Pulsation-free Passage Through The Pvc Die

At this year’s K in Düsseldorf, battenfeld-cincinnati will provide information about Steady flow, an additional module to minimize pulsation in PVC extrusion, thus ensuring continuous, even output performance and consequently reliable high quality in semi-finished products. The patent pending new software module is already in use by several customers and achieves excellent results. Steady flow is one of the modules from battenfeld-cincinnati which optimizes production equipment in the era of Industry 4.0, and facilitates its operation and handling.

In PVC processing with counter-rotating twin screw extruders, pulsations of the material flow are unavoidable. These fluctuations are caused by the C-shaped chamber profiles formed by the pair of screws. Especially when producing small throughput, for example in the production of small technical profiles, the fluctuations are more significant. This is why the extrusion specialist battenfeld-cincinnati has now developed the module Steady flow, which harmonizes these fluctuations and thus ensures a constant material discharge. For this purpose the melt pressure in front of the extrusion die is measured continuously, and the screw speed during each screw rotation is constantly re-adjusted on the basis of the measured pressure fluctuations. The software includes a learning function, which automatically calculates optimal parameters for the compensation of pulsation during the first production run with any new products or new materials. The screw speed correction parameters identified are saved in the product recipe and thus remain available for every new production start-up. Pressure fluctuations are substantially reduced with the result of a low-pulsation melt flow passing into the forming die. The final results are better semi-finished product quality with fewer dimensional fluctuations and consequently optimal utilization of the material.

Steady flow can optionally be integrated into the BCtouch UX control system of every new PVC extrusion line. But it can also be retrofitted without any problems in existing lines with a modern control system from the UX series.

FREITAG Initiates Recyclable Truck Tarp

Recyclable TPU material solution from Covestro meets high requirements
Making bags and accessories from used materials, especially truck tarp – that is the credo of the FREITAG company. Now the Swiss manufacturer is planning the next big milestone: together with various industry partners – including Covestro – the company is developing a truck tarp that can be reprocessed as often as desired into new products, even after a long life as a FREITAG bag. As if that were not enough, it is to become part of a new endless cycle that creates a significantly lower carbon footprint than the previous disposal of bags at the end of their useful life.

In this application, the demands on the materials are very high: they must be fully recyclable, meaning that they can not only be recycled but also used again and again in new products. When used as truck tarps, the first task is to withstand the harsh conditions of European transit routes. To do this, the tarp must be water- and dirt-repellent. It will then be used in high-quality, durable FREITAG bags, and finally it will be possible to break it down again chemically into its components, which will then serve as the basis for new products.

Covestro and Heytex project is well advanced
Covestro, as an experienced partner fully focused on the circular economy, plays an important role in one of FREITAG’s several solution approaches. Together with tarp manufacturer Heytex, Covestro is developing a solution based on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is applied as a coating to a robust polyester fabric. TPU is available over a wide hardness range from 60 Shore A to 80 Shore D and can be processed using many different processes. The premium plastic is the material of choice when mechanical requirements are high, but flexibility and good abrasion resistance are also desired.

TPU has been mechanically recycled for decades. In this project, the cycle is to be closed without downcycling with chemical recycling, which is another reason why the plastic was identified as a material in addition to its known advantages. In the Cradle2Cradle1 analysis, the Desmopan® 6783A DPS045 grade even passed the demanding requirements for plastics for calendering. The joint project with Heytex is already well advanced, and the TPU has now passed the health safety test.

The two partners are currently working on the material separation between the fabric and the coating, which is not expected to be possible for a few years. The team is therefore working in parallel on a completely new, revolutionary tarp structure that could overcome this challenge.

Successful Extruder Now Also Available In Size 45

Next-generation extruders from battenfeld-cincinnati have long since established themselves in the market. High output rates at low screw speeds, effective melting performance with low melt temperatures plus a reduced pressure profile and consequently less wear on machines – these are the benefits provided by the high-speed solEX NG series. In time for the coming K trade fair, the extruder specialist is now rounding off this series downwards by adding a new solEX NG 45 to the four existing models solEX NG 60, 75, 90 and 120 mm.

This latest and smallest model, solEX NG 45, just like the larger models of the series, has a processing unit consisting of an internally grooved barrel combined with a matching screw geometry. The process technology advantages resulting from this combination ensure an extra-high-quality standard for the extruded semi-finished product. When processing HDPE, these extruders also achieve a 25 % higher output and for PP even of up to 40 %. And in addition to that with reduced melt temperatures of about 10 °C below those in conventional extruders.

Another advantage resulting from the innovative processing unit of the NG series is the reduction in energy consumption, which is around 15 % lower than the previous solEX series. Consequently, this successful series offers advantages not only in terms of process technology, but in terms of higher energy efficiency as well.

