Day: 17 May 2023

r-Polyester – Flexible packaging 17-05-2023

r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

Crude Oil Prices Trend 

Crude Oil Prices Trend by Polyestertime

Crude Oil Prices Trend by Polyestertime

-The Chinese economy is flying, but not enough 

Industrial production in the Asian country rises by 5.6% per year, about half of analysts’ estimates, which gave it to 10.9 –

The reason, officially, would lie in weak external demand . But even the domestic one is not enjoying excellent health: retail sales, thanks to the “Golden Week” holiday, jump by 18.4%, but less than the 21% expected – record youth unemployment: 20.4%
Industrial production in China rose 5.6% on an annual basis, up from 3.9% in March, but about half of analysts’ estimates at +10.9%, due to weak external demand.
The economic recovery is still unstable: retail sales, thanks to the Golden Week holiday, jumped by 18.4% (+10.6% in March), but less than the 21% expected. Urban unemployment drops to 5.2% (from 5.3% in March), with the youth component (16-24 years) soaring to a record 20.4% (from 19.6% in the previous month).

Investments in fixed assets are holding back: +4.7% in January-April, against +5.1% in the first quarter and +5.5% expected. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

The Chinese economy is flying, but not enough 

China – President Xi Jinping

-Renewcell has entered into an accord with TextileGenesis, a company specializing in blockchain, with the aim of ensuring complete traceability of its Circulose pulp

The Circulose pulp is produced through Renewcell’s patented method of breaking down and recycling cotton and other forms of cellulosic textile waste, such as production scraps and worn-out jeans. The resulting biodegradable raw material can be used to produce a range of man-made cellulosic fibers including acetate, lyocell, modal, and viscose. These regenerated fibers can be used to make high-quality textiles and nonwovens.

Renewcell intends to provide its customers and supply chain partners with real-time digital traceability through the partnership with TextileGenesis. The platform employs digital tokens to ensure a secure chain of custody for all supply chain processes, from the source of raw materials to the retail point. Renewcell’s traceability program for fibers captures real-time shipments, while its Fibercoins digital tokens confirm the origin of the materials and eliminate duplication of sustainable materials.

The company’s augmented intelligence engine confirms transactions between supply chain partners. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

TextileGenesis has already partnered with fiber manufacturers like Lenzing AG, Eastman, and Birla Cellulose. According to Renewcell CEO, Patrik Lundstrom, the partnership with TextileGenesis would guarantee a reliable and transparent supply chain, from their facilities to the retail consumer, to ensure the genuineness of Circulose products. Lundstrom said Renewcell had been on a mission since 2012 to establish circularity in the fashion industry. Renewcell’s Sundsvall facility in Sweden is designed to recycle more than 1.4 billion T-shirts annually.

r-Polyester - Flexible packaging

-According to Makoto Uchida, CEO of Nissan, solid-state batteries have the potential to revolutionize electric vehicles

Nissan, widely recognized as a leader in EVs since the release of the all-electric Nissan Leaf in 2010, has announced a new strategy called X-in-1. This plan will enable the automaker to produce new engines for electric and hybrid vehicles at a significantly lower cost and bring solid-state batteries to the market within five years.

At the Financial Times Future of the Car summit in London, Uchida stated that the X-in-1 strategy would reduce electric motor component production and component costs by 30% compared to 2019 by 2026. This will play an essential role as Nissan aims to launch 27 new electrified vehicles, 19 of which will be 100% electric, by 2030.

Nissan’s latest plan is for the internal combustion engine of a hybrid powertrain to operate with an electric motor and a modular generator and related gear set integrated into its structure, operating synergistically. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

This reduces weight and size while also lowering costs. By 2026, Uchida claims that the new hybrid powertrain will be no more expensive than a conventional internal combustion engine and will provide a smoother ride, better torque control, and improved fuel efficiency.

According to Uchida, solid-state batteries have a high energy density, which will allow electric vehicles to travel farther distances, reduce charging times by a third, and be significantly less expensive to produce. Additionally, solid-state batteries will enable a larger electric vehicle with more interior space. Nissan engineers believe that by utilizing the economies of scale provided by the X-in-1 strategy and solid-state batteries, they will be able to make EVs no more expensive than traditional cars.

