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This method is less common in practice but has a number of distinct advantages. In this case the parison is injection moulded onto a core using the normal moulding process equipment described earliler. However, before the moulding has a chance to solidify the mould opens and the core with the plastic parison on it is transferred to the blow mould. When this mould closes the core provides its secondary function of inflating the parison to fill the mould. The advantages of this method include the fact that no trimming is necessary since the mould completely surrounds the parison and this produce no flash. This also means that additional intricate detail can be produced in the bottle neck area. Finally, whereas extrusion blow moulding is limited to materials which have sufficient melt strength to sustain their own weight during parison formation, injection blow moulding can be used wiath almost all thermoplastics.

The main developments in blow moulding are in relation to improved heat transfer from the shaped parison, and a considerable amount of research has been devoted to cooling the inside of the moulding by injecting cold fluids. This has demonstrated that considerable 120 Injection blow improvements moulding9/14/2005 in the production rates can be achieved by these methods.

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The year 2000 saw extremes in styrene balance and pricing, say CMAI styrenics directors Alex Lidback (North America), Vince Sinclair (Asia), and John Bonarius (Europe) and authors of the 2001 World Styrene Analysis.

Peaking in the first quarter of 2000, the styrene industry enjoyed a miniboom. Market conditions reverted to more typical conditions later in the year as industry participants wondered whether the market boom was over or ready to return. Despite weak market conditions in early 2001 as a result of global derivative inventory depletion and a slower US economy, CMAI sees a clear tightening trend in its forecast balances and believes the current market correction is temporary. CMAI estimates total demand rose 4.5%, to almost 21 million tons in 2000, from 20 million tons at the end of 1999. This compares with average annual growth of 5.3% during 1995-1999.

Capacity grew even less. After several years of steady capacity growth with poor investment returns, producers finally put a clamp on new additions. CMAI expects no new capacity additions until the second half of 2002.

Continued demand growth for derivatives drive operating rates to an average of 97% in 2002. Normal maintenance schedules will take out some capacity, driving utilization above 100% for short periods of time.

Beyond 2003, a wave of new capacity expansions will add more styrene than the global market can consume, driving operating rates back down by the end of the forecast period.

CMAI thinks it probable that rising margins could induce producers to add more capacity by the end of the forecast period than they have officially announced. It sees relatively strong earnings for the next two years, followed by a period of much lower earnings as the market searches for a new point of equilibrium.

One key consideration in this scenario is the shift of West Europe to a net exporter. This will dampen price peaks, which in the past have been catalyzed by West European purchases of spot material.

CMAI expects West Europe to become a net exporter, moderating price spikes that occur when operating rates rise.
Over the longer term, CMAI expects prevailing regional imbalances even out. Rising derivative capacity will offset styrene monomer surpluses. Similarly, regions with styrene deficits, notably Asia and especially China, will also expand styrene capacity. The world, as especially Asia, needs new capacity if demand growth is to continue, says CMAI. The question is, who is going to build it?

Polystyrene/EPS

CMAI's 2001 World Polystyrene/EPS analysis also sees an optimistic outlook for both polystyrene and expandable EPS polystyrene (EPS), though growth will slow from its torrid pace since the last four years.

Polystyrene

Polystyrene grew at a 1.8 times gross domestic product (GDP) during 1995-99. CMAI expects weak conditions in mature US and West European markets in late 2000 to drag this ratio down to about 1.3 times GDP. The resin is very mature and costs more than competing polypropylene and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), Page rates.
102 which are growing at faster Excessive capacity additions, leading to major rationalization and restructuring between late 1997 and 1999, have caused producer margins to erode to intolerable

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PVC has a long history of more than 40 years in medical products that include intraveneous (IV) bags, blood bags and catheters. PVC has established its safe and effective usage in the medical field. Several studies have been undertaken to conclusively establish harmlessness of PVC and the additives incorporated in it to achieve the desired properties. A recent study conducted by 17 scientists from International Centre of Toxicology and Medical, evaluated scientific evidence
of potential health risks associated with DEHP. Plasticizer has proven that DEHP as used in medical devices, is not harmful to humans even under chronic and much higher than typical conditions of exposure. The panel also concluded that DEHP infact imparts important characteristics that are critical to the function of medical devices. World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on cancer also determined that DEHP is not classifiable as a human carcinogen based on exisiting scientific data.

The scientific data on the safe usage of Phthalate Plasticizers in medical products is increasing. The benefits of these PVC medical products far outweigh the risks.
Several alternate materials have been evaluated and some are even commercialized to replace PVC in order to avoid the environmental issues. Some of the most promising alternates are:

Typical properties of Montell ultra-high-flow PP
Value of grade
Properties	<	< SG853
Density at 23°C, g/ cm³ (ASTM D 1238)	0.90	0.90

	High frequency weldable Polyolefin film based on DOW material
	Plasticizer free soft polyurethane products for medical equipments
	Reaction Injection moulded Polyurethane parts for medical equipments
	Polyurethane foams for a wide variety of applications
	New biologically inert TOPAS cyclo-olefin polymer is increasingly being used in laboratory and diagnostic equipments.

Plastics certainly play a pivotal role in the medical field and medical science is seeking more and more plastics not only in the existing applications but also in the newly growing fields of 122 Plastics continue molecular to play biology 9/14/2005 a mjor and role gene in Healthcar therapy.

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the high-stakes race to build a faster and more reliable telecommunications network, Lumera Corp. of Bothell believes it has found the holy grail: polymers. Some big-name investors seem to agree. Lumera -- formed in October through a partnership between the University of Washington and Microvision -- yesterday raised $24 million in a first round of capital financing led by Cisco Systems. Unlike many of its competitors, Lumera is developing optical equipment that uses organic polymers or plastics to help send data over telecommunications networks at more than twice the speeds currently available. In addition to higher speeds, Lumera's polymer approach uses far less power than products currently made by Lucent, JDS Uniphase and other makers of optical components that rely on crystals, executives say.

"One of the challenges you have with crystalline materials is that they are brittle so they are much more challenging to work with than plastics are," said Rick Rutkowski, chief executive of Microvision and acting president of Lumera. "Polymers give us two things: One is ... a performance advantage with respect to being able to achieve high data rates at low voltages, and the second is they give us a cost advantage because they are easier to process and we can get a higher yield."

He said the Lumera device will be able to move data at 40 gigabits per second whereas devices currently being used operate at 2.5 gigabits or 10 gigabits. Lumera plans to unveil its prototype device -- known as an electro-optic modulator switch -- early this summer with full commercialization slated for next year.Potential customers include such 123 Polymers tonetworking be used to companies 9/14/2005 build next big as Cisco, thing in Nortel net Networks and Corning.

Plastic pallets, although more expensive when compared to wooden ones, are slowly gaining acceptance due to their duarability, reusability and easily sterilizable surfaces. Plastics pallets are now marketed in number of millions. However, their share of the total pallet business is minuscule. One of the major constraint is that its cost that is almost 100 400% higher than that of wooden pallets. Of course, plastic pallets do offer advantages in terms of performance, aesthetics and environment friendliness as compared to wood. Plastic pallets can be manufactured by injection moulding as well as Thermoforming. Injection moulded pallets have better aeshtetics and show, better performance compared to the thermoformed products. However the injection moulded pallets are much more expensive. In thermoforming twin-sheet process is found to provide excellent performance. The US postal services have conducted an in-depth study of several types of pallets and have concluded that twin-sheet thermoformed pallets out perform all other types of pallets. Infact, they are only using plastic pallets for their postal systems. To reduce cost, attempts have been made to develop plastic pallets using recycled thermoplastics like HDPE/PP etc. There's however a niche market for plastic pallets. They are used in shipping of products since wooden pallets are not permitted by several 124 Plastics pellets countries.

are making 9/14/2005 in roads due to their

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and dye whose output ranks the first in the world; soda and pesticide ranking second; sulphuric acid and caustic soda ranking third; synthetic rubber and ethylene ranking fourth; crude oil ranking fifth; synthetic resin ranking sixth; and natural gas ranking 19th. China's petroleum and chemical industry has formed a complete setup with more than 20 industrial sectors and over 40,000 types of products. However, the industry faces structural contradiction, according to the State Economic and Trade Commission.

 Crude oil

According to statistics, China's oil consumption ranks fourth in the world, and accounts for five percentage of the world's total. Since 1993 when China became a net oil importer, its import of crude oil soared to 70.27 million tons in 2000, and will top 100 million tons by 2005. The country is expected to lack 130 million tons of crude oil by 2015, and the undersupply situation will remain unchanged for quite a long period of time.

 Ethylene

By the end of 1999, China had 18 ethylene plants. Included were seven large plants, each with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons and 11 medium-sized ones. They had a combined capacity of 4.42 million tons. China produced 4.346 million tons of ethylene in 1999, and consumed 9.25 million tons in the same year. The domestic production could satisfy only 47% of the total. The State Economic and Trade Commission forecasts that, with a seven percentage increase in the gross domestic product (GDP) during the 2001-2005 period, China's demand for ethylene will reach 14 million tons by 2005, and its production capacity will be 8.3 million tons, which can satisfy 60% of the market demand.

 Synthetic resin

The output of China's five major synthetic resins including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyphenylacetylene, polychloroethylene and ABS was 7.98 million tons in 1999. The output could only satisfy 48% of the market demand. According to the commission, the domestic demand for the five major synthetic resins will come to 25 million tons by 2005, an increase of 5.6% annually. The domestic market satisfaction rate will be 60% . Analyzing the overall development of the industry, there will be structural contradictions in addition to the contradiction to limit the aggregate. Included will be:-

 

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Experts in the plastics industry have recently predicted that the global consumption will reach a level of 250 million tones by 2010 from the level of 140 million tones in 1999. The average growth of 5.5% is expected during the forthcoming decade.Is this figure really realistic or achievable? Before we analyze the reasons for such optimism, let us understand the 1999 consumption pattern of plastics.

The large volume plastics comprising of Polyolefins, PVC and Polystyrene have reached a level of 113 million tones and thus have almost 80% share of the total consumption. PET that has achieved its premier position in rigid packaging adds another seven million tones. All these large volume plastics have 85% share of the total consumption. All other plastics contribute only 20 million tones and therefore have only 15% share of the total consumption. In fact, their share of the total plastics consumption has remained at this static level over the last decades. The experts earlier had predicted that these other plastics would grow faster compared to the commodity plastics. The innovative developments particularly in Polyolefins have widened their application segments. Besides packaging and infrastructure are the two major drivers of plastics where commodity plastics are preferred on account of cost effectiveness. Indeed these commodity plastics will continue to drive the growth of plastics in the coming decade.
The historical consumption pattern over the last four decades illustrates that the average growth of 8.2% has been achieved from 1960 until 1999.

It is therefore not very difficult to expect a growth rate of 5.5% that is required to reach a level of 250 million tones by 2010. However, closer analysis during different decades indicates that the growth of plastics has been dropping from 16% in 60s to almost 4% in the last decade of 90s. It can be argued that two major economic recessions, one in the early 90S and the later one of 1997-99 on account of Asian financial crisis were responsible for lower growth in the last decade. The growth could have been higher in the absence of these factors. Two of the emerging economies like China and India alone are expected to contribute almost 35 million tones of additional consumption (almost 30% of the additional consumption of 110 million tons). In fact, Asian region is expected to be a driver of growth in plastics in the coming decade. Plastics have always grown faster than the economic growth. If the remaining regions continue to show a demand elasticity of 1.25 (i.e. plastics growth at 1.25XGDP), it would not be very difficult to attain the figure of 250 million tones by achieving an average growth of 5.5%. On the other hand, if the growth rate continues to show a level of about 4% that has been seen in the last decade possibly due to the maturity of the market, the expected consumption could reach a level of about 215-220 million tones. Plastics are essential materials for economic development and should be required at higher levels in those regions such as Asia, Latin America & Eastern Europe. Japan that has remained almost stagnant during 90s could add more to the growth of plastics if its economy improves. North America, a leader in plastics consumption is expected to exploit the new innovations such as Metallocene Polyolefins faster and thereby contribute to the plastics growth at higher levels. These positive signals may not be sufficient to counter the effect of maturity, but certainly could add about 10 million tones to the most conservative figure of 215 million tones. The global consumption of 225 million tones in 2010 with about 4.5% average growth, therefore, is certainly realistic 126 Will plasticsand consumption 9/14/2005 reach 250 million tons b achievable.

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with sentiment hit by a fresh spike in oil prices and concern at the hard line taken by the US Federal Reserve on inflation when it hiked interest rates Tuesday, dealers said.

They said the prospect of Hurricane Rita, now rated a devastating category five storm, crashing into major oil and gas installations around Houston in Texas just weeks after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans, made for a nervous day.

On the day, Tokyo marked time with a modest loss of 0.28 per cent ahead of a public holiday Friday but Taipei fell 1.57 per cent and Chinese A-shares fell another sharp 2.37 per cent.

Seoul eked out a gain of 0.28 per cent for another record finish, this time just short of the historic 1,200 points level, which investors seem determined to cross.

TOKYO: Share prices closed 0.28 pe cent lower as investors took some profits on recent strong gains and fretted over rising oil prices.

“Stocks took a breather following the recent rallies,” said Koichi Ogawa, chief fund manager at Daiwa SB Investments.

The Nikkei-225 index fell 37.21 points to 13,159.36 on turnover of 2.82 billion shares.

Among notable losers were financial-sector-related shares, such as non-life insurers, brokerages and banks.

Millea Holdings, a non-life insurer, fell 130,000 yen to 1,750,000 and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance lost 71 yen to 1,278.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial was down 20,000 to 1,010,000, while brokerage Daiwa Securities dropped 18 yen to 821.

HONG KONG: Share prices closed 0 per cent lower after local banks announced they were raising lending rates following the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate rise.

The Hang Seng Index closed down 43.67 points at 15,179.95, on turnover of 17.7 billion Hong Kong dollars (2.23 billion US dollars).

HSBC fell 0.70 to 125.20, unit Hang Seng Bank was down 0.40 at 103.90, Bank of East Asia was up 0.10 at 22.70 and BOC Hong Kong down 0.10 at 15.35 after their rate-rise announcements.

SYDNEY: Share prices closed 0.21 p cent higher as the resources sector continued to benefit from rising oil and metals prices.

The SP/ASX 200 rose 9.5 points to its high for the day of 4,561.9. Market volume was 1.29 billion shares worth 4.04 billion dollars (3.11 billion US).