Conductive, elastic, and colored elastomers with high durability come to the US market:
                      H.M. Royal becomes exclusive OCSiAl distributor

• US-based H.M. Royal has emerged as the exclusive North America distributor for the Luxembourg-based OCSiAl, a global leader in graphene nanotube technologies.
• The partnership reflects growing demand for high-performance sustainable elastomers by the American market.
• Nanotubes enable a new set of properties in elastomers that are resulting in their rapid adoption by the automotive, transportation, electronics, construction, mining, and healthcare industries.

COLUMBUS, OHIO–OCSiAl, the world-leading supplier of graphene nanotube solutions, and H.M. Royal, a US chemical distributor with a 97-year history, have signed an exclusive license agreement for the US elastomer market.

“H.M. Royal is a company delivering high-quality raw materials and specialty chemicals with dependable service. Clients value our pioneering approach in supplying the market with the most advanced materials. H.M. Royal are expanding our offering to the silicones market to meet growing demand. We have a broad range of polymers, such as HCR, LSR, and RTV, and cross-linking peroxides, and now are excited to add nanotube technology to our portfolio. OCSiAl graphene nanotubes grant a unique combination of targeted conductive performance with retained elasticity, improved mechanical properties, and the ability to add color. We recognize their potential in a number of applications,” said Joseph Royal President, H.M. Royal.

The performance of TUBALL™ graphene nanotubes in elastomers is based on their ability to create a 3D conductive network inside the rubber matrix. Even low dosages starting from 0.05 wt.% grant targeted electrical conductivity without leading to drawbacks in elasticity or hardening, which are a common problem with standard conductive additives for elastomers. This no-compromise set of properties is of crucial importance in conductive vehicle components, flexible silicone electrodes and sensors, cable connectors and sleeves, printing rollers and pads, conveyor belts, car tires, and other elastomer products with high performance requirements To simplify nanotube handling, OCSiAl has designed and produces a pre-dispersed form of graphene nanotubes: TUBALL MATRIX. The usability of this solution is demonstrated by drop-in application to conventional manufacturing processes.

“H.M. Royal will market concentrates based on polymer-friendly carriers and pre-dispersed graphene nanotubes, which simplify their handling and make it possible to maintain the original compounding and molding process. Nanotube solutions for silicones are a main focus now, but we plan to extend further to other rubbers such as FKM, EPDM, NBR, and HNBR,” said Ian Fellows, CEO, OCSiAl USA.

With a growing team and market presence, OCSiAl has moved to a new office in Gahanna, Ohio. The company will continue to expand its distributor network to the coatings and composites markets.

Unique value chain collaboration “Design4Circularity” achieves first circular cosmetics packaging concept

• Giving packaging waste a second life in Personal Care applications
• Designed to be recycled again and again: colorless bottle with 100% Post-Consumer recyclate content (PCR), equipped with a printed deinkable full-body shrink sleeve
• Full sortability in current recycling infrastructures possible
• Innovation unveiled  ahead of K 2022: step-wise introduction of individual solutions like additives, PCR, and suitable inks, available directly to the market

MUTTENZ, JUNE 15, 2022 – Moving circular plastic packaging forward. In a first and unique collaboration for the Personal Care industry, Clariant, Siegwerk, Borealis, and Beiersdorf are combining expertise to tackle the challenge of creating recyclable consumer packaging, based on 100% retrieved plastic packaging waste, for cosmetics applications. The pioneering initiative, named “Design4Circularity”, is providing innovations and insights for the different design aspects to encourage others to also follow design for circularity principles.

The cross-industry collaboration is targeting the achievement of truly circular packaging by incorporating full life cycle thinking in each development step, to create a new standard for the industry. Circular packaging supports reduced plastic waste, less use of new/virgin plastic material, and reduced climate impact, which are critical challenges facing our planet.

Richard Haldimann, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, Clariant, says: “This collaboration was possible because all participants are dedicated to circular economy, with company-wide programs and holistic understanding of the systems involved. Achieving circularity needs a complete shift in designing product packaging and packaging raw materials, considering sortability, recycling and packaging end-of-life.”

Stefan Haep, Technology Head Brand Owner Collaboration at Siegwerk, adds: “Our initiative is a frontrunner in uniquely assessing circularity in every design parameter, from additives to bottle material to inks, mapping industry competencies, potential gaps, and feasibility proof points to open up viable, ultimately circular solutions.”

The mission was to design a packaging solution that creates a cleaner input waste stream and finds its way back into the loop in high-value applications. It should also allow for the high-quality visuals and distinctive shapes consumers associate with cosmetics packaging and brands.

To deliver on all these factors, the innovation centers on a colorless polyolefin bottle with 100% PCR content, full body sleeved in a printed deinkable shrink sleeve. All materials are technically fully recyclable with the potential to be recovered and used for the same high-value application.

Stefan Rüster, Packaging expert from Beiersdorf, continues: “We follow an ambitious Sustainability Agenda including the vision of fully circular resources. The Design4Circularity packaging solution is ground-breaking for future cosmetics applications. Through the hard work and innovation power of all collaboration partners involved, we have managed to combine the high design requirements of a cosmetic packaging with full circularity. We are very proud of this success and hope that this motivates our industry peers to follow.”

