Durable material for flexible artificial muscles
08/08/2022
Materials scientists at UCLA and colleagues at the nonprofit research institute SRI International have developed an artificial muscle. These are equipped with PHDE actuators. UCLA research uses a "dry" process in which the films are layered with a blade and then cured with UV light so that the layers become uniform.
Sustainable cellulose start-up Naturbeads is poised to scale up
03/08/2022
Naturbeads, a company that aims to replace plastic microbeads with sustainable alternatives, will expand its work. It has been helped by a recent £1.3 million (€1.5 million) funding round. Naturbeads has developed cellulose-based products that can be used in cosmetics, paints, coatings, additives for the oil and gas industry, packaging and composites.
Functional plastics – designing for circularity
27/07/2022
Few, if any, materials can compete with plastics in terms of adaptability and versatility – many different material properties can be derived from the same basic chemistry, meaning that complex product assemblies can be made with a single type of plastic.
North American plastics sector holds steady, while riding a roller-coaster of uncertainty
08/07/2022
The pandemic. Supply chain ruptures. The Great Resignation. China trade tensions. Climate change and extreme weather events. Soaring inflation. Stock market volatility. The war in Ukraine. Seldom in our lifetimes have we experienced such an extended period of disruption and uncertainty.
Reusing odor-contaminated plastics
01/07/2022
In the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy (CCPE), the four Fraunhofer institutes are researching odor barrier skins for polymer compounds made from recycled materials. With special additives, odor barrier skins with a skin thickness of 0.25 mm can be effectively realized. The odor-contaminated plastic can be "packaged".
3D printing for automated pre-assembly of thermoplastic CFRP integral frames
01/07/2022
In the "OSFIT" (One Shot Fully Integrated Thermoplastic Frame) project, automated processes were developed to reduce both the time required and the complexity of the assembly and joining steps in aircraft production.
Using different tools in one flexible thermoforming system
29/06/2022
Thermoforming is a process that requires various tool systems. Unfortunately, if the latter originate from different manufacturers, they often cannot be used together in one system. Illig took on the challenge and came up with a successful solution.
Sabic launches new upcycled resin made with ocean bound plastic waste
14/06/2022
The company SABIC introduced LNP™ ELCRIN™ WF0061BiQ resin, a novel material that uses ocean-bound polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a feed stream for chemical upcycling into polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin. The company has added many different and innovative grades to the LNP ELCRIN iQ portfolio, including glass- and mineral-reinforced products and flame-retardant formulations.
Durostone CR permits higher loads and more compact transformer designs
06/06/2022
Röchling Industrial has developed a new glass fiber-reinforced plastic Durostone® CR. "CR" stands for Compact & Resilient. Compared to conventional fiber-reinforced composites, Durostone® CR has a high dielectric strength and a high partial discharge insertion stress.
Silicones: All-rounders for healthcare, electronics and climate protection
27/05/2022
Baby pacifiers, plug seals, medical tubing – we encounter silicones in a wide variety of life situations. Why? They are flexible, water-repellent, heat- and chemical-resistant and even have electrical properties. In short, they are true all-rounders! WACKER, the German chemical group and K exhibitor from the very beginning, is considered a European pioneer in silicones.
Cost-effective, material-saving, local – Ultrathin Coating enables sustainable production of medical protective clothing
25/04/2022
We all remember the beginning of the Corona pandemic: the demand for medical protective clothing increased rapidly, leading to supply bottlenecks. Although the situation has calmed down again, the dependence of companies on global supply chains was exposed. Reifenhäuser is now specifically addressing this problem with its new Ultrathin Coating process.
Safely above the clouds – plastics in aviation
13/04/2022
Around 10,000 m altitude, speeds of almost 1,000 km/h, outside temperatures as low as -60°C. One of the reasons why we as airline passengers don't notice any of this is because of plastics. These are not only mechanically and chemically resistant, but also lightweight. And lighter aircraft cause fewer CO2 emissions, which is of great importance for achieving climate targets.
Mobile plastics recycling project wins WDO's World Design Impact Prize
30/03/2022
The Montreal-based World Design Organization has named a mobile, solar-powered, plastic-waste upcycling platform as the winner of its World Design Impact Prize™ for 2021.
Same but different: say hello to the 3D printed trombone
25/03/2022
It looks and sounds like a standard trombone - but is actually lightweight and made of carbon fiber rather than brass metal. To craft the musical instrument using this raw material, additive manufacturing is the right application for success: the process provides great options to manufacture the relevant molds used to build the instrument.