In resources, Rio Tinto surged 87 cents or 1.6 per cent to 55.50 dollars, while BHP Billiton rose 52 cents or 2.5 per cent to 21.41 dollars.

SINGAPORE: Share prices closed 0.3 per cent lower on higher oil prices as powerful Hurricane Rita threatened to PageUS 107 hammer the oil-producing gulf coast.

The Straits Times Index fell 7.97 points to 2,290.68. Volume reached 1.23 billion shares valued at 1.06 billion Singapore dollars (631 million US).


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World oil prices climbed on Thursday as monster Hurricane Rita churned towards the US Gulf Coast, sending millions fleeing its predicted path and forcing the shutdown of vital energy infrastructures.

US President George W. Bush warned the authorities were “preparing for the worst” as the savage hurricane steered towards the southern US.New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, climbed 60 cents to $67.40 per barrel in early trading. It has now risen more than seven per cent since the start of the week.

In London, the price of Brent North Sea crude for November delivery gained 61 cents to $65.34 per barrel.

“Hurricane Rita is headed across the Gulf of Mexico towards the heart of the US oil refining sector,” said CALYON analyst Mike Wittner.

“If there is significant damage, the current price spike could be an extended one.”

British energy giant BP and Anglo-Dutch peer Royal Dutch Shell, having already shut down their offshore Gulf platforms, announced the evacuation of their Texas refineries.BP said its 470,000-barrels-per-day Texas City refinery — its biggest in the US — was shut, while Shell closed its two Texas refineries, 128 Oil prices rise as Dear Rita heads 9/23/2005 for US Gulf Coast Shell Park, near Houston, and Motiva Port Arthur, near Beaumont.

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Cars clogged Texas highways with more than a million people fleeing Hurricane Rita on Thursday as the Category 5 storm roared through the Gulf of Mexico on a potentially catastrophic course.

Heavy traffic jammed highways from Corpus Christi, in southern Texas, into Louisiana as coastal residents, heeding the lessons of Hurricane Katrina, headed inland to escape what has become one of the most intense storms on record.

The National Hurricane Centre said the path of Rita, with top winds of 265kph, had shifted toward the north. It appeared to be headed toward Galveston and Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city and centre of the US oil industry.

As Rita neared, Exxon Mobil said it was closing the biggest oil refinery in Baytown, Texas, and another in Beaumont, 144kms east.

The closings, combined with earlier shutdowns due to Rita and Katrina three weeks ago, raised to at least 12 the number of US refineries out of commission. Together, they had nearly 20 percent of US refining capacity, raising the spectre of serious shortages in the days ahead.

A hurricane warning was in effect from Port O’Connor, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana.

Rita was expected to lose a little steam as it neared land, but was still forecast to hit Texas as no less than a Category 3 storm with winds of up to 209kph.

“It’s not a good picture for us at this point,” said a grim Galveston city manager Steve LeBlanc. “We’re in for a historic storm.”

Weather forecasters told Galveston officials to expect Gulf waters to surge over a five-metre seawall that protects the island city, he said. The seawall was constructed after a 1900 hurricane that killed 8,000 people in the worst US natural disaster.

Houston, headquarters to many large energy firms, was expecting flooding from a storm surge in Galveston Bay and up to 45 centimetres of rain, weather forecasters said.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco urged coastal communities to evacuate as forecasts indicated Rita would come closer to the state than previously thought.

SLOW JOURNEY: People began flooding out of the coastal region on Wednesday and the exodus continued on Thursday. Residents of Galveston, Corpus Christi and low-lying parts of Houston 80kms inland were among the 1.3 million Texans told to evacuate.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic jams filled the region’s highways. Area stores were scrambling to keep supplies on the shelves while petrol stations with fuel to sell dwindled to a precious few.

“I’m leaving. I’m just not going to chance it,” said Rebecca Henson, 23, 129 1 million flee storm nears 9/23/2005 Texas in as Galveston, as she prepared to head north from the island.

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More than 100 armed militants stormed a US-operated oil production platform in Nigeria and forced it to close on Thursday in response to the arrest of an ethnic militia leader on treason charges.Armed with assault rifles, the fighters invaded the Idama platform operated by Chevron in the southern Niger Delta, escalating a simmering political crisis in the world’s eighth largest oil exporter.

“Eight boats, each carrying 15 armed people occupied the Idama flow station. Six government security forces had their weapons taken from them,” a source close to Chevron said.

“Apparently the militants are now heading for more stations. The situation can only get worse.”

Only about 8,000 barrels per day were affected at Idama, a company source said, but industry officials said the impact of unrest could rise dramatically if security worsened.Chevron officials were not available for comment.Militants loyal to Mujahid Dokubo-Asari burned tyres in the streets of the delta’s largest city, Port Harcourt, and blocked a major road artery. Police shot in the air to disperse them.Asari’s Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF) threatened on Tuesday to cause mayhem and close down oil facilities in the delta, which pumps all of Nigeria’s 2.4 million barrels per day, unless their leader was released.Royal Dutch Shell evacuated non-essential staff from one of its platforms, but a senior industry source said the 70,000 barrels-a-day output from that facility would be maintained by a skeleton staff.

Oil prices are near record highs due to hurricane damage in southern United States, and any disruption to exports from Nigeria, its fifth largest supplier, would make the situation more precarious.Asari campaigns for self-determination of his Ijaw tribe, the largest in the delta, and argues that the colonial treaties that created the union with Nigeria were fraudulent.

The government has called him an oil thief and gangster.The NDPVF had demanded his release by 1300 GMT on Wednesday.An Abuja high court on Thursday granted a request by the justice minister to detain him for two weeks to prepare charges 130 US firm’s oilofplatform treason,attacked which 9/23/2005 carries in Nigeria a maximum death penalty, and unlawful assembly.

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More than one million people were under evacuation orders yesterday as Hurricane Rita bore down on the central Texas coast- the heart of the US oil industry, threatening to make land and be one of the most powerful storms to hit the US. Prices are being driven directly by the projected path of the storm. Forecasters said Rita's winds have reached 225 km/hr, as the latest forecast predicted the center of Rita to make landfall near Galveston, Texas, late Friday or early Saturday. 134 production rigs and 24 refineries lie in the possible path of Rita.
Crude oil prices rose in anticipation of yet another hurricane led disaster, as Hurricane Rita gathered speed and appeared to head for Texas. Light, sweet crude for November delivery rose to US$66.80 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, heating oil jumped nearly three cents to US$2.0387 a gallon, while gasoline touched US$ $2.0531 a gallon. On London's International Petroleum Exchange, November Brent crude oil futures rose to US$64.73 a barrel.
As per the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. gasoline inventories rose 3.4 million barrels to 195.4 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 16, still more than 5% below year-ago levels. Inventories of distillate fuels, which include heating oil, rose 800,000 barrels to 134.1 million, more than 5% above year-ago levels. Crude inventories dropped 300,000 barrels to 308.1 million, but are nearly 12% above year-ago levels.

In Houston, America's oil and petrochemicals capital and its fourth largest city, people have been urged to leave low-lying areas vulnerable to the expected storm surge, and schools and businesses have been advised to close for two days. As of yesterday, Rita had forced oil companies to evacuate 15 rigs, cutting daily output from the Gulf of Mexico by 877,000 bpd- about 4% of US daily 131 Oil prices spike as Rita. 9/23/2005 consumption.

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was invited to participate in <strong>INT 2002 exposition held at Moscow on September 16, 2002. The exhibition was spread over 6500 sq. mt. with 300 exhibitors from 25 different countries. The foreign participation occupied more than 4500 sq. mt. compared to about 1800 sq. mt. occupied by the Russian participants. Mamata Machinery, Lohia, Cincinnati Ferromatics were the other participants at the exhibition. PLASTEMART is very happy to bring the impression of Mr. Arvind Mehta about the exhibition and the business environment of Russia.

<strong>RUSSIA TODAY IS A NEW RUSSIA

Present Russian Government is action-oriented. In last 8 years, the country has seen the set up of 500 fully occupied departmental stores, stacked with international quality products. Demand is booming in all sectors and the masses are fashion conscious, so there exists a huge untapped market. Natural resources like Crude Oil, Gas and Minerals contribute in a big way to the Government Treasury. Russia plans to join WTO by 2003 to attract investment in Russia. Investment laws like Income Tax Laws, Patent Laws, Profit repatriation/Company Laws, Labour Laws etc. are being changed to welcome foreign investments and to suit WTO.

Though the political relation of Russia with India is very good, the economical relation is not too healthy as India lags in superior quality products and services. Lack of the Indians to ADAPT TO CHANGE has caused them to lose out in Russia. From being at the topmost position in Russia, Indians have hit the bottom position today. Russians want quality of international standards and Western countries are encashing that demand. GDP growth of Russia is 3.9% while Inflation is 14%.

Italy, Germany and Austria now dominate and as a result of getting into Russian market, the European economy has become more stable. China, Korea, and Taiwan are also visible. India has failed to impact the Russian economy inspite of its strong political relation with Russia. India is out because it has not adapted to the 180º change in Russian economy i.e. from centralized purchases to free-market-economy. Now everything is in private sector. Government is releasing its controls on business activities and now market economy decides purchase.

<strong>Education

Education is free in state-schools upto XI th standard. Private schools charge fees. No reservation on basis of caste or creed. Literacy level of Russia is 80%. Now, English-learning by small children is given importance.

<strong>Environment

There is no littering habit amongst people. Roads are clean but only 95% clean by European standards. Government does the waste management without any fuss and without blaming plastics.

Currency of Russia is Roubles and approximately 1 US$ = 31.5 Roubles. Lending rates are high i.e. @ 17% Roubles while<strong> Fixed Deposit rate @ 11%( Fixed Deposit for US$ 6%). Banks are now updating and changing to new order. As on today, getting LC is very difficult. Today, business can be done by appointing good local middlemen, who are available.

Import Duties Vary from 5% to 25%. VAT is 20% - 10% on essential like food and 20% on non-essential. All items are covered by VAT. No one is exempted. + 5% Sales Tax is Non VATABLE. Income Tax rates are 13% for personal and 24% for companies.

<strong>Infrastructure Page 112by very good roads – 4 Lanes and 3 Lanes Russia is totally well connected highways. Earlier Communist Government did this with an eye on defense, nuclear war and total control. Russia has one of the best underground Metro Rails in the world. There are seven layers of underground running trainsThe population of the

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copolymers that flow through molds at unprecedented high speed can lift productivity for the end user, enchance colour, taste and odor properties, and improve part performance, according to the supplier. Target applications include housewares, food packaging, an DVD cases. The Pro-fax ultra range is available in four grades, all nucleated.

Two 100g/10 min melt flow rate grades, Pro-fax Ultra SC973 and SG982, are primarily for thinwall yogurt and dairy product cups, and other food containers. The first contains antistatic and slip additives, and is stiffer.

"The new slate" says Mark Knorr, Montell’s packaging manager "should enable injection molders to stay ahead of thermoformers, trading on their ability to make thinwall containers with high topload strength."

Density is 0.90 g/cm³. Flexural modulus is 1240 MPa; notched Izod impact strength at 23°C is 42.7 j/m. Other features include an easier colour match capability, moderate cold-temperature impact, and excellent gloss.

Pro-fax Ultra SG833 is a 35 MFR grade designed for thinwall frozen dairy containers, as well as housewares and consumer goods in which extra low-temperature toughness is desired. It contains antistatic and slip additives. Features include easier colour match, resistance to dust and dirt pickup, and excellent gloss. These properties suit the material for DVD cases.

Finally, SG853, a 55 MFR material, also antistatic and slip modified, is for electronic cases and thinwall consumer goods.

	irrational proportion in oil sinking and storage
	slow upgrading of product mix
	backward technological level
	slow level of scale economy<

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Typical properties of Montell ultra-high-flow PP
Value of grade
Properties		SG853
Density at 23°C, g/ cm³ (ASTM D 1238)	0.90	Page 114 0.90
	2D system: is the simplest of all. It replaces the drawing board with a computer system. It can create engineering drawings. When drawing needs modification it can be carried out without redrawing the entire drawing.
	3D interactive graphics system: This enables the designer to produce 3D assemblies. It has capability to zoom in on any details. It can also rotate the models to enable view the assemblies from different directions. Isometric views can be scaled and also duplicated easily. Colour graphics improves the clarity of assemblies. Different components, notes, dimensions can be put on different layers. These layers can be selectively presented without losing information.
	Solid modellers: It uses basic 3D shapes like blocks, cylinders, canes, toroids, spheres and prisms and 3D edges based on constructions made by rotating line and arcs. These are added or subtracted until the model is over. It can calculate area, volume, and weight.

Well-known CAD systems are Pro-Engineer, Unigraphics, Ideas, Cimatron, Solid Works, Solid Edge, Delcams PowerShape, Mechanical Desktop.

CAM – Computer Aided Manufacturing

Computer aided manufacturing is the automatic machining of parts by numerically controlled machine tools. CAM system can be integrated with CAD systems so that it can generate the tool paths automatically.

CAM software creates roughing and finishing toolpaths to optimsie the productivity of CNC machine tools, while at the same time ensuring the highest quality matching of models and tooling.

CAM software offers high speed calculation, powerful integrated visualisation and verification facilities, which allow the user to compare alternative strategies with any combination of cutting tools and check all toolpaths before they are sent to the machine. As a result machine idle time and wasted materials and resources are eliminated.

Well-known CAM software are Unigraphics, Cilmatron, Declams Power/Mill, Command, Mastercam etc.

Actually, is it possible to imagine a good tool room without such a marvelous technological tool?

Global trend in development of plastic part and mould

Today in USA, Europe, Canada and Japan, more and more plastics parts design and mould design are carried out in solid modelling software. Solid modelling has replaced the drawing board and the usage of 2D software.

When the part is designed in solid, the same model can be used for CAE analysis, mould design and for CAM. This integrated approach – of automated design to manufacturing - saves lot of Page 115 time. All the leading software offers integrated modules for solid modelling, mould design and CAM.

CAE analysis software (Mouldflow

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This method of welding was the first to be developed for plastics and is a modification of gas welding of metals. Basically the process involved melting the weld area by means of stream of hot gas supplied from a hand held torch. A welding or filter rod made from the same material as the parts to be joined is also used.

During the welding the weld bed and the welding rod are heated simultaneously by gently moving the hot gas stream back and forward between the two. When softening occurs, slight pressure is applied to the rod to feed it into the melt pool whilst steadily progressing along the joint.

