Compounding

Compounding technology supplier Coperion GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany) has acquired a majority stake in fellow German firm, PELL-TEC Pelletizing Technology GmbH (Niedernberg), extending its ability to be a complete systems supplier to small and medium sized extruders and allowing them to offer tailor-made pelletizing systems. The 10-yr-old PELL-TEC covers the entire pelletizing process from melt discharge through to ready-to-use pellets, with output rates ranging up to 6000 kg/hr.

Polymera Inc. (Hebron, OH) is commercially producing wood and natural fiber polymer composite compounds after initiating installation of equipment in February of last year, meeting its estimated timeframe to fully outfit its 160,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in central Ohio with 60 million pounds of WPC compound capacity.

Songwon Industrial Group has acquired Additives Technology Greiz (ATG), a German maker of One Pack Systems (OPS) products, which combine several additives into an integrated dust-free pellet.

Evonik Industries (Essen, Germany) plans to expand capacities for the specialty polymer polyamide 12. First, the company is significantly expanding its existing plant in Marl, Germany; second, the executive board has approved preliminary and basic planning for a large new polyamide 12 production facility in Asia. The location in Asia has not yet been identified but Evonik does already operate an acrylic plant in Shanghai, China.

Teknor Apex has introduced a new melt-strength enhancer in masterbatch form that increases the pull force that can be applied to polylactic acid (PLA) by 300 to 500% over a wide range of drawdown ratios. As a result, higher throughputs in extrusion and thermoforming become possible, while scrap rates are reduced.

The new Range Rover Evoque employs a number of resins from Styron Automotive (Berwyn, Pa) to contribute significantly to the premium interior look of the luxury vehicle. Design elements included the dashboard displays that appear to be three-dimensional.

Government regulations on lead and other hazardous substances in various electronic and electrical equipment are forcing medical device OEMs and others to find suitable substitutes for parts that have been manufactured from lead and other restricted materials, with plastics coming to the rescue.

PolyOne stepped up its antimicrobial plastics line with the launch of  WithStand Antimicrobial Solutions based on Sanitized MedX 200s active ingredients at Compamed 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Closed-loop recycling of post-consumer and retail waste plastic films could become a full-scale commercial reality within four years with the plastic converted into refuse sacks, external billboards, shelving, and in-store displays. Axion Consulting came to that conclusion following the successful outcome of some recent feasibility trials.

Liquid color manufacturer Riverdale Color is making its own proprietary custom color technology and computer controlled blending system available to plastic processors so they can establish their own in-house liquid-coloring program.