Polymers Petrochemicals Smart Fabric 16-05-2019 - Arhive
-Plastic free textile solutions for aquatic farming
The Lenzing Group, a leader in specialty fibres based on the renewable material wood, has today introduced its botanic solution for marine applications and in particular for aquatic farming, at the Techtextil trade fair in Frankurt. The wood-based Lenzing branded Lyocell fibres are used for the construction of ropes and nets in order to support the cultivation of marine cultures such as molluscs, mussels and edible seaweed to reduce plastic in the sea.
Serious problem for our marine environment
“Annually, about 8 million metric tons of plastics end up in the ocean, resulting in an estimated 165 million tons of plastic debris, currently floating in the marine environment, threatening the health and safety of marine life,” Lenzing told members of the international trade press yesterday in Frankfurt.
Crude Oil Prices Trend
-Ethylene import prices rise in Asia Polymers Petrochemicals Smart Fabric
Import prices for ethylene in northeast Asia have increased due to the resumption of stocks in China amid limited supply, according to ICIS .
Demand is expected to remain stable this week, but growth is likely to be limited by weak indicators of the sectors of production of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and polyethylene (PE).
Some Chinese importers attempted to increase prices for shipments in May-June, but met resistance from buyers. Consumer offers amounted to USD980 per tonne, CFR Northeast Asia, which is USD20 higher compared to a week earlier.
Manufacturers were not in a hurry to sell June supplies to traders, as they expected price increases due to high consumer interest.
-Kucukcalik launches new sustainable yarn
Kucukcalik Textile group’s yarn brand, KFS, has produced a new sustainable yarn, KFS-Comfy K-200 Eco Made. The new yarn is manufactured with KFS’s high-performing spinning technology using recycled polyester materials from discarded PET bottles and Dupont Sorona polymer, which is comprised of 37 per cent renewable plant-based ingredients.
The KFS-Comfy K-200 Eco Made material maintains the high-performance benefits of the KFS’s Comfy K-200 yarn – stretch, recovery, softness, and chlorine resistance – with the added benefit of enhanced sustainability, said Küçükçalik in a press release. Comparable to spandex, the high-performance yarn has outstanding elasticity and stretch, but with improved recovery – even after repeated uses and washing. Fabrics made with KFS-Comfy K-200 yarns feature high performance benefits such as easy care, softness, vivid colour, chlorine resistance, and good moisture management, keeping wearers cool and dry. Polymers Petrochemicals Smart Fabric
-SANITIZED AG invests in customer-specific development of antimicrobial masterbatches
A new twin-screw extruder has begun operating in the TecCenter for processing standard polymers (bulk plastics) as well as technical polymers (engineering plastics).
Masterbatches of low to high-melt polymers in different formulations and the finished compound can be manufactured.
Two nozzle plates allow the extrusion of polymer strands and tapes for further examination of the antimicrobial effectiveness in the SANITIZED microbiology laboratory.
The company says the selection of the appropriate antimicrobial active ingredients depends on the defined protection goals, on their compatibility with the relevant processing methods of the semi-finished product suppliers or final customers and if they have an impact on the manufacturing procedure. Polymers Petrochemicals Smart Fabric
-DuPont™ Sorona® Interactive Workshops Offered Hands-on Access at Performance Days
Experts showcase the next big thing in stretch and other apparel applications at international Performance Days Fair
DuPont Biomaterials hosted an interactive workshop series featuring its bio-based performance fiber, DuPont™ Sorona® fiber, for attendees of the Performance Days Functional Fabric Fair, held in Munich, Germany, May 8-9, 2019.
Sessions provided insight on Sorona® performance and sustainability data, mill partners, co-branding opportunities and new applications in 2019. Each workshop session also invited visitors to explore a distinct theme, with topics ranging from an introduction to the bio-based performance fiber to replacing elastane with Sorona® fibers to achieve long-lasting recovery performance. Sorona® fiber applications in breathable insulation, elegance in bio-based outerwear, and the performance benefits of combining natural fibers with Sorona® fibers were also be discussed.
-New non-OPEC oil project investment to hit all-time high this year
Investment in new non-OPEC oil and gas projects is likely to hit an all-time high this year and increase in 2020, as firmer prices and swelling cashflow signal an end to restricted spending in the sector, cartel OPEC said on Tuesday.
Photo by Lm Otero/AP/REX/ShutterstockPhoto by Lm Otero/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Exploration and production (E&P) players project sanctioning is expected to hit a record $390bn in 2019 and rise to $468bn next year, following years of straitened capital expenditure (capex) allocations as oil companies sought to push down their per-barrel break-evens following the 2014 price crash.
Non-OPEC free cashflow reached a record high of $310bn last year, nearly doubling the level of 2017, on the back of lower oil prices and costs, and reduced investment levels, which is expected to help finance a huge uptick in project sanctioning in 2019-20, OPEC said.
Non-OPEC supply more than tripled year on year in 2018, with growth of 2.91m bbl/day driven by 2.26m bbl/day growth in the US during the year, buoyed by contributions from Canada, Russia and the UK.
-Oil is already trade war’s collateral damage even without duty hikes
The flow of American cargoes to China has nevertheless been throttled by rising tensions
U.S. oil shipments are likely to be a casualty of the trade war with China, even though crude was spared from the latest list of American goods targeted with retaliatory tariffs.
While oil has never been subject to levies during the dispute between the world’s two biggest economies, the flow of American cargoes to China has nevertheless been throttled by rising tensions over the past year. Refiners in the Asian nation — previously the top Asian buyer of U.S. crude — have largely shunned imports in a bid to avoid getting caught up in the trade war. Polymers Petrochemicals Smart Fabric
-What the plastic pollution debate means for packaging companies
But with more than 90% of all plastic waste yet to ever be recycled, according to the latest academic research, plastic pollution has become a problem for oceans, marine life and the environment that has become hard to ignore.
