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More manufacturers are turning to additive manufacturing to ensure consistent outcomes. But many may not fully grasp how or why they should incorporate it into their processes. If you’re continuously hitting roadblocks, production is slow, or you’re stuck with outdated technologies, additive manufacturing offers solutions. Utilizing it can help your processes by producing complex parts, reducing material waste, customizing products, boosting supply chain efficiencies, and enabling low-volume production.

In the Alabama A&M University (AAMU) Food Engineering Lab, a groundbreaking initiative is underway, poised to revolutionize food preservation and packaging technology.

In a groundbreaking initiative, companies along the flexible food packaging supply chain have united to introduce a new food packaging solution crafted from 50 percent-recycled plastic, meeting stringent food contact standards.

Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University in Sweden have unlocked a game-changing potential in 3D printing technology. By hacking into a 3D printer, they’ve transformed it into a versatile tool akin to a laser printer, capable of printing various polymers without the need for solvents, chemicals, or stringent clean room conditions.

The innovative scholarship from the SPE Foundation and Brightmark meets students’ prolonged interest in plastics sustainability and circularity while addressing the workforce shortage by supporting students seeking careers in the field.

A groundbreaking screwless plasticating extruder is paving the way for single pellet extrusion in polymer processing. Drawing inspiration from the innovative gerotor gear pump, this novel design features a rotor with multiple lobes situated within an eccentric cavity.

Scientists at Universität Bayreuth, Germany, pioneered a low-pressure and low-temperature synthesis process to mimic LDPE’s chemical structure while enhancing its recyclability. Employing coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP), they synthesized two macromonomers closely resembling commercial LDPE under mild conditions (2 bar and 70°C).

Celanese Corporation and Under Armour, Inc. have joined forces to introduce NEOLAST™, a groundbreaking fiber for performance stretch fabrics. NEOLAST™ provides elite-level performance attributes—stretch, durability, and comfort—while addressing sustainability challenges linked to traditional elastane (spandex) fibers.

Carbon-fibre reinforced compounds play a pivotal role in demanding applications like automotive, aviation, and renewable energy due to their blend of rigidity, mechanical strength, and lightness. However, recycling these compounds, especially in wind turbines, has been a persistent challenge. As part of the Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Challenge by the US Department of Energy, scientists are spearheading innovative solutions, with a particular focus on chemical recycling.

Scientists at King’s College London have unveiled a groundbreaking method for recycling single-use bioplastics, commonly found in disposable items like coffee cups and food containers. Published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the chemical recycling approach utilizes enzymes akin to those in biological laundry detergents to swiftly break down landfill-bound bioplastics within just 24 hours.