And Peter Voortmans, Global Commercial Director Consumer Product, Borealis, concludes: “Transforming to a circular economy is a team effort. Only together with like-minded partners can we shape an ‘ever mindful’ tomorrow. It starts with packaging design in combination with the right sorting and recycling infrastructure, and through collaboration we reinvent essentials for sustainable living.”

Designed to be recycled again and again

Critical design parameters included polymer and additive composition, material selection of sleeve and bottle, sortability and deinking of sleeve material, recyclability, and PCR quality.

To give packaging waste a second life the packaging material needs to retain its highest value through multiple lifecycles. Here, Borealis brought its expertise in advanced, transformational mechanical recycling technology by offering high quality PCR based on proprietary Borcycle™ M technology. Additionally, Clariant brought expertise in design for recycling additive solutions to ensure targeted additivation to protect PCR quality and protect against polymer chain breakdown at each recycling step. This delivered a suitable, high-value PCR material to repeatedly hit the high-end criteria of Personal Care-related consumer packaging. The circular solution additionally focuses on a colorless bottle option to increase PCR quality after recycling.

To achieve differentiation of the packaging despite using an uncolored bottle, the collaboration decided on a full body shrink sleeve as the ideal way to allow for the unique design of individual brands. Leading ink manufacturer Siegwerk was able to provide ink systems, which in collaboration with Beiersdorf and a sleeve manufacturer allowed printing of the sleeve to realize a full body, colored and appealing cosmetic sleeve. Additionally, the chosen new ink composition was designed to allow deinking of the sleeve within a recycling process, increasing the circularity of the packaging. The bottle/shrink sleeve combination is intended for removal at a materials recovery facility.

First sorting trials in existing recycling infrastructure proved the sortability of the full body sleeved HDPE bottle, achieving a high recovery of the bottle’s material. Additionally, the project team conducted trials with full body sleeved, transparent PET bottles and achieved similar results.

Further advancements in sorting technology are needed to achieve the ultimate goal of circular economy to give colorless bottles a second life back in colorless applications retaining their highest value. Technologies such as digital watermarking or artificial intelligence could help such sustainability goals to be reached.

Borcycle™ TRADEMARK OF BOREALIS

Thermal insulation makes an important contribution to climate neutrality

From building insulation to the cold chain

Thermal insulation of buildings and the cold chain plays a vital role in saving CO2 emissions and conserving fossil raw materials. Covestro is one of the leading raw material suppliers for one of the most efficient insulation materials used for this purpose for a long time: Rigid polyurethane (PU) foam. Given the ongoing climate change and the drastic measures required to combat it, its importance is currently growing once again.

This is reason enough for Covestro to further increase the sustainability and insulating performance of its foams and develop innovative solutions for more effective production. At the K 2022 plastics trade show, the company will present promising results that support its vision to become fully circular.

Climate-neutral raw material for insulation

For example, Covestro now offers one of the two main raw materials for PU rigid foam, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), in a version that is climate-neutral1 from the cradle to the factory gate: On balance, no CO2 emissions are generated in the aforementioned part of the value-added cycle. This increase in sustainability is due to the use of alternative raw materials based on plant waste and residual oils, which are allocated to the products with the help of certified mass balancing according to ISCC PLUS. With such climate-neutral1 solutions, Covestro helps its customers achieve their own sustainability goals and master the transition to a circular economy. The products can be incorporated into existing process technology at construction, refrigeration and automotive industry customers without any significant changes.

Small refrigerators with plenty of interior space

In the cold chain, too, rigid PU foam has been the insulating material of choice for decades to keep food from spoiling efficiently and permanently. In the future, it will be important to not only further increase the insulation performance, but also to have the largest possible interior space in which to store a lot of refrigerated goods, and yet limited external dimensions of the refrigerator. Here, PU vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) offer an advantageous solution: they take up little space but provide efficient insulation with low energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Even at the end of their useful life, VIPs still reduce the carbon footprint: Thanks to their use, refrigerators are made from only a few different materials and can be recycled more easily.

More effective and sustainable production of insulation elements

For the production of rigid foam insulation boards and metal sandwich elements, customers have to spread a PU reaction mixture on a top layer. Covestro has developed an innovative technology using casting rakes that enables more uniform distribution of the liquid mixture, simplifying the production process but also increasing the quality of the insulation elements. Insulation Board Fastline (IBF) technology also reduces out-of-spec batches and production waste – waste that would otherwise have to be disposed of or recycled. The casting rakes can be easily integrated into the existing production.

Efficiently insulated windows

The efficient thermal insulation of doors and windows naturally makes another important contribution to reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions from buildings. While multi-pane windows made of insulating glass have proven themselves in practice, for a few years now, composite materials made of polyurethane resins in combination with glass fibers using pultrusion technology have been providing excellent insulation of window and door frames. They also give them good strength and fire resistance.