June 6, 2023Imagined and Created: SPE Auto Innovation Awards Highlight Component Design50th SPE Auto Innovation Awards highlight the indelible impact of plastics on component development Read more
June 6, 2023Pressure Points: Thermoforming Awards Highlight Processing and MaterialsWinning parts in annual thermoforming competition highlight advances in process capabilities and materials Ten parts representing a range of applications won awards at the SPE Thermoforming Division’s annual conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., last fall. The event lived up to… Read more
June 6, 2023Food for Thought: More Plastics Packaging Would Reduce Food WasteThe U.S. has ample access to affordable food. Much of this is due to plastics packaging, which has made more foods available, long-lasting, economical and safe. Americans, however, discard millions of tons of good food every year. Discarded food ends… Read more
May 31, 2023PepsiCo Sees Biopolymers as Key to Sustainability in Flexible PackagingGoal is for all packages to meet environmental standards and to significantly reduce virgin plastics use PepsiCo Inc. continues to strive to move “beyond the bag and beyond the bottle” in the quest to minimize the impact of its packaging… Read more
May 31, 2023Diagnostics to Go: Researchers Eye Wearable Heart-Scan PatchUC San Diego researchers use SEBS copolymer to develop a wearable ultrasound patch Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), are using a styrene-based triblock copolymer to help enable the development of a wearable ultrasound patch that could… Read more
May 31, 2023Flexible and Recyclable: Monomaterial Packaging Meets Sustainability NeedsIndustry turns to monomaterial packaging for circular economy needs. Read more
May 31, 2023Milliken Readies Startup of Major Polypropylene Additive Clarifier PlantMilliken & Co. will begin production at its new clarifier plant soon in Blacksburg, S.C. The facility will increase capacity for Millad NX 8000 polypropylene clarifier by more than 50 percent and address strong global demand for clarified plastics products. … Read more
May 31, 2023NOVA Updates Software for Design of Sustainable Film StructuresA free tool for customers and value chain collaborators, the software speeds development of sustainable flexible packaging by helping designers and engineers shortlist formulations and reduce the number of physical trials. The platform helps converters achieve sustainability goals through material… Read more
May 31, 20233D Printing Program Targets Rapid, High-Volume Production of Large PartsMaterials developer Covestro and industrial 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet are collaborating on a material-machine combination for the economical and high-throughput production of large parts by additive manufacturing (AM). The voxeljet process in use is high-speed sintering (HSS), and the model… Read more
May 31, 2023SABIC Makes Polycarbonate From Mixed Recycled PlasticsSabic has announced the launch of certified circular polycarbonate (PC) resin and blends made from the upcycling of post-consumer mixed plastics. The company says the development is an industry first. The certified circular PC is produced in an advanced recycling… Read more
May 31, 2023Datwyler Adds High-Tech Sealants for New Mobility VehiclesDatwyler, a manufacturer of system-critical polymer components for diverse industries, is expanding its in-house capabilities with an initiative called Project ETEMI, an acronym for electrically and thermally conductive and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. The Schattdorf, Switzerland, company is using… Read more
May 31, 2023Carbios Broadens Enzyme Recycling TechnologyBiotech startup Carbios of Clermont-Ferrand, France, which promotes the recycling of PET waste in an enzyme process, acquired shares of a joint venture, Carbiolice, which strengthens its capacity to develop activities on polymer biodegradation beyond PLA (polylactic acid). In May,… Read more