The welding torches are usually electrically heated and capable of providing a gas temperature of between 200° C and 300° C at the nozzle orifice. The gas should be dry and clear with a flow rate of 15 - 60 litres per minute at high pressure. Tests have shown that the type of gas affects the bond strength. Strongest bonds are achieved with oxygen where as carbon dioxide tends to produce weak bonds. In many cases the most convenient gas to use is compressed air since it is inexpensive and produce satisfactory welds. However several plastics, such as polythlylene and acetal, oxidize very easily and are best welded using nitrogen.

Rigid PVC is the most suitable material for hot gas welding but other plastics can also be joined very satisfactorily by this method. The major advantage of this welding technique is that large structural shapes can be fabricated relatively easily, but it has the 136 Hot gas welding drawback of9/24/2005 being a slow process, relying on operator skill for good welds.

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Thermorforming consists of a group of forming method in which a thermoplastic sheet is heat softened and then (in the majority of cases) formed into an open mould as a core and or a cavity using pressure or suction. The principle is the same in both these processes, but the latter is the more common technique and is referred to as vaccum forming. It is mainly used in the packaging industry to make location trays for confectionery, cosmetics, electrical goods, and so on, but it can also be used for larger structural items such as boat hulls, inside door panels for refrigerators and baths or shower cubicles etc.

The principle of the process is simple. The plastic sheet is clamped over an open mould where it is heated until soft. The heater is then removed and the air is evacuated from between the sheet and the mould so that the atmospheric pressure above the sheets pushes it down into the mould. Cold air may then be blown on to the sheet to cool it quickly and ensures that it retains the contours of the mould. Trimming is usually required to remove excess material.

A potential problem in this simple version of the process is the redistribution of material after heating the sheet that it should not bottom thin at the bottom corners of the moulding. To improve the wall thickness distribution, modification can be made to the basic process, for example, using drape forming over a male die or using a plug to push the softened sheet down into the mould before the vaccum is applied.In practice the vaccum forming equipment is often part of complete production line. Typically, at the beginning of the line, pellets are extruded to produce the plastic sheet or in some cases the plastic disc required for forming. After shaping on the vaccum machine the containers have printing added and they are then filled with, say, diary produce before being packed for distribution. The familiar blister packs which are currently being wldely used in packaging of medicine and other food products is going to attract consumers because of its better appearance. Skin packing is also useful because of its abililty to pack any odd shape. Blister packs and skin packs are also made by vaccum forming. The most suitable materials for thermoforming are polystyrene (rubber toughened or expanded grades, ABS, polyvinyl chloride (special grades), acrylic, CAB, and polycarbonate. Since only low pressure are involved in thermoforming, mould may be made from wood or plaster (for protypes) of metal filled epoxy, steel, or alluminium (for protection) *Above all materials HIPS has lower oxygen and water permiability which gives more exposure to be processed through vaccum forming. Multilayer sheets are also fed for the processed food and pesticides packing for longer life.*

Other than those products mentioned earlier, thermoforming may be used to produce egg cartoons, light covers, vehicle body panels, sink units shelters, advertising signs, deep 137 Thermo forming freezer liners, 9/24/2005 face masks, disposal cups and numerous car components.

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<strong>IntroductionSuccessful production of plastic components depends on the mold, the machine and the processing conditions used. The role of the mold becomes more important when we enter the arena of molding precision components for demanding applications in engineering.

Crystalline plastics like polyacetals, have shrinkage is in two stages, i.e. shrinkage in mold and post molding shrinkage. If tight tolerance is to be maintained, one of the important aspects that is to be taken care of is the mold design.Let us look at some aspect of the mold design which will help in molding precision components with relative ease, consistently.

Cavity layout

The first aspect to be looked at is the cavity lay-out in the mold. The basic objective for designing a cavity layout is achieving equal cavity pressure in all the cavities in a multicavity layout. Of course, for a single cavity, the question of making a lay-out does not arise, but in case of multicavities, a variety of aspects can be looked at in arriving at a suitable cavity layout. A designer has to optimise by adjusting the cavities’ location in such a way as to minimise the flow path of the material and also reduce the total area of the mold. The following is an interesting example (See the above figure).

Runners

Runners are the feeding systems which feed the cavity with the material. With this in mind, one should design the runner system. Another governing factor is the melt viscosity. For example, for feeding material for multicavities having a long flow path, a lower melt viscosity material will be preferable to the higher viscosity material. The runner lay out should transmit pressure uniformly to all cavities. It should be enough to provide enough flow of material with minimum pressure loss. Size and length should be optimum to reduce the losses in form of runner and reduce the amount of material available for rework.

The optimum runner cross section is a full round section or a trapezoidal runner section which is relatively easier to machine. Hence the depth of the trapezoid should be at a minimum the diameter of the full round designed, which of course adds more material in the runner which has to be recycled or rejected. The runners carry hot material upto the cavity. The material which starts flowing first in the path is cooled down due to the lower temperature of the mold. Hence it is advisable to give a cold slug well at the end of the runner path and the end of sub runner path, and design in such a way that the cold material gets trapped in the slug well. This helps hot material flood the cavity, thereby avoiding flowmarks, and aids in 138 Mould design increased for polyacetals packing 9/24/2005 of material in the cavity too.

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copolymers that flow through molds at unprecedented high speed can lift productivity for the end user, enchance colour, taste and odor properties, and improve part performance, according to the supplier. Target applications include housewares, food packaging, an DVD cases. The Pro-fax ultra range is available in four grades, all nucleated.

Two 100g/10 min melt flow rate grades, Pro-fax Ultra SC973 and SG982, are primarily for thinwall yogurt and dairy product cups, and other food containers. The first contains antistatic and slip additives, and is stiffer.

"The new slate" says Mark Knorr, Montell’s packaging manager "should enable injection molders to stay ahead of thermoformers, trading on their ability to make thinwall containers with high topload strength."

Density is 0.90 g/cm³. Flexural modulus is 1240 MPa; notched Izod impact strength at 23°C is 42.7 j/m. Other features include an easier colour match capability, moderate cold-temperature impact, and excellent gloss.

Pro-fax Ultra SG833 is a 35 MFR grade designed for thinwall frozen dairy containers, as well as housewares and consumer goods in which extra low-temperature toughness is desired. It contains antistatic and slip additives. Features include easier colour match, resistance to dust and dirt pickup, and excellent gloss. These properties suit the material for DVD cases.

Finally, SG853, a 55 MFR material, also antistatic and slip modified, is for electronic cases and thinwall consumer goods.

Articles plastics from biotechnology, and looking at the parking lot, whose many parts are made of bio-sourced plastics, including the fuel cells that have replaced the internal combustion engines, we realise we are at the beginning of the 'biotechnology century'. Here it is the year 2020 and biological breakthroughs have influenced mankind in key ways over the last 20 years, from raising life expectancies of humans by 10 years to commercial fuel cells using corn stalks as the energy source.

The advancements made by scientists in DNA and RNA research during the 1990's have left no industry untouched. This includes plastics also. The reliance on fossil fuels, which became scarce a few years ago as a source of monomers, has been challenged by cheaper and renewable sources that are more environmental friendly. The traditional chemical plant has met serious competition from green plants. Many monomers are now made via fermentation, using low-cost sugars as the feedback. Some of the commodity monomers are under siege by chemicals extracted from biomass. The once limited list of commercial viable chemical for polymer production has been expanded to include a large number of monomers from nature. The suppliers who had vision in the 1990's and set up bioengineering capabilities are now reaping the benefits globally. These suppliers are displacing established polymer platforms with cost-effective and higher-performing plastics.

We reflect back with pride to the pioneering research performed by companies like DuPont in the late 1990's. That was when scientists leveraged the biotechnology research tools, which were developed to enhance crop traits, for the bioproduction of monomers. The first example of this technology in DuPont was the production of 1,3-propanediol using bacteria. It was known at the time that the terephthalate copolymer using 1,3-propanediol had interesting properties as a fiber. To develop a monomer source of 1,3-propanediol, DuPont formed a research alliance with Genencor International to help produce a commercially viable process. This project required combining conversion pathways from two different bacteria into a single host, which led to the successful one-step conversion of common sugar into 1,3-propanediol.

These break thorough, which helped establish a fundamental understanding of how enzymes function, combined with the ability to manipulate their structures, has resulted in an explosion of novel polymers made via enzymatic control. The use of enzymes for polymerization has drastically altered the landscape of polymer chemistry. Processors can now request specific properties for each application as opposed to making do with what is available. The supplier can tune in the desired properties requested by the processors, through the strategic control of the polymer microstructure. There are now tools to manipulate the backbones of polymers in several areas like:

Typical properties of Montell ultra-high-flow PP
Value of grade
Properties	SC982	SG853
Density at 23°C, g/ cm³ (ASTM D 1238)	0.90 Page 119	0.90

