In The News
Platform for reactive monomers enables short cure times for coatings
The potential usefulness of 1,1-di-substituted alkenes for making performance polymers has been recognized for some time, but commercialization has been elusive because of the reactive nature of the monomers. Startup company Sirrus Inc. (Loveland, Ohio; www.sirruschemistry.com) has developed technology to…
An improved PHA-bioplastic process is scaled up
A less expensive process for producing biodegradeable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) plastics from renewable feedstocks is being scaled up by a factor of six, resulting in a 30,000–60,000-lb/mo pilot facility. The improved PHA process — developed by Meredian Inc. (Bainbridge, Ga.; www.meredianpha.com)…
This inexpensive bioplastic takes the heat
New bio-based polyimides (PIs) that withstand temperatures up to 390°C — the highest ever reported for a bioplastic — have been developed by Tatsuo Kaneko at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST, Nomi City; www.jaist.ac.jp), in collaboration…
The Changing Role of Methanol
Since the turn of the new millennium, considerable changes have been taking place in the methanol sector. About ten years ago, methanol plans in the U.S. were being shuttered, while new ones, with much larger capacity — the so-called mega-methanol…
New polymer is said to be first-ever recyclable thermoset
A new thermoset polymer has been discovered by researchers at IBM Research Almaden (San Jose, Calif.; www.research.ibm.com). The new material, polyhexahydrotriazine (PHT), has a very high Young’s Modulus (up to 14 GPa, compared with a Young’s Modulus of 4 GPa…
Finding the Balance in Packaging
The word “sustainability” is used a lot, but for many businesses and industries it is increasingly becoming a challenge that must be taken seriously. As customers, large retailers and end-users continue to demand sustainable practices, packaging and products from their…
A new route to a cellulose-based bioplastic
NEC Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.nec.com) has developed a two-stage, heterogeneous synthesis for making a high-functionality bioplastic (70 wt.% plant content) from non-edible plant cellulose. The new bioplastic is said to have excellent thermo-plasticity (275 MFR), heat resistance (140°C glass transition…
Westlake acquires German PVC producer Vinnolit, and more business news
Plant Watch Ineos licenses HDPE process technology in Turkmenistan June 10, 2014 — Ineos Technologies (Rolle, Switzerland; www.ineos.com) has licensed its Innovene S process technology for the Turkmengas petrochemical complex in the Balkan Region of Turkmenistan. The new complex will…
A polymer for longer-lasting membranes
While super glassy polymers are initially very porous and ultra-permeable — a property that makes them suitable as gas-separation membranes — they quickly pack into a denser phase becoming less porous and permeable. Now, new materials that prevent such aging…
July Chementator Briefs
Oil-water separation A complex formed by combining maleic anhydride copolymers with a cationic fluorosurfactant can separate oil from water when coated on a wire mesh. Researchers at Durham University (U.K.; www.durham.ac.uk) devised a method of preparing the complex in…