Materials
Degradable Plastics To Grow 20%/Yr
Surging interest in biodegradable and compostable plastics is forecasted by a new report from market research company, Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland.
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Pricing Update - November 2006
After a brief surge upward, prices of polyolefins and PVC have softened again.
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Induction Heated Molds Produce Class A Thermoplastic Composites
Though not widely popular, induction heating has long had its advocates as an efficient method of heating plastics molds.
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Plastics, Electronics and the Environment: How New Global Regulations Affect Materials Choices
Increasing concerns about the impact of chemicals on health and the environment are being translated into strict legislation that may have significant impact on the use and disposal of plastics, particularly those used in electrical and electronic equipment.
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Pricing Update - October 2006
Polyolefin prices rose a bit last month as suppliers implemented summer price increases to make up for higher energy and feedstock prices.
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Prices Rise As Leaves Fall
After a mid-summer respite from price increases in commodity resins—with some prices actually declining—processors face rising prices again heading into fall.
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Olefin Prices Take a Breather
Midsummer brought a sudden pause in price escalation—at least for polyolefins—after a storm of increases announced in June.
Read MoreCorn-based Biopolymers Make News
Recent news testifies to growing momentum for biopolymers derived from corn by bacterial fermentation: --As reported on p. 22, DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del., is developing engineering thermoplastics and TPEs derived in part from fermented corn sugar. --Mazda Motor Corp., Tokyo, and a Japanese consortium of other companies, universities, and research institutes developed a heat-resistant plastic consisting of 88% corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and 12% petroleum-derived materials.
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Summer Storm of Price Hikes
Soft or flat prices in the first five months of the year ended with a thunderclap in June.
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NPE 2006 News Wrap-Up: Chemicals and Additives
There were new additives for every need at NPE 2006: Make your plastics prettier with new colorants. Make them stronger with new fillers and reinforcements. Make them lighter with foaming agents. Or just make them go away with improved purging agents and biodegradable masterbatches.
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