Uchida says that Nissan has already developed the first solid-state battery, and a pilot plant for such batteries will be launched next year. Full-scale production is expected to begin in 2028, with a four-year lead time due to the complexity of solid-state battery production. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

r-Polyester - Flexible packaging

Mr. Makoto Uchida

-62nd Dornbirn-GFC13 – 15 September 2023
Dornbirn, Austria

Recycled Polyester within the context of Fibre Fragmentation

When tested using The Microfibre Consortium Test Method, an industry adopted standard for the quantification of fibre loss from fabrics during simulated laundering, mechanically recycled polyester was found to have no detrimental effect on fibre fragmenta

Microfibres are now recognised as environmental pollutants, and microfibre loss from textiles is acknowledged as an important issue within the textile industry.  The increase in the use of recycled polyester (rPET) as part of the 112 million tonne textile business has been steadily growing since 1993 and now represents 54% of global fibre production in response to the growing sustainability needs within the clothing sector.
When the industry adopts new materials it is vital to consider their impacts holistically and ensure they are not causing unintended, invisible consequences somewhere else. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of recycled fibres on fibre fragmentation in textile products. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging
The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) convened 36 global brands and retailers to measure fibre fragmentation in their fabrics. The TMC Test Method, an industry standard, was used to measure fibre fragmentation from 251 polyester fabrics. Virgin polyester and recycled polyester were found to, on average, fragment 0.48 g/kg and 0.50 g/kg respectively, with no statistically significant difference found between the two.
On the basis of fibre fragmentation alone, this research provides no empirical evidence replacing virgin polyester fibres with recycled polyester increases microfibre pollution. However, nor does it help to stem microfibre loss from textiles and more must be done to prevent synthetic microfibres from entering the environment at their root cause.

r-Polyester - Flexible packaging

-A fresh technique for estimating the age of microplastics discovered in the upper oceans has been developed by investigators from Asahi Kasei Corporation and Kyushu University

The new method involves assessing plastic oxidation levels in combination with environmental factors such as ambient temperature and UV exposure.

The researchers employed this technique to determine the age of microplastics discovered both nearshore and offshore in the North Pacific Ocean. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

They found that nearshore microplastics were between 0 to 5 years old, while offshore samples were between 1 to 3 years old. Their results were reported in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Plastics are the most prevalent pollutants found in marine environments, from lakes to seas. When plastic waste is exposed to the environment, it eventually degrades and fragments into smaller particles known as “microplastics,” which are less than 5mm in length. Microplastic pollution is considered a global problem, and there are currently around 24 trillion grains of microplastics floating on the surface layer of the ocean. However, little is known about the impact of microplastics on the environment or living organisms, including how long they remain in the ocean.

Atsuhiko Isobe, a professor at Kyushu University’s Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, led the research. To determine the age of microplastics, the team investigated methods to assess their age. Polyethylene is the most common plastic material, and as it interacts with the environment, it oxidizes and degrades.

The degradation level can be assessed by measuring the change in the material’s molecular weight and carbonyl index. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

The researchers wanted to standardize the effects of temperature and UV radiation on plastic decomposition as microplastics are exposed to these factors. They performed polyethylene exposure experiments to gather data on how different combinations of temperature and UV radiation influence the material’s molecular weight and carbonyl index. The team discovered that the most critical drivers of plastic degradation were seawater temperature and ultraviolet erythemal radiation.

After analyzing the collected microplastics, the researchers were able to determine the age of each individual sample. The study found that microplastics nearshore in Japan ranged in age from 0 to 5 years, while offshore samples in the North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea were between 1 to 3 years old.

More….

A fresh technique for estimating the age of microplastics discovered in the upper oceans has been developed by investigators from Asahi Kasei Corporation and Kyushu University

-Giflex – Rome contains flexible packaging

The upcoming Giflex conference in Rome, titled “The sustainable lightness of flexible packaging,” will cover various topics including the new packaging regulation, chemical recycling, eco-design, artificial intelligence, and the search for a new identity for flexible packaging. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

Alberto Palaveri, the President of the association of flexible packaging manufacturers, presented these topics to the press.

Palaveri expressed his belief that the industry is on the right path towards sustainability, despite the dogmatic approach of Brussels towards proposed regulations on packaging and packaging waste.

He emphasized the importance of mono-material solutions, LCA, and traceability with a blockchain approach in achieving sustainability.

The conference will also feature discussions on the development of technologies for recycling plastic waste and lobbying activities to advocate for the voice of flexible packaging in Brussels.

The Giflex assembly will also be held during the conference. Palaveri highlighted the importance of lightness in the identity of flexible packaging and expressed confidence in the future of the industry. r-Polyester – Flexible packaging

Giflex - Rome contains flexible packaging

Solid-state batteries – Microplastics 16-05-2023