Many of the plastics on display at the recent NPE2012 show in Orlando, Fla., were sustainable in one way or another, and their manufacturers' booths were highly visible in the show's Emerging Technology pavilions. Some of them, like BASF's Ecovio, are compostable or recyclable at the end-product stage, some are made from recycled materials, like SABIC's Xenoy iQ or Stryrolution's PCR materials, and some are constructed of bio-materials, such as Altuglas' Rnew.
Click on the image below to see these and other highlights from the show.
Compared to other Plexiglas formulations, bio-based Rnew-maker Altuglas says it has greater melt flow and lower processing temperatures. Its properties, including impact resistance and chemical resistance, can be tailored, and it can be first extruded, then thermoformed with a high degree of detail, as shown here.
(Source: Altuglas International)
Beth, I also live in the country and I also see plastic litter on the roadside. In fact, I carry a trash bag, pick it up and bring it back to recycle. I can't understand littering, either: I used to go backpacking and the rule I learned is make it look like you were never there. At least if plastic trash is biodegradable it won't take an extremely long time for the plastic to break down and become harmless constituents of the ecosystem.
A green plastic films manufacturer stopped by the PackExpo booth of my company about four years ago, with some sample preformed bags. They wanted to test their bags on our equipment. We were happy to run the test right there.
The bags were incredibly stiff and "hard" compared to regular LDPE packaging material. This material sounded like cellophane when handling it (lots of LOUD crackling crunching noise). The material was also very, very fragile. It had no stretch, no give. Stress it just a bit, and it rapidly tore.
It was green (made from corn), and would degrade readily, but it wasn't very usable for packaging. There's still a lot of work to be done in the field to make a usable green material for packaging.
Beth, that can be dissiapointing (littering, I mean). I learned not to leave a trace at an early age.
I am fascinated by the range of material solutions to this problem. Of course, the other problem being addressed is the feedstock. Reducing out dependence on oil is another useful result.
Cool slide show, Ann. I particularly liked seeing the BASF materials being used in food packaging applications. All you have to do is take a walk (I live out in the country and it's still a problem) and it's an eye opener to see the cups, bottles, and fast food trash littering the sides of the road. Given that it's harder to change people's behavior (although I can't understand littering, but that's a totally separate issue), it's comforting to know progress is being made on creating products that will be a bit easier on the environment.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
The latest model of Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider autonomous, unmanned marine vehicle (UMV), the SV3, is reportedly the world's first hybrid wave- and solar-power-propelled unmanned ocean robot.
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