Plastics & Additives

Debating late into the night on August 31, the California state senate ultimately narrowly voted against two separate bans that would have had far-reaching effects on the plastics industry in the state, and ultimately across the U.S. A total of seven votes decided the outcome of the proposed plastic bag ban bill, AB 1998, while a bill that would have outlawed BPA in cups and bottles intended for children fell only two votes shy of passage.

The PET recycling story is a success story, with consumers generally very well traned to associate the "1" on the package with the thought, "This plastic can be recycled." Rarely, though, is a PET package "just" PET. Labels, closures, additives, and more can hinder recycling and even create a PR nightmare for brand owners.

In its search for the best package to market a new line of bath oils, one European cosmetics brand owner opted for bottles that are extrusion blowmolded of clarified polypropylene (c-PP). More established materials including PVC and glycol-modified PET also were considered but lost out in the materials specifying race.

Being a resin market expert didn’t used to be one of the hats you had to wear. But now more than ever, it pays to understand what’s driving your biggest cost.

It's a big promise but the supplier says it has customers' firsthand experience to back it up. This new and improved purging agent combines non-melting but softening thermoplastic scrubbing granules with an expanding proprietary additive. This combination removes color and contamination without leaving behind residue due to the combined power of the thermoplastic's scrubbing action and the expansion of the additive.

At the midway point in the three-year project's life, the company leading the research says good strides are being made in advancing rotational molding. Processors interested in the Rotoflex project can also track it online.

DuPont has started ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) production at its Chinese joint venture Beijing Hua Mei Polymer Company Limited, with plans to market the EVA produced there under the Elvax brand. DuPont says the joint venture will supply a broad range of specialty EVAs targeting market segments like packaging, adhesives, wire and cable, footwear, renewable energy, and electronics.

Sand and extruded copolyester sheet combine for a flood wall that can go up more quickly and withstand water better than the hand-filled sand bags they're aiming to replace.

Design engineers have an expanding suite of natural fibers available for compounding into base resins. These not only “green up” products due to their renewable nature, but also can lower weight and boost physical 
properties, often at a lower cost than inorganic alternatives.

Unmanned vehicle manufacturers are increasingly employing unmanned fabrication techniques to create critical components. Plastics and metal laser-sintering equipment supplier EOS GmbH (Münich) has seized on the opportunity for its "e-manufacturing" technology, watching business within aerospace, which includes unmanned vehicles, grow steadily since the company entered the market in earnest around four years ago. This August, the company again participated in the Assn.