Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex 28-03-2023 - Arhive

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

Crude Oil Prices Trend

Crude Oil Prices Trend by Polyestertime

Crude Oil Prices Trend by Polyestertime

-Here is the oxygen ion battery that has “infinite” life

It works by exploiting the characteristics of ceramic materials. It has low density, but never degrades. Perfect for storage systems
Not a day goes by without some new battery technology being announced. Until recently there were lithium-ion ones and little else. Today there is lithium metal, lithium iron phosphate, lithium sulphur, sodium ions and so on and so forth.
But the oxygen ion battery, however, had not yet been heard of. Not widely, at least. However, thanks to the study of the engineering faculty of the University of Vienna, perhaps in some time even this type of accumulator will find some applications. Indeed, the advantages it offers are obvious.
It comes from fuel cells
But how does an oxygen ion battery work? The key element is represented by a particular ceramic material which is able to absorb and release its own oxygen ions when an electric voltage is applied. Ions can move in both directions generating electric current.
“To create the oxygen ion battery, we took advantage of the experience gained with the ceramic materials used for fuel cells – explained Alexander Schmid, one of the Austrian researchers who took part in the initiative – . it was by analyzing those that we wondered if they could also be used to make a battery”.  Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex
Low density, high durability
Professor Jurgen Fleig, who coordinated the research team, added: ‘The basic principle is very similar to that of a lithium-ion battery. Sure, we have a lower energy density, but our materials offer some important benefits. Ceramic, for example, is non-flammable. Furthermore, production costs are very low because the necessary materials are cheap and easily available”.
The prototype used for the study still adopts some expensive elements. For example, in the first oxygen ion battery, a lanthanum component is still used. “However – wanted to underline the prof. Fleig – in our batteries we can take individual elements and replace them with cheaper ones. Research in this direction is already underway and we are sure that we will develop a battery without precious materials”.
It marries with renewables
Perhaps, however, the main feature of oxygen ion batteries concerns their very long life. They can be used for thousands of cycles without losing performance and, even once “worn out”, they can be easily regenerated. As? Just replace the oxygen that was contained inside with another simply recovered from the air we breathe.
Currently, oxygen-ion batteries have a density of only one-third that of lithium-ion. This does not make it suitable for electric cars or electronic devices.

But it is ideal for storage systems. Also because it works correctly at temperatures between 200 and 400 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it fits perfectly with stationary plants that receive electricity from renewable sources.  Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

More…

Here is the oxygen ion battery that has "infinite" life

Wikimedia Commons

-Hyosung Links with Origin Materials for Carbon-Neutral Spandex Inputs

Both inside and outside of the fashion industry, carbon neutrality is an increasingly common sustainability target. As South Korea-based Hyosung Advanced Materials works toward its own carbon-zero goal, its textile division has been expanding its portfolio of sustainable synthetic offerings, which today includes recycled polyester, nylon and spandex as well as bio-based spandex .

To expand on these sustainable material manufacturing efforts, Hyosung is partnering with carbon-negative material firm Origin Materials . Hyosung has inked a multi-year capacity reservation deal with Origin to source carbon-negative inputs for the production of spandex, as well as tire cords and battery components. Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

Headquartered in California, Origin Materials has developed processes that turn carbon from non-food biomass—such as wood—into carbon-negative materials including plastics. Origin’s technology replaces fossil fuel-based resources with renewable plant feedstocks. The plants used captured carbon from the atmosphere while they grew, and the production process sequesters carbon, creating a carbon-negative outcome.

A life cycle assessment from Deloitte that studied Origin’s 5-chloromethylfurfural (CMF), furfural, levulinic acid and hydrothermal carbon (HTC) found that for all four of the materials, the biomass’ carbon storage offset any greenhouse gas emissions stemming from the processes used to create the materials. As a result, Deloitte said they all showed an “environmental benefit.” Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

For its spandex production, Hyosung will be procuring furanic derivatives from Origin Materials. Hyosung will also purchase PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PET/F—a hybrid of PET and FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid)—for tire production and HTC for making batteries.

“Partnering with Hyosung Advanced Materials is a significant milestone in our mission to transition the world to sustainable materials,” said Rich Riley, co-CEO of Origin Materials, in a statement. “The opportunity for working together is remarkably broad, and we are excited to develop high-value products for use in a wide range of end markets and applications including batteries, automotive and apparel. Together, we can expand the adoption of Origin’s technology and help drive the ‘once in a planet’ shift to sustainable materials taking place around the world.” Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

More…

Sustainable plastics - Bio-spandex

-India’s RIL hikes PTA & MELT prices following rise in China

Reliance Industries Limited, India’s largest player in the polyester value chain, has sharply increased the prices of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and MELT for the current week. However, the rate of monoethylene glycol (MEG) remained unchanged. It is said that the steep rise in the prices of polyester raw materials in the Chinese market supported a similar move by Reliance.

According to market sources, RIL fixed prices as PTA at ₹84.90 per kg (an increase of ₹3.70), MEG at ₹56.50 per kg (unchanged), and MELT at ₹89.04 per kg (an increase of ₹3.18). The pricing of polyester raw materials will come into effect from the coming Saturday. Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

At the beginning of this fortnight, the company kept the price of polyester staple fibre (PSF) unchanged at ₹106 per kg. But it can also be revised upward by ₹2 per kg for the next fortnight, as per the sources.

