Green and bio-plastics - The Expert's View

Jun 15, 2009 - Process and plant for the production of composite thermoplastics from recycled materials by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This invention describes a process for the manufacture of composite thermoplastic materials with a very high content of filler, starting from materials normally disposed in landfill or sent for incineration, or in any case for uses with a... (5 Member Reactions)
Jun 24, 2009 - Environmentally friendly plastic toys by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

In collaboration with JER Envirotech, a Canadian biocomposite compound manufacturer, the Canadian toy manufacturer, Sprig Toys, has developed new ranges of products that is said to be environmentally friendly plastic-based toy lines. In...
Jun 23, 2009 - Pretreatments of natural fibers and their application as reinforcing material in polymer composites by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This paper reviews natural fiber reinforced composite technology. Natural fibers have received much attention because they are lightweight, nonabrasive, nontoxic, low cost and biodegradable. Among the various natural fibers; flax, bamboo,... (2 Member Reactions)
Jun 22, 2009 - Foamable PLA grade for packaging by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

The American firm NatureWorks LLC that is a specialist in poly(lactic acid) (PLA) material has introduced a new foamable PLA grade that has been optimized for the extrusion process and foamed-product performance. This new material that is...
Jun 21, 2009 - Use of coupling agents to improve the interface in absorbable polymer composites by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This patent application describes a biodegradable composite having a poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) coupling agent, a filler, and a biocompatible/biodegradable polymer matrix. These composite materials are useful for biomedical... (3 Member Reactions)
Jun 19, 2009 - New flame retardant biobased material by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

Canon Inc. and Toray Industries have joined forces in order to develop a new biobased material that is said to provide high flame retardancy characteristics. The new material that is based on more than 25% (by weight) of a plant-derived...
Jun 18, 2009 - Process to produce biaxially oriented polylactic acid film at high transverse orientation rates by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A biaxially oriented laminate film including an amorphous PLA polymer heat sealable resin layer and a second core layer including a blend of crystalline PLA polymer and 2-10 wt % of the core layer of an ethylene-acrylate copolymer. The... (1 Member Reaction)
Jun 18, 2009 - Smith Optics Interview: Initiative Towards Sustainable Solutions from a Sporting Goods Leader by SpecialChem (Article)

Smith Optics is a leading OEM in sunglasses, goggles and helmets. Smith Optics launched a new product line named Evolve, aiming at offering more sustainable solutions to the sports market. The Merquinsa renewable TPU, Pearlthane® ECO is...
Jun 11, 2009 - Innovative compounds made from cork and thermoplastic by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

The German compounder Horst Müller Kunststoffe has announced the introduction of innovative compounds based on cork and thermoplastic that are available under the trade name Lifocork®. These materials that contain a high proportion of...
Jun 09, 2009 - A PLA grade suitable for frozen food applications by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

CP-INJ-13 is a poly(lactic acid) (PLA) grade supplied by the American material producer Cereplast Inc., a leader in bio-based materials. This new material is said to be the first-ever such bio-based material that is freeze-tolerant. In fact...
May 28, 2009 - Processes for making elastomeric polyester esters from post-consumer polyester by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Processes for making elastomeric polyether esters from polyesters and polyols are described. These processes allow the production of new materials at a significant reduction in manufacturing cost, energy use and a lower environmental... (1 Member Reaction)
May 27, 2009 - Recent development in natural fiber reinforced polypropylene composites by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This review article describes the recent developments of natural fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. Natural fibers are low-cost, recyclable, and eco-friendly materials. Due to eco-friendly and bio-degradability... (11 Member Reactions)
May 26, 2009 - What's New in the Eco-Friendly Toy and Houseware Market by SpecialChem (Article)

Consumers, ever more aware of potentially risky toys and housewares, are increasingly seeking out eco-friendly products. Toy and houseware manufacturing is changing in response to these consumer concerns. The Consumer Product Safety...
May 15, 2009 - New bamboo fiber reinforced materials by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

The Dutch compound specialist Transmare has announced the introduction of a new range of thermoplastics reinforced with bamboo fiber. The firm already commercializes bamboo fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) grades as well as bamboo fiber...
May 11, 2009 - Enhanced fine agglomerate mixture from recyclable polymeric materials by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Use of recycled materials in plastics is the environmentally wise thing to do. However, the recycled materials must not negatively affect the strength properties of the plastic. We have found that if the recycled plastics (e.g., scrap... (1 Member Reaction)
May 11, 2009 - New high moisture barrier biopolymer film by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

