between Michelin's planned HMF plant and Avantium’s FDCA Technology. The foreseen synergies will help to create an integrated and sustainable European production ecosystem that reduces environmental impact and strengthens the economic resilience of the European chemical industry.

The consortium, known under the name CERISEA, has received a €20 million EU Horizon Europe grant in total. Michelin Engineered Polymers will lead the consortium, which includes Avantium and 10 other industry and academic organizations: IFP Energies Nouvelles, ADM Bazancourt SASU, Arkema, Kraton Chemical B.V., Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), IFEU - Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg, Instituto Tecnológico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logística, Energieinstitut an der Johannes Kepler Universität Linz Verein, and Bioeconomy for Change.

CERISEA stands for “Competitive production of HMF and derivatives for an Eco-designed and Resilient Industry towards Sustainable European Autonomy.

source: Avantium/polymer-additives.specialchem.com

 

BASF and trinamiX present solutions supporting textile circularity

trinamiX GmbH, a leading provider of mobile spectroscopy solutions and a subsidiary of BASF, and BASF SE with loopamid®, a recycled polyamide 6 entirely made from textile waste, will jointly present their solutions for textile sorting and circularity at the Textiles Recycling Expo at booth 2341 in hall 3. The event takes place in Brussels, Belgium from June 4 to 5, 2025. Together, they will showcase approaches to textile circularity – from reliable material identification to the use of recycled polyamide 6 for high-performance textiles.

loopamid: Polyamide 6 made entirely from textile waste:

loopamid is a recycled polyamide 6 that is entirely based on textile waste. “The technology behind loopamid allows textile-to-textile recycling for polyamide 6 in a wide variety of fabric blends, including those with elastane,” said Dag Wiebelhaus, Head of Innovation Management at BASF’s Monomers division and loopamid project lead. BASF recently announced the start-up of the world’s first commercial loopamid plant. The production facility at the Caojing site in Shanghai, China, has an annual capacity of 500 metric tons and utilizes industrial textile waste from textile manufacturing and post-consumer waste for producing loopamid. The feedstock includes cutting scraps, defective cuts, offcuts and other production textile waste from the textile industry. These materials are collected and provided to BASF by partners. End-of-life garments made from polyamide 6 and other textile products can also be utilized for the production of loopamid. All these waste materials are challenging to recycle because they typically consist of a mixture of different fibers and materials as well as dyes and additives. Additionally, for post-consumer waste recycling, buttons, zippers and accessories must be removed in advance. BASF works closely with partners and customers to accelerate the development of collection and sorting systems.

trinamiX: Textile identification made easy

trinamiX Mobile Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy Solution enables fast, reliable and non-destructive identification of a wide range of textiles and blends – such as polyester, cotton, wool or #polyamide including PA 6 and PA 6.6. #BASF has utilized #trinamiX technology to qualify PA 6 waste streams for their loopamid® product.

The system features a robust, portable NIR spectrometer, accompanied by an app that leverages sophisticated cloud-based data analysis, along with a customer portal for managing results, downloading reports, and exporting data. 

To meet the specific needs of recyclers, trinamiX offers a flexible solution that accommodates different workflows. Users can choose between a compact handheld device for spot checks or a semi-automated setup that can be seamlessly integrated into a sorting table, allowing for automatically triggered scans for enhanced efficiency.

trinamiX PAL Two – Next generation handheld spectrometer

Visitors will also experience trinamiX PAL Two, the latest generation of trinamiX’s handheld spectrometer. Designed for even more convenient, single-handed operation, it features a built-in display for direct, on-device results – making it ideal for use in various environments and industries.

“We’re excited to join the Textiles Recycling Expo for the first time and meet the vibrant community. Our innovative solution promotes greater transparency and empowers informed decision-making throughout the textile value chain by providing reliable on-the-spot identification. We are making this accessible to everyone dedicated to creating a more sustainable future for textiles. Together, we can drive positive change and transformation in our industry!”, says Adrian Vogel, Team Lead Circular Economy at trinamiX.

source:BASF

BASF intends to take over shares in Alsachimie joint venture from DOMO Chemicals

BASF and DOMO Chemicals have signed an agreement giving BASF the right to take over DOMO Chemicals’ 49% share of the Alsachimie joint venture, in which BASF currently holds 51%. According to applicable laws, the intended transaction is subject to consultations with the relevant social bodies of Alsachimie, following which both companies would enter into a binding purchase agreement. Pending these consultations, BASF and DOMO Chemicals expect to close the transaction by mid-2025. 

For BASF, the 100% ownership of Alsachimie would be a strategic step to complement the company’s strong footprint at the site in Chalampé, France, its European hub for polyamide (PA) 6.6 precursor production. As the sole owner of Alsachimie, BASF would be able to further strengthen its production setup and maximize backward integration into key raw materials in the PA 6.6 value chain.

