(Plastics Today) -- Engel and Elmet are introducing a new low-temperature silicone curing process that speeds processing time for injection molded two-component parts for medical and other applications. At the heart of the technology is a very innovative mold with integrated UV lamps and transparent plastic inserts.
"Liquid silicone can now be combined with a wide range of thermoplastics directly in injection molding," said Leopold Praher, sales chief for Elast/LIM at Engel Austria.
"In the two-shot molding, we see the combination with low-temperature plastics such as polypropylene as the biggest opportunity," Clemens Trumm, manager of the German Application Development Center at Momentive Performance Materials. Application of the technology to injection molding is brand new.
In the demonstration at last month's Symposium, polypropylene was overmolded with liquid silicone to produce wine stoppers. The irradiation time for the vulcanization of the silicone components took 20 seconds. A two-component wine stopper was molded in the LSR technology demonstration.
The new technology also has significant implications for extruded silicones.There are a few extrusion applications although this whole technology is very new for the market.
MRC
(yourpetrochemicalnews) -- CB&I announced today that it has been awarded a contract by Enterprise Products Partners L.P. for the license and basic engineering of a propane dehydrogenation unit to be located on the Texas Gulf Coast. The unit will use the Catofin propane dehydrogenation process from Lummus Technology that employs Sud-Chemie’s latest Catofin catalyst to produce 1.65 billion pounds (approximately 750,000 metric tons) per year of polymer grade propylene.
"We are pleased to be able to provide this cost-effective and reliable route to on-purpose propylene to meet the current worldwide shortage."
"This project is an example of the rebirth of the U.S. petrochemical industry due to the abundance of propane feedstock attributed to the growth in natural gas liquids as a result of shale gas production,” said Philip K. Asherman, President and CEO. "We are pleased to be able to provide this cost-effective and reliable route to on-purpose propylene to meet the current worldwide shortage."
Propylene is a building block used to produce a variety of products including polypropylene, a plastic used for household goods.
MRC
(Recycling Today) -- Demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and recycled PET (RPET) continues to outpace supply. With additional RPET production capacity coming online recently and announcements of future expansions on the part of companies such as US Fibers and Perpetual Recycling Solutions, demand is likely to continue exceeding supply, which will affect pricing for RPET and PET bales.
“The demand for bottles to recycle and RPET continues to grow in the market as more manufacturers and products continue to look for opportunities to create and promote sustainability and a green story regarding their product offerings,” Turner Plunkett, president of the board of directors at Clear Path Recycling LLC, Fayetteville, N.C., says.
Clear Path is a joint venture between Shaw Industries Group Inc. and DAK Americas LLC created to recycle post-consumer PET bottles to produce RPET flake. Shaw Industries is a carpet manufacturer and floor covering provider, while DAK Americas produces polyester staple fiber PET resin.
While PET containers continue to grow in terms of market share, the recovery rate for this material has been holding fairly steady.
MRC