Europe

Launched on January 25 as a spin-off from Scotland-based Edinburgh Napier University's Biofuels Research Centre, Celtic Renewables Ltd. is a new company formed to commercialize a process for producing a next generation biofuel (and other high value sustainable products) from the by-products of biological industries. The initial focus is on the waste products derived from whisky production.

It seems as though not a week goes by without some plastic raw materials manufacturer announcing a collaboration with a producer of biobased materials. It's an interesting trend, and one that serves to underline the increasingly important role of bioplastics in the marketplace today as a sector that everyone wants to be part of.

Gas barrier properties are the Achilles heel when it comes to using biopolymers in (fresh) food packaging. Around the world, scientists and industry are working - often together - to develop feasible alternatives based on renewable resources to replace the use of conventional petroleum-based plastics.

Phillips Plastics Corp. announced that it has started the process of changing its name to Phillips-Medisize Corp., reflecting the acquisition of Medisize, Inc. last August.

Extrusion lines with fully integrated quality control systems can now be set up by an operator with an iPhone outside of a clean room.

The new technology will be on display at NPE2012 at the Boston Mathews (Norwood, NJ) booth in the West Hall, number 5862.

Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo) concluded a technical partnership agreement with Gordon Murray Design Limited (GMD; Shalford, U.K.) on the side-lines of the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011 aimed at promoting GMD's iStream hybrid production process in vehicle manufacture and other industrial sectors.

Hinges in a newly developed knee replacement technology are made from carbon-fiber reinforced (CFR) polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

Aesculap, a division of healthcare supplier B. Braun Melsungen, is using  PEEK-OPTIMA CFR in its FDA 510k-cleared and CE-Marked EnduRo knee revision system.

DSM Engineering Plastics (Sittard, The Netherlands) has joined forces with Brazilian distributor Resinet (Sao Paulo) to develop markets for the suppliers portfolio of resins in the South American nation. The two have entered into a distribution agreement that will target automotive, electrical and electronics, and general industrial applications.

Plastic replaces metal in a device that applies dental fillings, making it lighter and easier to handle.

The working parts of the DinoPress applicator, which are subject to heavy mechanical stress, are now made from polyetheretherketone (PEEK) from Evonik Industries. The device can be steam sterilized up to 134°C.

The new DinoPress has been developed jointly by Gossau, Switzerland-based Alfred Schmid AG, producers of plastic parts for the dental industry for more than 40 years, and Basel, Switzerland-based Dolder AG.

A new low-friction grade of polyacetal will be one of the focal points of a European exhibit of DuPont's polymer line for the healthcare field.

Delrin SC699 polyacetal was specifically developed for parts requiring precision molding in the healthcare industry and is compliant with regulations from the  U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union.