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	Control of microstructures such as tacticity, stereo-chemistry, and crystallinity.
	Precise control of molecular weight and polydispersity.
	Copolymerzation of additives (e. g. flame retardant), antioxidants, and stabilizers, etc.
	Direct attachment of Articles Automotive sector consumes about 7% of the total plastics used in the World, (about 12 Every producer or converter continues to innovate in the use of plastic in automobile sec • PP-PS nano composite with nano clay acting as compatibilizer • PP–metal hybrid • New Acrylic adhesive for PP parts without primer or surface treatment. • Expanded PP foam products. • PP reinforced with natural fiber • Carbon fiber composites • Large exterior moulded parts from SMC • Low temperature resistant polycarbonate–silicon blend for air bag 141 Plastic innovations in automotive 6/12/2006applications These new innovations and developments will continue to make polymer usage in autom 142 Laser welding for fast production 6/12/2006 The food stretch film market mainly uses PVC, which does not biodegrade, making the material and the companies that use it, targets of environmental lobby groups. A growing number of food industry companies, including supermarkets and processors have turned to biodegradable  as a means of meeting consumer demand for such eco friendly products. Local and national governments in North America and Europe are also considering limiting the use of PVC products. Several European countries, Japan and the State of New York, have already introduced restrictions and legislation on the use of PVC in the food wrap industry. Recently, a recyclable stretch film that does not use PVC has been introduced. The company marketed its polystyrene-based stretch film as a non-plasticized food wrap that was eco-friendly and recyclable, and had developed the technology as an alternative to PVC over 10 years. The plasticizer-free film has been certified by an agency set up by the Canadian government. The company has now introduced oxo-biodegradable pallet wrap samples, which have been sent for testing to one of its US distributors as a means of entering the market. This product will biodegrade and once biodegrading is complete all that remains is carbon dioxide, water and biomass, all which are part of the normal bio-cycle. Using EPI Environmental Technologies' TDPA (Totally Degradable Plastic Additive), which when incorporated into commodity plastic resins, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS), renders the plastics degradable and ultimately biodegradable. Many analysts believe that biodegradable packaging has a bright future. Growing environmental awareness and consumer power means that food manufacturers and packagers are increasingly being 144 Will Biodegradable targetedwrap to improve 6/15/2006 film replace their PVC environmental cling Fil performances. Page 121 Articles Recently a new system called “SmartBlender” has been developed. This system uses a principle of fluid dynamics known as chaotic advection to fold a masterbatch or other components into a matrix polymer. Layering or folding materials together form a variety of controlled and repeatable polymer morphologies; from layers, ribbons and platelets to spongy interpenetrating structures. Unusual properties are said to result. Among these novelties is “directional conductivity,” in which blends of LLDPE with a carbon-black masterbatch show electrical conductivity in the machine direction, but not the transverse direction, when extruded into film, sheet, tube or rods. Chaotic advection creates linear striations of carbon black particles in the machine direction, which act like tiny wires. The striations can also be cross-connected to give conductivity in the transverse direction or through the film thickness. Computer simulations show that these striations are really spirals with projecting filaments, the spirals being arranged parallel to the axis of the “SmartBlender”. Clemson’s striated blends reportedly achieve a much higher level of conductivity with less carbon black than conventional compounds. Tests show that as little as 0.5 wt% carbon black mixed via chaotic advection can achieve a level of conductivity comparable to about 3% carbon black with conventional twin-screw compounding. Because a twin-screw disperses additives evenly, it takes a lot more carbon black for the particles to be close enough to touch each other and create a continuous electrical path. Chaotic advection creates the spongy morphologies by stretching and folding thinner and thinner layers of LDPE in the PP matrix. After repeated layering, the LDPE layers become so thin they eventually rupture, letting the PP flow through the holes in the LDPE. Holes also form in the PP layers, creating a fibrous spongy structure out of the stiffer PP. Other potential applications for chaotic advection include materials with improved tensile and barrier properties and selective permeability. The SmartBlender is fed by two 22mm diam. single-screw extruders, each of which has a metering pump to give precise control of the ingredient ratio. The two melt streams enter a crosshead die from opposite sides, then pass into a distribution head. The matrix material passes through a single central port, while the secondary resin or masterbatch goes through nine small ports arranged in a circle around the central one. From the distribution head, the material enters the cylindrical blending chamber, which is round at both ends and oval in the middle and externally heated with multiple zones. The chamber contains two 22-mm-diameter stirring rods, which are slightly offset (15 mm) from the chamber’s central axis. The rods are turned independently by stepper motors with computer control of the direction, speed, and number of rotations. According to one mixing recipe, the rods corotate, but one of them spins three times faster than the other for a specific number of turns. Then it slows down and the opposite rod turns faster for a specific number of turns. Changing the rod rotation protocol can produce blends of differing morphologies without any 145 A new process to develop 6/15/2006 novel polymer blends equipment modification. Page 122 Articles Recently a new system called “SmartBlender” has been developed. This system uses a p Among these novelties is “directional conductivity,” in which blends of LLDPE with a carb Clemson’s striated blends reportedly achieve a much higher level of conductivity with le Chaotic advection creates the spongy morphologies by stretching and folding thinner an The SmartBlender is fed by two 22mm diam. single-screw extruders, each of which has a From the distribution head, the material enters the cylindrical blending chamber, which i 146 A new process According to develop to6/17/2006 one novel mixing polymer recipe, blends the rods corotate, but one of them spins three times fas <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Phthalates are a class of compounds most commonly used as softener for PVC packaging and products. In the food industry, phthalate compounds are most commonly used in plastic packaging materials. The most commonly used phthalate is DEHP. A study claims that normal exposure to phthalates could harm the genital development of unborn baby boys. Other animal studies on the toxicity of phthalates have raised questions about its possible effects on human health and sparked calls for further studies on the chemicals. A Danish company, Danisco, has developed a biodegradable plasticizer derived from castor oil and acetic acid. It is a colourless, odourless and completely biodegradable plasticizer. The new plasticiser can be used for PVC food and beverage packaging without the need to modify equipment. In addition, it is considered safe to be used in food contact materials. The plasticiser can also be used in the production of flexible polyvinyl PVC for consumer products such as toys, bottle cap liners, floorings, teething rings, tubes, cling films, conveyor belts, and medical devices. Danisco is awaiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration and from Japan's regulators. 147 Will a biodegradable 6/17/2006 replace Phthalate plasticiser Page 123 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Automotive sector consumes about 7% of the total plastics used in the World, (about 12 million tons out of the total of 170 million tonnes). However, this sector probably has the highest requirement of innovative applications. The demand complexity is as much as that exists in the packaging sector where about 37% (63 Million tons) of plastics is consumed. Every producer or converter continues to innovate in the use of plastic in automobile sector. Some of the recent innovations observed are summarized below: •  PP-PS nano composite with nano clay acting as compatibilizer •  PP–metal hybrid •  New Acrylic adhesive for PP parts without primer or surface treatment. •  Expanded PP foam products. •  PP reinforced with natural fiber •  Carbon fiber composites •  Large exterior moulded parts from SMC •  Low temperature resistant polycarbonate–silicon blend for air bag These new innovations and developments will continue to make polymer usage in automobile growing well in the future. 148 Plastic innovations in automotive 6/17/2006applications Page 124 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> The term “wood plastic composite” (WPC) refers to any composite that contains wood & thermoset or thermoplastic. Thermosets include resins such as epoxies & phenolics. Thermoplastics include resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene & polyvinyl chloride. These new materials extend the current concept of “wood composites” from the traditional compressed materials such as particleboard & medium density fiber board (MDF) into new areas & more importantly, a new generation of high performance products. The first generation of WPC's were a combination of recycled wood flour or chips & a binder. These were ideal for relatively undemanding applications. The new & rapidly developing generation of WPC's have good mechanical properties, high dimensional stability, & can be used to produce complex shapes. They can be extruded to high dimensional tolerances, are tough & stable products. The new WPC's are high technology products for the most demanding applications. The most common type of the new WPC's are produced by mixing wood flour / fiber & plastics to produce a material that can be processed like a conventional plastic, but has the best features of wood & plastic. <strong>Wood Plastic Composites From A Historical Perspective Wood – thermoset composites date to the early 1900's. An earlier commercial composite material marketed under the trade name “ Bakelite”, was made of phenol – formaldehyde & wood flour. Its first commercial use was reportedly as a gearshift knob for Rolls Royce in 1916.This paper is focused on wood – thermoplastics, which in today's parlance are simply referred to as WPC. The birth of the WPC industry involved the interfacing of two industries that have historically known little about each other & have different knowledge, expertise & perspectives. The plastics industry has knowledge of plastics processing & the forest products industry has more experience & resources in the building products market. Not surprisingly, some of the earliest companies to produce WPC's were window manufacturers who had experience with both wood & plastics. The plastics industry has traditionally used talc, calcium carbonate, mica, and glass fiber to modify the performance of plastics. About 2.5 billion Kgs of fillers & reinforcements are used annually. The industry was reluctant to use wood or other natural fibers such as kenaf, flax & hemp, though these fibers are from a renewable resource, are less expensive, lighter & less abrasive on processing equipments than conventional fillers. Most plastic processors ignored wood fiber because of its low bulk density & specific gravity, low thermal stability & tendency to absorb moisture. The majority of thermoplastics have a bulk density of approximately 0.5 gms/cc. The plastics processor had to face the problem of how to consistently meter & force low bulk density wood flour into small openings typical of plastic processing equipments. In addition, the processing temperature for even the low softening plastics is often too high for incorporation of wood filler without thermal degradation. The high moisture content of wood & other natural fibers is also often problematic to the plastic industry which considers 1 to 2 % moisture content high. Even plastics processors having vented equipments capable of removing moisture during processing were averse to removing 5 to 7 % PageResin 125 dryers, which are fitted on plastic processing moisture from wood fiber. equipments, are not sufficient for wood filler or particles. Drying of wood or other natural fibbers poses a fire hazard. Plastics processors who tried to use Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> China currently consumes over 7 million tons of Polyethylene film, making it the largest consumer in the World. Consumption in China at the beginning of 1991 was only about 1 million ton, hence all this growth has come essentially in the last two decades. The market is being driven by growing domestic demand for products from a spectrum of sectors such as agricultural films, building films, industrial and consumer packaging, and by the production of converted bags and sacks for export markets. China is the world's largest market for agricultural films, accounting for over 20% of PE used globally in agricultural film in 2004. The market is expected to continue to grow in line with GDP at an average rate of 7% pa, as China strives to improve productivity and output of agricultural produce to feed its large population. The market has also witnessed introduction of newer applications in China such as stretch film and technical co extrusions. These applications have been identified as strong growth sectors, but remain small in the overall context of PE film production, which is projected to continue growing at over 7% in the coming few years.   The development of newer applications will bring changes in the material selection for film extrusion as demand for higher alpha olefins and metallocenes begins to develop. These materials, currently imported, represent only 2% of the market in China for 2004 but are expected to growth strongly over the next five years, particularly for octene (C8) and metallocene types. Their increasing demand is driven by increased investment in production of stretch film and other new applications and by improved availability. Butene (C4) grades of LLDPE are the main type of polyethylene resin used by Chinese film extruders thanks largely to its lower price compared with conventional LDPE and its better availability (both domestically and through imports). HDPE and conventional LDPE both accounted for around 22-23% of the market in 2004. LDPE tends to be widely used throughout the PE film industry for a variety of applications because of its ease of processing and superior transparency. It is also the case that many of the relatively older lines used in China run more efficiently on conventional LDPE. HDPE use is driven mainly by the production of bags and sacks that accounted for 85% of its use in 2004. PE film production is highly fragmented with more than 10,000 processors. The largest is Guangzhou Nanqiang Plastics Co. with an estimated production of 223,000 tons. However, this is still quite exceptional in China and the top 50 companies are estimated to account for only 18% of total PE film production. The future outlook for the industry remains positive despite some slowing down in growth caused by a combination of rising raw material prices, the introduction of antidumping levies on Chinese bag producers in the USA, power shortages and government measures introduced to prevent the economy from overheating. These factors, however, are not expected to have any long-term implications for PE film production in China. AMI a leading market research organization from UK has conducted this recent project. More details on this subject can be obtained from AMI Page 126 150 China is the largest consumer 6/17/2006 of Polyethylene film Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> With technological advancess and changing trends, the life span of products, particularly in the IT and telecommunications sectors, is on the decline. The growing consumerism in these sectors is fuelling growth in the EEE markets, and shorter product life spans favour plastics because of increased consumption. A new EU legislation (Directive 2002/96/EC) regarding the collection and recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) came into effect on 13th August 2005. This means that producers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) will now have to finance the end-of-life recycling and recovery costs of all their products. This will lead to introduction of product design changes by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which plastics processors will have to adapt to. Among the many repercussions of the design changes will be possible standardization of grades and a gradual reduction of the variety of plastics used in EEE products. A wider range of plastics makes the recycling process difficult and expensive due to the separation involved prior to the shredding of material. Polypropylene (PP) could find greater application as they can be easily modified to cover a wider property range, thereby reducing the variety of plastics in appliances. The variable recyclability of different plastics will also become a determining factor when OEMs choose the plastics to be used in EEE products. Plastics that are easier to recycle will command better value, thus Monomaterial (unfilled) plastics or unblended and crystalline polymers will be favoured. On the other hand, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other polymers that are not easily recyclable will progressively lose value. In addition, coloured plastics that do not require paint or finish coatings will become more popular, since removal of coatings is time-consuming. With the increased emphasis on recyclability, some additive producers are starting to market additives to improve the quality of recycled plastics. While a few additives have been specifically designed for the task, most of them such as compatibilizers and chain extenders are familiar chemistries that are finding new applications. However, recyclers are hesitant to use them as they feel that they are not economical, due to the low price of recyclates. Page 127 Since some essential plastics in EEE are difficult as well as expensive to recycle, it is imperative that plastics producers support the development of recycling technologies that simplify Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> After several difficult years indicated by upturns in production and numerous price increases, the global plastics additives market appears to be on the road to recovery. The key issues affecting the additives market include feedstock costs, increasing global competitiveness, the growing importance of China in the global market and continuing environmental and regulatory issues. Globally, plastics use is growing as polymers continue to replace traditional materials. Additive growth is driven by growing plastics use in developing regions, where per capita plastics consumption is still far below that in developed nations. The global plastics additives market was about 9.9 million tons in 2004, valued at US$19 billion. North America, Europe, China, and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region consumed 21-23% of additives by volume, with the remainder going to India, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe outside of the European Union. Overall, the additives market is expected to grow at 4% AAGR from 2004 to 2009. While Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific (excluding China) are growing at about 3%, China is predicted to grow at 8-10%. The other smaller market regions are also poised to grow at 5-6% through 2009. India could be the next big growth area. Rapid growth in the demand for plastics in the Chinese market is driving a shift of