China Strengthens National Safety Standards for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Vehicles

China’s new energy vehicles scene just got a turbo boost. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is tightening up hydrogen safety standards for hydrogen cars, working hand-in-glove with heavy hitters like the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (#CATARC), Tongji University, Zhejiang University and the National Technical Committee for Hydrogen Energy Standardization. Bring testing methods into harmony, slash the guesswork, and help #China hit targets like 50,000 #fuelcellelectricvehicles by 2025 and a cool 1 million by 2030. By spelling out where to put sensors, how to manage pressure, and what an emergency shutdown should look like, they’re laying the foundation for safer, more reliable hydrogen mobility.

Driving Safety with GB/T 24549-2020

At the heart of this push is GB/T 24549-2020, basically the safety manual for fuel cell electric vehicles at both the car and system level. Think hydrogen detectors in all the right spots, fail-safe pressure relief valves, smart ventilation, and a clear-cut emergency stop routine to nip leaks and fires in the bud. Crashworthiness tests make sure storage tanks don’t turn into projectiles. CATARC led the charge on this one, with Tongji and Zhejiang pitching in, and the result is a crystal-clear playbook that cuts through red tape, nudges everyone toward uniform testing, and gives automakers and labs the confidence to roll out compliant, certified machines.

Broadening the Scope: Hydrogen ICE and Compressed Systems

The standards sprint doesn’t stop at fuel cells. Draft rules for hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICEs) and compressed gaseous hydrogen (CGH₂) fuel systems are now up for grabs. The ICE draft lays down the law on safe tank setups, fuel line checks, engine controls, and exhaust treatment—so they’re on par with #FCEVs when it comes to safety. The CGH₂ guidelines tackle everything from high-pressure tank design and hydrogen-natural gas blending, to refueling interfaces and rigorous leak tests. We’re talking burst-pressure trials, impact simulations, and endurance runs in scorching heat and freezing cold. With public feedback open through early March, automakers, parts makers, and research labs have a real shot at shaping these rules.

Historical Context: From Early NEV Ambitions to Hydrogen Highways

None of this came out of thin air. China’s hydrogen roadmap rides on the coattails of earlier new energy vehicles ambitions. The initial policy was modest—5,000 FCEVs on the road by 2020—but it quickly ramped up to a 50,000-by-2025 target and a million by 2030. Provinces have chipped in by waiving certain hazardous-chemicals approvals for hydrogen projects, slashing both costs and paperwork. The ‘Hydrogen Highways’ scheme sweetened the pot by giving FCEVs a toll-pass on major routes.

source : Hydrogen Fuel News

Bismaleimide (BMI) tooling prepregs offer high-temperature performance and durability

 #Bismaleimide (BMI) tooling prepregs offer high-temperature performance and durability for composite parts, yet longstanding manufacturing challenges impact cost and lead time.

As David Leach discusses in his latest #CompositesWorld piece, process evaluations show that novel BMI polymer chemistry addresses these issues, enabling an initial cure at 121°C on lower-cost master molds, followed by a 204°C free-standing post-cure.

Key advantages include:

- Reduced risk of vacuum bag failure from off-gassing, as nylon bags withstand exposure below 149°C.

- Comparable tack, drape, and handling to legacy BMI systems, with at least 4 weeks out-time.

- Maintained mechanical properties, toughness, and thermal stability, with less than 1.2% weight loss after 10,000 hours at 177°C.

Evaluations by Janicki and Kaneka North America on demonstration tools confirm durability through 84-137 cycles, with high-quality parts and vacuum integrity.

For details on how this approach streamlines tooling for aerospace and high-growth composite applications, read the full article. https://lnkd.in/gMDXtE_z

source : Composites World

Amcor’s 2025 combination with Berry Global provides best-in-industry polyethylene (PE) shrink portfolio

Amcor a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has expanded its North America capabilities for #polyethylene (PE) shrink films and labels, making it the largest manufacturer of PE overwrap applications in North America. This expansion emphasizes Amcor’s strong background in the beverage and industrial overwrap space and supports customers’ needs for PE shrink films and labels that deliver the strength, economy and standout brand graphic appeal required to protect products and stand out on shelf.

