Circular Packaging – SASA Polyester Unveils $25 Billion Investment Plan in Adana SASA Polyester Sanayi AŞ has announced an ambitious $25 billion investment in Türkiye’s petrochemical sector 02-09-2025
Circular Packaging
Crude Oil Prices Trend
? DuPont Divests Aramids Business to Arclin in $1.8B Deal
Date: September 2, 2025
The deal, valued at approximately $1.8 billion, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Circular Packaging
? Deal Structure and Financial Highlights
The transaction is structured to deliver immediate value to DuPont shareholders while allowing long-term participation in Arclin’s future growth. Upon closing, DuPont will receive:
- Pre-tax cash proceeds of approximately $1.2 billion.
- A $300 million note receivable.
- A 17.5% equity stake in the new Arclin entity, valued at $325 million.
This hybrid structure provides DuPont with significant liquidity upfront while retaining exposure to future upside potential through its equity interest. Circular Packaging
? Strategic Rationale for DuPont
According to Lori Koch, CEO of DuPont, the divestiture reflects the company’s commitment to streamlining operations and optimizing portfolio performance. Koch emphasized that the transaction will:
- Enhance DuPont’s financial profile with stronger margins and growth potential.
- Generate capital for reinvestment into innovation and shareholder value creation.
- Preserve a meaningful stake in Arclin’s expanded portfolio, ensuring long-term participation.
“This agreement maximizes value for our shareholders and strengthens the strategic focus of DuPont’s portfolio,” said Koch. Circular Packaging
? What This Means for Arclin
For Arclin, this acquisition marks a transformative milestone. With Kevlar® and Nomex® added to its portfolio, the company significantly expands its global footprint and capabilities.
Bradley Bolduc, President and CEO of Arclin, noted that the deal positions the company to deliver greater impact across industries, particularly in protective solutions such as Arclin Firepoint. The integration of Aramids will enable:
- Greater scale and global reach in high-performance materials.
- Enhanced R&D and application development capacity.
- New opportunities for employees, partners, and customers worldwide.
? Inside the Aramids Business
DuPont’s Aramids division is a pioneering leader in advanced synthetic fibers, with flagship products Kevlar® (known for ballistic protection and durability) and Nomex®
(renowned for flame resistance and thermal protection). Circular Packaging
Key facts about the Aramids business:
- Largest global producer of high-performance aramid fibers.
- Annual net sales of $1.3 billion in 2024.
- Workforce of approximately 1,900 employees.
- Five manufacturing sites worldwide.
These fibers play a critical role in industries where safety, durability, and reliability are
non-negotiable — from aerospace and defense to energy and construction.
? Broader Corporate Context
The Aramids divestiture is a strategic step but does not affect DuPont’s planned separation of its electronics business (Qnity), which is still scheduled for a November 1, 2025 spin-off. Circular Packaging
Advisors for the transaction include:
- DuPont: Centerview Partners, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (financial advisors), and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (legal counsel).
- Arclin / TJC: Piper Sandler & Company (financial advisor) and Kirkland & Ellis LLP (legal counsel).
? About the Companies
? Arclin
Arclin is a leading materials science company specializing in polymer technologies, engineered products, and performance materials across industries such as construction, agriculture, transportation, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and design. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Arclin operates across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Learn more at
www.arclin.com. Circular Packaging
? TJC
Formerly known as The Jordan Company, TJC, L.P. has managed $33.2 billion in assets as of June 2025. With offices in New York, Chicago, Miami, and Stamford, the firm has a track record of more than 85 investments across industrials, consumer, healthcare, logistics, and technology sectors. Circular Packaging
More information is available at www.tjclp.com.
? DuPont
DuPont is a global innovation leader delivering technology-based solutions in electronics,
construction, transportation, water, healthcare, and worker safety. For investor resources and more company details, visit www.dupont.com and investors.dupont.com.
SASA Polyester Unveils $25 Billion Investment Plan in Adana
SASA Polyester Sanayi AŞ has announced an ambitious $25 billion investment in Türkiye’s petrochemical sector. Centered in the Yumurtalık Special Industrial Zone in Adana, the project includes a polypropylene plant, a massive refinery, and integrated port facilities—all designed to reduce imports and create long-term value for the Turkish economy.
? Project Overview
With the decision signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and published in the Official Gazette on , a 5.5 million m² area in Yumurtalık was officially declared as the SASA Polyester Sanayi AŞ Yumurtalık Special Industrial Zone. Circular Packaging
Key Components of Phase One:
- 1.2 million-ton polypropylene production plant
- 13 million-ton refinery with annual capacity
- Integrated port facilities to support logistics
Construction is scheduled to begin in the first or second quarter of 2026, with the project rolled out in three stages.