ERDE Recycling: recovery and recycling systems for agricultural plastics
18/03/2022
ERDE is a recovery and recycling system focused on the return of silage sheets and covers and agricultural stretch films in Europe. The company has big goals, such as a recycling rate of 65 percent in 2022, but also faces challenges, such as the cross-border transport of agricultural plastics.
Lightweight truck-mounted toolbox with novel plastic composite hybrid solution
09/03/2022
SABIC is cooperating with Dongfeng on the development of a novel plastic composite hybrid solution to produce a robust yet weight-saving toolbox for assembly on vehicles.
Integrated electronics make for sleek, smart surfaces
08/03/2022
Technological advances and evolving user preferences are redefining the look (and feel) of future electronic devices. Some examples were on display at the big CES 2022 consumer technology show in Las Vegas during the first week of January.
PERC Solar Cells from 100 Percent Recycled Silicon
07/03/2022
In order to be able to reuse silicon, a working group from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the largest German recycling company for PV modules, Reiling GmbH & Co. KG, have developed a solution, in which the silicon in the discarded modules was recycled on an industrial scale and reused to produce new PERC solar cells.
eCampus offers online training for employees in the plastics industry
04/03/2022
Knowledge is power – this also applies to the plastics industry. But training courses cost time and tie up participants, although they are actually needed elsewhere. So that companies do not have to do without employees for entire days during such training courses, the SKZ has developed the eCampus together with Hanser Verlag.
That smells nice: GRAFE adds fragrance to plastics
23/02/2022
It’s instantly recognizable, even with your eyes closed: that unmistakable “new car smell”. Granted, it’s not necessarily a scent everyone loves, prompting many to reach for alternative air fresheners. But what if you could avoid unpleasant odors right at the factory source - and not just when it comes to cars, but other products as well?
Breakthrough in separating plastic waste
21/02/2022
With a new technology it is possible to analyse and categorise the type of plastic by using a hyperspectral camera in the infrared area and machine learning. The technology makes it possible to separate plastics based on a purer chemical composition than is possible today, and this opens up for completely new opportunities to recycle plastics.
Digital watermarks: sort post-consumer waste more intelligently
16/02/2022
How can plastic packaging become intelligent? By providing them with digital watermarks that can be read by sorting systems and thus simplify the sorting process. The fact that this technology works was proven in the pioneering HolyGrail 1.0 project with a proof of concept.
Researchers seek to re-use waste plastics to make valuable petrochemicals
14/02/2022
With a new method West Virginia University engineers upcycle single-use plastic packaging into petrochemicals. The produced ethylene and BTX aromatics from plastic upcycling can be used as feedstocks to re-make plastics.
A German plastic success story: the Bobby-Car turns 50
09/02/2022
Bright red bodywork, a white steering wheel and a lot of noise when driving: That's what the Bobby-Car is all about. Almost everyone knows it and almost everyone has owned one. Or still does.
DarWIN research project accelerates multi-manufacturer machine learning
07/02/2022
New AI-based process optimisation tools have been developed specifically targeting injection moulding machines. Plus10 and the SKZ performed a series of thorough AI pilot tests on Sumitomo (SHI) Demag machines.
Dishwasher components made from recycled plastic
01/02/2022
3D printing: InfraredTags make plastics communicative
31/01/2022
Shopping can be exhausting, for example when you first have to find the price label of a product or rush through the aisles looking for alternative products. All of this could be done at a glance while shopping – if InfraredTags were integrated into a product's packaging.
Jerome Romkey
20/01/2022
President, GN Thermoforming Equipment Co.
Borealis acquires minority stake in UK-based sustainable packaging innovator Bockatech
10/01/2022
Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions and a European market leader in base chemicals and fertilizers, announces that it has acquired a minority stake in Limited, a UK-based growth-stage green tech business and inventor of the innovative EcoCore ® manufacturing technology platform for sustainable packaging.
Air Liquide and BASF welcome support from European Innovation Fund for joint CCS project
13/12/2021
Air Liquide and BASF are planning to develop the world's largest cross-border Carbon Capture and Storage value chain. The goal is to significantly reduce CO2 emissions at the industrial cluster in the port of Antwerp. The joint project has been selected for funding by the European Commission through its Innovation Fund, as one of the seven large-scale projects out of more than 300 applications.
Covestro and Eco-mobilier collaborate for tackling next-level PU mattress foam recycling
13/12/2021
Materials manufacturer Covestro and Eco-mobilier, a French eco-organization and non-profit extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemer for the collection and recycling of used furniture, aspire to generate enhanced value aiming at mattresses and upholsteries.
