Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : How UV Affects the Epoxy Coating

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

How UV Affects the Epoxy Coating

Chemical Degradation:

UV energy is absorbed by the epoxy resin, triggering chemical reactions that release free radicals and lead to bond cleavage (photolysis) and autoxidation.

Formation of New Groups:

These reactions can increase the formation of hydroxyl (-OH) and carbonyl groups within the polymer.

Structural Changes:

The degradation can lead to changes in the polymer's cross-linking density and molecular chain structure.

Physical and Aesthetic Effects

Yellowing and Fading: The absorption of UV light can cause color differences and discoloration, often observed as yellowing in the epoxy.

Loss of Gloss: The surface of the coating becomes duller, losing its initial shine.

Chalking: A powder-like residue forms on the surface as the degraded binder disintegrates.

Cracking and Microcracks: UV exposure can induce microcracks on the surface of the epoxy resin.

Loss of Thickness: The surface layers may wear away, reducing the coating's thickness over time.

Mechanical and Durability Impacts

Reduced Mechanical Strength: The structural integrity of the epoxy is compromised, leading to a reduction in its tensile and flexural strength.

Decreased Wear Resistance: The coating's resistance to abrasion and erosion is negatively affected.

Overall Deterioration: The cumulative effect of these changes leads to a significant decrease in the coating's overall durability and protective performance.

How Standards and Specifications Address UV Effects

Weathering Tests:

Standards typically require accelerated weathering tests using UV radiation from artificial sources like xenon lamps.

Performance Metrics:

Assessments evaluate key properties before and after UV exposure:Color Change: Measured using color systems like CIELAB or by calculating Yellowing Index (YI).

Mechanical Properties: Strength (tensile, flexural) and wear resistance are tested.

Surface Analysis: Techniques like Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) are used to identify chemical changes and microstructural damage.

Improvement Techniques:

Specifications often look for coatings with enhanced UV stability, which can be achieved by:Adding Fillers: Incorporating particulate fillers can protect the epoxy matrix from UV degradation and retain structural performance.

UV Stabilizers: Using pigments or functionalized additives can absorb UV radiation or inhibit free radical formation.

Protective Coatings: Applying barrier layers, such as metallic thin films, can shield the epoxy from UV exposure. Activate to view larger image,

source : Hussien Elkaluoby

Revolutionizing Bottle Recycling by Enabling PET Closures with Innovative Additive Technology

In a major step toward closing the loop on the entire PET bottle recycling, Sukano announces a breakthrough #additivemasterbatch package that addresses a long-standing industry gap: the technical feasibility of producing recyclable PET closures. This innovation enables caps to be recycled within the same recycling stream as clear PET bottles, unlocking true circularity. 

PET bottles are the most widely recycled plastic packaging and represent the largest global source of high-quality recycled PET. Yet until now, one critical component has long remained outside the circular loop: the cap. Historically made from polypropylene (PP) or high-density polyethlene (HDPE), caps have been a multimaterial challenge. Because their material differs from the PET bottle itself, they must be separated during the recycling process, preventing full bottle-to-bottle recyclability. 

Sukano developed an additive package that allows the production of monomaterial PET or rPET caps that can be recycled seamlessly with the bottle. It eliminates the need to separate caps from bottles during recycling, achieving new efficiencies. With caps comprising up to 10% of bottle weight, this unlocks thousand tons of additional bottle-grade PET for circular reuse. The additive package is compatible with both thermoforming and injection molding processes, enabling customers to transition to monomaterial bottle solutions without changing their existing production setup. 

Testing to ensure Recyclability, Food Compliance, and Safety

Sukano validated the recyclability of each additive in their in-house recyclability laboratory according to the Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP) and European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) test protocols at concentrations well above industry norms. While the additive is typically used at 1-2%, in-house tests were conducted at a concentration of up to 5% with up to 50% recycled content. 

Testing according to the TCEP test protocol for thermoforming applications and EPBP test protocols for PET closures demonstrated that there is no impact on color, haze, and IV, fulfilling the technical requirements for the additives to be used in the clear #PETbottles recycling stream. Design for Circularity is at the core of Sukano´s innovation principles, therefore the additive accumulation and multiple recycling loops were also assessed and confirmed no disruption to the existing clear PET bottles recycling stream. 

The additive formulation was engineered with safety as a core principle, featuring the absence by design of any substances of concern.

source : Sukano

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Ocean Plastic Panic: Let’s Talk Science, Not Myths

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

🌊Ocean Plastic Panic: Let’s Talk Science, Not Myths 🧪

We’ve all seen the headlines:

🔹 “More plastic than fish by 2050!”

🔹 “A plastic island twice the size of Texas!”

📉 The Reality? Much of what we hear about ocean plastics is exaggerated, outdated, or just plain wrong:

🧪 What the Data Actually Says

🔹 The so-called "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"? Not an island—just a thin plastic soup averaging 1 kg per sq. km

(𝗖𝗼𝘇𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟰).

🔹 Plastic bags and straws? A mere 0.03% of ocean gyre debris

(𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮).

