polymerguru

Teijin Limited has announced that eyeglass frames made of its BIOFRONT highly heat-resistant bioplastic will be used in the JAPONISM series of eyeglasses by Boston Club Co., Ltd., a Japan-based globally active eyeglass maker. The eyeglasses will be marketed by Boston Club and sold in its directly owned shops in Tokyo and other retail stores nationwide from mid May. Boston Club expects to sell 2,000 pairs of the environmentally friendly eyeglasses annually. BIOFRONT, a type of bioplastic, is produced from plant-based feedstock. It has a melting point of at least 210° C, which is significantly higher than that of conventional polylactide (PLA) bioplastic. BIOFRONT also is highly resistant to bleaching and bacteria, has good hydrolytic stability and achieves semi-crystallization in just 20-25% of the time required by conventional PLA, making it an excellent choice for many molded-plastic applications. In 2009, Teijin Limited and Teijin Chemicals Limited, in collaboration wi...

In Gwangyang, Korea, pipes in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank terminal are now been insulated using specialty foam Basotect® from BASF for the first time. LNG gas needs to be stored and temporarily liquefied at low temperature, hence proper insulation of such pipes is very critical. The foam also protects pipes from high temperature conditions and provides flame retardancy too. Basotect's base material makes it flame-retardant and can be used at up to 240°C while retaining its properties over a wide temperature range. Basotect has an open-cell foam structure made from melamine resin, which is a thermoset polymer. This makes it lightweight foam (9g/l) due to which even heavy pipes can be easily moved if needed during inspection purposes and re-installed when through.

Replenish Bottling Founder Jason Foster developed 'Replenish', a household cleaning product. It is packaged in an intelligent and reusable spray bottle system which comprises of a two-part arrangement. Concentrate is stored in a reservoir of the pod that, when pushed, reaches the base of the bottle; here the unit of concentrate gets mixed with water. The delivery mechanism that connects the injection-molded bottle with injection blow-molded pod is more complex. The pod contains enough concentrate for four bottles of cleaner. The pods and bottle are made of Eastman Eastar™ copolyester. Wowing industry with its smart functionality and pleasing aesthetics, the innovation has been declared as the finalist for the '2011 Edison Best New Product' Awards. Replenish also won the 'Alice Best New Product of 2010'.

Sprint unveiled several progressive initiatives building on Sprint's environmental leadership in the wireless industry, including upcoming availability of the stylish Samsung Replenish™ from Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile). Samsung Replenish, an Android touch QWERTY smartphone enabled with Sprint ID, will be available on May 8 at the affordable price. Sprint is waiving the $10 monthly premium data add-on charge for Samsung Replenish to make it easier for customers to make eco-friendly buying decisions. In addition, the Earth-friendly Samsung Restore™, first available from Sprint in 2010, will be offered to Virgin Mobile USA customers without an annual contract beginning on April 18. "We want to make it as simple as we can for our customers to go green with a robust selection of products and competitive pricing," said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. "Samsung Replenish is as green as we could make it with more than 80 percent recyclable mate...

Sainsbury's has launched the latest additions to its successful Taste the Difference range premium flavourings in a custom 43.5ml PET bottle manufactured at RPC Containers Blackburn. The bottle, produced for Food Innovation, is being used for a new range of premium food extracts for home baking and flavoring. Its impressive clear appearance highlights the vibrant colours of the contents. PET combines ease of use with safety it is lightweight and shatterproof, making it ideal for use in the kitchen. Kevin Rushton, Senior Partner at Food Innovation, added "The excellent clarity of the bottle means these high-quality extracts are clearly identifiable on the shelf." "We know there's a growing market for home baking products such as these, and consumers who buy the range are looking for quality. It was important, therefore, that the packaging from RPC matched that ethos." Sainsbury's are the first to market with an own-label home baking ...

To protect exterior truck components from harsh environments, LANXESS has developed Pocan C 1202 blend of polybutylene terephthalate ( PBT ) and polycarbonate ( PC ). It has been used on uncoated radiator grille of the FM series FMX construction truck. The PBT blend features UV stability and chemical resistance. Volvo Trucks Corporation fitted the model with a new front section, while the (180x35x4)cm radiator grille is produced by Germany-based Gerhardi Kunststofftechnik GmbH, a manufacturer of plastic components for vehicle interiors and exteriors in Europe. The relevant molds are cascaded; latching lugs and mounting domes are reproduced while excellent flow behavior causes negligible distortion. The company is also offering PBT blends that can be used in truck panels, moldings, wind deflectors, pillars, bumpers, etc.

The Department of Energy has confirmed that the South American country holds more natural gas trapped in shale rock than all of Europe does, a 774-trillion-cubic-feet (tcf) bounty that could transform the outlook for Western Hemisphere supply and that could be the third largest in the world. The production of this gas involves horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, unconventional techniques that revolutionized gas markets, opening up 100 years of new supplies. While shale exploration in Argentina is still in its infancy and it is early to determine exactly how much gas can be tapped economically, the country's technically recoverable shale reserves would be worth over USD 3 trillion at today's U.S. futures markets prices, reported Reuters news agency. "In the richest area of Argentina’s Neuquén Basin of, at least one third or half of the reserves could be economically viable based on current prices," explained the energy consulting firm Advanced...