The company sets prices for polyester raw materials based on the price trends in China and fluctuations in crude oil. The Indian market follows the price trend of Reliance as it is the dominating player in the country.

Sources said that cheaper crude oil prices should guide polyester raw materials’ prices downwards. However, PTA and MELT have noticed a steep increase in the Chinese market, which encouraged Reliance to follow the same trend. Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

More…

Sustainable plastics - Bio-spandex

-A Sustainable Plastics Economy Is Feasible, Say Researchers

A dramatic increase in recycling and the use of carbon capture and alternative feedstocks in plastics production could result in “absolute sustainability,” according to a group of researchers from Switzerland, Germany, and the United States.

A new study exploring the sustainability of plastics is bound to make some heads explode. The headline of an article summarizing the research on the website of Zürich’s technical university, ETH, forthrightly sets the tone: “A wholly sustainable plastics economy is feasible.” I have to say it’s a nice change of pace to report on a positive development in our “Dispatches from the War on Plastics” section, instead of pushing back on dubious scientific claims and overwrought calls to almost entirely eliminate plastics. Folks on the other side of the barricades will disagree, of course, once they piece themselves back together.

The researchers from ETH Zürich, RWTH Aachen University in Germany, and UC Santa Barbara in California posit that a vast increase in recycling, targeted use of carbon capture and biomass in the production process, and enlightened product stewardship by the plastics industry could lead the way to “absolute sustainability.” They readily acknowledge that getting there will require a good deal of heavy lifting.

More…

Sustainable plastics - Bio-spandex

-Recycled PET producer Evergreen joins Cyclyx consortium

Cyclyx says Evergreen’s access to recyclable materials that have been sorted and readied for other uses falls in line with its “10 to 90” initiative.

Cyclyx International, a consortium-based postuse plastic innovation company based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with a goal to increase the recyclability of plastic from 10 percent to 90 percent, has announced the addition of plastics recycling and manufacturing company Evergreen to the Cyclyx consortium.

Evergreen, which produces recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), is a Clyde, Ohio-based supplier of food- and nonfood-grade rPET for global brands looking to change the amount of recycled material used to generate new products and help companies meet their sustainability goals. According to Cyclyx, Evergreen’s partnerships with municipalities and private recycling enterprises give it access to recyclable materials which have been sorted and made ready for other uses—a practice that falls in line with Cyclyx’ “10 to 90” initiative, which creates collaborations along the value chain to increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10 percent to 90 percent. Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

“Evergreen is extremely excited to join the Cyclyx consortium,” Evergreen ESG and Marketing Director Jason Wiff says. “It’s increasingly apparent that recycling, particularly in North America, needs to change in order to be successful. Only by working hard together can we get closer to a 100 percent recyclability rate of plastics, and further meet sustainability goals for ourselves, for our customers and for Earth’s entire ecosystem.”

Cyclyx Vice President of Member Engagement Ron Sherga says, “Cyclyx and Evergreen share a mutual goal of diverting postuse plastics away from landfills and into recycling streams, which makes them a valuable addition to the consortium. Evergreen’s expertise in all grades of the rPET space will help to support our future collaborations and takeback programs as we progress on our mission to increase the recycling rate of plastics from 10 percent to 90 percent.” Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

More…

Recycled PET producer Evergreen joins Cyclyx consortium

-Yes, a 100% sustainable plastics industry is possible

“Recycling efforts should be intensified wherever possible,” says André Bardow. “As a good rule of thumb: More recycling of plastic always leads to more sustainability.”

Lots of recycling, combined with the use of CO2 from the air and biomass, could make a completely sustainable plastics industry a reality, according to a new study.

Plastic is everywhere. Our society can’t do without it: plastics have numerous advantages, are extremely versatile, and are also cost effective.

Today, plastics are mainly produced from crude oil. When the products reach the end of their life, they often end up in a waste incineration plant.Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

The energy-intensive production of plastics and their incineration release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, making plastic products a major contributor to climate change.

One way out would be to rely on sustainable production methods, such as the circular economy, in which as much plastic as possible is recycled. Then the main raw material for plastic products would no longer be crude oil but shredded plastic waste.

But is it even possible to tweak the plastics economy to absolute sustainability? The researchers say, yes, it is. Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

More…

Yes, a 100% sustainable plastics industry is possible

-Fujian Billion to launch new PET plant in Vietnam in April

China’s Fujian Billion Petrochemicals plans to commission a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plant in The city of Go Dau in southern Tai Ninh Province, Vietnam’s southeastern region, ICIS was told by a source close to the company.

The capacity of the new plant will be 300 thousand tons of PET per year.

The company already operates one PET production facility at this site with a capacity of 250 thousand tons per year, which was launched in April 2020.

Earlier it was reported that Fujian Billion Petrochemicals at the end of October 2022 resumed the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the city of Go Du (Go Dau, in the south of Tay Ninh Province, southeastern region of Vietnam) after scheduled repairs. This plant with a capacity of 250 thousand tons of PET per year was closed for repairs in early October. .Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

According to the ScanPlast survey, the estimated consumption of PET in December 2022 increased by 24% compared to last year. In the reporting month, the estimated consumption of PET amounted to 86.15 thousand tons. In total, by the end of 2022, the total estimated consumption in Russia increased by 2% and amounted to 844.84 thousand tons of PET (830.43 thousand tons in 2021).

Fujian Billion to launch new PET plant in Vietnam in April

.Sustainable plastics – Bio-spandex

Oxo-degradable plastics ban  27-03-2023