🔹 Microplastics? 10,000x below harmful levels globally

(𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘀 & 𝗦𝗰𝗵ö𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬).

🔹 “Ocean-bound plastic”? A marketing term assumption based on the false idea that 100% of coastal waste goes to sea—when <1% actually does

(𝗪𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭).

🐢🐋 Who’s Really at Risk?

It’s not straws or bags—it’s abandoned fishing gear. Ghost nets make up 75–86% of plastic in ocean gyres and are the leading killers of turtles, whales, sharks, and rays (𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵; 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵).

We don’t need myths. We need science, strategy, and smart conservation.

source : Plastics Research Council

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

🔄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲

Glass recycling is more than just tossing a bottle into a bin—it’s a carefully coordinated loop that transforms used containers into raw material for new ones ♻️.

🛑 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭 – 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Consumers place used bottles and jars into bottle banks, curbside bins, or return systems. The better the separation from other waste, the higher the quality of the recycled glass (cullet).

🧹 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮 – 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

Collected glass is taken to a processing plant, where it’s sorted by color (flint, green, amber) and cleaned of impurities like metal caps, plastic labels, or ceramics. These contaminants can damage furnaces or affect glass quality.

🪨 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯 – 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁

Clean glass is crushed into small pieces called 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁. This is the most valuable feedstock for a glass factory, as cullet melts at a lower temperature than virgin raw materials, saving energy and reducing CO₂ emissions.

🔥 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰 – 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗲

Cullet is mixed with virgin raw materials and fed into the furnace. The more cullet in the batch, the less energy is needed to reach melting temperature—and the lower the carbon footprint of the final container.

🍾 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱 – 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀

Molten glass is formed into new bottles and jars, ready to be filled, sold, used… and recycled again. This is why we say glass has an 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲—if we keep it in the loop!

📢 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

Glass is 100% recyclable, and 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟭.𝟮 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗮𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀. That’s a big win for both the environment and production costs.

👉 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁

In our next post, we’ll focus on contamination in glass recycling—what it is, why it’s such a big challenge, and how the industry is tackling it.

source : Andrea Collini

PEI-Si Cable Materials Debut in Non-fluorinated Form

Sabic has introduced three new families of non-fluorinated Siltem resin blends. These novel polyetherimide/siloxane (PEI-Si) copolymers can potentially replace fluoropolymers such as ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in wire & cable applications used in the #automotive, industrial, and oil & gas industries. The Sabic materials help to address regulatory restrictions on per- and #polyfluoroalkylsubstances (PFAS), a broad category that includes fluoropolymers.

In addition to being formulated without fluorine, the new blends build on the properties of Siltem polymer resins to deliver easier processing and enhanced performance, such as better thermal and chemical resistance. The new Siltem resin blends may also be candidates for strain reliefs, data cables, heat tracing cables, and automotive under-hood wiring. Beyond wire & cable, they have potential for use in seals, gaskets, and heat-shrink tubes, for which the material can be crosslinked to meet #shapememory” requirements. They are available for sampling.

Many wire & cable customers are looking for alternatives to #fluoropolymers that address regulatory concerns and strict performance requirements,” said Sergi Monros, vice president, #SabicPolymers, Specialties BU. “Our new Siltem resin blends address growing demand for materials that avoid fluorine while raising the bar on performance and processing.

source : Plastics Today

Syensqo pioneers innovative recycling technology for circular sulfone polymers

New proprietary processes enable infinite recycling of PSU, PPSU and PESU

Syensqo, a leading global provider of high-performance materials and chemical solutions, has announced another breakthrough in its 60 years history of sulfone polymers innovations with the invention of a proprietary #chemicalrecycling technology that efficiently depolymerizes #sulfone polymers to obtain purified raw material monomers. This new process enables the infinite circularity of sulfone polymers, confirming Syensqo’s leadership in sustainable specialty polymers. 

The new technology builds on Syensqo’s sustainable ECHO sulfone polymers portfolio and relies on proprietary chemical recycling processes to break down formulated #polyarylethersulfone (PAES) content in post-industrial production scrap (PIR) and post-consumer parts (PCR) into monomer feedstock for reuse in new polymer products. The purified monomers can be incorporated infinitely into Udel® PSU, Radel® PPSU or Veradel® PESU as well as other thermoplastics or even epoxy resin formulations without loss of performance.

In times where circularity is increasingly crucial, we are leading the way to transform the industry with breakthrough sustainable solutions. Our new circular #PAES technology is a step forward for customers seeking to advance their sustainability goals. By enabling the recycling of sulfone polymers from both production scrap and end-of-life products, we help reduce carbon footprint and increase recycled content in a wide range of applications, from hemodialysis and water filtration to aerospace.

Floryan De Campo, Vice President of Life Solutions at Syensqo Specialty Polymers.

By leading the transition to circularity within the PAES sector and engaging partners across the entire value chain, including collection, sorting and end-use, #Syensqo is strengthening its pioneering role in life solution markets and welcomes the collaboration and support of the community in this endeavor. 

 

source : Syensqo