Anna Rottstegge
08/12/2021
Head of Research & Development, Reifenhäuser Reiloy
Covestro receives the German Design Award for its CMF Aesthetics Toolkit
01/12/2021
As announced by the German Design Council, Covestro's CMF Aesthetics Toolkit will receive the German Design Award 2022 in the category "Excellent Product Design – Material and Surfaces." The toolkit is designed to inspire designers to explore the many aesthetic and functional possibilities of polycarbonate in the field of color, material and finish (CMF).
Special concrete additive made in Costa Rica
29/11/2021
The Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC) in Costa Rica aims to turn plastic waste into a valuable resource for the construction industry.
Digital education: Increase knowledge about plastics without holding up operations
09/11/2021
One way to address the shortage of personnel in the plastics industry is to hire lateral hires – but that requires a good continuing education program. But especially in production, this is usually not so easy to do without taking the employee away from his or her job - which results in production coming to a standstill.
Simple thermoset plastic recycling using a peptide solution
25/10/2021
Epoxy resin is a type of thermoset resin commonly used in glue, paint and composite materials. NIMS and ISMA have developed a new thermoset plastic recycling system capable of easily decomposing epoxy resins in an aqueous solution of a naturally derived peptide.
Research guides future of plastic waste chemical recycling
18/10/2021
New research from Cornell University aims to ease the process of chemical recycling – an emerging industry that could turn waste products back into natural resources by physically breaking plastic down into the smaller molecules it was originally produced from.
NSF EPSCoR grant will advance manufacturing of renewable and recyclable plastics
18/10/2021
Plastics are an indispensable part of today's society. These nimble polymers help keep foods fresh, cars safe, arteries clog-free and have countless other uses. But the benefits come at a cost. Each year millions of tons of discarded plastic pollute ecosystems, harm animals and exacerbate climate change.
"If you never ask, you'll never know" – traineeship in plastics extrusion
12/10/2021
There is a desperate need for skilled workers in the plastics industry. Yet the industry has a lot to offer. Reifenhäuser GmbH also proves this with its diverse range of training programs.
Simply more: Allrounder More! More space, modularity, and ease of use with multi-component injection moulding
28/09/2021
Arburg is launching a new series for production-efficient multi-component injection moulding: the Allrounder More, with its particularly flexible configuration, can now be perfectly adapted to specific customer and market requirements. The machines offer increased space for larger moulds, greater modularity during assembly, and numerous optimised features for easy use and simple maintenance.
Keeping resources in the circular economy: iCycle gives face masks a second life
07/09/2021
Fraunhofer UMSICHT has developed a process with which the raw materials of the masks can be recycled and thus recovered for reuse.
Polymer enables tougher recyclable thermoplastics
23/08/2021
To synthesize plastic, small monomer molecules need to be strung together like beads in a necklace, creating long polymer chains. However, not all plastics – or their polymers – are created equal. The longer and stronger the polymer, the more durable the material. Cornell researchers took a middling monomer and, by using a special catalyst, they created a tougher polymer that can form long chains.
Visualizing stress in plastics
23/08/2021
A research team led by Prof. Dr. Michael Sommer and PD Dr. Michael Walter has succeeded in constructing a new dye molecule from the area of so-called mechanophores.
3D printing plastic yourself: students educate themselves about plastics in workshops
16/08/2021
Precisely because plastic is such a versatile material, future generations must also be taught how to use and recycle it responsibly.
Soft polymers for human-robot interaction
10/08/2021
Most people know robots either from science fiction films or from company production halls. There, they reliably perform their tasks. But: they are heavy and rigid – anyone who gets in the way of their fixed motion sequences is in the way. For this reason, robots need to be developed that have a softer surface and are thus better suited for interaction with humans.
3D printing of multilayered materials for smart helmets
09/08/2021
A mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at The University of Texas at Arlington is developing advanced helmets to ensure that members of the military are as protected as possible from blasts and other types of attacks.
Printed polymers with active ingredient
20/07/2021
3D printing can be used to produce versatile, individual shapes. This type of extrusion process is therefore not only popular in the plastics industry – it is also suitable for medical technology applications. Only the right polymers have to be found first.
Added value for the environment: monitoring production, reducing rejects
14/07/2021
Plastic and its diversity can exert a fascination. This was also the case for Nele Zerhusen. In her bachelor's thesis, she later researched how plastics can be further developed for the benefit of the environment.