Graphene – UPM Raflatac has launched OptiCut – a new wash-off label solution designed for returnable and reusable plastic food containers, including PP, HDPE and PET crates used in food logistics 05-11-2024
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Nexam Chemical has secured a “Decision to Grant” from the European Patent Office for its recycled polypropylene (PP) technology, extending a patent already effective in Sweden across selected European countries
UPM Raflatac launches wash-off linerless label
UPM Raflatac has launched OptiCut – a new wash-off label solution designed for returnable and reusable plastic food containers, including PP, HDPE and PET crates used in food logistics.
Available for purchase now, UPM hopes to meet the needs of reusable packaging producers, driven by evolving regulations and consumer demand.
The company says that its new solution, which is reportedly compatible with most direct thermal printers and weighing scales, offers “excellent” washability and easy, adhesive residue-free separation for both industrial processes and home washing machines.
While ensuring washability, UPM says that the solution offers other benefits such as adhesion with a clean cut to a variety of surfaces, minimized service spend, increased efficiency with a longer maintenance cycle, and flexibility to print and cut to any length.
In addition, all products in the portfolio are “CarbonNeutral” certified by Climate Impact Partners in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. Graphene
The company purchases carbon credits in a bid to offset what it describes as the “unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions” produced by its new product.
Syre and Selenis in strategic partnership to establish a textile-to-textile recycling plant in North Carolina
Syre and Selenis are both at the front-end of innovation within advanced recycling technologies that deliver on a mission to decarbonize and dewaste the textile industry. The two companies will combine new technologies in depolymerizing and polymerizing for textile-to-textile recycling all in one place, allowing for a cost efficient, industrial scale operation.
Syre launched in March this year with a mission to establish multiple textile-to-textile gigascale plants producing circular polyester across the globe, reducing CO2e emissions by up to 85% compared to the production of oil-based virgin polyester. Graphene
This plant, which will deliver volumes up to 10,000 metric tons of circular polyester annually, is scheduled to be operational in mid-2025, with the aim of making its first commercial sales to customers later that year.
“This is truly an important milestone on our journey to drive the great textile shift, with more than two years of planning now moving into action. We call this establishment a Blueprint Plant since the work there will lay the foundation for Syre’s continued globa lexpansion, with the process being mirrored and scaled up in our upcoming gigascale plants globally” says Dennis Nobelius, CEO at Syre. Graphene
New laser process creates multipurpose graphene material to enhance space exploration equipment
(Nanowerk Spotlight) Space equipment must perform complex functions while operating in extreme conditions. A telescope’s sensors require protection from stray light that can ruin astronomical observations, while simultaneously managing temperature swings that can distort images. Astronauts need constant health monitoring, but current sensors restrict movement and add bulk to space suits. These technical demands usually require multiple specialized materials and systems, increasing weight, complexity, and potential points of failure. Graphene
Standard space suit sensors use rigid electronic components that limit mobility. Space telescopes rely on specialized black coatings to absorb unwanted light, but these coatings often work poorly at certain wavelengths and can peel off under the extreme temperature changes of space. Both applications demand materials that function reliably in temperatures from -20 to 60 degrees Celsius, in near-total vacuum, and under constant radiation exposure.
A research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has developed a manufacturing technique that addresses these challenges by converting ordinary Kevlar fabric into a multifunctional material. Graphene
Chemo-biological process overcomes drawbacks of waste plastic pyrolysis
A joint research team has developed a technology to produce high-value-added plastic raw materials called dicarboxylic acids (α,ω-diacids) by recycling mixed waste plastics. The work is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
The team was led by Dr. Sang-Goo Jeon from the Bioenergy and Resources Upcycling Research Laboratory at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) and Dr. Jung-Oh Ahn from the BioProcess Engineering Center at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) Graphene
Plastics are produced from fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas, and waste plastics are recycled by shredding and melting them to make new products. However, during the production and processing stages, wastewater and harmful substances are released, causing serious environmental impacts.
To address these problems, many countries and companies are striving to establish a plastic circular economy. In particular, technologies that recycle plastics in an environmentally friendly manner through chemical methods such as pyrolysis are gaining attention recently.
However, the pyrolysis method is not a perfect solution either. This is because only 30% of the naphtha component in the pyrolysis oil produced during pyrolysis is recycled as raw material for plastics, while the majority is utilized as low-grade fuel that emits greenhouse gases during combustion. Graphene
Microwaves speed up chemical recycling
A team at the University of Delaware investigated microwave-assisted glycolysis of postconsumer mixed textile waste, pictured before (left) and after treatment. Not having to separate textiles by fiber type would enable mass recycling. Image: University of Delaware
What microwaves do to speed up cooking can also be applied to chemical recycling of mixed fibers. University of Delaware researchers working on postconsumer mixed textile waste found a rapid means of depolymerization—15 minutes—of white polyester and spandex into their monomers using microwave-assisted glycolysis followed by solvent use. Cotton and nylon come out mostly intact. Graphene
Dyes and finishes impeded the process and yielded less recyclable material, but if treatments were removed prior to glycolysis, the end product would also benefit by being colorless. If the cotton-containing textiles are shredded prior to the chemical recycling, the resulting recycled cotton would be less useful and less valuable, although it could be blended with other materials to be reused.
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