Plastic chemicals textile bioplastic 24-11-2018 - Arhive
-ENGEL duo machine paves the way for mass production of Thermoplastic Composites
Composite lightweight construction based on thermoplastics offers more efficient manufacturing processes and the recycling of obsolete components. The National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol, UK, has set itself on developing the innovative materials and processes. An integrated manufacturing cell for over moulding fibre-reinforced semi-finished products from ENGEL is showing the way for mass production in both automotive and aerospace industries.
NCC, founded in 2012, is built on 17,500 square meters with state-of-the-art manufacturing cells for a large number of different composite technologies. NCC is one of the seven institutes forming the Catapult Network where each one has its own thematic focus.
-China PE slumps on oversupply
China’s spot domestic polyethylene (PE) prices have slumped since October and the outlook is bearish amid ample supply and lukewarm demand.
On 20 November, low density polyethylene (LDPE) prices in east China fell to their lowest in more than two years at yuan (CNY) 9,250/tonne ($1,333/tonne) EXWH (ex-warehouse). These levels were last seen on 31 May 2016, according to ICIS data.
High density polyethylene blow moulding (HDPE BM) prices in east China were assessed at CNY9,900/tonne EXWH, hitting their lowest level since 31 July 2017.
Spot LDPE prices have shed 7.5% from 10 October, while HDPE has plunged 13.2% from 16 October, the data showed. The percentage changes were computed from the dates the prices started their latest descent.
-Lanxess expands halogen-free flame-retardant PBT compounds range
Lanxess is expanding its range of halogen-free flame-retardant compounds based on PBT
Lanxess is expanding its range of halogen-free flame-retardant compounds based on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) to include variants with outstanding fire resistance in glow wire tests.
The first in the product range is a compound reinforced with a glass fibre content of 25 percent. There are plans to introduce the trial product onto the market shortly.
“Due to their high glow wire resistance, such PBT materials have great potential in components used in unattended household appliances. In addition, we see very good opportunities for electrical and electronic components of electrified vehicles, for example in the area of battery charging,” explained Alexander Radeck, Application Developer in the High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit at Lanxess.
-Asia petrochemical markets slump on faltering demand
Asia’s petrochemical markets are expected to remain soft through to the end of the year, in view of sharp declines in crude oil prices, as deteriorating global economic outlook amid the US-China trade war is depressing downstream demand.
Spot prices of key petrochemicals such as ethylene, propylene, methanol, benzene, toluene and styrene monomer (SM) have been on a general downtrend over the last month.
–Selling excess textiles for circular economy
New solution helps suppliers sell excess stock online, develop new business relationships, showcase their products and clear warehouses.Textile manufacturers around the world are often stuck with excess fabric, because logistics, time and lack of visibility complicate things. From a designer point of view, current sourcing realities limit sourcing, inhibit creativity and innovation, thus affecting what they can produce for consumer needs around the globe.
By developing a web platform that enables buyers to acquire left-over, in-stock textiles worldwide, Tengiva says it solves two major industry problems.
-Nestlé Waters signs agreement with recycled PET supplier CarbonLITE
The ne Drink supplier Nestlé Waters North America has signed what it calls a “significant agreement” with recycled PET (rPET) supplier CarbonLITE that will allow Nestlé Waters to further expand the use of recycled materials in its packaging.
The agreement also calls for CarbonLITE to expand its U.S. operations by building a facility in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. This will be CarbonLITE’s third facility in the U.S.w contract builds upon Nestlé Waters’ existing relationship with CarbonLITE, and calls for CarbonLITE to build a new recycling facility in Pennsylvania.
-Tyres and synthetic clothes ‘big cause of microplastic pollution’
Up to 32,000 tonnes of microplastics enter British waterways each year, says Friends of the Earth
Plastics and other detritus line the shore of the Thames Estuary, an important feeding ground for wading birds and other marine wildlife. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Vehicle tyres and synthetic clothing are the two leading contributors to microplastic pollution from UK households, according to a new report from Friends of the Earth.
The report estimates that between 9,000 and 32,000 tonnes of microplastic pollution enter British waterways each year from just four sources. The two leading sources are tyre abrasion, with between 7,000 and 19,000 tonnes entering surface waters each year, and clothing.
-Recycling Rate of PET Bottles Up; Total Amount Recycled Down
Both the amount, by weight, of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles available for recycling and the amount of PET bottles recycled declined in 2017.
However, since fewer PET bottles were available for recycling overall, the recycling rate actually increased between 2016 and 2017.
These are among the finding in a report issued by the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (ARP).
The report, Postconsumer PET Container Recycling Activity in 2017, was published on November 15, 2018.
-Kenya mulls ban on plastic bottles to address environmental degradation
Kenya plans to ban manufacture of plastic bottles to help address environmental degradation, a government official said on Thursday.
Mohamed Elmi, chief administrative secretary of environment and forestry, said the plastic bottle industry will be deregistered like it happened to polythene bags, which were proscribed last year owing to environmental ruin.
-UK chemicals face up to 6.5% EU tariff under ‘no deal’ Brexit
UK imports and exports ofpetrochemicals to the EU27 and most other majortrading partner countries will face up to 6.5%World Trade Organisation (WTO) tariffs in theevent of a “no deal” Brexit, according to analysisprovided by Europe’s trade group Cefic.
Euro stormIf thecountry left the EU without any deal in place itwould automatically fall back on tariffs agreedunder the WTO’s Chemical Tariff HarmonisationAgreement, which has been agreed by most importantchemical markets globally, according to Renevan Sloten, Cefic’s executive directorfor industrial policy.
