TECH NOTES

Braskem and Ardent Advance Breakthrough Olefin Separation Technology

Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and Ardent Process Technologies, announced the successful completion of their joint development program for an innovative olefin-paraffin separation technology, marking a significant advancement in polyolefin production efficiency.

The collaboration, which began in November 2020, centered on the development and testing of Ardent’s Optiperm TM membrane technology at a dedicated demonstration unit within Braskem’s facilities. The rigorous development program satisfactorily met key performance metrics, including membrane efficiency, durability, and operational stability.

Following these results, Braskem has confirmed its intention to implement this groundbreaking technology across commercial facilities. Engineering and design work have already commenced for the first commercial installation.

“This technology represents a significant step forward in our commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions,” said Gus Hutras, Global Process Technology Director at Braskem. “The successful pilot results align with our vision of transforming the chemicals and plastics industry through innovation while advancing our goals toward carbon neutrality. We’re excited to move this breakthrough technology into commercial implementation.” www.ardenttechnologies.com

RE&UP Secures C2C Certified Circularity for All Products

RE&UP has become the first company in the textile industry to achieve C2C Certified® Circularity for all products. This certification, granted by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute to RE&UP, is a gold-standard validation for designs that are prepared with circularity in mind.

The certification covers three RE&UP’s products:

• Next-Gen Recycled Cotton (Pre-Consumer) –Platinum level

• Next-Gen Recycled Cotton (Post-Consumer) –Platinum level

• Textile-to-Textile Recycled Polyester Chips –Silver level

The certification process evaluates materials based on their chemical safety, compatibility for recycling, end-of-life recovery systems, and inclusion of recycled content, among other criteria.

Eco Intelligent Growth (EIG), an accredited thirdparty assessment body, conducted the evaluation. www.reandup.com

Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM), an industry leader in the design, development, and manufacture of highly specialized engineered woven fabrics, highlights its innovative Vectran® webbing product line, which continues to revolutionize safety-critical applications across multiple industries. This high-performance material offers exceptional strength, durability, and resistance to extreme conditions, making it ideal for demanding environments.

Manufactured from liquid crystal polymer, Vectran® webbing features high tensile strength for superior load-bearing capacity, excellent resistance to flex fatigue, chemicals, and extreme temperatures. One of its key characteristics is very low creep, resulting in minimal elongation under stress over time, as well as low elongation and dimensional stability under continuous load.

Industries benefiting from this advanced material include PPE protective textiles, inflatables, and tensile structures in both specialty commercial and aerospace sectors.

These characteristics make Vectran ® webbing particularly wellsuited for applications where maintaining structural integrity is crucial.

BRM’s Vectran ® webbing finds applications in various safety-critical systems, including inflatable systems for aerostats and space habitats, harness and bridle applications for aerospace deceleration systems, safety restraints, and tethers and bridles.

In a collaboration with Luna Innovations, BRM demonstrated the versatility and advanced capabilities of its Vectran® webbing by weaving Luna’s embedded fiber optic sensors into the material. The webbing was subsequently integrated into an inflatable test article that was evaluated at NASA Johnson Space Center, highlighting the potential for Vectran® webbing in advanced aerospace applications, particularly in the development of inflatable habitat structures for future space missions. www.ballyribbon.com