Emirates Biotech launches its Embio product range – a new generation of PLA biopolymers made in the Emirates

Emirates Biotech has launched its Embio product range, its new line of PolyLactic Acid (PLA) biopolymers designed to offer a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics. The name Embio reflects the company’s Emirates roots, signifying a biopolymer made in the UAE, while highlighting its commitment to biotechnology and sustainability.

With the Embio product launch, Emirates Biotech begins pre-marketing across the Middle East, offering customers the opportunity to source locally stocked #PLA for faster delivery times and smaller minimum order volumes. This approach is designed to make it easier for regional converters, brand owners, and packaging manufacturers to start application development and facilitate the transition to plant based materials.

Marc Verbruggen, Chief Executive Officer of #EmiratesBiotech, said “Our launch of Embio products marks a major milestone in our journey to make renewable and compostable plastics accessible across the Middle East. The Embio name covers more than a product and stands as a symbol of our commitment to innovation, to reducing dependence on fossil resources, and to supporting the region in building a circular economy.

The Embio portfolio includes a range of PLA grades suitable for rigid and flexible packaging, coated paper board, fibers, nonwovens, and 3D printing.

Prashant Lohade, Sales Development Manager at Emirates Biotech, said “Our decision to maintain local inventory was driven by the need for greater flexibility and faster response times for our customers. “With Embio grades now available in the UAE, customers can access PLA in smaller volumes and benefit from shorter lead times. This marks an important milestone for companies in the Middle East looking to integrate sustainable materials into their existing production lines.

Embio PLA grades combine high clarity, strength, and processability with a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional plastics. The material can be recycled or industrially composted, and does not leave behind persistent microplastics in the environment, supporting waste reduction and circularity goals.

The launch of Embio PLA products align with the UAE’s sustainability goals, including its national commitment to Net Zero 2050, and the development of a circular economy. By combining regional manufacturing, material innovation, technical expertise, and hands on customer-focused service, Emirates Biotech is accelerating the transition to a circular, biobased society, making our planet a better place.

source : Emirates Biotech

The industry remains far below the 6 per cent annual growth rate required to meet the Plastics Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) targets

Europe’s plastics recycling industry is facing its most severe decline yet, with turnover falling by 5.5 per cent and the latest annual data revealing the largest capacity contraction ever recorded. Preliminary figures for 2025 indicate a further deterioration, including a 50 per cent increase in recycling facility closures and the loss of nearly one million tonnes of recycling capacity over the past three years. This downward trend threatens Europe’s circular economy ambitions, industrial resilience and thousands of local jobs.

“Now is the time to stand united for the sector not only to protect jobs and businesses at risk, but to safeguard Europe’s environmental and technological progress, ensuring a sustainable future for all,” said Ton Emans, President of Plastics Recyclers Europe. “We call on the EU institutions and national policymakers to act decisively and implement supportive measures to preserve the sector and Europe’s circular economy.

Despite a total installed capacity of 13.5 million tonnes in 2024, the industry remains far below the 6 per cent annual growth rate required to meet the Plastics Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) targets. Rising production and energy costs, decreasing demand and a surge in low-priced, unregulated imports continue to exert significant pressure on recyclers across the region. Polyolefin films and PET have been hardest hit, together representing half of all closures recorded in 2023–2024.

The latest data underlines the urgent need for coordinated action to safeguard the long-term viability of plastics recycling in Europe.

Plastics Recyclers Europe urges EU institutions and Member States to establish fair and enforceable market rules, strengthen controls on imports, reduce energy costs and harmonise reporting requirements through region-wide third-party certification. Now more than ever, a stable and competitive market framework is essential to secure Europe’s transition toward a truly circular plastics economy.

source : Indian Chemical News

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Leak-Proof Gasket with Functionalized Boron Nitride Nanoflakes Enhances Performance and Durability

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Leak-Proof Gasket with Functionalized Boron Nitride Nanoflakes Enhances Performance and Durability

Addressing limitations of conventional non-fluorinated gaskets by improving hydrogen sealing and durability

A research team in South Korea has developed a novel #gaskettechnology that enhances both the safety and efficiency of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) & water electrolyzers (PEMWEs, AEMWEs)core devices for hydrogen production and utilization by simultaneously improving mechanical strength and gas-tight sealing.

Dr. Keun-Hwan Oh and team at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have successfully applied functionalized 2D boron nitride nanoflakes (BNNFs) to silicone and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM)-based sealing gaskets. The newly developed nanocomposite gasket demonstrates excellent mechanical robustness, hydrogen-barrier capability, and chemical and thermal stability.

