K 2025 - Innovation driver for the global plastics and rubber industry
Product categories of K 2025
Borealis launches portfolio of circular plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock
Borealis introduces the Bornewables™ line of Queo™, a range of plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock. The introduction follows the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) of Borealis' production site for the Queo™ portfolio, in Geleen, the Netherlands.
Read more
Faster mould set-up – more efficient production
ENGEL helps injection moulding processors optimize product changeover times through customized training and technologies such as the Setup wizard to achieve higher productivity, lower unit costs and more profit.
Read more
Shape memory polymers: more efficient tooth correction thanks to TPU
The treatment of malocclusions can sometimes be lengthy and cost-intensive. A new corrective splint (aligner) is needed for each individual therapy step. So-called shape memory polymers can help not only to make the therapy more patient-friendly, but also to reduce material waste.
Read more
Renewable energies: Bringing wind power forward with PU resins
At Covestro's Wind Technology Center, research is being conducted into making wind technology more efficient. To do this, a close look is taken at wind turbines – where are opportunities to use special materials that drive renewable energy? The big goal behind it: Climate neutrality and a circular economy.
Read more
Luminescent solar collectors: Silicone makes power generation more flexible and colourful
Plastics contribute to climate protection. As fibre-reinforced plastics for wind turbines or films for solar cells, they already play an important role in power generation from renewable energies. But the conventional solutions are not equally suitable for every area of application. This is where a new type of material comes into play that was developed at Saarland University.
Read more
LAPP uses new bio-based plastic from BASF – Organic ETHERLINE® now available too
The company LAPP is using a new bio-based plastic from BASF for the sustainable version of its ETHERLINE® FD P Cat.5e for Industrial Ethernet. The bio-based plastic is Elastollan® N, the thermoplastic polyurethane from BASF, which is part of its circular economy strategy.
Read more
Enzyme that breaks down PET plastic: Leipzig scientists increase efficiency
A research team at the University of Leipzig has further improved the functioning of an enzyme that can degrade PET plastic. Through computer simulations and experiments, they were able to rationally improve the enzyme and are now working on developing the third generation of the enzyme.
Read more
CO2BioClean: Turning CO₂ into biodegradable plastics
CO2BioClean is using an innovative process to produce biodegradable plastics and polymers from CO₂ as a circularly sourced feedstock. What is driving them is their vision for a sustainable future and the potential of their technology to contribute towards global efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions and the use of fossil fuels in the production of plastics.
Read more
Logistics: eco-friendly and economical transport with plastic pallets
Eight to ten times on average a wooden pallet is used in the handling area of logistics before it shows a defect and has to be sorted out. This is neither particularly economical nor good for the environment. Pallets made of plastic offer a more sustainable solution.
Read more
PackTheFuture Award 2023: These are the winners!
56 entries, 10 winners, 1 special prize and 1 honourable mention - that's the positive balance of the PackTheFuture Award 2023. The results were announced at the award ceremony at interpack in Düsseldorf. The award honours innovative and sustainable packaging solutions made of plastic.
Read more
Chemists redesign biological PHAs, 'dream' biodegradable plastics
Colorado State University polymer chemists have created a synthetic Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) platform. These newly designed PHAs are mechanically tough, even outperforming the two most common commodity plastics. Among other things, this is intended to address the thermal instability of conventional PHAs and is a major step toward sustainability.
Read more
Covestro expands its range of more sustainable polycarbonates
Covestro AG offers a polycarbonate with a 90 percent recycled content of plastic from post-consumer waste (PCR) that can be used in consumer electronics, among other applications. The company is collaborating with Jabra on the Evolve2 headset and making progress on climate-neutral solutions through mass balancing.
Read more
Automated Lab: Robots optimise adhesive development
Robots already take over a large number of monotonous, repetitive tasks today – freeing up time and resources for creative and more exciting tasks. Henkel is also automating work steps in its new Inspiration Center Düsseldorf (ICD). In a data-driven laboratory, new adhesive formulations are automatically prepared and tested around the clock.
Read more
High-performance additives for sustainable plastics: Evonik invests in Interface Polymers
Evonik Industries AG has invested in the British company Interface Polymers Ltd. This investment from the Sustainability Tech Fund strengthens Evonik's position in sustainable products and recycling processes. Interface Polymers' technology enables easier processing and recycling of plastics.
Read more
Better recycling of plastic packaging: New process extracts fragrances
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed an environmentally friendly process to remove fragrances from plastic packaging. The process is based on pressurized water extraction and removes the fragrance limonene from HDPE packaging. By evaluating the data using machine learning methods, it was possible to optimize the extraction parameters.
Read more
BluCon Biotech welcomes strategic investment by major chemical group LG Chem
The two companies BluCon Biotech GmbH and LG Chem Ltd entered into an investment agreement. Together, they plan to work on a novel process to convert lignocellulosic non-food raw materials into high-purity lactic acid.
Read more
First comparative study on automated analysis methods of large data sets in microplastics research
The lack of standardized analytical procedures for microplastic data has led to significant deviations, especially for small particles with high hazard potential. Researchers from the University of Bayreuth and the Alfred Wegener Institute have compared two automated analysis procedures and called for standardization to improve the comparability of data.
Read more
A status check on the UN's plastic waste agreement
Plastic pollution is a serious threat to human health and the environment. After years of awareness-raising, there is strong and widespread alignment on the need to act. This was the unmistakable and welcome message from the U.N.'s first negotiating session on a global agreement to end plastic waste in December.
Read more
Central Asia Plast World in Kazakhstan from 28 to 30 September 2023
Kazakhstan is the most economically advanced country in Central Asia and plans to increase industrialization, which will increase plastics consumption. Central Asia Plast World is the most important business platform for plastics and rubber in Central Asia and will be held in Almaty in September 2023.
Read more
Circular Collaboration Platform: for more recyclates in food packaging
The share of recycled material in plastic products is growing. The exception: food packaging. The requirements for the quality of the material for food contact are high, but in the case of recyclates there is still often a lack of corresponding information today. The project COPPA wants to create transparency in this area – with an open digital platform.
Read more
Project STOP marks major milestones and expands waste collection services to over 300,000 people
Project STOP, co-funded by Borealis and Systemiq, has created positive social and environmental impact in three cities in Indonesia, including the launch of the scale-up programme Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau from Muncar into the Banyuwangi Region.
Read more
Covestro expands production capacity for polycarbonate films in Thailand
The company Covestro plans to further increase its global production capacity for polycarbonate (PC) specialty films by starting to build new extrusion lines at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Park in Thailand. The completion is planned by 2025 and the investment is in the higher double-digit million euro range.
Read more
Solar-powered system converts plastic and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a system that can convert plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products – using energy from the sun alone. In the system, two waste streams are simultaneously converted into two chemical products.
Read more
A wholly sustainable plastics economy is feasible
In a study under the leadership of the ETH Zurich, the scientists point out that plastic products must be better aligned with the circular economy in future. The study finds that circular plastics are feasible within planetary boundaries. This would require at least 74 percent of the plastic to be recycled.
Read more
First PET Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling Line in Kenya
Megh Group company T3 (EPZ) Limited is going to install the first PET recycling system for bottle-grade rPET and resin in Kenya and Eastern Africa, a Starlinger recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ recycling line, in Athi River just outside Nairobi.
Read more
