BioBased Polymers and Recycling 14-09-2021 - Arhive
BioBased Polymers and Recycling
Crude Oil Prices Trend
Braskem the largest biopolymer producer in the world has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the SCG Chemicals, one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in Thailand and an industry leader in Asia, to perform studies to jointly invest in a new bio-ethanol dehydration plant in Thailand to produce bio-ethylene and I’m I’m green TM bio-based Polyethylene. If implemented, this cooperation could double the existing capacity of I’m green TM bio-based PE.
“Amidst the ever increasing demand for circular economy and sustainable solutions worldwide, we keep looking for opportunities to expand I’m green TM bio-based PE availability. Besides meeting customers’ expectations and contributing to carbon neutrality commitment by 2050, this project may be a landmark for Braskem’s footprint in Asia. We are fortunate to develop this potential partnership with SCG Chemicals that shares the same view in sustainability and has a successful track record in the chemical industry in Asia.” says Roger Marchioni, Braskem’s Director for Asia.
-Techtextil North America exceeds expectations
RALEIGH – The 2021 edition of Techtextil North America took place last month in Raleigh, North Carolina with organisers hailing the success of the event, which, exceeding expectations, served as the ideal platform to reunite the industry.
After nearly a year and a half of virtual business dealings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US textile industry gathered together in-person for this highly anticipated reunion. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
Despite several obstacles including the re-emergence of COVID-19 via the Delta variant and Tropical Storm Henri that battered the Northeast in the days leading up to the show, Techtextil North America 2021 saw strong attendance, with many exhibitors noting the high quality of visitors throughout the three days. Decision makers from all of the major industries that touch technical textiles and nonwovens attended the event to conduct business, reunite with industry pals, and discover the latest technological developments and trends shaping the industry as we approach a post-pandemic world.
After flexible plastic packaging (food films, lids, …), it is now the time for rigid plastic packaging (up to 450 μm) containing 70% PLA and the Evanesto® additive to obtain the “OK compost HOME” certification
Carbiolice has developed an enzymatic additive, called Evanesto®, which makes PLA (polylactic acid) compostable under domestic conditions.
By integrating 5% of the Evanesto® enzymatic additive, yoghurt pots, trays, cups, horticultural pots, etc. can now biodegrade completely in a domestic composter in 255 days, without residue or toxicity, even at room temperature.
Evanesto®, the first additive to enable PLA-rich plastics to achieve “OK compost HOME” certification. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
Carbiolice has developed an enzymatic additive which, when added during traditional transformation processes, makes PLA compostable under domestic conditions. PLA is a bioplastic that has the advantage of being both biosourced and biodegradable, however its compostability was previously limited to industrial conditions (high and constant temperatures).
-PET bottle chip inventory to pile up with downstream O/R slipping lower
PET bottle chip factory delivery has been a bit tight near end Aug to early Sep, and some time traders and downstream customers said that they need to queue up to pick up the goods, hence PET processing spread once rebounds to 900yuan/mt. However, with weather cooling down in Sep, beverage and water plants operating rate gradually slips down, the delivery tightness is easing. In the fourth quarter, PET bottle chip factory stock and total inventory may both accumulate.
At the end of August and the beginning of September, due to the frequent force majeure of overseas plants, many orders were transferred to Chinese mainland, especially the fourth week of August, when China PET resin export orders exploded. Therefore, PET bottle chip factory delivery both in and abroad were relatively intensive. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
At the meantime, as a spate of PET resin plants underwent maintenance previously, which is also one of the main reasons to see periodical tightness.
According to CCFGroup statistics, at present, a total of 1.25 million tons PET bottle chip capacity are shut down in overseas market. Due to the serious epidemic situation, most workers are reluctant to go back to work. Billion Vietnam plant shut down near late July, and has not restarted yet. Indorama 550kt/year PET resin line declared force majeure mid-August due to a fire. The unit may turnaround for at least two months. US DAK 450kt/year line also announced force majeure as the local hurricane has affected the supply of raw materials.
The IAEA highlights that plastic pollution is one of today’s most pressing global environmental challenges and a direct threat to sustainable development. According to projections, by 2025 the ocean will contain one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish, and by 2050, there may be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Landfills are often brimming with plastic waste and pose an environmental threat to downstream ecosystems such as rivers, groundwater, and the ocean. Furthermore, incineration of plastic refuse may also release toxic gases.
The IAEA article highlights the benefits of recycling with irradiation. Using gamma and electron beam radiation technologies as a complement to traditional mechanical and chemical recycling methods, certain types of plastic waste can be modified and therefore reused or recycled. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
-Global plastic compounding market will reach $93.1 billion by 2028: report
Rapidly developing construction and automobile sectors are anticipated to drive the demand for interiors, exteriors, and under-the-hood components, the report from Research & Markets said. Petrochemicals and Polymers
The global plastic compounding market size is anticipated to reach US$93.1 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5% over the forecast period, a new report from Research & Markets says. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
Rapidly developing construction and automobile sectors are anticipated to drive the demand for interiors, exteriors, and under-the-hood components, the research firm said, with the rising scope of application of plastic compounding in under-the-hood components in the automotive industry; in building interiors and exteriors in the construction and infrastructure industries; and in the electronics, durables, and wires and cables industries anticipated to fuel the market growth.