#Amcor’s vast network of plants across the U.S. share material technology, quality standards and customer commitment to serve PE shrink customers with ensured business continuity.

“The combined product portfolio provides a shrink film designed for nearly every application.

Our Calibrate™ technical service teams bring even more experience and expertise, offering remote and on-site support to ensure consistent and smooth operations,” said Angela Lowe, Senior Business Unit Leader, Bakery, Beverage and Industrial, Amcor Flexibles North America. “No other PE shrink manufacturer comes close to Amcor’s offerings. We offer more support, manufacturing footprint, and research and development, all with specialization and expertise in #shrinkfilm.

Amcor’s shrink and label films are ideal for single and multipack foods, beverages and canned goods, construction materials, heavy poly-packed items, and more. Products include:

AmPrima® Recycle-Ready PE Shrink Films

AmPrima® Recycle-Ready PE Overwrap Bundling Film

Optimil™ Shrink Bundling Film

Roll Fed Shrink Labels

Shrink Sleeve Labels (recycle ready options available)

“We’re advancing packaging sustainability through lightweighted Optimil™ shrink films and AmFiniti™ recycled content without compromising strength, performance, clarity or machinability with our best-in-class PCR conversion capabilities, world-class formulation and film design,” Lowe said. “These investments in product technology can help Amcor’s customers to prepare for evolving EPR and governmental policy.

Over the next three years, Amcor is investing significantly in additional capacity and capabilities to provide industry-leading quality and service levels.

source : Amcor

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Researchers developed a microtissue-based bioink

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Researchers developed a microtissue-based bioink that protects chondrocytes during DLP bioprinting.

They created cartilage microtissues by seeding chondrocytes onto decellularized cartilage ECM microparticles, allowing the cells to grow and build their own matrix before printing.

These microtissues were then blended with animal-derived GelMA to form a composite bioink that prints well with DLP while preserving cell health.

Using this approach, the team bioprinted an auricle structure with precise ear anatomy, and the embedded chondrocytes showed strong proliferation and cartilage formation after printing.

If you're interested in exploring DLP bioinks that incorporate recombinant methacrylated type I human collagen, let’s talk about how CollPlant materials may fit into your research.

#bioprinting #collagen #tissueengineering

Read the full publication here: https://lnkd.in/g6ztZu4r

source : Bowman Bagley

Toray Develops Spherical Polyamide 12 Particles for 3D Printers

 Toray Develops Spherical Polyamide 12 Particles for 3D Printers– Delivering Superior Surface Quality and High Impact Strength in 3D-Printed Parts 

Toray Industries, Inc. announced today that it has developed Toraypearl™ polyamide (PA) 12, a truly spherical PA12 powder widely compatible with powder bed fusion (PBF)-type 3D printers (see note 1). Leveraging Toray’s proprietary polymer particle engineering technology, the new material enables both excellent surface smoothness and high impact strength in 3D-printed parts.

PBF-type 3D printing is widely adopted in industrial applications due to its ability to efficiently create parts with high dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength. Conventional #PA12 powders account for approximately 70% of feedstock in this polymer PBF market, owing to their good processability at relatively low temperatures.

However, conventional PA12 powders typically consist of irregularly shaped particles, which hinder uniform packing and result in parts with rough surfaces that require post-processing such as polishing. In addition, gaps between particles tend to generate internal micro-voids, leading to reduced density and preventing the material from fully exhibiting its inherent mechanical properties, including impact strength.

Toray overcame these challenges by drawing on its proprietary spherical particle technology, backed by years of #polyamidepolymerization and resin processing R&D, as well as its experience supplying #Toraypearl™PA6, a highly heat-resistant spherical PA6 particle, for such #3Dprinting applications as automotive components, office chairs, and power tools.

