Canadian startup INCA Renewable Technologies Inc. is continuing its push to develop and commercialize hemp-based biocomposites as a more sustainable option for applications ranging from vehicle components to boats and wind turbine blades. (UL Prospector first reported on the company’s efforts in November 2021, but much has happened since then.) Based in Kelowna, British Columbia, the […]

Polycarbonate (PC) is a transparent thermoplastic with carbonate functional groups. Its high strength makes it resistant to impact and fracture. It is lightweight so an excellent alternate to glass. PC is melted and forced into a mold with high pressure to give it the desired shape. It is widely used owing to its eco-friendly processing

TPX™ is an innovative, high-performance transparent polymer made in Japan by Mitsui Chemicals. With a combination of heat resistance, transparency and releasability all within one material, this unique polyolefin has such an incredible range of applications which can be interesting for many design engineers and formulators. From innovative, cost-effective productions of light fibre-based materials to circuit release films, LED molds and

Filling Significant Supply Gap With more than half of U.S. car sales projected to be electric by 2030, demand for lithium-ion batteries and PVDF, a thermoplastic fluoropolymer used as a lithium-ion binder and separator coating, is revving up. The Solvay-Orbia joint venture would fill a significant supply gap and will build upon favorable regulatory conditions

SABIC has announced that The Japan Steel Works, Ltd. (JSW) has validated the use of SABIC® LLDPE BX202, a linear low-density polyethylene resin specially developed for processing on tenter frame extrusion equipment for biaxially oriented PE (TF-BOPE) packaging film. Mono-PE Film Solution Designed for End-of-life Recycling The value chain collaboration endorses the use of SABIC’s TF-BOPE

Covestro is developing innovative PUR resins for use in wind turbine rotor blades at its new Wind Technology Center. A win-win-win situation for Covestro, customers and the environment. On The Road to Alternative Energy Generation One goal of the Wind Technology Center is to develop robust materials that combine the properties important for rotor blades,

Ingevity Corporation has announced its Capa® thermoplastic grades obtained the OK biodegradable MARINE certification by TÜV Austria Bureau of Inspection and Certification. OK biodegradable MARINE confirms Capa thermoplastics fully biodegrade in a marine environment within four weeks, prohibiting formation of persistent microplastics and enabling a safer marine ecosystem than traditional plastics made with alternative chemistries. Biodegradation in

Solvay and Inaventa Solar, an innovator in solar thermal collector technology, joined forces in the development of the partner’s new BI70 solar collector. Replacing Metal to Lower Carbon Footprint The product leverages Solvay’s Ryton® PPS to replace metal, which provides significant benefits from greater design flexibility and automated manufacturing to simplified handling, better aesthetic facility integration and

Lower Carbon Footprint with Renewable Content Formulated in glass fiber-filled and unfilled options, Nymax BIO materials include between 16 and 47 percent natural filler from renewable plant sources, including corn, straw, and wheat. Renewable, plant-based raw materials have been shown to offer significantly lower product carbon footprint values than typical petroleum-based feedstock. Compared with traditional

Hexcel is presenting an array of product innovations for aerospace and urban air mobility customer applications during JEC World 2022 in Paris on May 3-5. These latest innovations demonstrate the company’s leadership in developing advanced composites technology for the aerospace market. Agreement with Fairmat In late 2021, Hexcel announced an agreement with Fairmat, a deep

SABIC has expanded its portfolio of exceptionally chemically resistant LNP™ CRX polycarbonate (PC) copolymer resins with four new grades These grades feature sustainability, thin-wall flame retardancy (FR), low-temperature ductility and ultraviolet (UV) stability, well-suited for healthcare and consumer electronics applications. Minimizing Environmental Impact There are two product pairs, each with a bio-based version that can further

Placon adds a new salad bowl family to its post-consumer content, tamper evident line up. The new line is making a statement to set itself apart by offering a tamper-evident feature and supporting sustainability being made using a minimum 25% EcoStar®  post-consumer (PCR) PET material. Tamper Evident Ten new products are available including a medium and a

3D Systems announced that it has entered an agreement to acquire dp polar GmbH, the German-based designer and manufacturer of the industry’s first additive manufacturing system designed for true high-speed mass production of customized components. State-of-the-Art AM System for High Volume Production Central to dp polar’s patented continuous printing process is a large-scale, segmented, rotating print

Lignocellulosic biomass has enormous potential for obtaining high value-added bioproducts, especially bioplastics. Lignocellulosic materials are abundant and generally inexpensive, and the current challenge is to produce valuable chemical products with: High selectivity, and Performance at a low cost For this reason, the number of pilot projects, demonstrations & industrial biorefinery plants are currently on the rise

A team of researchers from the CSIC has discovered that the saliva of the waxworm degrades plastic, which could have numerous applications in the treatment or recycling of plastic waste. This team discovered in 2017 that this species of worm (the Lepidoptera Galleria mellonella) is capable of breaking down plastic (polyethylene), and now they have