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.TOP NEWS
Leveraging the Hands-Free Future
SPE Plastics Engineering magazine
Autonomous vehicles will be a transportation mainstay. Now is the time to look at opportunities and prepare to exploit them. Read full article by Pat Toensmeier.
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New ANTEC® platform includes sophisticated introduction and connection tools
SPE
Through both self-selection and artificial intelligence matching, attendees and exhibitors will be “connected” based on their own preferences and profiles. For exhibitors, this means they can find and speak directly with their qualified buyers and engage one-on-one with decision-makers who meet their specific criteria, through embedded video chat and messaging – during and after the event.
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.SPE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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| Date |
Event |
More Information |
| Feb. 5 |
Intellectual Agreement Fundamentals - Week 1 |
Registration |
| Feb. 12 |
Intellectual Agreement Fundamentals - Week 2 |
Registration |
| Feb. 17 |
WEBINAR: Formulating Thermoplastics with Non-Halogen Flame Retardants: An Introduction |
Registration |
| Feb. 19 |
Intellectual Agreement Fundamentals - Week 3 |
Registration |
| Feb. 23 |
International Polyolefins Virtual Conference |
Registration |
| Feb. 25 |
WEBINAR: Environmental Stress Cracking |
Registration |
| Feb. 26 |
Intellectual Agreement Fundamentals - Week 4 |
Registration |
| March 11 |
SPE Additives and Colors Academy: Trends and Training |
Registration |
| March 18 |
WEBINAR: Thermal Analysis of Plastics |
Registration |
| May 5-28 |
ANTEC® 2021 - All Day Virtual Conference |
Registration |
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Promoted By
RJG, Inc.
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Promoted By
C.W. Brabender Instruments, Inc.
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Growth rate of bioplastics higher than overall plastics market growth
Plastics Technology
A new market and trend report from German-based researcher nova-Institute characterizes the year 2020 as very promising for biobased polymers. Sold-out PLA in 2019 led to the installation of increased capacities, PE and PP made from biobased naphtha are breaking ground, and future expansion for biobased polyamides/nylons as well as for PBAT, PHAs and casein polymers is on the horizon. A lower production was only observed for biobased PET.
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Efficient solid-state depolymerization of waste PET
Phys.org
Plastic pollution has become one of the most complex environmental issues, especially in the context of increasing production and demand for plastic materials. While innovations in polymer chemistry have radically changed our lives in the mid-20th century, the outstanding properties of plastics such as durability, chemical stability, strength and many other characteristics pose a serious problem for recycling such materials.
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Plastics circularity accelerates in North America
Plastics Today
There’s encouraging news regarding plastics circularity related to post-consumer recycled content: The journey is well underway.
Admittedly, at a large scale the undertaking has the complexities of a Lord of the Rings-type quest. Reaching Mordor or other worthy destination comes step by step, requires committed participants, and presents obstacles along the way.
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A mild way to upcycle plastics used in bottles into fuel and other high-value products
American Chemical Society via ScienceDaily
Plastic is ubiquitous in people's lives. Yet, when plastic-containing items have fulfilled their missions, only a small amount is recycled into new products, which are often of lower quality compared to the original material. And, transforming this waste into high-value chemicals requires substantial energy. Now, researchers have combined a ruthenium-carbon catalyst and mild, lower-energy reaction conditions to convert plastics used in bottles and other packaging into fuels and chemical feedstock.
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Bergen International’s proven line of Auto Lightweighting CFAs for Injection Molding, Sheet/Profile Extrusion for:
PP, PE, PS, PC, ABS, TPO, TPE, etc.
Weight reduction
Sink removal
Shorten cycle times
Easily added via small feeder
Costs savings for OEMs
Assistance with onsite approval
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BASF increases prices of additives for plastic applications
Plastics Technology
BASF, Florham Park, New Jersey, has announced it is increasing prices of plastic additives by up to 10%, effective immediately.
As is the case with other plastic additives suppliers, the company attributed the price adjustment to higher costs for raw materials and logistics. PT recently reported on similar pricing actions taken by the SI Group, Schenectady, New York, and Dover Chemical, Dover, Ohio.
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Biodegradable plastics in open environment
Mirage News
Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem and biodegradable plastics can play a part to reduce the waste. But there is a risk that the term biodegradable plastics can lead to confusion for policymakers and customers, since most biodegradable plastics are designed to degrade only in special industrial composting facilities. A report has now been published that gives a scientific view on the use of biodegradable plastics in the open environment.