But the COVID-19 outbreak has affected the raw material prices of plastic compounding, the report also noted. “Recently, crude oil prices slumped due to the global pandemic,” it said. “A decline in demand, halts or slowdowns in the manufacturing industry, and restrictions in supply and travel are resulting in the reduction of crude oil prices. Thus, the raw material providers who can procure or store crude oil in the current situation can generate a significant profit margin.” The pandemic has affected the revenue generation of the companies operating in the global market, the report continued. “For instance, SABIC, one of the prominent players, witnessed a decline in revenue in the first quarter of 2020 by 18% as compared to the first quarter of 2019 due to decreased product demand as a result of challenges in supply/demand balance caused by the pandemic,” it said.
Wind, solar, and battery storage appear to be a winning combination for clean electricity systems, but to make the leap to a sustainable energy system, another ingredient is necessary: low-carbon fuels
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been collaborating with utilities and startups at the frontlines of high-renewable systems to make the technical and economic case for renewable fuels as we transition to a clean energy economy. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
With continued cost reductions for renewably generated electricity from sources like wind and solar systems, NREL is validating utility-scale hydrogen-production processes that could provide tomorrow’s clean fuels and chemical feedstocks to produce low-carbon, high-value products.
New IP To Simplify Renewable Hydrogen Reactions
Renewable hydrogen could fit into future low-carbon energy systems like a missing puzzle piece: It can be produced by wind and solar power when there is excess supply, it could be moved in pipelines to achieve longer-term energy storage, and it is a useful fuel on its own.
But an NREL duo known for pushing the limits of power-to-gas is innovating another direction for renewable hydrogen, focused on upcycling carbon waste streams into key energy products. The NREL team is focused on tightly integrating two processes—renewable hydrogen production and downstream chemical reactions—to cut the capital costs and improve the efficiency of the overall process. Along the way, they are demonstrating novel approaches that will aid in decarbonizing our energy system.
-Global Plastic Compounding Market
Trelleborg’s Soteria FRV can be shaped to fit areas of any size.
An ultra-lightweight, fire-resistant material has been introduced by Trelleborg’s applied technologies operation for use in electric vehicle (EV) battery protection and increased fire-risk applications.
Soteria FRV is the second material in the company’s Soteria range of protection materials. Weighing just 1.2 kg/m2 and extremely flexible, Soteria FRV can be shaped to fit areas of any size; it can also be draped or wrapped around difficult profiles. When combined with Soteria FR1500 panels, it creates lightweight protection for EV battery boxes and enclosures. It can also serve as a stand-alone option for increased fire-risk applications. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
Soteria FRV is flame-resistant to 1100°C for up to 90 minutes, with no burn through or expansion during a fire, according to Trelleborg. No ongoing maintenance is required once it has been installed and it is easy to transport.
-Pran-RFL recycles 30,000 tonnes plastic a year
Collecting about 30,000 metric tonnes of waste plastic, the company is producing 26,000 metric tonnes of raw material every year
Various used household items including broken plastic chairs, wrappers, buckets, and bowls are being placed on a machine plate. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
The products are crushed into plastic powder on the other side of the machine. Resin, the raw material for making plastic, is being made in several steps automatically by another machine in the factory from these plastic powder.
From the plastic resin, 100 types of products including plastic buckets, chairs, shovels, and flower tubs are being made anew.
During a visit to PRAN-RFL Industrial Park in Habiganj, this correspondent saw new plastic products being made by recycling waste plastic items.
Pulling heat-trapping carbon dioxide out of the air and turning it into useful products, a concept called carbon capture and utilization, has the potential to offer both environmental and economic benefits
By some optimistic estimates, CCU could generate annual revenues of more than $800 billion by 2030 while reducing climate-altering carbon dioxide emissions by up to 15%. Captured CO2 could potentially be used to make concrete and other building materials, fuels, plastics, and various chemicals and minerals used in industry, agriculture, medicine and elsewhere. BioBased Polymers and Recycling
But which of these products would be most helpful to the climate? Until now, there has been no comprehensive study comparing the climate benefits of a full range of potential CCU-derived products.
A new University of Michigan study fills that critical gap by analyzing 20 potential uses of captured carbon dioxide in three categories—concrete, chemicals and minerals—and ranking them by climate benefit. Previous studies showed that using CCU to make products in those three categories has the potential to consume up to 6.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually by 2050.
The U-M researchers found that only four of the 20 “CCU pathways” they analyzed—two that use CO2 to make concrete and two that use it to manufacture chemicals—have a greater than 50% likelihood of generating a net climate benefit. A net climate benefit means the emissions avoided by using CCU technology outweigh the emissions generated while capturing the CO2 and making the final product.
Global Plastic Compounding Market