? Strategic Goals
According to Mehmet Şeker, Member of the Board of Directors at SASA, the initiative directly addresses Türkiye’s dependence on imported petrochemical raw materials. “Our goal is to produce both raw materials and high value-added products,” he said, underscoring the importance of domestic production in strengthening supply chains.
Türkiye currently imports more than $20 billion worth of aromatic chemicals annually, while domestic demand for polypropylene alone is around 2.5 million tons per year. By building facilities that convert naphtha and condensate petroleum into fuels and chemicals, SASA aims to stop these costly imports. Circular Packaging
? Products to Be Manufactured
The planned facilities will produce a wide portfolio of outputs, including:
- Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel
- Paraxylene — the raw material for polyester production
- Polypropylene — a durable, versatile plastic used in packaging, textiles, and automotive industries
SASA has already proven its ability to localize production with its Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant, producing 1.75 million tons annually. Once dependent on imports, Türkiye now covers PTA needs domestically. The Yumurtalık investment will extend this model by replacing paraxylene imports as well. Circular Packaging
? Economic & Regional Impact
Şeker emphasized that when fully operational in about four years, the facilities will prevent $6–7 billion in annual imports. This not only strengthens Türkiye’s trade balance but also creates downstream opportunities for local manufacturers to convert SASA’s raw materials into finished products.
Over the next decade, Yumurtalık is projected to transform into a major chemical industrial hub for the Mediterranean region, boosting the competitiveness of both Adana and Türkiye on the global stage. ? Circular Packaging
? Job Creation & Workforce Growth
SASA currently employs around 5,000 people. With this mega-investment, the company expects to employ:
- 8,000–10,000 workers during the construction phase
- 2,500–3,000 employees once fully operational
This scale of job creation is expected to provide a major boost to local employment and skills development, while also spurring growth in related industries such as logistics, energy, and infrastructure. Circular Packaging
? Looking Ahead
The Yumurtalık project reflects SASA’s long-term strategy: to shift Türkiye from an import-dependent chemical market to a self-sufficient and value-adding industrial powerhouse. By localizing the production of critical raw materials, the project aligns with national economic priorities, while positioning SASA as a regional leader in petrochemicals.
As global demand for sustainable and reliable supply chains grows, SASA’s initiative demonstrates how strategic industrial investment can combine economic security with industrial innovation.
♻️NGR & Leistritz Join Forces to Power the Next Era of Plastics Recycling
Leistritz Extrusionstechnik GmbH (Nuremberg, Germany) and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH—NGR (Feldkirchen/Donau, Austria) have announced a close cooperation that merges world-class recycling and compounding expertise. Their shared goal: deliver high-performance, integrated systems designed for the rising demands of the circular economy and the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). ? Circular Packaging
Companies: Leistritz Extrusionstechnik & NGR
Focus: One-step recycling + compounding
Quality Enabler: High-performance degassing
Output: Premium regranulates for demanding uses
Demonstrator: Joint line at NGR Test Center
Throughput: ~300–500 kg/h for trials
Why this partnership now
Across Europe and beyond, brand owners and converters face a fundamental shift: packaging must be both circular and high-performing. With the EU’s PPWR slated to apply from , quality thresholds for recycled plastics will climb, recycled content targets will broaden, and extended producer responsibility will tighten oversight across the value chain. In short, the industry needs recycling that is more reliable, more precise, and more sustainable.
Leistritz and NGR are responding with a coordinated approach that streamlines two historically separate steps—recycling and compounding—into a single, high-efficiency workflow. The result is a platform designed to help producers meet stringent specifications while maintaining competitiveness. ✅ Circular Packaging
Combined expertise, one integrated step
NGR brings decades of know-how in advanced plastics recycling systems for polyolefins, PET, and technical plastics. Leistritz contributes its globally recognized twin-screw technology and turnkey extrusion lines tailored for demanding compounding and material refinement. Together, they are developing a process that enables recycling and compounding in one step with a single melting process.
This integration reduces thermal history, preserves material integrity, and opens precise control over properties—key to achieving consistent, application-ready regranulates. It also simplifies line design, lowers energy use, and cuts operating costs. Circular Packaging
What the joint solution delivers
- One-step recycling & compounding: Optimize mechanical properties in-line by incorporating additives, stabilizers, and fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate, or glass fibers.
- High-performance degassing: Efficient removal of volatiles and contaminants supports high-purity applications, including stringent packaging uses.
- Premium-quality regranulates: Especially suited to PO films that must meet tight defect and appearance limits without sacrificing performance.