Natureflex NK is a new film introduced by the flexible thermoplastic film manufacturer Innovia Films that is produced from sustainable wood pulp harvested from managed plantations. This new product is biodegradable, biocompostable but also...
May 11, 2009 - Wood particle/high-density polyethylene composites: Thermal sensitivity and nucleating ability of wood particles by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The thermal stability, nucleating ability, and crystallization rate of HDPE with different wood fillers during wood/HDPE melt processing were investigated. The results showed that the wood degraded at a lower temperature than HDPE. The...
May 04, 2009 - New biodegradable compounds for automotive applications by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

In collaboration with the department of chemical engineering at Pisa University, the Italian compound and masterbatches supplier Euro Master has developed a new generation of its biodegradable compounds commercialized under the trade name...
May 03, 2009 - Upgrading mixed polyolefin waste with magnetic density separation. by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Polyolefin (i.e., PP and PE) mixtures are generated during the recycling of end-of-life consumer products. For example, the ratio of PP and PE in car scrap is about 70:30. However, in order to be useful to manufacture high quality parts,...
Apr 29, 2009 - New modified PLA grades for improved performance by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

The European material supplier Velox has launched a new range of modified poly(lactic acid) (PLA) grades produced by the Japanese material producer Unikita. Two grades intended for overcome the limitations of PLA are available for the...
Apr 27, 2009 - Renewable resource-based solar cell back sheet by ISPA (Innovation Brief)

An environmentally-friendly material made from castor beans and cotton has been developed by the American firm Biosolar Inc. for the production of innovative solar cell back sheets. This material available under the trade name BioBacksheet...
Apr 26, 2009 - Multi-scale hybrid biocomposite: Processing and mechanical characterization of bamboo fiber reinforced PLA with microfibrillated cellulose by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

In this research we develop novel hybrid biocomposites based upon a biodegradable PLA matrix reinforced with microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and bamboo fiber bundles. The resulting biodegradable composites have high strength.
Apr 19, 2009 - Blends of biodegradable polymers and acrylic copolymers by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The patent application claims blends of a biodegradable polymer with one or more acrylic copolymers for the purpose of improving the properties and processability of the biodegradable polymer. The acrylic copolymer is added to the...
Apr 19, 2009 - MRS extrusion technology offers new options in PET by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A new type of single screw extruder has been developed that consists of 8-10 small extruder barrels, parallel to the main screw axis. The manufacturer claims that this design offers an extremely efficient devolatilization or degassing of... (1 Member Reaction)
Apr 19, 2009 - Plastic composite with earth based organic fibers by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This patent applicaiton describes thermplastic composites made using organic fibers obtained from earth based products such as peats and lignite. For example, PP was compounded with xylite fibers followed by injection molding to form fiber...
Apr 19, 2009 - Polymer devices for therapeutic applications by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

THis patent application describes a multi-layered polymer device having three-dimensional containers for holding a therapeutic and/or medical imaging agent. The devices have a high loading ratio of therapeutic or imaging agent to polymer... (2 Member Reactions)
Apr 19, 2009 - Preparation and characterization of LDPE and PP-wood fiber composites by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Natural fibers are low cost and biodegradable with low density and excellent properties. However, commercial development of composites using natural fibers is hampered by their poor resistance to moisture and high temperatures. ... (1 Member Reaction)
Apr 19, 2009 - Study of a novel halogen-free flame retardant system through TGA and structure analysis of polymers by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

ABS and HIPS, are noncharring polymers. They are generally belended with PC and PPO, respectively, which are char forming polymers. To achieve cost effective flame retardant system, PET was investigated as a potential char-source for ABS...
Apr 12, 2009 - Compositions of volatile organic compounds emitted from melted virgin and waste plastic pellets by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

To characterize potential air pollution issues related to recycling facilities of waste plastics, VOCs emitted from melted virgin and waste plastics pellets were analyzed. In this study, lab experiments were performed to melt virgin and...
Apr 05, 2009 - Articles prepared using recycled materials and methods of preparation thereof. by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The present invention is directed to articles of manufacture having at least a portion prepared using recycled material, including but not limited recycled rubber or other polymeric materials. The articles may incorporate the recycled...