Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives 08-03-2023 - Arhive
Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
Crude Oil Prices Trend
Crude Oil Prices Trend
-Recon² marker technology attracts two new sponsors
New partners to trial the technology on an industrially relevant scale
A young start-up that has developed a methodology to determine the recycled content of a plastic product is working with On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) Ltd and a consortium of sponsors across the plastics sector to further develop the technology for, among others, packaging applications.
Recon² – the name is derived from Recycled Content Reconnaissance – is a University of Manchester not-for-profit spin-out company that uses tracking marker technology to quantify recycled content in plastic products and packaging. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
The method is low cost, simple, and reliable. It works by incorporating minute quantities of fluorescent “tracer” molecules into a plastic recyclate stream during compounding.
These molecules enable the direct quantification of recycled content in plastics with a quick scan directly on the surface, preventing any wasteful additional processing steps and keeping costs low and speed high. Within minutes, the recycled content of any plastic product – thus far proven at lab scale for HDPE, LDPE, PP and PET – can be assessed reliably, independent of processing steps, additives, and product type. The tracer molecule is also FDA and REACH approved, and is invisible under ambient lighting.
Together with OPRL and a group of sponsors, Recon² Ltd is now working to take the technology further to ensure ‘it is fit-for-purpose’, as Dr. Thomas Bennett, Director at Recon² and Research Fellow at Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the University of Manchester said. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
“We believe our technology is an important step towards achieving a circular economy for plastics use in the UK and beyond.”
-Andritz to show comprehensive line-up at INDEX
International technology group Andritz will be presenting its latest nonwovens production and textile solutions at INDEX 23 in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 18 to21 (booth 2114).
The broad Andritz product portfolio covers state-of-the-art nonwovens and textile production technologies such as air-through bonding, needlepunch, spunlace, spunbond, wetlaid/Wetlace, converting, textile finishing, airlay, textile recycling, and natural fiber processing.
Sustainability
Andritz’s We Care sustainability program combines all ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) initiatives, goals and achievements under one roof.
It takes a multi-dimensional, comprehensive, and practically oriented approach towards sustainability. At INDEX, Andritz will highlight its sustainable products and solutions to produce nonwovens and will present them at the EDANA Sustainability panel on April 19, 2023. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
For many years now, Andritz has offered different nonwoven processes for biodegradable wipes, like spunlace, Wetlace and Wetlace CP, with one goal in mind: reduction and elimination of plastic components, while maintaining the high quality of the desired product properties.
The latest development in this field is the Andritz neXline wetlace CP line. This is a fully engineered production line combining the benefits of drylaid and of wetlaid technologies to produce a new generation of biodegradable wipes. To reduce the energy consumption of these lines, Andritz has developed the neXecodry drying technology.
It is a combination of dewatering and drying processes that significantly reduces energy consumption and achieves better fabric quality with higher bulk and no pattern degradation. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
-Emirates recycles more than 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass in one year
Emirates has recycled more than 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass over the course of 2022, by collecting discarded bottles onboard for repurposing. 500,000 kilograms is almost the same weight as a fully loaded Emirates flagship A380 aircraft.
Onboard every flight that lands in Dubai, Emirates Cabin Crew work hard to quickly separate glass and plastic bottles, before they are sent to a recycling plant in Dubai. The glass is separated by colour and crushed. This ‘cullet’ or recycled glass that is ready to be re-melted, is then sent to glass manufacturers in the UAE to include in their batch mix for new bottles. The plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products. As a result, Emirates and Emirates Flight Catering divert thousands of kilograms of glass and plastic away from landfill each year. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
The glass and plastic recycling initiative onboard was suggested by environmentally conscious Emirates Cabin Crew in 2019, as part of regular webinars and events where they are given a platform to share feedback and encouraged to share innovative ideas to key departments.
-GoneShells is an edible juice bottle peeled like fruit
Design studio Tomorrow Machine has created a biodegradable juice bottle made from a potato starch-based material that can be peeled away like fruit skin and then eaten, composted or dissolved.
Called GoneShells, the bottle is currently a prototype that is still being developed by the studio in collaboration with global company Eckes Granini for its juice brand Brämhults.
“We wanted a name that symbolised a natural way to protect food, similar to fruit peel or eggshells,” Tomorrow Machine founder Anna Glansén told Dezeen. “‘Gone’ connects to the unique invention behind the material with its multiple ways to make the packaging disappear after usage.” Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
Curved in shape, the bottle is made from a potato starch-based material and coated in a bio-based, water-resistant barrier on both its insides and outsides to preserve the juice it holds.
Once the juice is finished, the bottle can be peeled into a spiral formation a similar way to fruit, which breaks its barrier and immediately begins the material’s decomposition process.
After this, the “peel” can be eaten or dissolved in water.