additive consumption and production to the Far East. While China is an exporter of consumer goods, it continues to be a net importer of both plastics and plastic additives. Low-cost suppliers in China and the Asia Pacific region as well as global additive companies setting up facilities in China (primarily through joint ventures with Chinese companies) are striving to meet this supply shortfall. Feedstock has been a key issue for the plastics additives industry particularly since 2004, when both energy and feedstock prices witnessed huge increases. Additive companies began increasing their prices from Q4-2004. Additive price increases have allowed companies to keep up with feedstock price increases, but have generally not resulted in increased margins. Increasing competition from Asia in end-use applications adds to the need for product differentiation. Some companies have improved margins by cutting costs and consolidation, whereas some additive suppliers continue to add value by assisting in developing products that solve problems for specific applications. Additives offer innovative solutions for qualities like durability, aesthetics, low-maintenance and biodegradability. While cost continues to be an important component, most processors now consider a total system cost rather than unit cost of additives and at improving processing efficiencies that allow them to get more output out of existing equipment. For example, additives are used to increase the properties of lower-cost polymers such as PP, allowing them to compete with higher-cost engineering resins. Cost-effective additive solutions may include high-efficiency additives or customer-specific additive blends to avoid over-engineering of properties. High-growth applications where additives can add value include wood-plastic composites (WPC) and long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFRT). Consolidation and globalization of additives customers has increased global Page 128 competitiveness by creating customers with purchasing leverage. Globalization of OEM specifications in industries such as automotive and electronics has contributed to the globalization of the polymer additives industry. Resin Articles 2 PMMA 1 Amino <1 PA <1 ABS <1 POM <1 Others 1 <strong>Total Page 129 <strong>100 Bag closure manufacturers can now adopt a color change technology using a marking and printing additive that enables plastics to be marked using low power CO2 lasers. The additive is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, and is capable of producing an image when marked by a low power CO2 laser (approx 10W power). Once exposed to the laser on the production line, the additive undergoes a simple colour change to create a stable and high contrast date code. The introduction of this solution has also resulted in faster production run times for the company and removed the need for expensive consumables on the production line. This new generation coding, marking and printing additive that enables plastics to be successfully marked using low power CO2 lasers, DataLase Masterbatch, has been initially used to date code bread bag closures for George Weston Foods (GWF). The bread is sealed using Kwik Lok all-plastics bag closures that are marked to provide information on cost, freshness and other package information. Traditionally Kwik Lok used thermal transfer printer to apply the data to the bread bag closures. However, finding that the information tended to rub off the closures, the company requested that Kwik Lok, Unimark (Markem's agent) and Sherwood Technology work together to provide an alternative date coding solution. By combining DataLase Masterbatch with low power CO2 lasers, GWF was able to produce high quality date codes that could not easily be removed from the closures 154 Plastic bags can be marked 6/19/2006 with laser technique Page 130 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd. (KET), part of the Kolsite Group, has been presented the Runner-up Plasticon Award 2005 for Best Research under the category Polymer Sciences, Technology & Engineering. This prestigious award has been conferred for the successful development of an Extrusion System for processing of the sensitive Polymer "Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride(CPVC)". KET, India's leading manufacturer and exporter of Plastic Extrusion Machinery has been presented this award for manufacturing Twin Screw CPVC Pipe Plant for the first time in India. Two such Plants have already been manufactured and successfully commissioned by KET, one of which is installed in Jordan. KET's CPVC Pipe Plant has handled the complex processing of the very heat sensitive CPVC, which calls for special screw geometry to process for optimum shear, with remarkable success. It features a special Die Head and Dies, which offers least resistance and stagnancy to the flow path. As CPVC is highly viscous, a High Torque Gearbox and Drive has been provided. This Line processes CPVC Pipes as per the specifications of Noveon and other imported raw materials.Now processors need not import these machines, as KET's CPVC Pipe Plants are very cost effective and match International Quality Standards. To know plant details, please mail us at [email protected] 156 Extrusion System for processing 6/19/2006of the sensitive. Page 132 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Page 131 Demand- after growing very well for commodity plastics in China, has picked in the last two decades for engineering plastics. China is estimated to consume more than 4 million tons of the engineering plastics in 2005, reaching levels of about 7 million tons by 2010, attaining an average growth of about 9% in the next 5 years. Rapid development has broadened applications as well as consumption, making China rank first place in the world in terms of demand for engineering plastics. While rapid economic development in China has led to a corresponding increase in the use of engineering plastics, the industry in China is still at its primary stage and suffers from low production levels, small-scale production facilities and limited varieties. Domestic production of engineering plastics is currently only 1.25 million tons, hence, like the other polymers, China has to import a huge quantity of engineering plastics. With self-sufficiency being less than 30%, China has become the largest importer of engineering plastics as users of PC, POM, mPPO and ABS rely mainly on imports. The country's import of engineering plastics has surged from 2.28 million tons in 2002 to 3.31 million tons in 2005. Imports will continue in the next 5 years, despite the increased domestic production to almost 2.75 million tons. China's net import volume of raw material resins for the five major engineering plastics (PA, PC, POM, engineering PET and PBT, mPPO) is estimated to cross 1 million tons collectively, and ABS net import is estimated to reach 2.12 million tons in 2005. The key drivers of this growth in China is rapid expansion of China's automotive, electronic and electrical industries, with growth rates greater than 20% between 2002 and 2004. During the same period, China's GDP grew at an average annual rate of more than 8%. China is speeding up in domestic production, and the growth rate is estimated to hit 13.5% in the next 5 years. Even though the production will almost double by 2010, the gap between consumption and domestic output will still widen from 3.13 million tons in 2005 to 4.35 million tons in 2010. Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> For the first time in the history of India, any city had almost 40 inches (1000 mm) of incessant rains just in about 1 day. This happened in the city on Mumbai, where majority of th e1000 mm fell in just 3-4 hours in the afternoon. This should be considered as natural calamity. Besides it was high tide and water could not flow in the sea. Instead all the roads and the other ground surface were under a few feet of water disrupting the life of Mumbai city. How can a city remain unaffected when so intense rain fell in the time period of less than 4 hours and that too at the time of high tide. Then why do you single out plastic bags as the primary reason for the choking of drains. We strongly believe that the Government is making the poor plastic bags as <strong>&q As a response to the flooding of Mumbai after the incessant rains on 26th July 2005, the Government of Maharashtra plans to ban the use of plastic bags in the state of Maharashtra. We must say that this response is completely unbelievable and that too cin a state where almost 1 million tons of various types of plastic products are manufactured. Is the Government, instead of working on the fundamental problem of water logging, putting all blames on plastic bags. While we agree that plastic bags and the other plastic products end up in the drains because of bad littering habits, can we blame plastic products alone for the water logging?<strong> By the proposed ban on plastic bags, the Government of Maharashtra is charting a detrimental course.About 60 million tons of plastic is used in the packaging sector out of the total of about 170 million tons consumed in the World. India consumes only 4.5 million tons and therefore is a very small user of plastics in the World. While our population is more than 16% our share of plastic consumption is merely 4.5%. This banning will hamper the growth of plastic in our country and more so in Maharashtra state which has almost 25% share of the total plastic consumption. It would have seriousl adverse implications on the life of a common man. Plastics, due to their relatively higher cost efficiency, benefits ordinary citizens in sourcing their daily necessities in convenient and unadulterated form and at a fraction of the cost as compared to paper, glass or cloth. Use of alternative materials would result in substantial increase in packaging cost of milk, edible oil, bread, cereals, pulses, spices, confectionery items, toiletry products and a host of other items used by common man and may even push some of these products beyond the reach of poorer section of the society apart from creating higher impact on the environment. Milk packaging consumes almost 70 KT of plastic bags in India. By banning the use of bags in milk packaging and switching to glass or paper packaging, milk will become more expensive at least to the extent of Rs.5/liter. Secondly the best alternate mode of packaging is either in HDPE plastic bottle or of tetrapack which has Polyethylene coating. Both these alternatives would increase the burden to the common mass. Plastic as a material is one of the most beneficial to the public at large. It has proven its worthiness beyond any doubt. That is why there is no sphere of human kind that can not be filled without plastic. While we can enumerate endless advantages of plastics, the following examples clearly illustrate the benefits of plastics to the society. Some of the applications that offer tremendous benefits globally, Page 134 are: <strong>· Distribution of milk all across the breadth of the large countries at the lowest cost · Prevention of wastage due to degradation of food products/vegetables/fruits Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Polysulphones are amorphous engineering thermoplastics containing the sulfone groups (SO2) in the main chain along with a variety of aromatic constituents like ether or iso-propylidene groups. There are four major members of the polysulfone family. These are: 1) Polysulfone 2) Polyarylsulfone 3) Polyethersulfone 4) Polyphenylsulfone <strong>Properties: Polysulphones are engineering plastics with high strength, stiffness combined with toughness. They display high thermal and oxidative stability, low creep and transparency - The presence of aromatic elements and sulfone group provide resistance to heat and oxidation. They display good dimensional stability, retain strength and dielectric properties during their service life. Polysulfones have low flammability. Very few polymers can match this high temperature performance Polysulfone can be used upto 150 degree C, whereas Polyethersulfone can be used upto 200 degree C. Resistance to hydrolysis at high temperature and to most acids, alkalies and non polar organic solvents is excellent, but the resin may however be attacked or dissolved by polar solvesnts, especially under stress. Resistance to ionization radiation is high, however protection to UV radiation is needed for outdoor applications. <strong>Applications: Polysulfones find application in electronic and automotive parts, fiber optics, medical instruments requiring sterilization, chemical and food processing equipment, plumbing and home appliance items etc. Copolymers of Polysulfones have potential in medical application to be used as an artificial membrane to remove CO2 and perfuse with O2. Membranes are semi-permeable barriers that allow certain substances such as water to pass through, while other substances like bacteria and viruses are selectively separated and not allowed to pass through. Other applications of Polysulfone membranes include water purification (both potable and waste), medical filtration, Pageand 133gas separation, as well as a variety of industrial filtration. A Japanese company has developed a hose that changes colour according to the temperature of fluid inside it. The ink can be mixed to display any hue from white to black and can be made to change colour at any temperature in a range from –10°C to 60°C. The hoses make for easy monitoring of industrial processes and allow operators to prevent damage to a hose by running it outside its recommended temperature range. In addition, the color-change allows operators to avoid prolonged exposure of the hose to temperatures outside its recommended temperature range, preventing damage to the hose. For instance, a hose can be purple at temperatures up to 40°C and change to red above 60°C. The hose has a coil stiffener that uses a fiber containing a thermo sensitive material, jointly developed by Kuraray and The Pilot Ink Company. The technology, developed by Japan’s Kuraray Plastics is compatible with a broad range of hose materials, including PVC, urethane and polypropylene. This colour-change hose would cost about 40 % more than standard hoses. 159 Plastic hose that changes 6/19/2006 colour . Page 135 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> A Japanese company has developed a hose that changes colour according to the temperature of fluid inside it. The ink can be mixed to display any hue from white to black and can be made to change colour at any temperature in a range from –10°C to 60°C. The hoses make for easy monitoring of industrial processes and allow operators to prevent damage to a hose by running it outside its recommended temperature range. In addition, the color-change allows operators to avoid prolonged exposure of the hose to temperatures outside its recommended temperature range, preventing damage to the hose. For instance, a hose can be purple at temperatures up to 40°C and change to red above 60°C. The hose has a coil stiffener that uses a fiber containing a thermo sensitive material, jointly developed by Kuraray and The Pilot Ink Company. The technology, developed by Japan’s Kuraray Plastics is compatible with a broad range of hose materials, including PVC, urethane and polypropylene. This colour-change hose would cost about 40 % more than standard hoses. 160 Plastic hose that changes 6/19/2006 colour . Page 136 Articles electric power and gas hits plastics industry. Demand of Pakistani plastics products grows in India. Japanese government under grant-in-aid provides 706 million (US$ 14 m) for moderation of work-shop facilities at Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (PITAC). Export Promotion Bureau overlooking local industry imports 20,000 plastics fish crates for Karachi Fish Harbour. Government lays down rules for the levy and collection of Extra Sales Tax at 5% on the suppliers and manufacturers of certain plastics goods. 2000 - Sindh government impose a ban on polyethylene bags in Karachi and Hyderabad. First exhibition on auto-parts held in Karachi. Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories suggest that auto parts industry be declared specialized highly value-added industry with seven years incentives. Five percent excise duty abolished on plastics industry. The use of polyethylene bags by the food department to store wheat causes a loss of Rs.200 million to the government. 2001 - First batch of BE Engineers pass out from PTC. Exports of naphtha reaches US$ 50.6 m. First directory of plastics industry is published in Karachi. Implementation of ODS project begins. 2002 - Central Board of Revenue restricts clearance of any plastics scrap without a certificate from Chamber of Commerce. The government of Pakistan approves an "Upgradtion of Plastics Technology Centre" project with a capital cost of Rs.455.00 million with the assistance of Japan. PPMA organizes a three day plastics exhibition in Lahore. 2003 - Polypropylene import increases by 68% in one year. Chinese goods flood Pakistani markets. Japan External Trade Organization holds a workshop on mold making. Fauji Polypropylene Products puts its assets on sale. Ministry of Environment launches advertisement campaign in local newspapers discouraging use of polypropylene bags. 2004 - PPMA organizes second (local) exhibition in Lahore. First international plastics exhibition held in Karachi. Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority presents its study for rehabilitation of PVC industry to the government. Macpac Films Ltd, manufacturers of multi layer co-extruder packaging films offer 10 million ordinary shares through an initial public offering. 161 Evolution of Pakistan's Plastics 6/19/2006 Industry. Page 137 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Plastics provide several advantages to household appliances, widening the scope of appliance sector. Plastics are the economical response to mass production and are thus favoured. The household appliance market has accepted plastics due to some key advantages, such as: * Economic competition * Cost cuttings * Reduction of development cycle time for the mass production models * Hardening of regulations for pollution, recycling and energy Plastics and composites have incomparable sets of properties to meet most of these requirements: <strong>Technical features: Plastics offer an exceptional balance of weight, performances, ease of processing, aesthetics, and cost: * Design freedom allows a high level of function integration * Low density and interesting performance/weight ratio leads to ease in handling. * Shatter resistance: plastics avoid the cutting shreds of glass * Damping (noise reduction). * Durability and resistance to moisture * Ease of maintenance * Possibility of bulk colouring and in-mould decoration * Good thermal insulation <strong>Economical features: * Ease of processing * Reduction or suppression of finishing operations * Higher productivity due to function integration * The possibilities of joining with simple technologies such as gluing <strong>Aesthetic features: Plastics allow: * Much more design freedom than steel, and other conventional materials * Pleasant finish * Decoration possibilities <strong>Environmental features: Plastics are environment friendly as they provide: * Energy saving during all the lifetime by the high thermal insulation properties and the sealing properties of elastomers and Page 138 TPE * Weight reduction * Protective properties Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Plastic fuel tanks in automobiles are gaining usage globally. Blow moulded or injection moulded multi layer HDPE fuel tanks are most common. The automotive industry has made significant developments to meet the recent emission standards. However this trend has not been increasing globally in a geographically uniform pattern. Europe has almost fully converted to these plastic fuel tanks, with 92% automobiles of European origin fitted with plastic fuel tanks. North America, with 75% usage, is lagging behind. However, the Asian region is lagging far behind, due to problems of economies. One of the possible reasons is the smaller number of car produced in different parts of Asia as compared to Europe and North America. The use of plastic fuel tank does not become economical at lower production levels of an individual automobile company. Another development in the auto segment has been plastic fuel lines that convey fuel from the tank to the engine compartment. Compared with existing rubber and steel fuel lines, plastic fuel lines are lighter in weight, lower in cost and often less permeable. They are also available in many colors, which make it easier to place, track and connect fuel supplies. Interestingly, the automotive companies are very slow in making the switch to plastic lines. The slower pace stems from concerns by auto companies over the ability of plastic fuel lines to meet strict air emission standards, and to resist electrostatic discharges (ESDs), which could ignite flammable fuels. Automakers also need to be convinced that fuel lines made of plastics can withstand the impact of crashes at low winter temperatures and can resist degradation from alcohol fuels. But polymer suppliers and Tier One auto manufacturers have developed new fuel line materials and designs, which they believe can meet these challenges. The most common polymer used in plastic fuel lines is polyamide, often combined in multilayer structures with fluorocarbon polymer barrier resins. Another low-permeability material that has been paired with polyamide in multilayer structures is polybutylene naphthalate (PBN). Aliphatic polyketones have also been promoted as139 fuel line materials. Some polymide based fuel Page line formulations include low levels of carbon nanotubes, which enhance ESD properties without harming physical properties. Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> A well known film producer of medical films has selected a copolyester to produce films that have better barrier properties as well as better clarity. Tekniflex PGA and PGOA films are based on multi-layer lamination constructions and used in blister packaging applications for medical devices or drug product/device combinations. Besides, copolyester films can have good thermoformability. Eastar copolyester from Eastman Chemical offers excellent thermoforming properties for often complex medical trays and is unaffected by irradiation (Gamma or e-beam). The radiation is absolutely essential for medical products to obtain the required sterilized level of protection. The final package also offers good physical protection due to the material's stiffness and resilience. Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) films have been known to offer flexibility as well as stretchability. Several types of TPES can be converted into films, but the films that provide best breathability are the ones produced from Polyester type of TPE, more so from Ether type of Polyester TPE. Breathable TPE films offer advantages of smoother feel, higher permeability to perspiration and thus higher comfort as compared to vinyls and rubber latex products such as gloves used in the medical field. When laminated, these film structures find usage in garments in operating rooms as well as wound dressings. The types of soft segment in TPE structure can introduce the breathability. The base polyether segment is commonly made of polyethylene oxide or propylene oxide block copolymers. The molecular weight of softer segment also influences the breathability, with higher molecular weight increasing breathability. Breathable TPE films can be extruded as monolayer films and can also be made by solution casting process. However, extrusion process is more commonly employed as it is more economical and free from pollution. Only very soft grades are extremely difficult to produce by melt extrusion process. They have to be manufactured by solution casting process. Blown extrusion film process is more preferred compared to extrusion cast process 164 Breakthroughs in medical 6/19/2006 plastics. Page 140 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Plastic films are possibly the single largest application responsible for the highest consumption of plastics. These films, even at such high volumes, grow well and constituted almost 25% of the total consumption of plastics in 2004. Polyethylene and Polypropylene are the two polymers that are most converted into films accounting for almost 34 million tons out of the total of 40 million tons consumption for films. In fact, these two polymers dominate the film market with almost 85% of the total consumption. Both these materials continue to grow more than the World GDP growth, mainly due to increased demand from improving standards of living, particularly in the developing regions of the World. Europe and North America each account for about 30% of the total world consumption of plastic films. There are many material types used in films from single layer polymers to multilayer structures with tie layers and copolymers. Multilayers permit film structures to have barrier or strength. Bi orientation of polypropylene has produced better properties and more valuable materials. High performance plastics are also being used in technical /industrial applications such as telectronics. Blown extrusion was the first process used to make films of polyethylene. Films can be made via a number of converting processes: extrusion, coextrusion, casting, extrusion coating, extrusion laminating and metallising. These processes have advantages and disadvantages depending on the material type in use, the width and thickness of film required. Films are mainly used in packaging for foodstuffs, but there are also substantial market segments for medical, electronic, automotive and construction applications. Specific applications include decorative wrap, form-fill-seal, blood bags, flexible printed circuits, bed sheeting, diapers and in-mould decorating of car parts (to replace painting and provide a more durable surface coating). Carrier bags and garbage bags are big markets, though there are environmental concerns about the use of plastic bags. In construction, films are used in glazing, damp proofing, tarpaulins, geomembranes and similar applications. PE and PP are the main materials used in packaging films. PET is primarily used in magnetic, optics and telectronics. PVC is found in consumer goods and medical applications, while PVB is mainly used in automotive and construction applications as glazing protection. Multimaterial films account for around 7 million tons of the films produced, with around 95% of this going into packaging applications. 165 Plastic films account for6/19/2006 40 million tons. Page 141 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Wood-plastic composites have seen a tremendous growth in the last 2-3 years. Wood plastic composites are believed to be growing at an average rate of about 20% and consumption is expected to reach more than 1 million tons by the turn of this decade. Polyolefin based wood-composites have a major market share, followed by PVC. Styrenics also have some market share. Among Polyolefins, HDPE seems to have a major share. In fact, recycled HDPE finds an avenue in this sector. Typically, these composites have more than 50% wood flour. Of late, talc has also found usage as a partial replacement for wood, as it apparently enhances mechanical properties. Higher level of wood primarily need a coupling agent to achieve dispersion in the polymer matrix, particularly because wood is much polar compared to the polymer matrix. More coupling agent is required when the polymer in usage belongs to polyolefins, essentially non polar. Typically reactive polyolefins such as maliec anhydride modified polyolefins are used at about 1-3% levels. Crompton, Dupont, Eastman and Equistar offer several grades of coupling agents specially designed for wood-Polyolefin composites. Clariant also offers coupling agent masterbatches for improvement of the dispersion. Crompton also offers a compatibilizer for PVC matrix. Lubricants increase throughput and improve surface appearance. Standard lubricants for polyolefins and PVC such as ethylene bis-stearamide (EBS), zinc stearate, paraffin waxes and oxidized PE can be used. Lubricants are being developed to eliminate the adverse reaction of metallic stearates on the coupling reaction in HDPE. Wood composites use about twice as much lubricant as standard plastics. For HDPE, with a typical 50% - 60% wood content, lubricant level can be 4% to 5%, while a similar wood-PP composite typically uses 1% - 2%. Total lubricant level in wood-PVC is 5 to 10 phr. Crompton, Lonza, Struktol have developed special lubricants for wood-Plastic composites. Clariant offers a fluroelastomer type lubricant. There is keen interest in chemical foaming of WPCs to reduce weight and material cost and to improve surface appearance, processing speed, and ease of sawing, nailing, screwing as well as painting finished products. About 20% of all WPC products, mostly wood-PVC, are currently foamed. Both endothermic and exothermic chemical foaming agents (CFAs) are used. Foaming is tougher for crystalline polymers like PE and PP as compared to amorphous polymers like PVC and PS, as the latter generally have better melt strength. When higher wood content is added to the mix, as in polyolefin decking products, the challenge is particularly daunting. Mold, mildew, and stains on some WPC decking are driving manufacturers to consider antifungal biocides that protect either the plastics component and maintain its surface appearance or that preserve the wood component from decay and also reduce moisture absorption. Many products can do both the jobs. Ciba offers Irgaguard F3000, a thiazolyl benzimidazole said to be a broadly effective fungicide for wood-polyolefin and wood-PVC composites. Developmental EB 43-25 combines Irgaguard F3000 with a proprietary additive. It is also a Page 142 broad-spectrum fungicide and can eliminate or reduce stains due to interactions of iron, tannin and moisture. U.S. Borax offers Borogard ZB zinc borate as a preservative for wood-polyolefin Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> A Canadian company has recently developed a plastic wrap to aid detection of stored food contamination. This packaging innovation is based on a proprietary coating technology on the plastic wrap that can detect the level of bacteria like E-coli and salmonella within 30 minutes after the coating process. Post-detection, the wrap will undergo physical changes to indicate the same. The contamination would be indicated by change in colour or by some other method. The technology is not yet 100% proven, but can help in preventing the consumption of the spoilt food kept in refrigerator or cold storage. This new type of plastic wrap would cost about 25% more than the conventional plastic wrap. The technology is required to be perfected before its commercial usage. 167 New plastic wrap to aid 6/20/2006 detection of contamination Page 143 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> The last couple of years have witnessed an ever increasing cost of polymers globally. Increasing competition from low cost Asian processors coupled with higher polymer prices have compelled the North American and European plastics processors to look for ways and means to become more competitive. For this, one of the important areas that these processors have worked upon is to reduce manufacturing costs by increasing output. Increasing outputs have caused a plethora of problems regarding quality, rough surface finish, etc. with most of the commonly used polymers like PE, PVC, etc. The industry has certainly benefited from some of the processing aids being used for the last two decades. Though reasonably effective, some of these processing aids could not perform when output requirements increased significantly, and have been replaced by more effective and improved versions of the earlier products. Generally the linear Polyethylenes like LLDPE and HDPE, as well as the recently introduced Metallocene LLDPE grades are more prone to formation of melt fracture. The earlier versions of fluroelastomers used were required at higher dosage levels. Besides, some of them caused the problem of higher conditioning time before they became effective, translating into a higher wastage level. Their performance was negatively affected when polymers contained other additives like antiblocking agents or UV stabilizers. Both Dynenon and Atofina have introduced product grades that are more efficient and more tolerant to other additives. Processors making films from low MFR LLDPE and HDPE have benefited significantly with the these newer grades that are structurally more stable compared to the first generation products. Similarly, rigid PVC products have been benefited with the newer Acrylic based polymer processing aids that have very high molecular weights compared to the older versions. Most of the rigid PVC processors presently use a blend of process aids having 1-2 million molecular weights along with 3-6 million molecular weights. These high molecular weight processing aids originally developed for stabilization of foam cells are increasingly used for PVC profiles, sheets and bottles. The mineral oils have been used in many polymers either to enhance the lubricity or increase softness of products like TPE. Newer mineral oil products of higher molecular weights that have been found more efficient because of lower volatility, are more widely used in the newer TPEs made from SBS, SEBS or PP/PE. Crompton has introduced Hydrobrite 1000 mineral oil. Dupont's Fluroguard oils have found an increasing usage where abrasion resistance is more critical. Dupont also has Elvaloy AC products that are copolymers of butyl, ethyl Page 144 and methyl acrylates. They enhance the dispersion of pigments in engineering polymers. Vitro Co. in the form of Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Plastics Processors have been seriously affected by the escalation of 38.39% to 76.37% in the basic prices of Polymers since May 2003, without any relief being provided in the form of Customs or Excise Duty. The table below shows the steep escalation in prices of different polymers May 2003 Page 145 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Plastics products have become indispensable in packaging. Almost 35% of the 165 million tons of plastics consumed have a short life cycle, as they tend to get disposed off within 3-6 months. A large volume of this plastics makes its way to either municipal waste grounds or land fills, and being lighter, the litter spreads all around. This litter menace is particularly glaring in those countries like India, where the public awareness of sanitation and cleanliness is at miniscule levels. Is there any solution? Or should we depend upon increased public consciousness that is slow and may take decades to be developed? Globally, the plastics industry has developed several alternate solutions, some of them are practical and easier to implement. It is well known that plastics that are made of macro molecules can be degraded when their molecular weights are reduced significantly. When high molecular weights contribute to mechanical strength of the polymer. When they are broken down or reduced, their mechanical properties get reduced. The plastics products tend to become brittle and can be broken down to smaller pieces. The degradation of polymeric material can be initiated by 3 external environmental conditions: Heat, Oxygen and Ultra Violet Radiation. If a plastics materials can be incorporated with any one or all different types of additives that could initiate the controlled degradation by any one of the 3 mechanisms, the plastics litter can be broken into indistinguishable pieces that can mix with the soil. To make plastics biodegradable, starch could be incorporated. Bacteria tend to love starch and consume it leaving the plastic matrix in a very brittle condition. Several masterbatch concentrates are available with starch as a component. However, degradation can be hastened if the masterbatch also contains some of those additives that help in degradation or deterioration of molecular weight using either oxidative, thermal and or ultra violet irradiation. Such products are now available from leading Indian masterbatch producers. The degradation speed and intensity can be controlled without sacrificing the strength, clarify and physical properties of the film. Applications can be for a broad spectrum including Carry bags, Liners, Garbage bags, Cast PE film products, Liners, Mulch film, Garbage bags, Agri film, etc. The effective performance of the degradable masterbatch products in Polyethylenes carry bags/films can be seen in the following charts. Indeed these masterbatches having controlled degradation of the plastic products could be an answer to the menace of plastic litter that can be easily seen all around India. FOR TRADE ENQUIRIES CLICK HERE <strong><strong><strong> May 2003 and August 2004   August 2004 Increase Polystyrene 40.50 71.43 30.93 76.37% HDPE 32.30 54.00 21.70 67.18% PP Homo Polymer 38.15 52.95 14.80 38.79% Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Cosmetics packaging is that unique category of plastics molding in which the components have to be glitzy, unusualy shaped, aesthetically pleasing, and beg the consumer to "pick me". In a crowded, competitive market, new packaging and innovative concepts are continually being introduced to provide companies with the edge they need to stay ahead in the game. Eastman Chemical's new Glass Polymer copolyester fits the bill for a unique packaging design for a new Ocean Pacific cologne. Far from being just another cologne bottle, the packaging consists of a textured inner glass vessel, which holds the fragrance, encapsulated within an outer Glass Polymer sleeve to create the wave effect. To develop the wave system, the package consists of clear and blue liquids, each with a different viscosity, the two liquids create a wave effect between the inner glass vial and the outer copolyester sleeve when the package is tipped. The Glass Polymer was really the only material that was capable of achieving the clarity, wall thickness, and chemical resistance required to produce the bottle. The Glass Polymer maintains dimensional stability and clarity even at extreme wall thickness Despite a sidewall thickness of around 2.5 mm bottom of approximately 4.75-5 mm the bottle cooled sink-free, and no additional water-cooling techniques were needed for moulding 171 New clear plastic bottles6/20/2006 facilitate better retent Page 147 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> Weather testing of plastics parts is becoming a crucial step to avoid potential product failures particularly in automotive plastics. There is often inadequate communication between the OEM, processor, compounder and additive supplier regarding the service environment to which the product will be exposed. Misunderstandings regarding how or where a product is to be used, is definitely a recipe for product failure. As OEMs increasingly turn to processors for design and material selection, the responsibility for in-service weathering failures is also being passed down to the processors. Processors, under constant pressure to improve product performance and simultaneously reduce costs, are resorting to new materials and additives as potential solutions. However, introduction of these unknowns without adequate testing, explains why the incidence of weathering-related failures is on the rise. Plastics materials and products are being introduced in markets globally, for applications they may not have been designed or tested. New polymers, variations on traditional polymers (such as metallocene grades) and new copolymer blends and alloys are marketed aggressively for their cost-performance or processing benefits. However, in the absence of adequate testing, durability of these new materials remains a question mark. Similarly, colorant systems based on new organic pigments and pigment blends are replacing heavy-metal based colorants. These new colorants can have unexpected color stability and light-fastness problems. "Same-spec" resin from different plants, even different reactors of the same supplier, can differ in crosslinking, molecular-weight distribution, side-chain branching, etc. All of these can affect processing and performance - including weatherability. This is especially true for semi-crystalline polymers such as Polypropylene. Purchase