In hydrogen-energy systems, gaskets play a vital role in sealing reactant gases and preventing hydrogen leakage within the stack. A decline in gasket performance can reduce system efficiency & even cause severe safety hazards.

While fluoroelastomer-based gaskets offer strong durability, their high cost and PFAS-related environmental restrictions limit widespread use. In contrast, EPDM and silicone materials are more affordable & processable but suffer from poor hydrogen impermeability and chemical resistance.

To overcome these drawbacks, the KRICT team functionalized #boronnitridenanoflakes using 1-pyrenemethyl methacrylate (1-PMA), enabling C–C coupling between the nanofiller & polymer chains. This strategy formed a densely crosslinked network that maximizes the “maze-effect” for hydrogen diffusion & maintains structural stability even under harsh operating conditions.

Remarkably, incorporating only 0.5 wt % of functionalized BNNFs led to substantial improvements:

· EPDM composite: +32.1 % in Young’s modulus, −55.7 % in H₂ permeability

· Silicone composite: +96.6 % in Young’s modulus, −42.7 % in H₂ permeability

In long-term chemical-durability tests (225 hours) under acidic and alkaline conditions, the EPDM nanocomposite showed only 6.6 % and 3.8 % weight loss respectively, while the silicone composite exhibited minimal degradation of 0.2 % and 2.1 %.

Cell-performance evaluation confirmed that both nanocomposite gaskets delivered equivalent or superior current densities compared with commercial gaskets, ensuring uniform internal pressure distribution & reduced contact resistance between electrodes.

This breakthrough goes beyond mechanical reinforcement it improves gas-barrier, chemical-resistance, electrochemical performance simultaneously, offering a viable non-fluorinated alternative for hydrogen energy systems.

The technology is expected to accelerate early commercialization for hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles, power-generation stacks, & large-scale water-electrolysis systems.

source : Dr.David Novak

BASALT POWDER USE IN AGRICULTURE

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share
*BASALT POWDER IN AGRICULTURE*
Scientific research on Basalt Powder
It is not a fertilizer nor a phytopharm. The basalt Powder, obtained from grinding the effusive volcanic rock as defined by Fabio Fioravanti “represents the mother’s milk of the earth being carriers of primordial forces.

In biodynamic agriculture:
#BasaltPowder is an important ingredient in the composition of the Fladen preparation. Basalt Powder used for the re-mineralization of compost and topsoil with a 5% integration. Re-mineralization of agricultural land.

Basalt Powder is an effective natural method to supply fertility and nutrients to the soil, in extensive & intensive cultivations, those which most impoverish the soils of mineral elements.

Many studies have shown an increase in cultures yields from two to eight times higher, with immediate effect and with slow release that lasts for up to 24 years.

For example, the application of basalt Powder with a ratio of 150 tons per hectare in woody fields after 24 years produced a wood volume 4 times higher.

Similar results were obtained in crop plants, with more nutrient & fragrance products. Re-mineralization is an important tool for a proper & economical sustainable development, with particular attention to the health of farmland and man through cultivated products. It could play a key role in ecological restoration. For the soil’ re-mineralization we recommend the use of Fine Basal Powder.

In organic and conventional agriculture:
Micronized Basalt Powder purifies only physical action by forming a mechanical barrier on leaves and fruits, creating a thin patina covering the plant’ leaves, this patina does not create difficulties in plant oxygen exchange. Micronized Basalt Powder is a natural corrugator included in the category of “stone or rock powders. The content of silicic acid helps to strengthen the leaves and stems and even the microelements that make up the rock help to strengthen the plant. Micronized Basal Powder also performs mechanical action (physical barrier) & thanks to its hygroscopic characteristics, it can act as a dehydrator by drying the outside of the plants and thus reducing the risks of proliferation and development of parasites

The micronized Basalt Powder sprayed on the olive plant with appropriate dosages hampers the establishment of the “oleaginous bactocera” (olives fly).The vine prevents the proliferation of fungal diseases on the leaf apparatus, & strengthens the plant.

List of benefits by using of micronized basalt Powder

– Provides a continuous and slow release of mineral micro-elements

– Increased nutrient absorption capacity by the plant

– Terrain pH Balance

– Prevents soil erosion

– Increases the resistance of the plant to insects, diseases, frost

– Produces more nutritious, more fragrant crops

– Reduces dependence on pesticide and herbicide fertilizers

BASALT POWDER AVAILABLE IN INDIA

Quantity: 1-100 tons

When plotting Yield Stress vs. Log Strain-rate

*When plotting Yield Stress vs. Log Strain-rate

(The EYRING plot, as we call it),* one mostly finds a perfect straight line for all polymers.

