Dow and the RKW Group have developed two new plastics containing post-consumer waste. Their special feature is that one of them is made up of 100% of waste, the other one contains up to 85% of waste. Both types can be used to manufacture products in which non-food products are packaged.
After two years of negotiations and a week of talks in Busan, South Korea, UN member states have failed to agree on the only legally binding global regulation to end plastic pollution. After the suspension of the session, negotiations will resume in 2025.
To address the challenges of PVC processing, researchers have developed two innovative tung oil-based liquid heat stabilising additives, Ph-T and Ph-TO. The stabilisers improve the thermal stability and enhance the plasticity of PVC by offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional methods.
In Europe, 1.6 million tonnes of textile floor coverings and carpets are discarded after use every year. Of this, 400,000 tonnes are currently recovered by incineration. These floor coverings are mainly made of thermoplastic fibres (PP, PA, PET) and a latex layer filled with calcium carbonate.
The plastics recycling industry has recently made a major effort to maximise the potential of post-industrial recycling (PIR). In addition, companies are increasingly focusing on building closed-loop systems, reducing their reliance on virgin plastics and minimising waste generation.
The production and use of plastic tubes, sheets and profiles of various cross-sections typically produces larger pieces, larger quantities and relatively homogeneous waste, which can be economically recycled. The main problem with this waste is the shredding of the waste. The Austrian company Thermoplastkreislauf (TPK), which produces regrind and compost from engineering plastics, has set itself the goal of solving this problem.
One of the critical issues in the recycling of plastic waste is the colour and uniformity of the recyclate material for recycling. Of course, new products made using recyclates generally have the same colour fidelity requirements as primary raw materials. The solution to this problem is to sort the waste by colour and then to monitor and control the colour continuously during processing.
The EU Parliament has changed the regulation on used cars, the quotas to be recycled and the types of materials. The change will affect both recycling companies and plastic processors. In the EU, two German MEPs have proposed to implement the permanent recycling of used cars using plastic recyclates.
In a new type of dryer, plastic granules are treated with infrared radiation to shorten the drying time of hygroscopic granules. In some cases, 15 minutes drying is sufficient to achieve the required moisture content for injection moulding.
Surface hardening is a key process in toolmaking that improves tool durability by increasing surface hardness, wear resistance and fatigue strength. Each of the commonly used techniques offers specific advantages based on project requirements, complexity and budget.
The bonding and sintering technology used to make tooling components addresses the challenges inherent in traditional 3D printing methods. Here are six key aspects of the technology that can increase efficiency, broaden the range of materials that can be used and produce a more reliable end product:
Plastics can be compressed to a certain extent, so there can be a large discrepancy between the pressure value given to the machine control and the actual pressure in the fluid, with consequences for the properties of the resulting product. If we want to understand exactly what is happening, we need to look at what the plastic "senses" in the processing machine.
South Korean company LG Chem and extruder manufacturer Reifenhäuser have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further develop and commercialise a wide range of blown films and flat films made from oriented polyethylene as recyclable packaging material.
To improve extruder line yield, we need to be aware of the cooling requirements not only of the extruder but also of the extruded material. Only a small part of the expert mandates to improve extruder line performance is related to this problem, although its impact on performance is not negligible.
High-pressure pipes are often needed to transfer water, gas and other liquids quickly and efficiently. In the case of water pipes, the so-called PE 100-RC materials play a particularly important role, as they offer outstanding resistance to cracking. In a data centre in Poland, pipes made of this material from the Austrian company Agru were used to build a cooling water system (for greater reliability).
This article provides important insights into the development of a preventive maintenance schedule for injection moulding machines. Effective maintenance checks are essential to ensure the long life of injection moulding machines and to maintain process stability. Processors are often faced with unplanned maintenance that increases downtime and costs.
Digital twin and simulation are related concepts, but they differ in their impact, functionality and real-time application. The digital twin concept originated from NASA's Apollo program in the 1960s, and the term was formally introduced in 2003 at the University of Michigan to improve product lifecycle management.
The article discusses the evolution of injection moulding technology, requirements and processes, and its integration with robotics in the context of Industry 6.0, which focuses on increasing efficiency and sustainability. It provides historical context and technical insight into the injection moulding process, which has a rich history dating back to the 19th century.
This article reviews the latest developments in extruder technology, highlighting film and sheet extrusion systems that range from dies that increase the flexibility of coextrusion to extrusion lines that increase production capacity.
In an attempt to overcome travel restrictions during the Covid outbreak and at the same time to accommodate its customers' limited budgets, Accede Mold & Tool, a Rochester, New York-based, family-owned moldmaker for 42 years, has innovated and implemented online method validation.
In recent years, new legislation has emerged worldwide on the recycling of plastics from consumers (PCR) for use in new plastic products, which poses a major challenge for processors to comply with. Some PCR materials are highly processable, but their price and availability are problematic.
One of the most commonly used test methods for the processability of thermoplastics, blends or composites is the so-called Melt Flow Index (MFI, also referred to as MFR), for which ASTM (ASTM D1238) and ISO (ISO 1133) standards have been published.
Wear resistance is a key property of polymers used in demanding environments. The choice of specific polymer depends on the type of application, as different polymers have different levels of abrasion resistance. Some of these are described below:
Abrasion-resistant polymers play a key role in the performance of materials, whether it's extending the life of various machine parts or the ability of consumer goods to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use. There are two types of wear: dry wear and wet wear. Dry abrasion occurs when a dry abrasive material such as sand, dust or contamination rubs against the polymer surface.