of fillers and other bulk additives are frequently price based, but when non-technical buyers switch vendors or grades to save money, it can result in a compromise on product performance. For example, talc absorbs HALS UV stabilizers and reduces their effectiveness and metal content in various silica fillers, and can catalyze degradation of PP unless it is adequately stabilized. All polymer additives can be thought of as contaminants. Despite their positive value, they can also have undesirable Page 148side effects. For example, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used to protect resins like rigid vinyl from UV radiation. However, it is well known that TiO2 causes polymer degradation in the presence of ultra violet rays and moisture, Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> An enterprising Indian company along with its global partners seems to have solved the environmental problem caused by tons of PE generated from refuse sacks, bin liners and various plastics packaging. This is a unique technology, wherein, the PE product range can degrade completely in a landfill (dumping ground). The degradation process is initiated at extrusion stage by the inclusion of a small amount of pro-degradant additive. A special balance of inhibitors ensures that a sufficiently life expectancy is provided based on the application - a refuse sack might require an 18 month life cycle before beginning to lose its strength, whereas, a bread bag requires only 6 months. Degradation can get accelerated by a number of factors such as sunlight, heat and stress caused by pulling and tearing. The unique properties of plastics - strength, toughness and durability - are due to the high molecular weight and the chemical bonding between the atoms. PE refuse sacks, though popular and useful, are considered environmentally unfriendly. A material is called degradable with respect to specific environmental conditions if it undergoes degradation to a specific extent within a given time measured by specific standard test methods. The degradation of PE, which is constructed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, results from the rupture of carbon-carbon bonds leading to a lowering of molecular weight and a resultant loss of strength and durability. The unique process developed, reduces the molecular weight of a product from one quarter million - 2,50,000 Daltons to less then 4,000 Daltons, leading to the rapid breakdown of the material when exposed to various conditions. The degradation process is initiated at extrusion stage by the inclusion of a small amount of pro-degradant additive. Once degradation is initiated, it will continue. The eventual result of the degradation is the release of minute quantities of carbon dioxide and water (the same amount as we humans exhale everytime we breathe) and some biomass. Alternatively, when exposed to sunlight, photo-degradation will occur, allowing a complete breakdown of the film into CO2, water and biomass. As the additives are neither water soluble nor toxic in either degraded or un degraded conditions, there is no potential for leachate Page contamination. The149 degradable product will be stable under proper storage conditions. The product has a finite shelf life, which can be influenced by environmental factors, such as heat, exposure to sunlight, oxygen and the elements of time. The degradable products Articles 174 New developments 6/20/2006 in Thermoplastic. Page 150 Articles <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> A leading and well known supplier of automotive parts - Lear Corporation, USA, has recently developed and introduced two new plastic composites for automotive parts. These composites are more enviornmental friendly, as they are constituted of natural fibres such as Hemp, Jute & Kenof. These natural fibres are obtained from plants and can be recycled.  The first material is based on Polypropylene, while the second material uses Acrylic Polymer. Coupling agents are normally used to enhance the compatibility of natural fibres with polymeric materials and are added to Polymers at as high a level as 70%.   Some of the applications which are being evaluated are: Interior door panels Door panel trimmings Package trays Trunks 175 Eco Friendly Plastic Composites 6/20/2006 . Page 151 Articles Polyethylene film manufacturers have been attempting to replace paper bags for the last several years but have not been completely successful yet. One of the major reasons is that polyethylene bag does not have good deadfold and crease retention, characteristics that are offered by paper bags. The new developments of HM HDPE grade has helped in improving these characteristics. Some of the polyethylene bags of three-layer structure containing new HM HDPE grade in core structure have crease resistance and deadfold characteristics similar to paper. Such Polyethylene bags are increasingly used in American fast food chains as well as other retail stores. These type of plastic bags are now manufactured between 15-100 micron thickness. The three layer co-extrusion system is found to be more suitable. Generally the outerlayer contains paper like film while the rigidity is derived from the core of HM HDPE. A major masterbatch manufacturer Schulman is marketing a special masterbatch called Papermatch which provides paper like feel to polyethylene in 176 Paper like PE bags 7/12/2006 a promising future the skinhave layers. British and Russian surgeons rebuilding faces of children involved in accidents have used a new honeycombed polymeric implant. The material bonds with the bone without causing adverse reactions. The made-to-measure implants are light, tough, flexible and cheap, providing an excellent alternative to traditional titanium. They are easier to adjust and re-shape and give much more flexibility. These implants allow carrying out many more operations than before. When a child is assessed for an operation at the St. Vladimir Children’s Hospital, Moscow, scientists use X-rays and tomography images to create a three-dimensional plastic cast of the damaged area. These solid biomodels, built by a high-tech process called laser stereolithography allow surgeons to plan operations with great precision before they even lift a scalpel. Having assessed how much bone needs to be removed, the scientists in Troitsk use stereolithography to make the individual PolyHap implants. The technique, which can be completed in a matter of hours, can be used to make the most intricate shapes that are then sent to the hospital. The outline of the implant is initially “drawn” by a laser beam, which leaves a very fine coating of polymer. This process is repeated hundreds of times until the model is complete. Although the PolyHap implants have produced good results there is a possibility the implants might have to be replaced as the child grows and the bones develop. In order to make these ‘vanishing’ implants, a new Surface Selective Laser Sintering technique is being developed. This involves using a laser beam to melt just the polymer surface, leaving the bioactive inner section intact – a crucial 177 A new polymeric factorimplant in creating 7/12/2006 helps a biodegradable rebuild faces implant. Page 152 Articles The last few years have seen a distinct shift in market supplies of Polyethene bags, particularly for grocery, in the USA. Asian, notably Chinese bags, are increasingly grabbing higher share of the market. It is estimated that more than 25-30% of the total US requirement is fulfilled by imports from the Asian countries. China, of course, has dominated the imports in this market. What are the key reasons for such an increasing demand of bags from China? The bags from China are priced at least 15% lower than those from the US suppliers. First of all, polymer prices in China are lower than those in North America as China sources most of its requirement from the Middle eastern region, enjoying the benefit of lower feedstock costs. Besides the Chinese film producers do not have to pay any import duty on the material meant for exports of the converted products like PE bags. The stable Chinese currency also helps in saving raw material costs. The US manufacturers have to utilize economic scales of production to be cost-competitive, due to higher fixed cost arising from expensive labour. On the other hand, China has very low labour cost and very high labour productivity, helping the bag manufacturers to use smalller film plants in large numbers. This provides flexibility in producing different sized bags directly from the extrusion equipment. The steps of slitting and extra sealing are completely avoided. The capital cost of the smaller plants made indigeneously in China is very low. Interestingly, these smaller plants running at lower speeds, provide better thickness control compared to the large machines in USA, which to be economical, have to run at very high speeds. The smaller plants also have no sophisticated process controls that are absolutely essential for the larger machines.The savings in capital costs contribute significantly in the cost of bags. More uniform thickness enables the Chinese producers to make the film 178 Low cost Chinese thinnerplastics and 7/12/2006 save bags further are increasing in the material thei cost. Page 153 Articles city had almost 40 inches (1000 mm) of incessant rains just in about 1 day. This happened in the city on Mumbai, where majority of th e1000 mm fell in just 3-4 hours in the afternoon. This should be considered as natural calamity. Besides it was high tide and water could not flow in the sea. Instead all the roads and the other ground surface were under a few feet of water disrupting the life of Mumbai city. How can a city remain unaffected when so intense rain fell in the time period of less than 4 hours and that too at the time of high tide. Then why do you single out plastic bags as the primary reason for the choking of drains. We strongly believe that the Government is making the poor plastic bags as <strong>"scapegoat". As a response to the flooding of Mumbai after the incessant rains on 26th July 2005, the Government of Maharashtra plans to ban the use of plastic bags in the state of Maharashtra. We must say that this response is completely unbelievable and that too cin a state where almost 1 million tons of various types of plastic products are manufactured. Is the Government, instead of working on the fundamental problem of water logging, putting all blames on plastic bags. While we agree that plastic bags and the other plastic products end up in the drains because of bad littering habits, can we blame plastic products alone for the water logging?<strong> By the proposed ban on plastic bags, the Government of Maharashtra is charting a detrimental course. About 60 million tons of plastic is used in the packaging sector out of the total of about 170 million tons consumed in the World. India consumes only 4.5 million tons and therefore is a very small user of plastics in the World. While our population is more than 16% our share of plastic consumption is merely 4.5%. This banning will hamper the growth of plastic in our country and more so in Maharashtra state which has almost 25% share of the total plastic consumption. It would have seriousl adverse implications on the life of a common man. Plastics, due to their relatively higher cost efficiency, benefits ordinary citizens in sourcing their daily necessities in convenient and unadulterated form and at a fraction of the cost as compared to paper, glass or cloth. Use of alternative materials would result in substantial increase in packaging cost of milk, edible oil, bread, cereals, pulses, spices, confectionery items, toiletry products and a host of other items used by common man and may even push some of these products beyond the reach of poorer section of the society apart from creating higher impact on the environment. Milk packaging consumes almost 70 KT of plastic bags in India. By banning the use of bags in milk packaging and switching to glass or paper packaging, milk will become more expensive at least to the extent of Rs.5/liter. Secondly the best alternate mode of packaging is either in HDPE plastic bottle or of tetrapack which has Polyethylene coating. Both these alternatives would increase the burden to the common mass. Plastic as a material is one of the most beneficial to the public at large. It has proven its worthiness beyond any doubt. That is why there is no sphere of human kind that can not be filled without plastic. While we can enumerate endless advantages of plastics, the following examples clearly illustrate the benefits of plastics to the society. Some of the applications that offer tremendous benefits globally, are: <strong>· Distribution of milk all across the breadth of the large countries at the lowest cost · Prevention of wastage due to degradation of food products/vegetables/fruits by use of plastic packaging · Several medical applications including Angioplasty of heart, catheters, implants etc. · Fuel saving by weight reduction of automobile with increasing use of light weight plastic parts 154 · Increased agriculturalPage productivity due to the use of plastics in the modern cultivation techniques (drip irrigation, green house etc) · Saving of water by use of plastic in canal lining as well as pipes in carrying Articles transfer decorating is the use of a preprinted graphic on a carrier (either paper or mylar) that is applied to a substrate (usually plastic) with the use of a hot stamp machine. Heat transfers are usually printed by one of three printing methods: Screen Printing, Rotogravure or Flexography. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method, but the most popular and most cost effective for the majority of the projects is Screen Printing. Heat transfers offer unique performance and appearance advantages superior to all other means of decorating. The application of heat transfers is a simple and efficient production process that is highly cost effective. Multi- color, high performance transfers can be applied permanently in a few seconds utilizing low cost hot stamping equipment. The entire operation requires a minimum amount of floor space and uses unskilled labor. Since it is a completely dry process- unlike other wet decorating methods- the decorated product can be handled and moved to its next process immediately. Also, as a dry process, heat transfers pose no environmental concerns within your facility. Characteristics of heat transfers: * Cleaner, faster, more cost efficient, provide more graphic flexibility * Always applied automatically to the plastic part versus manually applied labels * Ability to reproduce the most complex design with strict registration accuracy, consistency and in crisp sharp detail. * Ability to adhere to many substrates such as virtually all plastics:    ABS, Acrylic, PP, Polycarbonate, polyphenylene, HDPE, LDPE, PVC and Sty (GP & high impact), Polymides       (nylon), Urethan glass filled), Vinyl * Successful adherence to apparel, various fabrics, wood and metal. Heat transfers find application in various industries including : <strong>Consumer Products L awn and garden products, power tools, sporting goods, protective gear, POP displays, footwear, leather goods, protective equipment, consumer electronics, kitchen appliances, etc. <strong>Automotive Products Dashboard, seatbelts, visors, disclaimers, auto parts, batteries, etc <strong>Cellular Phones In-mold applications, lenses, leather and vinyl cases, battery packs, accessories, etc. <strong>Computer Products Monitors, mouse, towers, keyboards, software packaging, cables, networking hardware, etc. <strong>Fabric Systems Shoe inner sole, fabric bags, special nylon medical products, baby products, etc <strong>Medical <strong>Products Medical equipment, synthetic braces and casts, specialty containers, etc. <strong>Baby Products Toys,<strong> swings, high chairs, strollers, car seats, etc.< There are many challenges to be faced when the decision is made to use heat transfer decals as the decorating method for your project. These challenges are not necessarily unique to heat transfer decals but are also present to some degree within the hot stamping family. The greatest challenge to both the company that produces the transfers and the ultimate user of the product is the chemistry issue. If the ink chemistry is not correct it will affect everything from the print quality of the image to the ability to make the ink transfer and adhere properly as well as pass any testing that may be applicablePage 155 Among other challenges are: 1) The correct choice of the type of hot stamp machine; either a roll on or a vertical press with the correct tonnage. Articles often find people locked in nit-picking arguments over identified flying objects mocking the decades old question is it a bird, an airplane or something else, but instead of getting the traditional answer of superman it is now a plastics bag. The article made up from the wonder material of the 20th century known to all of us as polyethylene - we are compelled to ask ourselves is this miraculous material a blessing or a curse? The plastic bags littered and strewn in every nook and corner of cities, on roads, telephone and electric wires hanging overhead and on trees deface the appearance of the cities and give the most unpleasant look. In the past few years a never-ending campaign to ban the plastic bags has reached its climax globally. Now the government across the world are incorporating stringent regulations that include levy of heavy taxes and fines to ban polyethylene bags altogether. Various countries and states have started taking measures to reduce the use of polyethylene bags. They include Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Bangladesh and India. In Pakistan, district Nazim of Hyderabad imposed a ban on trading and using of polyethylene bags from January 1, 2006 in the entire Hyderabad district and asked the traders and consumers to arrange alternate source within two months. This is not the first time that a local or provincial government in Pakistan has banned the plastic bags. Every time the bans are announced a fact that is crystal clear is clearly ignored or overlooked is that it is easy to announce bans but very difficult to implement them. These campaigns to ban the bags fizzled out for one reason or the other. In the past, campaigns to drive the plastic bags out of business has not only failed but has gone down the drain without any trace. But this time the government seems to be talking seriously as a day after the announcement to ban plastic bags, Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat ul Ibad decided to promulgate an ordinance regulating the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags for reasons similar to those echoed around the world that the article is a source of nuisance, sewage system blockade and various other problems. The ordinance is to standardize the recommended size and thickness of the bags. It would be recommended that the bags should not be below 30 microns and shorter than 10x14 inches. The manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers resorting to defy the ban would be booked and could face upto 3 months imprisonment and or a fine of Rs 50,000. The food grade PE bags, which have no undesirable effects, have been recommended as a substitute of polyethylene bags. The story to ban use of polyethylene bags in the province of Sindh started in the year 1992 following a finding that the black colored plastics bags being widely used in Pakistan for packing food material contained Carcinoger or cancer causing agent. Elsewhere in the world black bags are used for garbage or body bags. A country wide media campaign was launched and the bags were banned. In the year 2000 another study was conducted by a non-governmental organization. SWT working for the beautification of the city had greatly propagated the cause of banning the use of plastic bags and had even motivated the legislators to pass a bill in the assembly in this regard. A high-level meeting chaired by the than Governor of Sindh Air-Marshal (retd) Azim Daudpota decided to impose a ban on the usage of all kinds of polyethylene bags throughout the province. In the first phase the ban was enforced in Karachi and Hyderabad. The move by the provincial