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 The plastics machinery shipments in North America continued to increase in the third quarter according to the statistics compiled and reported by the Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES).     Injection Molding & Extrusion Machinery Shipment The preliminary estimate of shipments of primary plastics equipment (injection molding and extrusion) for reporting companies totaled $349.4 million in the third quarter. This was a 4.1-percent increase from the $335.5 million (revised) second-quarter shipment. Injection molding shipments in the second quarter were higher than previously thought. Year over year, shipments grew 5.6 percent. Perc Pineda PhD, Chief Economist of PLASTICS, said: “Plastics machinery shipments recovered in the third quarter following a weak second quarter. We expect higher shipments in the fourth quarter. We have a tight labor market and U.S. manufacturers, including plastics machinery manufactu

California has joined states to ban flame retardants in certain household products. Starting January 1, 2020, it will be prohibited to sell or distribute children’s products, mattresses, and upholstered furniture that contain flame retardants in concentrations above 1,000 parts per million (ppm) in the state of California. Link Between Flame Retardants and Various Health Problems  In passing the bill, the Legislature cited proof that flame retardants do little to increase fire safety, and expressed concerns about the link between flame retardants and various health problems, such as developmental problems in children and cancer. Implementing Rules and Regulations The law needs the International Sleep Products Association to survey mattress producers every three years to determine what materials are being used to meet flammability standards. The Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation is sanctioned to enforce

Three new medical-grade thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) for biopharmaceutical tubing provide performance superior to the industry standard TPE in this application, making them effective alternatives to widely used silicone. Teknor Apex Company will introduce the new Medalist® compounds at MD&M West (Booth 2015) and will make a presentation on grades for peristaltic pump applications at the “Tech Theater” during the show. The presentation is scheduled for 1:30 pm on Wednesday, February 6. Clear & Translucent Medalist® Medical TPEs Teknor Apex recommends three compounds for challenging tubing applications in the biopharma industry for peristaltic pumps and extreme low temperature applications. The materials designed for peristaltic pump tubing provide the elasticity required to keep pace with rapid pump action and the durability needed for the tubing to retain its shape and remain intact over time. In comparison with the industry-standard TPE alternati

Daria Derusova, JRF from the TPU Research School of High Energy Physics is developing a system combining three methods of non-destructive testing including a vibrational, resonant ultrasonic and thermal ones to test composites for aviation applications. This approach is of interest for aviation and automobile industries as it will make it possible to monitor the quality of complex and large-sized products made of composite materials taking into account their physical properties. The Russian Science Foundation has supported this two-year project up to 2020. The project manager Daria Derusova says ‘Every ye ar, new composite materials appear and they challenge existing methods of non-destructive testing. Joints between the materials are of particular complexity and importance.’ Now classic ultrasonic and X-ray testing are used at the production. The latter is the most accurate but it does not fit to large-sized objects that are presented in aviation a lot.

The Saertex Leo series stands for optimum fire protection in rail transport, the marine market or the construction industry. For the renovation of the floor panels in 66 trains of the ICE fleet of the Deutsche Bahn with fireproof Saertex Leo materials, Saertex received two awards.  On November 5th, Saertex was awarded 3rd place at the AVK Award in the Products/Applications category for its project at the International Composites Congress (ICC) in Stuttgart. In addition, the entry won 1st place in the Railways category at the JEC Asia Innovation Award, which was presented on November 15th at the JEC Asia trade fair in Seoul, Korea.  The Saertex Leo composite system meets the high HL2 fire protection requirements in R10 in accordance with EN 45545 for use in rail vehicles. In contrast to conventional fire protection systems, Leo does not negatively influence mechanical parameters. The Leo system consists of four components, with SAERfoam as the core material, an NFC

Solvay has broadened its portfolio of high-performance filaments for premium additive manufacturing (AM) applications with the introduction of three medical grade products for use in the healthcare industry. Medical-grade AM Filaments A neat KetaSpire® polyetheretherketone (PEEK) AM filament (NT1 HC) and a 10-percent carbon fiber reinforced KetaSpire® PEEK AM filament (CF10 HC) , together with a neat Radel® polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) AM filament (NT1 HC) are Solvay’s first medical grade AM filaments for limited contact applications (<24hr bodily="" br="" contact="" fluid="" tissue=""> Christophe Schramm, Additive Manufacturing business manager at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers global business unit (GBU), said: “The healthcare industry is quickly emerging as a leading market to benefit from AM technology which makes customized parts for single use or low volumes possible. However, there is still a very limited choic

Stora Enso has increased its ownership up to 100% in Cellutech AB. The company specializes in the development of new materials and applications based on cellulose, micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) and other wood-based components. Replacing Fossil-based Materials with Renewable Ones The acquisition of Cellutech supports Stora Enso’s vision of replacing fossil-based materials with renewable ones originating from wood. The acquired company works, among others, in the areas of foams for packaging and hydroponics where the markets are continuously growing. Cellulosic foams can, for example, be used in packaging to replace polystyrenes which are the most widely used plastics. Adding a New Dimension to Fiber and Cellulose Capabilities “The acquisition of Cellutech will add a new dimension to our fiber and cellulose capabilities particularly in lightweight cellulose foams and spheres. We are investing in technologies and expertise that will further broaden appl