Some plastics wear out quickly, while others last almost forever even under demanding conditions. This is due to wear caused by friction and abrasive particles. It can result in material loss, surface damage and changes in the properties of the polymer. Wear resistance is affected by the hardness, toughness and surface properties of the material. Below are some additives that can improve the wear resistance of polymers.
AMI Consulting, which has been monitoring and analysing polymer distribution trends for 20 years, says in its 2018-2023 report that Europe is increasingly becoming a distributor's market for polymer supply, where partnerships with manufacturers are the key to success. The report also looks at how the polymers market is expected to develop over the five-year period to 2028.
The 33rd edition of the exhibition was held in Istanbul from 4 to 7 December 2024. The size of the exhibition is characterized by the following figures.
With the global shift towards decarbonisation and the increasing importance of reducing carbon emissions, the demand for sustainable, low-carbon materials in various industries is increasing, and the market for green materials is expected to expand significantly in the period up to 2030.
Austrian injection moulding machinery and automation company Engel has begun to globally implement optimised sales, logistics and manufacturing structures in its three key sales regions of the Americas, Europe and Asia in the financial year beginning April 2024.
Newer versions of petroleum-based polymers are bio-based polyamides. They can be produced partly or entirely from renewable raw materials. PA10, PA 1010 and PA11 have been produced using castor oil for decades. Castor oil was available and it was easier to obtain the polyamide than starting from petroleum derivatives. In addition, biopolymers offered additional advantages.
Emirates Biotech has chosen Sulzer technology for its start-up PLA (polylactic acid) investment. The plant will be completed in two phases with a capacity of 80,000 t each. When completed, expected in early 2028, it will be the world's largest PLA production capacity. Its environmental impact will be to replace 3.2 million plastic bottles, reducing CO2 emissions by 300,000 tonnes per year.
Among bioplastics we distinguish bio-based and bio-attributed plastics, polymers. In bio-based plastics, the polymer raw material 100% is renewable and of natural origin. This is proven and certified by the presence of the C14 isotope according to ISO 66-620-2. In fossil raw materials, due to the time that has elapsed since their formation, the carbon does not contain any C14 isotope, whereas in renewable natural materials, the organic compounds are made up of CO2 in the air, which always contains C14.
Currently, 95% of the world's carbon fibre production uses polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursors. PAN is very expensive to produce, accounting for roughly half of the cost of carbon fibre production. This is mainly due to the high cost of solution fibre formation. The high cost of carbon fibre severely limits its application in the very price-sensitive automotive industry.
In Commerce, California, Beyond Plastic L.L.C. has created and tested 174 different compounds to create polyhydroxyalkanoate-based, fully biodegradable, injection-molded closures after three years of research. The second phase of the research will investigate the compression moulding of caps made from bioplastics. The PHA resin was supplied by CJ Biomaterials Inc., a division of CJ CheilJedang in South Korea.
Although 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) started out as a method for producing faster prototypes, it has now grown into a manufacturing technology and is constantly evolving. Advances in equipment and materials have helped methods such as fused deposition modelling (FDM) to compete with injection moulding.
Master mixes offer a convenient solution for incorporating colours and additives into products during film and sheet extrusion. From blocking ultraviolet radiation and corrosion protection to laser marking and weight reduction, a wide range of properties can be added to end products using master batches.
The German paper manufacturing and packaging company Model AG has been producing 51-75% paper-based granulates for several years in cooperation with the Swiss machine manufacturer Arburg, in order to increase sustainability. The matrix is a conventional polymer or biopolymer. Intensive work has been going on for two years on the production of 100% paper pellets, which can be fully recycled back into the circular paper technology when they become waste.
Stricter regulations have led to restrictions on halogenated flame retardants in recent years.In 2024, the pressure has intensified further as China has recently introduced an export ban on antimony, which will also affect brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and the prospect of restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is affecting anti-drip ingredients. The price of antimony used in brominated flame retardants in the form of antimony trioxide (ATO) has skyrocketed, putting buyers in a difficult position.
With climate change and accelerating global population growth, researchers are working on sustainable solutions to improve food security and crop yields. Luminescent down-shifting (LDS) materials, which convert ultraviolet light into photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), are an innovative means of promoting greenhouse crop production. These materials provide practical solutions for greenhouse applications, eliminating the need to depend on costly, energy-intensive management practices.
Engel has developed a number of digital solutions for injection moulding companies, including a prototype of the EngelGPT language model integrated directly into the customer portal, where all machine and process data is available directly in the plant by human voice.
The Maltese company BioPowder was founded in 2017. Their mission is to recycle materials that become surplus as by-products in the food industry, especially in fruit processing. They don't want to use materials that are also suitable for food, so their products are mainly made from seeds and seed hulls that are waste after processing.
Omya, a 140-year-old Swiss-based company, offers special mineral-based materials for the plastics industry. Several new products were launched at Fakuma 2024. Calcium carbonate is widely used as a filler for plastics, which in addition to improving mechanical properties also reduces costs.
German company Efen, a manufacturer of power distribution electrical equipment, has used Lati's PA66 compound for its E3 series of high-current switches. Latamid 66 H2 G/25-V0HF1 compound 25% contains glass-fibre reinforced halogen and red phosphorus free flame retardants, which ensures operational efficiency and is environmentally safe.
The year 2024 will see a number of milestones for the plastics industry. Here is a brief taste of some of them.
