polymerguru

Geopolitical uncertainties, regulatory requirements, and increasing performance expectations are reshaping the plastics industry. At Fakuma 2026, BASF will demonstrate under the guiding theme #OurPlasticsJourney how the perceived trade-offs between sustainability, resilience, and performance can be overcome. At the heart of this approach is the conviction that modern plastics can only be future-ready if they deliver on all three dimensions simultaneously: outstanding technical performance, verifiable sustainability, and a resilient, reliable supply chain. Rather than accepting compromises, BASF is focusing on scalable solutions that help customers reduce risks, achieve emissions targets, and maintain the highest quality standards at the same time. “Today, the plastics industry needs more than good intentions; it needs credible proof points. With #OurPlasticsJourney , we demonstrate how performance, sustainability, and resilience come together in real-world applications to create measu...

  𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬. 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫. 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐄𝐌 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭. Gloss is measured in Gloss Units (GU), but the measurement angle matters: 🔹 20° — High-gloss surfaces 🔹 60° — Standard angle for most automotive trim 🔹 85° — Very low-gloss / matte surfaces The important part? Gloss must match across adjacent parts. Even with the same material, colour and grain, gloss can shift because of: ✓ Texture depth ✓ Colour ✓ Processing conditions That is why gloss specifications must be defined, measured and controlled—not judged by appearance alone. Two parts. Same colour. Same grain. Different gloss. The customer will see it. The OEM auditor will fail it. Have you ever faced a gloss mismatch between adjacent automotive parts? What was the root cause? source : IM Technologies #GlossControl #GlossUnits #...

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 "𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞"— 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬? If you've ever evaluated a jet-black basecoat and heard someone say "it has beautiful blue undertone," that's not just aesthetic preference. It's a technical signal of particle size, dispersion quality, and process control — and in waterborne systems, it's far harder to achieve than most formulators expect. The problem: Carbon black absorbs almost all visible light — that's why it appears black. But under close inspection, some carbon blacks show a warm reddish undertone, while others show a cool bluish one. That subtle shift isn't random. It's determined by the pigment's microstructure and how well it's dispersed in your system. The mechanism — three factors decide the undertone: 1️⃣ Particle size Carbon black particles below ~20n...

 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 🔧 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬? ▶️ Glass fiber reinforced plastics offer excellent mechanical performance, dimensional stability and strength. 💪 But they also create additional challenges for mold design. ⚙️ When working with materials such as PA GF30, PA GF50, PBT GF, PP GF and other reinforced polymers, the mold needs to be designed with the material behavior in mind from the very beginning. 🔍 Key points we consider at Star Moldes: ➡️ Wear resistance Glass fibers are highly abrasive. Mold components exposed to continuous material flow need appropriate steel selection and surface treatments. ➡️ Gate design The gate location and type can influence fiber orientation, filling balance, weld lines and the final mechanical performance of the part. ➡️ Runner system Runners must be carefully designed to reduce unnecessary pressure losses and avoid excessive shear and...

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐬 Packaging requirements are becoming more demanding, and that's one of the key reasons many converters are investing in 3-layer and 5-layer blown film technology. While mono-layer films continue to serve many applications effectively, multi-layer structures provide greater flexibility for products that require enhanced performance. Why are manufacturers making the shift? • 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 - Multiple layers help improve resistance to moisture, oxygen, and other external factors, supporting longer product shelf life where required. • 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - Different polymers can be placed in specific layers, allowing manufacturers to achieve the desired performance while using materials more efficiently. • 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐦 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟...

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲. That mix-up wastes real marketing budget. Strategy sets the direction. The plan sets the execution. Here are 11 examples:  1. Content marketing ↳ Strategy: establish authority around audience problems. ↳ Plan: publish blogs, case studies, and whitepapers. 2. Paid advertising ↳ Strategy: capture high-intent audiences and drive conversions. ↳ Plan: launch targeted campaigns and optimise weekly. 3. Events ↳ Strategy: strengthen relationships and generate new leads. ↳ Plan: host quarterly events around relevant topics. 4. SEO ↳ Strategy: increase organic visibility and quality traffic. ↳ Plan: research keywords and optimise website content. 5. Public relations ↳ Strategy: build a stronger public reputation. ↳ Plan: pitch relevant stories to selected media. 6. Email marketing ↳ Strategy: build long-term customer relationships. ↳ Plan: s...