This line can be created by running at least 3 tensile tests, at 3 different strain rates (a decade apart each, for instance).

Such plot is incredibly interesting as it reveals the strain-rate sensitivity of your polymer (visco-elastic behaviour).

A low sensitivity (green GOOD line) means the Yield Stress remains high at CREEP rates, leading to good creep performance. But it also remains lower at IMPACT rates, making DUCTILE failure more likely.

A high sensitivity (red BAD line) means that Yield Stress will be lower at CREEP rates leading to more creep (bad). But it also means that Yield Stress will be higher at IMPACT rates, making BRITTLE failure more likely.

What I find unbelievably interesting is that this plot tells us that :

"Polymers that are bad in CREEP tend to be also brittle in IMPACT"

" Polymers that have good CREEP performance, also will show more ductile IMPACT performance"

So contrary to the classical anti-correlation between stiffness and toughness, we find here that both creep and impact move together in a good or bad direction when the Eyring slope changes.

So why don't we focus nearly enough on this simple plot ????
It is just a lack of education and scientific knowledge in our industry.

Discover the amazing Physics of plastic materials in our BIMS seminars.

Check the coming sessions in Copenhagen in 3 weeks (in the comments).

source :, Vito leo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Mainstream Polyester Production Processes

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Mainstream Polyester Production Processes

Polyester (such as PET chips and PBT) is one of the most widely used synthetic polymers in textiles, packaging, and engineering plastics. Its industrial production typically involves esterification/transesterification followed by polycondensation.

1. Direct Esterification Process (PTA Method)

Raw Materials: Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) + Ethylene Glycol (EG)

This is the most common method in PET production, where PTA reacts directly with EG to form bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), which is then polycondensed into polyester resin.

Advantages:

Shorter process, lower energy consumption.

Lower cost compared with the DMT method.

High product purity and a narrow molecular weight distribution – ideal for polyester fiber and PET bottle chips.

Disadvantages:

Requires high temperature (250–290 °C) and pressure.

Demands high-purity PTA to prevent side reactions.

👉 Application: Over 90% of global PET fiber and bottle chip production adopts the PTA method.

2. Transesterification Process (DMT Method)

Raw Materials: Dimethyl Terephthalate (DMT) + Ethylene Glycol (EG)

This method first converts DMT and EG into BHET through transesterification, followed by polycondensation.

Advantages:

Milder reaction conditions (180–220 °C, atmospheric pressure).

DMT is stable and easy to store.

Disadvantages:

Generates methanol as a by-product, increasing environmental costs.

A more complex process with higher energy consumption.

Broader molecular weight distribution, leading to lower product performance.

👉 Application: Mostly replaced by the PTA process, but still used in PBT resin and some specialty polyester products.

3. Polycondensation Types in Polyester Production

(1) Melt Polycondensation

Conducted at 270–300 °C in the molten state under vacuum.

Pros: Continuous production, efficient, controllable intrinsic viscosity.

Cons: Thermal degradation risk, IV usually ≤ 0.72, high energy demand.

Application: Mainstream for PET bottle resin and polyester fiber chips.

(2) Solid-State Polycondensation (SSP)

Conducted in a solid state at temperatures below the melting point.

Pros: Produces high IV polyester (≥ 0.85), ideal for bottle-grade PET and industrial yarns.

Cons: Long processing time, high energy consumption, requires inert gas protection.

Bio-Based Polyester Production

Uses biomass-based EG or PTA (e.g., corn-derived EG). Hubei Decon can supply bio-based PET based on biomass-based EG. For more information,

source : Hubei Decon Polyester Co., Ltd

Honda unveils the next-gen hydrogen fuel cell

 Honda has just unveiled their next-gen hydrogen fuel cell, and it’s faster, stronger, and more efficient than ever.

This cutting-edge system delivers 3X the power density, 2X the durability, and slashes production costs by 50%, making hydrogen a serious competitor in the EV space.

But it’s not just for cars. Honda’s fuel cell tech is set to revolutionize trucks, buses, construction equipment, ships, and even aerospace. With fast refueling (under 5 minutes), long-range capability (comparable to diesel engines), and zero emissions, it offers a sustainable alternative to battery-electric vehicles, especially for industries that demand high power and long operational hours.

#Honda is also exploring stationary fuel cell power generation, which could provide clean, hydrogen-based electricity for homes, businesses, and remote locations. As governments push for carbon neutrality, could this breakthrough put hydrogen back in the spotlight?

source : Dr.David Novak