Materials/Additives at K2019 thermoplastic composites (CFRTP). For the design of the running shoe, Axis Liu was inspired by a traditional figure from Chinese arts and craft: the “Multilayer Carved Ball” that has a dynamic structure handmade up of several layers. Covestro will also present a concept shoe made from recyclable TPU, which was in part derived from biomass. Another part is made from components, which were produced from CO2 and are marketed under the trade name of cardyon. • Germany’s BASF will launch Ultramid Advanced T2000, the latest addition to its PPA portfolio. Based on nylon 6T/66, it is said to combine mechanical and dielectric strengths at high temperatures, a combination crucial for E&E connectors.
Kraiburg will launch TPE compounds with significantly improved migration control as compared to common TPEs
• Kraiburg TPE will launch two custom-engineered compounds with significantly better migration control than common TPEs. They are particularly suited for closure systems, valves and seals for packaging with direct contact to foods that contain fat.
BASF’s Ultramid Advanced T2000 is the latest PPA compound portfolio for the E&E sector
• US PU firm Huntsman will be focusing on 3D printing, with its new Iroprint grade. It contains three different kinds of PU-based materials (resins, powders and filaments), which can be 3D printed using stereolithography (SLA), high speed sintering (HSS) and fused filament fabrication (FFF). It will be targeted at the footwear and sports industry. Packaging • US firm ExxonMobil will address sustainability with its Exceed XP, Exceed and Enable performance PE polymers that help overcome recycling issues associated with conventional laminated structures. The new full PE laminated solutions can be recycled where collection and recycling of plastic films exists. Others are new technological advancements using recycled PE in combination with PE polymers to produce a range of flexible film applications as well as Vistamaxx metallocene ethylene-propylene performance polymers that allow low-cost recycled content utilisation while targeting high-value applications. • BASF will be highlighting its newly extended Ultradur PBT portfolio with a first extrusion grade for pipes/profiles, B6551 LNI, and thermoformed packaging, B6560 M2 FC TF.
• Styrenics maker Ineos Styrolution will disclose the first results of the ResolVe project for chemical recycling of PS. The ResolVe project team now has proof of concept of closed loop recycling, to convert waste PS back to pure styrene via a depolymerisation process, followed by a polymerisation process resulting in a quality identical to virgin PS. • Oman Oil and Orpic Group will share strategies into new areas of the plastics industry, with an expansion of their PP capabilities and their entry into the PE space. The Liwa Plastics Industries Complex investment will see the companies’ production of PE and PP increase to 1.4 million tonnes by 2020. It will include linear LLDPE and HDPE. Additives • German additive manufacturer Baerlocher GmbH will introduce the Baeropol T-Blend products designed to improve recycling efficiency. Based on the existing RST (resin stabilisation technology) products, these are dust-free, easy-to-implement and work in synergy with traditional antioxidants. The company has also teamed up with recycling machine manufacturer Erema to show how the additives enable the recycling of low-value, difficultto-process consumer film waste into products for use in the construction sector. • Swiss firm Clariant’s Cesa-IR additive masterbatches are now available to make dark-coloured plastics visible to near-infrared (NIR) sensors used in automated polymer sorting systems. Clariant will also launch pigments for colouring biodegradable OCTOBER 2019
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