Because property tuning and clean-up happen inside a harmonized process window, producers can deliver recycled materials that are tightly aligned with downstream converting and end-use requirements. ? Circular Packaging
How the process works
Material preparation begins with NGR’s proven C:GRAN technology, which combines a cutter-compactor with a single-screw extruder to ensure stable feed, homogenization, and initial melt conditioning. The prepared melt then enters a Leistritz twin-screw extruder for compounding, where additives and fillers are precisely metered, distributive and dispersive mixing are controlled, and volatiles are stripped via robust degassing zones.
The end result is a recycled compound engineered for specific targets—impact strength, stiffness, barrier performance, or optical quality—while minimizing thermal exposure and maximizing consistency from lot to lot.
Where you can see it
A joint recycling and compounding system has been installed at the NGR Test Center in Feldkirchen an der Donau. With a design throughput of approximately 300–500 kg/h, the line is available for customer trials and demonstrations. This hands-on setting allows teams to validate formulations, run comparative tests, and quantify benefits under realistic production conditions.
Who benefits & typical use cases
Converters targeting premium film
Film producers seeking low-defect surfaces and stable optical properties can benefit from high-purity regranulates, where degassing and filtration combine with well-controlled compounding to curb gels, specks, and odor. Circular Packaging
Brand owners pursuing PPWR compliance
Where recycled content is mandated, reliable property tuning helps maintain pack performance—seal strength, stiffness, puncture, or clarity—without constant reformulation or scrap risk.
Technical plastics applications
For engineered parts, the integrated step supports filler systems (e.g., glass fibers) and stabilization packages that hit mechanical targets while keeping processing windows wide for molding and extrusion. Circular Packaging
Impact on cost, quality, and CO₂
- Lower total cost: One melting process reduces energy use and equipment complexity, while in-line compounding streamlines labor and footprint.
- Quality at speed: Tight mixing control and robust degassing stabilize properties and appearance, improving on-spec rates and reducing rework.
- Improved CO₂ profile: Fewer thermal cycles and a simplified process flow translate into measurable energy and emissions savings. ?
Together, these advantages enable producers to move beyond basic recyclate toward application-ready materials that slot into existing specs and converting lines with minimal compromise. Circular Packaging
Looking ahead
The collaboration between Leistritz and NGR aligns technical innovation with regulatory momentum. As PPWR ushers in stricter criteria for recycled content and packaging performance, integrated systems will increasingly set the pace—raising the ceiling on what recycled plastics can do, while lowering operational friction for producers.
By focusing on a single, harmonized step for recycling and compounding, the partners are redefining what “recycled” can mean in high-demand markets—from flexible packaging to technical applications—without treating sustainability as a trade-off.
Key takeaways
- Strategic timing: The partnership arrives as PPWR raises the bar on quality and accountability. Circular Packaging
- Integrated value: Recycling + compounding in one step improves properties, consistency, and economics.
- Clean melt, clean output: High-performance degassing supports sensitive and premium applications.
- Ready to validate: Customer trials at the NGR Test Center (≈300–500 kg/h) make results tangible.
- Built for circularity: Better quality with a leaner process and a lighter CO₂ footprint. ♻️
FAQ
What materials are supported?
The cooperation targets polyolefins, PET, and a range of technical plastics—matching NGR’s recycling breadth and Leistritz’s compounding depth. Circular Packaging
Why is a single melting step beneficial?
Limiting thermal history protects polymer integrity, stabilizes properties, cuts energy consumption, and reduces equipment and handling complexity.
Can the line handle additives and fillers?
Yes. The compounding step enables precise dosing and mixing of stabilizers, pigments, and fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate, and glass fibers to match target specifications.
? New Chip Discovery Cuts Green Hydrogen Costs Dramatically
By: Science & Energy Insights | Updated: Septembert 02, 2025
? Why Green Hydrogen Matters
Green hydrogen is often called the fuel of the future. It’s produced through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy and offers a clean alternative to fossil fuels. However, one major bottleneck has slowed its global adoption: the need for iridium in catalysts. Iridium is scarce, costly, and difficult to scale. This has kept green hydrogen more expensive than fossil-based hydrogen — until now. Circular Packaging
? The Game-Changing Discovery
Researchers at Northwestern University, in collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute, have discovered a way to replace iridium with four much cheaper and more abundant metals. Using a revolutionary tool called the megalibrary, they screened countless material combinations in record time. The result? A powerful catalyst that outperforms iridium while costing just a fraction of the price.
? What Is the “Megalibrary”?