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Scientists make sustainable polymer from sugars in wood
Canadian Plastics
Money doesn’t grow on trees, but it’s possible that plastics might.
Scientists from the University of Bath’s Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies, in Bath, Somerset, U.K., have made a sustainable polymer using the second most abundant sugar in nature, xylose, which is found in wood.
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Building next-generation polymers with asynt and polymer mimetics
AZO Materials
An innovative polymerization process developed by Polymer Mimetics, a U.K. specialty chemical manufacturer, enables high-performance polymer manufacturing with reduced raw materials consumption and improved yield and processing efficiency.
Polymer materials manufacturing is dominated by two synthetic processes — a chain-growth polymerization process and a step-growth polycondensation process.
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New resin formulations join 'strongest moldable polymers' line for metal replacement
Plastics Today
Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials has expanded its KyronMAX structural thermoplastic materials line with new resin formulations for the medical, oil and gas, aerospace, automotive, and recreation market segments. KyronMAX compounds incorporate MCAM’s short-carbon-fiber technology, producing the strongest moldable polymers available for metal replacement applications, according to the company.
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Promoted by Chroma Color Corporation
 What Are Color Concentrates?
Historically the most common form of Color Concentrates (a.k.a. masterbatches) are colored plastic pellets. These concentrated colored pellets are typically built to contain 15-50% of specially selected pigments and additives. The remainder of the recipe is a blend of carrier resin, process aids and binders to support consistency within the virgin base resin.
The initial consideration when designing a plastic component is ensuring the base resin AND the color concentrate are suitable for the selected forming process. Common process examples include injection mold, blow mold, injection stretch blow, compression mold and extrusion.
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Large-format 3D printers eliminate 'stitching' parts together
The Additive Report
The Stratasys website states that company founder Scott Crump was looking for “a simpler way to make a toy frog for his daughter” when he invented fused deposition modeling. In 1988, he patented what was in essence a hot glue gun under CNC control, a technology that has since become one of the pillars of the 3D printing industry.
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German researchers study use of antimicrobial polymers to block 'antibiotic apocalypse'
Plastics Today
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has understandably bumped it from the news cycle, the "antibiotic apocalypse" is still on the horizon. The overuse of antibiotics has allowed antimicrobial resistance to spread and could, if left unchecked, result in “routine operations, simple wounds, or straightforward infections posing real threats to life,” according to former U.K. Chief Medical Officer Sally Davies. Preventing that scenario from unfolding requires finding alternatives to antibiotics.
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With Kautex packaging die heads 100% color change can be
achieved while saving up to 75% in time and materials.
RapidXchange technology allows to reduce the purging process by up to 75% through rheologically optimized flow channels.
The groundbreaking results were achieved in comparison with uncoated heads in mono-layer applications.
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New tool calculates benchmark data for sustainable production of plastics
Canadian Plastics
Researchers developing renewable plastics and exploring new processes for plastics upcycling and recycling technologies will now be able to easily baseline their efforts to current manufacturing practices to understand if their efforts will save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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'Unique' polymeric melt flow additive for PLA
Plastics Technology
Boston-based CAI Performance Additives is now marketing here what is said to be a unique flow improver for use with biodegradable PLA and other biobased polyester resins. Flow Improver ST-PA210 has been shown to increase melt flow index, enhance dispersion and improve compatibility.
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Thousands of industry professionals subscribe to association news briefs, which allows your company to push messaging directly to their inboxes and take advantage of the association's brand affinity.
Connect with Highly Defined Buyers and Maximize Your Brand Exposure
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From surgical caps to N95 masks, demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) remains high. Our Branson™ ultrasonic welders cut, seam and bond non-woven synthetic materials with precision and repeatability—increasing PPE production and providing the necessary levels of hygiene. Tell us more about your application: go.emersonautomation.com/branson-consult-an-expert [go.emersonautomation.com].
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New process to recycle polyolefinic plastics at low temperature
Canadian Plastics
Researchers in Japan have used a novel catalyst process to recycle polyolefinic plastics into chemicals.
The problem being solved is that polyolefinic plastics have physical properties that make it difficult for a catalyst, responsible for inducing chemical transformation, to interact directly with the molecular elements to cause a change.
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