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The paradigm shift for our planet calls for new food for thought – also in the plastics and rubber industry.
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Digitization, automation, networking: "We have the whole wide bandwidth!"
Twenty-year-old Yannick Herzog trained as an electronics technician for automation technology at Arburg and now works in the company's printed circuit board production. Since August 2021, he has been responsible for SPI and AOI for quality control of printed and assembled PCBs, respectively, in a production line. These are used in the control systems of the Arburg machines.
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Durable material for flexible artificial muscles
Materials scientists at UCLA and colleagues at the nonprofit research institute SRI International have developed an artificial muscle. These are equipped with PHDE actuators. UCLA research uses a "dry" process in which the films are layered with a blade and then cured with UV light so that the layers become uniform.
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LyondellBasell helps to close the loop on Polypropylene by joining NEXTLOOPP initiative
LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is participating in the NEXTLOOPP initiative, which aims to produce circular recycled food-grade polypropylene (FGrPP) from used packaging. NEXTLOOPP is able to close the loop of polypropylene (PP) by means of a combination of cutting-edge technologies. Polypropylene is separated from the rest and the polymer is decontaminated.
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Sustainable cellulose start-up Naturbeads is poised to scale up
Naturbeads, a company that aims to replace plastic microbeads with sustainable alternatives, will expand its work. It has been helped by a recent £1.3 million (€1.5 million) funding round. Naturbeads has developed cellulose-based products that can be used in cosmetics, paints, coatings, additives for the oil and gas industry, packaging and composites.
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BASF and THOR GmbH fight fire together
To improve plastic compounds and meet stringent fire safety requirements, BASF and THOR GmbH are using their joint expertise in flame retardants. The focus is on developing alternatives to halogen-containing additives.
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Product development in Alpla's One-Stop Shop
Those who work meticulously to design a product can hardly await the day they can hold the finished item in their hands. Alpla is a company headquartered in Hard, Austria, that speeds up this process. Customers can convert their ideas into reality and ideally leave Alpla's STUDIOa with a prototype in hand.
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Functional plastics – designing for circularity
Few, if any, materials can compete with plastics in terms of adaptability and versatility – many different material properties can be derived from the same basic chemistry, meaning that complex product assemblies can be made with a single type of plastic.
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A guide to sustainable plastics
As a designer, plastics and sustainability can be difficult to navigate. There are so many parameters to consider – from the origin and environmental footprint of raw materials to the durability and quality of specific materials and maximising the chances of recovery and recycling at the end of life of plastics products.
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Fly me to the moon: how plastics contribute to radiation protection in space
When it comes to the use of plastics in space, you probably first think of spacesuits or lightweight components. But there is another application: radiation protection. Space radiation is a risk to humans that should not be underestimated. The MARE experiment aims to determine this risk in order to develop protective measures for future space flights.
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The "new KraussMaffei" is to be climate-neutral by 2030
The KraussMaffei company confirms a sustainable corporate strategy: Climate neutrality in eight years. The consistent focus is on Circular Economy. One of the largest roof-mounted photovoltaic systems in Europe is currently being built at the new main plant in Parsdorf.
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A unique catalyst paves the way for plastic upcycling
After developing the first process inorganic catalyst to break down polyolefin plastics into molecules, a team led by Ames Laboratory scientists has now developed a strategy to accelerate the conversion without losing the desired products.The result is that larger platinum particles reacted more slowly with the long polymer chain, while the smaller ones reacted faster.
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Plastic as an indispensable companion for people with disabilities
Plastic makes our lives easier every day - for some this is more true, for others less. And for people with disabilities, plastic can simply mean a great deal of freedom. Fiber-reinforced composites and the like are used today where bulky and awkward solutions had to be found in the past. They are the cheaper and lighter alternative that makes many things possible.
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Superworms capable of munching through plastic waste
University of Queensland scientists further research the common "superworm" Zophobas morio, which can eat through Styrofoam thanks to a bacterial enzyme in its gut.
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Photosynthesis-inspired process makes commodity chemicals
A Northwestern University research team used a new method to convert acetylene to ethylene, a widely used, highly valuable chemical that is an important component of plastics. They use a process similar to photosynthesis that is much less expensive and less energy intensive.
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Audi: Recycling plastic waste in-house
For a year now, automobile manufacturer Audi has been running a pilot project for a closed plastic cycle. Assembly aids are produced from packaging material in a 3D printer. We took a closer look at the Neckarsulm plant to find out exactly how this works and what challenges have to be overcome.
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Robot to go – igus develops innovative Cobot
At the heart of any modern robot is a gearbox. Now imagine a robot with its "heart" made of plastic. It’s simply marvelous. But that’s not the only benefit users can expect from the new cobot (collaborative robot) by igus: the device is also lightweight, portable, and affordable.
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Fresh impulses for wind energy
Covestro is researching material solutions for sustainable energy generation at its new Wind Technology Center. They are focusing on the optimization and new development of PUR resins in collaboration with customers.
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New PET-like plastic made directly from waste biomass
Scientists from EPFL's School of Basic Sciences have successfully developed a biomass-derived plastic. Similar to PET, it meets the criteria for replacing several current plastics while being more environmentally friendly.
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North American plastics sector holds steady, while riding a roller-coaster of uncertainty
The pandemic. Supply chain ruptures. The Great Resignation. China trade tensions. Climate change and extreme weather events. Soaring inflation. Stock market volatility. The war in Ukraine. Seldom in our lifetimes have we experienced such an extended period of disruption and uncertainty.
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Rubber recycling: AZuR network advocates a second life for scrap tires
The German AZuR Network was launched in June 2020. The "Alliance Future Tire" lives up to its name and has been pursuing the goal of finding and implementing new and innovative solutions for an ecologically and economically sensible tire cycle for two years now.
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3D printing for automated pre-assembly of thermoplastic CFRP integral frames
In the "OSFIT" (One Shot Fully Integrated Thermoplastic Frame) project, automated processes were developed to reduce both the time required and the complexity of the assembly and joining steps in aircraft production.
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Reusing odor-contaminated plastics
In the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy (CCPE), the four Fraunhofer institutes are researching odor barrier skins for polymer compounds made from recycled materials. With special additives, odor barrier skins with a skin thickness of 0.25 mm can be effectively realized. The odor-contaminated plastic can be "packaged".
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Using different tools in one flexible thermoforming system
Thermoforming is a process that requires various tool systems. Unfortunately, if the latter originate from different manufacturers, they often cannot be used together in one system. Illig took on the challenge and came up with a successful solution.
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SK chemicals realizes good takeout with Dodori Cup made from Ecozen
SK chemicals is planning a Realization of zero waste with Ecozen reusable cups that are used and returned. 5,000 so called Dodori cups used in this project are made from Ecozen.
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A digital product passport for more sustainability
The EU's Circular Economy Action Plan stipulates that by 2050 all plastic packaging must be completely recyclable and consist of at least 70 percent recycled material. The majority of plastic waste still ends up in landfills or incinerators – in the worst case, in the environment.
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