Sustainability has been both a topic of public debate and an increasingly important consideration for investors for some time, but awareness of the issue has reached new heights in the last 18 months following the BBC TV series Blue Planet II.
Regulators to explore removing ‘barriers’ to addressing ‘unprecedented’ climate risk
The documentary and a number of others like it have brought greater attention to the proliferation of single-use plastic as a packaging material and the need to improve how this material is managed after it is used.Polymers Petrochemicals Smart Fabric
-When biodegradable plastic isn’t
The ubiquitous plastic bag is handy for transporting groceries and other items home from the store. However, this convenience takes a toll on the environment, with plastic debris littering land and waterways. Manufacturers offer biodegradable or compostable plastic bags, but in many cases, these claims have not been tested in natural environments. Now, researchers report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology that the bags do not degrade in some environments any faster than regular polyethylene.
According to the European Commission, about 100 billion plastic bags enter the European Union market each year. Many of these are used only once and then thrown away, tossed onto the ground or blown by the wind into lakes or oceans. Aside from being ugly, plastic debris can harm animals and ecosystems.
-AdvanSix halts nylon film making in Pennsylvania, cutting 85 jobs
AdvanSix Inc. is ending nylon film production at its site in Pottsville, Pa.
The closure of the site will be completed in the third quarter. About 85 jobs will be eliminated in the move, a spokeswoman with Parsippany, N.J.-based AdvanSix said in an email to Plastics News. The site made biaxially oriented nylon film used in food packaging and other applications.
AdvanSix now will supply customers with nylon film through a partnership with Lurin, Peru-based Oben Group.
In a May 3 earnings release, AdvanSix President and CEO Erin Kane said these moves “best position us for success in the nylon films industry.” She also thanked the Pottsville staff for its “hard work and dedication.”
-IEA cuts oil demand outlook and says supply shrank in April due to Iran sanctions
The IEA cut its oil demand growth estimate for 2019 by 90,000 bpd to 1.3 million bpd.
The report also revealed a global supply drop in April of 300,000 bpd, led by Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Canada.
Non-OPEC supply is forecast to grow 1.9 million bpd versus 2.8 million bpd last year.
Oil demand growth estimates for both 2018 and 2019 have been cut, the International Energy Agency revealed in its latest report issued Wednesday.
Last year’s oil demand growth estimate has been revised downward by 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.2 million bpd, while the forecast for this year is cut by 90,000 bpd to 1.3 million bpd, the IEA said.
-Clariant Show Partially Bio-Based Magenta at FESPA
Ink Jet Magenta E-S VP6057 creates strong graphics shades to extend CMYK color gamut and match designers’ requirements.
Clariant is showing its bio-based magenta pigment with high chroma and staying power for high-impact indoor and outdoor graphical print (B4-M44).
Technology advances in digital printing are opening up new substrates and markets to screen, wide-format printing, signage and textile printing. For visuals which really grab attention and meet 2019 effect trends, designers and marketeers seek high purity inks capable of expanding the color gamut beyond the restrictions of CMYK and accurate color reproduction. In parallel, print buyers’ demands for fast turnarounds and high-quality output, drive equipment manufacturers and print service providers towards inks supporting more efficient, faster machines with lower operating costs.
According to the latest report published by Credence Research, Inc. “Global Bio-based Polyethylene Terephthalate Market – Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis, 2018-2026,” the global bio-based polyethylene terephthalate market expected to grow at the CAGR of 20.8% from 2018 to 2026.
Due to eco-friendly nature and superior properties than PET, bio-PET is witnessing huge demand from various end-use industries such as food & beverages, cosmetics & pharmaceuticals, automotive, textile and so on. Traditionally, bio-PET comprises 30% bio-based MEG and 70% petroleum-based resins however, many companies are investing to increase the production of bio-based MEG to eradicate the problem of inconsistent supply of raw material for the development of 100% bio-based PET. For instance, Avantium invested in the construction of bio-MEG demonstration plant in the Netherlands, to ramp up the bio-based mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) production made directly from renewable sugars.
-Trade war adds pressure on weakening Latin America PET
Tensions caused by the US-China tariffs war are affecting the Latin American polyethylene terephthalate (PET) markets by driving prices down at a time when the seasonal lull has already taken a toll.
Market fundamentals have been very slow across the Latin American region, with reduced spot buying interest and declining prices in several countries, particularly in those where imports are more frequently traded.
Diminished resin trade between the US and China is resulting in more availability of Chinese product at lower prices, particularly in non-producing countries in South America.
Additionally, prolonged tariffs issues could potentially lead to fewer cargoes between Asia and the US and consequently extra free cargo space, reducing freight costs for material shipped from Asia to Latin America earlier in the first quarter.
-Additives: New Antioxidant Formulations for Polyolefins, Engineering Resins and Elastomers
SI Group showcasing specialty performance additives for polyolefins, engineering resins and elastomers at Chinaplas 2019.
New advancements in polymer additive technologies, including Weston 705, Ultranox LC, Lowinox and Alblend S 2225 will be showcased at Chinaplas 2019, May 21-24 in Guangzhou, by SI Group, Schenectady, N.Y.
The company was formed in October 2018, when New York City-based private investment firm SK Capital acquired global additives and intermediate manufacturer SI Group, Inc. and combined it with Addivant USA, Danbury, Conn., which had been part of SK Capital’s portfolio since 2013.
