Polymers
Viability of Renewable Sources in Polymers
Overview of Emerging Biodegradable Polymers, Their Suitability and Commercial Applications In Textiles, and Future Challenges Over the years, the consumption of single-use plastics has been on the rise due to their attributes of durability, lightweight nature, and cost-effectiveness. Globally, an astonishing 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been manufactured, with annual production reaching 368 million …
Heartland Polymers Begins Integrated Commercial Production at PDH/PP Complex
Heartland Polymers announced the successful start-up of its propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant, which is now providing on-site feedstock for North America’s only integrated, single-site commercial polypropylene (PP) production. “Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our operations team, I am proud to report that our propane dehydrogenation plant has been providing a reliable onsite …
Student Spotlight: Driving performance improvement for PLA in fibers and nonwovens
Hamid Ebrahimi recently graduated with a Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science from North Carolina State University where he studied polylactic acid (PLA) structure-process-property relationships with other biodegradable polymers. His research was conducted through the Nonwovens Institute (NWI). The NWI serves as a bridge between industry and academia, where students can get the best of …
New SUPD guidance calls biopolymers ‘plastic’; yet PHA, PLA stakeholders remain optimistic for the long term
The European Commission’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) has been hotly debated since its initial publication in July 2019. While the aim of the legislation is a noble one – minimizing plastic waste in the environment – getting a firm grasp on what is, and what is not, a plastic has proven to be more challenging …
Calcium carbonate enables sustainability in polymer fiber applications
Calcium carbonate, which is ubiquitous in nature, can be found everywhere in daily life. It is used widely as a coating agent for paper or cardboards and for paints; as an additive in food pharma and cosmetics; as a soil fertilizer in agriculture; for water remineralization; for flue gas desulfurization; and many other applications. In …