By applying this spherical particle technology to PA12, Toray successfully developed Toraypearl™ PA12, a new material compatible with a wide range of PBF-type 3D printing. Compared with its conventional counterparts, the uniform spherical shape enables dense and homogeneous powder packing, resulting in:

Significantly improved surface smoothness

(approximately 2.5× improvement, surface roughness (note 2) Ra ≈ 7 μm)

Enhanced impact strength

(more than 2× improvement, Charpy impact strength: 50 kJ/m2)

Toraypearl™ PA12 is expected to contribute to higherquality 3D-printed parts in applications requiring durability, airtightness, and mechanical reliability, thereby expanding its potential use in both prototypes and functional parts. Sample evaluations with selected customers have been underway since January 2026.

To date, #Toray has steadily expanded its portfolio of resin materials for 3D printers, including the launch of “Toraymill™ PPS,” polyphenylene sulfide resin milled powder, in 2017 for applications such as electric vehicles and aerospace, and “Toraypearl™ PA6” in 2022.

With the addition of Toraypearl™ PA12, Toray further strengthens its lineup to meet the growing global demand for highperformance materials in the 3D printing market.

source : Toray

The right material in the right place” sounds like a slogan—until you try to build it at volume.

This subframe uses steel plus aluminium plus #carbonfibre to reduce weight while still handling big off-road loads. And it needs fast production cycles and a repeatable joining approach for dissimilar materials.

That mix of requirements is exactly where “obvious” material selection can fall short. Good lightweighting usually comes from careful load-path thinking, pragmatic manufacturing decisions, and the discipline to test assumptions.

If you’re pushing weight out of a structure and the usual answers aren’t enough, #FarUKLtd can help.

source : Lyndon Sanders

#Lightweight #CarbonFibre #composites #structuraldesign

Cannon leverages composites to create a heating system in the mould

Cannon launches the Nexus system, which includes a composite mould incorporating a thermoregulation system and associated controls. This technology exploits the physical properties of composites to improve the practicality of the mould. Composites are used as heating elements integrated into the mould. This allows for extremely rapid temperature increases (up to 30°C per minute) and much more precise localised temperature control than fluid-based systems, according to the manufacturer. This makes it possible to create different zones within the mould, in which temperatures are separated by gradients of less than a few millimetres, a level of precision suited to processes in which the chemical kinetics of the material must be precisely modulated.

Nexus is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 12 for Responsible Consumption and Production.

The POSSIBLE project for mechanically recycling rigid polyurethane and GFRP composites

Besides, Cannon will also present the POSSIBLE project (for “PrOduce SuStainabLE Industrial Bodies”), which aims to recycle and reuse polyurethane (PU) and PU-glass fibre composites, using them as secondary reinforcement materials in new composite formulations, at JEC World 2026. Cannon has developed the process in close cooperation with PU processor MAP S.p.A. and the University of Bergamo, with co-funding from the Italian strategic plan for the EU recovery fund NextGenerationEU.

Thermosets account for about 12% of global plastic production, with over 40 million tonnes per year. Polyurethane foams alone account for about 17 million tonnes of these, i.e. over 42%. But recycling them with traditional methods is almost impossible, and other methods are often too slow, too expensive or incompatible with existing PU manufacturing processes.

During the project, the team explored two complementary approaches. The first involved transforming rigid foam waste into micrometric powders, which were then dispersed into the polyol to form a slurry and dosed as a liquid component using a mixing head. The second involved using rigid PU granulate and polyurethane-glass fibre composite, introduced as a solid filler into the mixture using dedicated dosing systems combined with the FPL 36 IW mixing head for Interwet-LFI (Long Fibre Injection) technology patented by Cannon.

After testing these methods, the researchers concluded that it was possible to recycle rigid polyurethanes and GFRP composites by integrating them into production lines without having to implement invasive processes or radically modify formulations. The POSSIBLE project therefore represents a concrete step towards circularity in the field of thermosets, and Cannon is currently working on recycling solutions for PU and GFRP that will be brought to market.

Cover photo: Cannon Nexus composite mould with integrated heating system

source: Cannon/JEC