“As a key supplier for polyamide 6.6 precursors, it is our priority to ensure the reliable supply in Europe,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE. “By taking over the shares of our partner DOMO Chemicals, we are further strengthening our leading position and long-term commitment to the polyamide 6.6 value chain and paving the way for future growth with our customers in industries such as automotive and textiles.

For DOMO Chemicals, the intended transaction aligns with our strategy to continue to focus on delivering tailored polyamide solutions in the core segments automotive, consumer goods, industrial and electrical & electronics industries,” said Yves Bonte, CEO DOMO Chemicals.

Alsachimie was founded in February 2020 as a joint venture between BASF (51%) and DOMO Chemicals (49%). The company is located at the French-German border and produces essential precursors for polyamides, including KA-oil, adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine adipate (AH salt).

source: BASF

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : “Intercrystals” pave the way for greener electronics and quantum technologies

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Scientists discover class of crystals with properties that may prove revolutionary

Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers have discovered a new class of materials – called intercrystals – with unique electronic properties that could power future technologies.

Intercrystals exhibit newly discovered forms of electronic properties that could pave the way for advancements in more efficient electronic components, quantum computing and environmentally friendly materials, the scientists said.

As described in a report in the science journal Nature Materials, the scientists stacked two ultrathin layers of graphene, each a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal grid. They twisted them slightly atop a layer of hexagonal boron nitride, a hexagonal crystal made of boron and nitrogen. A subtle misalignment between the layers that formed moiré patterns – patterns similar to those seen when two fine mesh screens are overlaid – significantly altered how electrons moved through the material, they found.

“Our discovery opens a new path for material design,” said Eva Andrei, Board of Governors Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study. “Intercrystals give us a new handle to control electronic behavior using geometry alone, without having to change the material’s chemical composition.”

By understanding and controlling the unique properties of electrons in intercrystals, scientists can use them to develop technologies such as more efficient transistors and sensors that previously required a more complex mix of materials and processing, the researchers said.

“You can imagine designing an entire electronic circuit where every function – switching, sensing, signal propagation – is controlled by tuning geometry at the atomic level,” said Jedediah Pixley, an associate professor of physics and a co-author of the study. “Intercrystals could be the building blocks of such future technologies.

”The discovery hinges on a rising technique in modern physics called “twistronics,” where layers of materials are contorted at specific angles to create moiré patterns. These configurations significantly alter the behavior of electrons within the substance, leading to properties that aren’t found in regular crystals.

The foundational idea was first demonstrated by Andrei and her team in 2009, when they showed that moiré patterns in twisted graphene dramatically reshape its electronic structure. That discovery helped seed the field of twistronics.

Electrons are tiny particles that move around in materials and are responsible for conducting electricity. In regular crystals, which possess a repeating pattern of atoms forming a perfectly arranged grid, the way electrons move is well understood and predictable. If a crystal is rotated or shifted by certain angles or distances, it looks the same because of an intrinsic characteristic known as symmetry.

The researchers found the electronic properties of intercrystals, however, can vary significantly with small changes in their structure. This variability can lead to new and unusual behaviors, such as superconductivity and magnetism, which aren’t typically found in regular crystals. Superconducting materials offer the promise of continuously flowing electrical current because they conduct electricity with zero resistance.

Intercrystals could be a part of the new circuitry for low loss electronics and atomic sensors that could play a part in the making of quantum computers and power new forms of consumer technologies, the scientists said.

The materials also offer the prospect of functioning as the basis of more environmentally friendly electronic technologies.

“Because these structures can be made out of abundant, non-toxic elements such as carbon, boron and nitrogen, rather than rare earth elements, they also offer a more sustainable and scalable pathway for future technologies,” Andrei said.

Intercrystals aren’t only distinct from conventional crystals. They also are different from quasicrystals, a special type of crystal discovered in 1982 with an ordered structure but without the repeating pattern found in regular crystals.

Research team members named their discovery “intercrystals” because they are a mix between crystals and quasicrystals: they have non-repeating patterns like quasicrystals but share symmetries in common with regular crystals.

“The discovery of quasicrystals in the 1980s challenged the old rules about atomic order,” Andrei said. “With intercrystals, we go a step further, showing that materials can be engineered to access new phases of matter by exploiting geometric frustration at the smallest scale.”

Rutgers researchers are optimistic about the future applications of intercrystals, opening new possibilities for exploring and manipulating the properties of materials at the atomic level.

“This is just the beginning,” Pixley said. “We are excited to see where this discovery will lead us and how it will impact technology and science in the years to come.”

Reference

Moiré periodic and quasiperiodic crystals in heterostructures of twisted bilayer graphene on hexagonal boron nitride

Xinyuan Lai, Guohong Li, Angela M. Coe, Jedediah H. Pixley, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi & Eva Y. Andrei

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02222-w

source:Nano Technology World/ Rutgers