Although Tomorrow Machine can’t currently disclose more details about the material, the studio said that it is biodegradable and compostable and does not contain any synthetic components. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
“As long as you don’t activate the degradation process by peeling the bottle or tearing it apart in another way it works similarly to a traditional plastic bottle,” explained Glansén.
-February PP contract prices in the US rose
Contract prices for U.S. polypropylene (PP) rose in February amid rising propylene contract prices, ICIS reported.
In some cases, manufacturers have successfully implemented an increase of 3 cents per pound (USD66 per tonne), although this increase has not been realized throughout the market.
PP contract prices in the USA are usually based on a formula basis and take into account the propylene price and surcharges (adder).
Demand for polypropylene remains weak, although sales rose slightly from levels seen in the fourth quarter. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
Inventory levels rose in January, even with industry averages of 76%. Since July 2022, U.S. polypropylene production utilization has averaged less than 80%.
February contract prices for polypropylene were 64-79 cents per pound for polypropylene injection mopolymer and 65-80 cents per pound for injection molded polypropylene block copolymer grades, on the terms of delivery del USA.
Earlier it was reported that Invista Propylene has not yet resumed propylene production at the propane dehydrogenation unit in Houston (Houston, Texas, USA) after repair work. The production capacity is 635 thousand tons of propylene per year. The plant was closed for repairs on December 16, 2022. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
-Avoiding resistance: Alternatives in antimicrobial additives
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how easily pathogens can be transmitted from surfaces and has made it necessary to use chemical agents for continuous, thorough disinfection. Besides the use of many different products, this practise also depends on operator performance and quality. The need to develop surfaces capable of killing or repelling pathogens is therefore a key part of infection control, especially for plastics.
In terms of promoting products that can form part of the circular economy, one approach involves using carbon-based nanomaterials and bio-based antimicrobial products, whereas considerable interest has also been shown in different application sectors in the shift away from common additives such as metal ions and oxides of silver, copper and titanium, which are under scrutiny due to their possible toxicity and disposal issues.
Carbon-based nanomaterials are known for having several properties, including electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and thermal conductivity. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
Recently, however, they have been found to possess strong bactericidal properties. Their antibacterial mechanism is complex and depends on factors such as composition and surface concentration, but they appear to be able to act on cell membranes and destroy them and/or cause oxidative stress, as in the case of silver-based nanomaterials. Because these materials can act on contact without releasing substances, they are suitable for medical applications such as prostheses and implants in constant contact with the body.
Natural antibacterial agents derived from extracts of animals, plants and microorganisms are generally considered safe, healthy and environmentally friendly. Natural antimicrobial peptides such as nisin, natamycin, leucocin, enterocin and pediocin are recognized biopreservatives that are used to inhibit and kill pathogens and bacteria that can cause food spoilage. Because they are composed of proteins, they are sensitive to high temperatures, making them difficult to use in thermoplastic compounds.
However, they can be encapsulated in porous inorganic or heterostructure (inorganic/organic hybrid) matrices to make them more resistant to high-temperature processes. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
Chitosan is one of the most intensively researched and used biopolymers for food coating and packaging and has excellent antimicrobial properties. It is the most abundant polysaccharide in the world and is also biodegradable and biocompatible. Chitosan is becoming increasingly important as an antimicrobial additive in plastic applications and its derivatives are widely used as natural alternatives to antibacterial and antioxidant agents, especially in food contact applications.
Jeremytitus from Pixabay – Electron microscope image of a virus infection.
-SK Innovation’s petrochemical wing makes equity investment into pyrolysis startup
SK Incheon Petrochem, a petrochemical wing of South Korean conglomerate SK Group’s intermediate holding company SK Innovation, made an equity investment into LD Carbon, a domestic startup specializing in pyrolysis that uses discarded car tires to extract oil.
The pyrolysis technique uses extreme heat and pressure to break down plastics or polymers such as rubber to extract oil, carbon black, and combustible gases.
Carbon black is a solid carbon material that can be used in other applications such as the production of carbon fiber. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
Pyrolysis can also be used to process biomass-based wastes like livestock manure to produce biochar, which can capture carbon.
During the past few years, major South Korean petrochemical companies have kicked into high gear to commercialize the pyrolysis oil production technique. GS Caltex, a major refiner, kick-started a demonstration for the utilization of recycled oil made from plastic waste in December 2021.
In January 2022, South Korean chemical giant LG Chem revealed its plan to build a supercritical pyrolysis plant with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons by 2024 to recycle up to 80 percent of waste resources. Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives
SK Incheon Petroleum said in a statement that, without disclosing details, the company made an equity investment into LD Carbon. The two companies will cooperate to recycle used car tires to extract oil through pyrolysis processes. Collected oil will be used to manufacture some 20,000 tons of eco-friendly products including upcycle products that use recycled materials as their main material.
Edible-bottle – antimicrobial additives