Think of the megalibrary as a massive digital and physical catalog of nanomaterials. It contains the chemical and structural profiles of millions of material combinations. With this tool, scientists can rapidly test and identify the most promising candidates for applications like clean energy. Circular Packaging
Instead of years of trial and error, the megalibrary lets researchers analyze millions of potential catalysts on a single chip — speeding up discovery from decades to days.
⚡ Four Metals Replace Iridium
The team identified ruthenium, cobalt, manganese, and chromium as the best candidates. These metals are:
- ✅ Cheaper — collectively far less expensive than iridium.
- ✅ More abundant — available worldwide in greater quantities.
- ✅ Highly effective — capable of catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) efficiently. Circular Packaging
Through countless micro-experiments on their megalibrary chip, the team discovered that the precise combination Ru52Co33Mn9Cr6 delivered extraordinary performance.
? A Chip Full of Mini-Laboratories
Chad A. Mirkin, the lead researcher, explained it this way: You can think of each tip as a small person in a small laboratory. Instead of one researcher testing one catalyst, there are millions of researchers working in parallel on the chip.
This chip contained over 156 million nanoparticles, each representing a unique material combination. The winning formula emerged through this massive parallel experiment.
? Costs Cut by Sixteen-Fold
The economic impact of this discovery is staggering. The new catalyst is about 16 times cheaper than iridium-based systems.
Even more impressive, it not only matches but outperforms iridium in stability and efficiency under harsh industrial conditions. Circular Packaging
Tests confirmed the catalyst remained stable for over 1,000 continuous hours in acidic environments — a critical requirement for industrial hydrogen production.
? Why This Matters for the Energy Transition
This breakthrough could accelerate the global shift to clean energy. By reducing costs and scaling production, industries from steelmaking to transportation could finally adopt green hydrogen at competitive prices. This would mean:
- ? Lower carbon emissions across energy-intensive industries.
- ? Cleaner fuels for shipping and aviation.
- ? Sustainable pathways for manufacturing and heavy industry.
- ⚡ Enhanced energy storage options for renewables like solar and wind.
? Key Takeaways
- ? Iridium is expensive and rare, making green hydrogen costly.
- ? Northwestern University developed a megalibrary chip to test millions of catalysts rapidly. Circular Packaging
- ⚡ Four metals — ruthenium, cobalt, manganese, and chromium — emerged as effective and cheap replacements.
- ? Costs are reduced 16-fold with stability proven in tough conditions.
- ? This could transform industries and accelerate the clean energy transition.
More…
BIO-FED Showcases Circular Packaging Solutions at FACHPACK 2025
BIO-FED, a member of the Feddersen Group, is set to present its cutting-edge materials portfolio at FACHPACK 2025 in Nuremberg (September 23–25). The company will highlight solutions that combine performance, resource efficiency, and regulatory compliance under its brands M·VERA, M·BIOBASE, and M·CYCLOSE. ?
? Where to Find BIO-FED at FACHPACK Circular Packaging
Visitors can experience BIO-FED’s solutions at the Feddersen Group’s joint stand in Hall 5, Stand 460. Here, the company will showcase how circular materials can be practically implemented across packaging applications — from raw material selection and compounding to recycling technologies.
? M·VERA: Biodegradable Plastics for Packaging
The M·VERA product line focuses on biodegradable compounds designed for applications where end-of-life compostability is essential. These materials carry certifications such as OK compost INDUSTRIAL and OK compost HOME, ensuring environmental compliance and consumer confidence. Circular Packaging
Applications include:
- Injection-moulded coffee capsules with improved oxygen barrier and heat resistance
- Cosmetic packaging such as cream jars and storage containers
- Film products including shopping bags, produce bags, bubble wrap, and meat packaging pads
- Thermoformed trays for food applications
All M·VERA film compounds are certified safe for food contact, making them versatile and compliant with packaging industry needs. Circular Packaging
? M·BIOBASE: Biobased & Biomass-Balanced Compounds
M·BIOBASE emphasizes renewable raw materials and circular feedstocks. The compounds are produced using biomass-balanced polypropylene sourced from waste residues such as vegetable oil refining by-products and used cooking oil (UCO). Importantly, these compounds carry ISCC PLUS certification, guaranteeing transparent traceability of the sustainable material flow.
Key highlights include:
- Wood-filled PP compounds from waste wood industry streams, offering a natural wood look for consumer goods Circular Packaging
- Glass-fiber-reinforced PP grades suitable for technical applications
- PLA grades made from renewable biobased resources
The innovation has already been recognized: M·BIOBASE was awarded second place in “Product of the Year 2025” by Kunststoff Magazin in the materials category. ?
