Connecting Businesses In the World Of Plastics
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As the worst of 2008 is over, the North American compounding industry is on the road to recovery, and expects to see some growth in 2010. The recession resulted in a fall back in market demand in almost all sectors, leading to financial challenges for all companies, reduction in capacities, shutdowns, consolidations and investment in the industry. The silver lining is that all compounders have critically looked at the costs, raw materials and finished goods inventories; and worked on cost reduction. Read more in
The waste ash which normally finds its way into a landfill for disposal now finds use in manufacture of glass spheres, giving materials manufacturers, compounders and end users a new range of 100% recycled, high performance eco-minerals. Large landfills of carbide lime are still prevalent throughout Europe and also in Asia. China alone is currently producing in excess of 7 mln tpa of carbide lime waste. A new process presents a unique opportunity to manufacture a critical component of the PVC polymer formulation out of the very waste that is generated in the production of the PVC resin. Read more in
Smart materials including autonomic materials, self-repairing plastic products and smart polymers for biomedical applications; sense changes in the surrounding environment and respond predictably. New polymeric materials are being chemically formulated that sense specific environmental changes such as temperature, presence of water, pH, the presence/intensity of light. An ever increasing spectrum of smart polymers based on various stimulus/adaptive property combinations is being developed to satisfy a growing range of applications in automotive, aerospace, medical, consumer, industrial, etc. Read in
Stretch and shrink film is currently the most successful application of the flexible packaging industry. Strong demand combined with competitive advantage against other plastics and traditional materials has resulted in rapidly increasing market share. Know about the factors responsible for the gains, the application sectors, growing end uses, improvements in materials, growth in demand, new technologies that result in savings in material, new green materials that are biodegradable, compostable, oxo biodegradable and environmental friendly. Read
Graphene has some very special characteristics - it is extremely tear-resistant, an excellent thermal conductor and reconciles conflicting qualities as brittleness and ductility. It is impermeable to gases, and has unusual electronic properties. Two-dimensional carbon layers are regarded as a possible substitute for silicon in the semiconductor industry. Read about recent developments in
Nonwoven geo textile has been used as an interlayer between cement layers that results in improved pavement performance. Geotextiles are commonly incorporated into pavement systems as a filtering layer between the base (or subbase if there is one) and the subgrade. The material properties of interest, their function, and how they affect pavement performance along with benefits are listed in the article. Read
Holograms are commonly used for a variety of ID and card applications to verify their authenticity. A new technology uses plastic-based holographic materials to store information more securely. These holographic materials can be directly laminated to a card, injection molded into a part, extruded into film, or cast into a very thin film. Potential applications of this technology could be expanded well beyond cards such as to verify the authenticity of laptop computers, cell phones and other electronic devices, sunglasses and other consumer goods. Read more in
The safe use of all medicines depends on users reading the label and packaging carefully, being able to assimilate and act on the information presented. The European New Medicines Legislation (NML) now offers guidance for a broad range of products. The guidance, when applied, will help to ensure that the critical information necessary for the safe use of the medicine is legible, easily accessible, and that users of medicines are assisted in assimilating this information so that confusion and error are minimised. Read more in
Cross-linked polyethylene has become a viable alternative to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) or copper pipe for use as residential water pipes. PEX tubes offer vital advantages that make it a best choice for water distribution. A new method to produce cross-linked PE pipes more quickly has been developed. Read in
    
PRICE TRENDS for the week
NAPHTHA   
Naphtha prices have spiked in line with robust crude oil, to reach US$700 in Asia in the week of August 9, 2010. Naphtha prices have surged to 10 week highs and cracks have spiked to week....
ETHYLENE   
Ethylene prices have mounted along with rising derivative prices to US$905/MT in Asia in the week of August 9, 2010. Spot ethylene prices have risen by US$50/MT over the past two weeks led by higher...
PROPYLENE   
Propylene prices have spiked to US$1175/MT in Asia in the week of August 9, 2010 in line with robust derivative demand amid supply concerns. Spot propylene has moved up twice as fast as ethylene...
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