polymerguru

Toho Tenax has announced that it has developed a new high-tensile, highly shock-resistant prepreg that incorporates carbon fiber developed by Toho Tenax for aerospace applications and specialized carbon nanotubes (CNT). Intermediate Material for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics A prepreg is a carbon fiber sheet pre-impregnated with matrix resin and used as an intermediate material for carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). Toho Tenax’s new hybrid prepreg has been adopted by Mizuno Corporation in a new golf club shaft that weighs nearly 30% less than conventional shafts of the same thickness. The high-tensile prepreg enables the shaft to bend suitably as the ball is impacted and then cuts the shock of impact by more than 10% to reduce club movement on the follow-through swing. The surface of the CNT is specially treated and its structural elements disperse equally when Toho Tenax’s carbon fiber is impregnated with matrix resin containing the CNT. T

UW–Madison researchers have developed an economical way of producing a critical plastic precursor called FDCA which could improve the economics of making plastic from biomass. Creating Plastics from Biomass Using a plant-derived solvent called GVL (g-valerolactone) researchers have developed an economical and high-yielding way of producing furan dicarboxylic acid, or FDCA.  One of twelve chemicals that the U.S. Department of Energy calls critical to forging a “green” chemical industry, FDCA is a necessary precursor to a renewable plastic called PEF (polyethylene furanoate) as well as to a number of polyesters and polyurethanes. Process for FDCA Production Motagamwala and colleagues’ new process begins with fructose, which they convert in a two-step process to FDCA in a solvent system composed of one part GVL and one part water.  The end result is a high yield of FDCA that easily separates from the solvent as a white powder upon cooling. The system doesn’t re

 Aquafil and Genomatica have announced a multiyear agreement to create sustainable caprolactam, a key ingredient to producing 100 percent sustainable nylon. The collaboration aims to develop a commercially-advantageous bioprocess (Genomatica’s GENO CPL™ process) to make caprolactam using plant-based renewable ingredients, rather than the crude oil-derived materials traditionally used by the nylon industry.       Enabling More Sustainable Nylon Products Used in a variety of nylon-based products including carpets and apparel, caprolactam has a worldwide market of over five million tons per year.  Genomatica’s GENO CPL™ process aims to provide an environmentally-friendly way to make caprolactam with better economics, including for smaller-scale plants.  It will enable licensees and their customers to differentiate themselves by offering a more sustainable bio-based product whose performance will be fully comparable with nylon made from crude oil-derived ca

Versarien, the British advanced materials engineering group, has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish a graphene manufacturing centre in China. The non-binding LOI has been entered into by Versarien together with the Shandong Institute of Industrial Technology Fund, Jinan Qing Na Material Technology Co Ltd and Jinan Innovation Zone Administrative Committee with the view to establishing the "China-UK Jinan Graphene Industrial Park" in the Jinan Innovation Zone, Shandong Province, China. The Jinan Innovation Zone, established as a national hi-tech zone in 1991, currently has ten industrial parks with businesses including software, intelligent manufacturing and life sciences. The LOI envisages as a first stage the establishment of a 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility to produce and sell Versarien's proprietary Nanene few layer graphene nano-platelets. Versarien will provide its intellectual property (IP) on a lice

Scientists report that avocado seed husks yielded benzyl butyl phthalate, a plasticizer used to promote flexibility in numerous synthetic products. Trash-to-Treasure Transformation The least appreciated part of an avocado could soon undergo a trash-to-treasure transformation. In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists report that avocado seed husks, which are usually discarded along with the seed, are hidden gold mines packed with a previously unrecognized plethora of chemical compounds. They say these compounds could eventually be used to treat a host of debilitating diseases, as well as to enhance the allure of cosmetics, perfumes and other consumer goods. Seed Husks - Potential Source of Chemicals “ It could very well be that avocado seed husks, which most people consider as the waste of wastes, are actually the gem of gems because the medicinal compounds within them could eventually be used to treat cancer, heart disease and other conditions ,” says Debasis

Beaulieu Yarns introduces EqoBalance ® , the first biomass-balance polyamide yarns for carpets. The EqoBalance ® family of “ biomass-balance ” yarns was launched at Domotex 2018, held on January 12-15 in Hannover, Germany. Beaulieu Yarns is on Stand B56 in Hall 11.  Renewably-sourced Polymer for Yarns A first for the carpet industry, new EqoBalance PA6 yarns follow the biomass balance approach, which ensures that at the very start of the supply chain, natural renewable raw materials can partially or even completely replace fossil resources in the production of polymers processed into yarns. By choosing these yarns, carpet tufters can contribute to a sustainable future through less use of fossil resources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.  Sustainable Yarns The sustainable yarns from Beaulieu Yarns are conform the TÜV SÜD certification standard CMS 71 "Certification of the use of renewable resources", which confirms the saving in fossil resour

'Paired with carbon capture technology, this could lead to an incredibly green production mechanism for everyday plastics, meanwhile sequestering harmful greenhouse gases' Researchers have developed a method for efficiently converting carbon dioxide into plastic. They say their findings could help divert carbon dioxide – a major contributor to climate change – from entering the atmosphere. They could also help to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. A team of scientists from University of Toronto, University of California, Berkeley and the Canadian Light Source (CLS) successfully managed to work out the ideal conditions for converting carbon dioxide to ethylene. Ethylene is used to make polyethylene, the most commonly used plastic in the world. At the heart of the experiment was the carbon dioxide reduction reaction, which can be used to convert the gas into a variety of different substances. Different metals can be used as a catalyst in this ty