? M·CYCLOSE: Recycled Material Solutions
The M·CYCLOSE brand represents BIO-FED’s commitment to high-quality recycling compounds. These materials enable the design of packaging that is both recyclable and resource-efficient.
Examples of M·CYCLOSE applications:
- rPE compounds based on recycled beverage cartons and household waste
- Homo-PP compounds containing up to 30% post-consumer recycled content Circular Packaging
- Custom-tailored recycling solutions for diverse industrial applications
With 100% post-consumer recycled materials in some grades, M·CYCLOSE offers packaging producers a direct route to meet circular economy targets.
? Award-Winning Recycling Project
At FACHPACK 2025, the German Packaging Award ceremony will honor a collaborative project developed by the Feddersen Group and its partners — saperatec GmbH (PCR supplier), Palbo GmbH (container manufacturer), and AF-COLOR (masterbatch specialist).
The innovative packaging concept integrates a 50% PCR-PE and 50% HDPE container, demonstrating how recycled beverage cartons can be transformed into high-quality packaging. AF-COLOR contributed PCR masterbatches in shades of blue, black, and silver to complete the design. This award-winning project underscores the viability of composite recycling approaches. Circular Packaging
? Why It Matters for the Packaging Industry
BIO-FED’s showcase at FACHPACK comes at a critical time for the packaging industry. With stricter EU regulations on sustainability, rising consumer awareness, and corporate commitments to net-zero targets, demand for circular, biobased, and recyclable materials is accelerating.
By combining its expertise across the value chain — from compounding to application technology and recycling — the Feddersen Group positions itself as a strategic partner for packaging manufacturers navigating this transformation. Circular Packaging
Super-Fast Graphene: A Breakthrough for Chips and Batteries
Published: September 02, 2025 | Source: Institute of Basic Science, South Korea
Why Graphene Matters
Since its discovery in 2004, graphene—a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice—has been hailed as a “wonder material.”
Its exceptional mechanical strength, thermal efficiency, and electrical conductivity have made it a focus of global research. Circular Packaging
Potential applications range from next-generation electronics to energy storage systems, but mass production of high-quality graphene has been a persistent challenge.
The Breakthrough in South Korea
A research team led by Rodney Ruoff at the Institute of Basic Science in South Korea has developed a new manufacturing method, published in Nature Communications, that could finally unlock graphene’s industrial-scale potential.
The technique produces graphene films with near-theoretical performance limits, combining speed, precision, and adaptability. Circular Packaging
How the Technique Works
Instead of traditional growth methods, the Korean team used a porous, sponge-like substrate that enables graphene to grow uniformly without the defects and wrinkles common in earlier processes.
This innovation allows graphene layers to be separated cleanly, ensuring a material closer to its ideal physical properties.
The process achieves a remarkable 6.2 layers per second growth rate—more than 20 times faster than conventional methods.
This level of efficiency makes the method industrial-ready, reducing production costs while maintaining quality. Circular Packaging
Design Flexibility for Complex Devices
According to co-author Yongqiang Meng, one key advantage of this method is the ability to pre-shape metal sheets during the initial phase. This means graphene can be formed into complex geometries, opening doors to customized device design.
For industries where thermal efficiency and miniaturization are critical—such as AI-driven data center chips—this flexibility is revolutionary.
Applications in Electronics and Batteries
The new graphene films could dramatically improve high-performance chips by enhancing both processing speed and heat dissipation. This is crucial for the artificial intelligence applications that data centers handle daily,where efficiency and scalability are top priorities. Circular Packaging
Beyond computing, graphene’s superior electrical conductivity makes it a promising candidate for next-generation batteries.
Faster charge cycles, longer battery life, and improved safety are all within reach.
Additionally, graphene coatings could serve as heat-dissipating layers for electric vehicles and mobile devices.
Industrial-Scale Potential
While laboratory results are promising, the next major challenge is scalability.
Researchers must prove that this technique can integrate seamlessly into existing manufacturing lines
without sacrificing performance. If successful, industries from semiconductors to renewable energy could benefit. Circular Packaging
Ensuring consistent quality standards will be crucial for adoption, particularly in sectors where reliability and precision are non-negotiable.
The Road Ahead
Graphene’s story has always been one of immense potential and equally immense challenges.
This South Korean breakthrough brings us significantly closer to realizing graphene’s promise as a transformative material for modern technology. Circular Packaging
If scalability tests confirm the method’s efficiency, we may soon see graphene-powered chips, batteries, and devices entering mainstream production. That would mark a major leap forward in both electronics performance and sustainable energy solutions.