government irked the business community which without wasting any time formed a high powered team of businessmen and met the Commissioner of Karachi to discuss the matter at lengths who said that although the government in principle has decided to ban plastic bags but no time frame has been devised for the implementation of the decision. He further said that despite ban the government was in no way interested in closing down the polyethylene bag units or in creating unemployment. It was interested in settling the issue of polyethylene bags waste, which created environmental hazards. Page 156 Although no exact figure are available on this industry in Pakistan, according to rough estimates, the investments in machinery, equipment, infrastructure facilities and manpower development Articles The last few years have seen a distinct shift in market supplies of Polyethene bags, particularly for grocery, in the USA. Asian, notably Chinese bags, are increasingly grabbing higher share of the market. It is estimated that more than 25-30% of the total US requirement is fulfilled by imports from the Asian countries. China, of course, has dominated the imports in this market. What are the key reasons for such an increasing demand of bags from China? The bags from China are priced at least 15% lower than those from the US suppliers. First of all, polymer prices in China are lower than those in North America as China sources most of its requirement from the Middle eastern region, enjoying the benefit of lower feedstock costs. Besides the Chinese film producers do not have to pay any import duty on the material meant for exports of the converted products like PE bags. The stable Chinese currency also helps in saving raw material costs. The US manufacturers have to utilize economic scales of production to be cost-competitive, due to higher fixed cost arising from expensive labour. On the other hand, China has very low labour cost and very high labour productivity, helping the bag manufacturers to use smalller film plants in large numbers. This provides flexibility in producing different sized bags directly from the extrusion equipment. The steps of slitting and extra sealing are completely avoided. The capital cost of the smaller plants made indigeneously in China is very low. Interestingly, these smaller plants running at lower speeds, provide better thickness control compared to the large machines in USA, which to be economical, have to run at very high speeds. The smaller plants also have no sophisticated process controls that are absolutely essential for the larger machines.The savings in capital costs contribute significantly in the cost of bags. More uniform thickness enables the Chinese producers to make the film thinner and save further in the material cost. Of course the Chinese film producers have razor thin profits and have to depend upon volumes to achieve sizeable profitability in business. How long will the trend of cheaper labour continue in China? As the Chinese manufacturing industry has become formidable 182 Low cost Chinese plastics 7/12/2006 bags are thei only since the early 90s,increasing making predictions is difficult. Page 157 Articles ________ITC NEWS RESOURCES ­­­­­­- -- GLOBAL INFO TECH 183 Saudi to Invest www.polymerbiz.com SR262bn9/18/2006 in Oil, Gas Sector Page 158 Articles By Ahmed ElAmin 28/10/2005 - Amcor, the world's largest producer of PET, is pushing for a third round of p Plastic is made from hydrocarbons derived from petroleum or natural gas. With the rising The price hikes will continue to translate into higher costs for food processors' packaging The proposed price hikes were confirmed by Amcor, whose chief executive told sharehol PET is widely used in soft drink bottles. Amcor chief executive Ken MacKenzie said in a st This year has been one of the most difficult years ever experienced by the packaging ind "In many respects it was the perfect storm, with large cost increases on the supply side In a similar fashion, PET resin costs have also experienced substantial increases due mai The packaging industry is not in a position to absorb the cost increases of resins, energy "This is the third wave of cost increases over the past twelve months and it will be imper Meanwhile European Plastics News reported that in October, prices were settled without The price hikes will continue to translate into higher costs for food processors' packaging "Supply tightness and rising feedstock costs sent Western European standard thermopla Polyolefins registered the largest gains, with L-LDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) an LDPE is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength an PP (polypropylene) prices also had similar gains. These price hikes were underpinned by PP is used for making caps and lids. Because of its high melting point, PP can be hot-fille PVC (polyvinyl chloride) prices rose by about 10 per cent. As a film, PVC is used for pack Polystyrene prices rose by up to three per cent. The plastic is used for making packaging In November, plastic producers will be asking for price increases in the order of €50-100 "They maintain that further price increases are necessary to make up for unsatisfactory ­­­­­­- -- GLOBAL INFO TECH Page 159 184 Polymer price www.polymerbiz.com hikes set 9/18/2006 to push packing costs even Articles By JOHN HOLUSHA MANUFACTURERS of polystyrene, the lightweight plastic packaging material, have been ­­­­­­- -- GLOBAL INFO TECH 185 A Setback for Polystyrene 9/18/2006 www.polymerbiz.com By EDMUND L. ANDREWS It may be a step away from natural foods, but the Procter & Gamble Company has paten ­­­­­­- -- GLOBAL INFO TECH 186 Patents; Prolonging www.polymerbiz.com the 9/18/2006 Crunch And Freshness in Fo Page 160 Articles GE Plastics announces that at Powder Coating 2006, the company is exhibiting the first i These unique materials - slated to join GE's growing ecomagination* product portfolio - c Find Information and Suppliers of conductive resines. Conductive Noryl GTX resin should soon be certified as a GE ecomagination product, follo "Powder coating is a fast growing technology due to its environmental benefits, particula GE's conductive Noryl GTX resin provides two critical properties required for successful p In addition to productivity gains from the elimination of the primer application or chemic The Noryl GTX 674PC resin grade is the first of a full line of conductive resins planned for The GE exhibit is also giving show attendees a look at new technologies for thermoset po * Noryl GTX, ecomagination, LNP, and Lexan are trademarks of General Electric Compan JOBWERX NEWS AGENCY -- GLOBAL INFO TECH 187 GE Plastics www.polymerbiz.com at Powder Coating 9/23/2006 2006 First in its class, a monomeric hindered amine light stabilizer from BASF obtains FDA app Uvinul 4050 H is; ... approved for use at a concentration of up to 0.5 % in polystyrene, styrene copolymers ... a light stabilizer that belongs to the group of lowmolecular-mass sterically hindered am ... also very effective for use in fibers and injection molding from plastics such as polypro A low-molecular-mass HALS offers the most effective solution for stabilizing plastics such Uvinul 4050 H completes BASF's comprehensive range of light stabilizers that are approv The product range of BASF's Performance Chemicals for Coatings, Plastics and Specialtie * Uvinul is a registered trademark of BASF. -- GLOBAL INFO TECH 188 Monomeric www.polymerbiz.com stabilizer for use ### in plastics receives Page 161 Articles Polycarbonate (PC) is one of the preferred materials for several electronic parts such as To help solve this challenge, GE Plastics has developed a new family of Lexan PC resins f Lexan DMX is a copolymer. The laboratory result of scratch resistance indicates that it im Eliminating the need for secondary coating operations can provide several benefits to m - Lower costs by avoiding the purchase of coating materials and equipment - Reduced cycle time by cutting out a secondary processing step - Less environmental impact from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released GLOBAL INFO TECH 189 Polycarbonate to increase its### competitiveness in e www.polymerbiz.com Propylene is the second most important feedstock for petrochemical products. The majo The global demand of 16.4 million tons in 1980 to around 68 million tons in 2005, indicat Propylene demand is expected to grow faster than supply. Propylene supply/demand con Expanded or converted sources of propylene will have to be found, whether as an on-pur Although PP will remain the principal propylene derivative and the driver of propylene de -- GLOBAL INFO TECH 190 Propylene iswww.polymerbiz.com expected to grow ### at 3.5% between 2005 Page 162 Articles Asia's polyester production will be critically affected for the next 18-20 months by a shor Speaking at the India Petrochem conference in Mumbai, Udeshi said a total of 2.3-million This represented 35% of 6.6-million mt/year incremental capacity installed during the ye Investors considering PTA capacity need to be careful to check the availability of term PX Such new plants with a PTA production capacity of 700,000 mt/year would even need to The typical cost of investing in a new world scale 700,000 mt/year PTA plant was around However, investment in a refinery cracker to produce PX could cost between $1.2 and $3 Therefore incremental new PX capacity in China was lagging that of PTA, which made fur Similarly, the average investment cost of $300 million in a MEG plant in China paled in c The next big wave of construction in China would thus be focused on PX production. Asia was expected to remain in deficit of PX well into 2008. The PX market was suffering At the same time, polyester demand had far outstripped expectation, dragging the polye China was dominating construction of new PTA capacity, with capital construction costs d China currently imports 6-million mt/year of PTA, and this figure would likely drop to at m This would have a severe impact on Korean and Taiwanese PTA plants which currently su -- Global Info Tech 191 Asian polyester www.polymerbiz.com market to face ### 18-20 months of PX, Page 163 Articles Asia's polyester production will be critically affected for the next 18-20 months by a shor Speaking at the India Petrochem conference in Mumbai, Udeshi said a total of 2.3-million This represented 35% of 6.6-million mt/year incremental capacity installed during the ye Investors considering PTA capacity need to be careful to check the availability of term PX Such new plants with a PTA production capacity of 700,000 mt/year would even need to The typical cost of investing in a new world scale 700,000 mt/year PTA plant was around However, investment in a refinery cracker to produce PX could cost between $1.2 and $3 Therefore incremental new PX capacity in China was lagging that of PTA, which made fur Similarly, the average investment cost of $300 million in a MEG plant in China paled in c The next big wave of construction in China would thus be focused on PX production. Asia was expected to remain in deficit of PX well into 2008. The PX market was suffering At the same time, polyester demand had far outstripped expectation, dragging the polye China was dominating construction of new PTA capacity, with capital construction costs d China currently imports 6-million mt/year of PTA, and this figure would likely drop to at m This would have a severe impact on Korean and Taiwanese PTA plants which currently su -- Global Info Tech 192 Asian polyester www.polymerbiz.com market to face ### 18-20 months of PX, Page 164 Articles Objective: Above-average 10% Return on Invested Capital by end of 2009, up 25% Profitable growth at or above GDP, led by service-driven businesses Focus on fast-growing markets, particularly China and India Wide-ranging cost-cutting initiatives launched; emphasis on reducing complexity Global site network to be optimized by closing 10% of the sites Existing job positions to be reduced by 10% by 2009 Performance management initiatives to increase leadership skills and entrepreneurial be MUTTENZ -- Clariant announced it will increase its focus on value creation by reducing th "Our clear goal is reaching a top-quartile position among our peers in value creation," sa These initiatives are the result of a wide-ranging review over the past six months of Clar "We found that the company is headed in the right direction in most areas," Mr. Secher s Closer to customers To reflect the wide diversity of Clariant's customer segments, the company will reshape Clariant will build on its strengths in colors, surfaces and performance chemicals. Over th The Group's four divisions - Textile, Leather & Paper Chemicals; Pigments & Additives; M Growth in Asia Initiatives will be launched across the group to boost growth in fast-growing markets in A Furthermore, to reinforce long-term innovation, Clariant will build on its successful recen Site closures and portfolio pruning To become a world-class player in the industry, Clariant is committed to creating the lea The number of products Clariant sells will be reduced by at least 25%. The company has "The approach is one of strategic simplicity and increasing versatility," Mr. Secher explai Over the next four years, the company will spend approximately CHF 500 million on thes Strengthening leadership To strengthen the organizational culture, the company recently launched the Clariant Ac In addition, the company is placing strong emphasis on developing and broadening its le "Along with strengthening the organizational culture and developing talent, we are comp Excellent long-term prospects Clariant is committed to building significant value for its long-term investors, maintaining "The result of this intense period - focusing on the strengths in our portfolio, cutting cost Source: Clariant -- Page 165 Global Info Tech 193 Clariant Focusing on Profitable ### Growth with String www.polymerbiz.com Articles Ethylene gas crackers in North America have become prohibitively expensive due to trem Therefore, this has eroded cost leadership globally and more so compared to the Middle This indicates that USA will have to import to fill the gap between demand and supply. N The abundant availability of ethane gas in the Middle East will enhance the cost advanta PM Global Info Tech 194 Middle-Eastern petrochem producers ### will always hav www.polymerbiz.com LEVERKUSEN -- At the "NanoSolutions" trade fair in Cologne from November 28 to 30, 20 Until now, the synthesis costs for CNTs often significantly exceeded EUR 1,000 per kilogr Bayer Technology Services presented its comprehensive nanotechnology know-how and Dr. Peter Krüger, Head of the Bayer Nanotechnology Working Group, provided an overvie Another key area of Bayer's involvement at the fair was the company's wide-ranging res With sales of EUR 10.7 billion in 2005, Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world's lar Bayer Technology Services GmbH offers fully-integrated solutions along the life cycle of This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions an Source: Bayer Technology Services -- Global Info Tech 195 Focus on New www.polymerbiz.com Applications 12/4/2006 for Carbon Nanotubes Page 166 Articles TOKYO -- Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Laboratories Limited announced their development Castor bean seeds Bio-polymer PA-11 has superior flexibility Background In recent years, increases in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the use of fossil fuels, s In 2002 Fujitsu started using bio-based polymers based on polylactic acid, made from ma Highlights of the Newly Developed Material To address this need, Fujitsu and Fujitsu Laboratories worked with a major French chemi By weakening the interaction of the chain molecule in PA-11 and relaxing the stereo-reg Fujitsu plans to continue research of bio-based polymers derived from castor oil and con About Fujitsu Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the About Fujitsu Laboratories About Fujitsu Laboratories Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limit Source: Fujitsu -- Global Info Tech 196 Fujitsu Develops www.polymerbiz.com New Bio-Based 12/8/2006 Polymer from Castor Page 167 Articles DUBAI -- Economic growth across the MENA region is set to continue at high levels in 200 "Among the regional oil producers, Qatar and Bahrain will achieve the highest rates of ec The report also states that the largest government deficits in the region lie outside sub-S Lebanon's large government deficit is blamed on an inefficient and costly state electricit In Africa, Mozambique and Nigeria will record the highest growth rate, driven by mega-p In Nigeria, high oil prices are expected to sustain a strong expenditure, the bulk of which For most sub-Saharan African sovereigns, low per capita incomes continue to act as a co Many non-oil sovereigns are also running large current account deficits, which are mostly "This is most likely to be a reflection of these countries' relatively poor business climates He added: "As steady reform progress continues, however, underpinned by IMF program -- Global Info Tech 197 High oil prices www.polymerbiz.com ensure strong 2/13/2007 economies across MEN Page 168 Articles (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's approved manufacturing investment climbed to a record last y Approved investments jumped 48 percent to 46 billion ringgit ($13 billion) in 2006 from ``These numbers will translate into higher private investment growth,'' said Lee Heng Gu High energy prices are boosting investment in Malaysia, Southeast Asia's second-largest Malaysia's exports grew a less than expected 6.2 percent in December as overseas dem Oil Refinery The bulk of approvals for investment projects last year were for petroleum products inclu This was largely due to the approval of a 7.7 billion ringgit oil refinery planned in norther Malaysia also approved a 2.04 billion ringgit plan by Petronas Methanol (Labuan) Sdn. to Meanwhile, Panca Intan Sdn. won approval to build a new, 1.06 billion ringgit butanediol `Substantial Interest' ``The growing demand for petroleum products in the Asia Pacific region, particularly Chi Electrical and electronics projects slid to second place in terms of investments last year, The new investment planned includes a 1.5 billion ringgit expansion by STMicroelectroni Fuji Electric (Malaysia) Sdn. won approval for a 1.3 billion ringgit expansion to produce th Investment in the electronics industry is shifting to more high-end operations in Malaysia Foreign Investment Malaysia also approved 7.6 billion ringgit in biodiesel projects last year, Rafidah said. Foreign companies accounted for a record 20.2 billion ringgit, or 43.9 percent, of the app ``Despite the increasing global competition, Malaysia continues to attract global foreign Japan was the largest source of foreign investment last year, accounting for 4.4 billion rin Service Industries Approved investment in services, which includes real estate, transport and tourism, was ``We have to see how much will be translated into actual foreign direct investment flows Some 80 percent of all manufacturing projects approved in the 2001 to 2005 period are Lee expects Malaysia's private investment growth to accelerate to 9.1 percent this year Still, Malaysia needs to reduce impediments to investment, by improving transparency a Malaysia's government this month formed a taskforce aimed at cutting red tape and imp Artical Sourse Bloomberg 198 Malaysia Factory Investment 2/14/2007 Approvals Climb to Rec Page 169 Articles Higher cost of polymers has reduced processor margins. The present razor thin margins, The filler is generally dosed through a concentrate. The carrier resin in concentrates is in The increased density of filled film results in increased weight at the same bag thickness Tensile strength at yield, which is critical for grocery and trash bags, is affected by CaCO On the other hand, LLDPE film properties like puncture and tear resistance improve at hi A higher density of filled film will have an obvious impact on productivity measured in kg For LLDPE, output improvement depends on the comonomer. Adding 20% CaCO3 raises PE with higher loadings of CaCO3 also extrudes at lower pressure and uses lower motor Test results indicate that as CaCO3 content goes up from 10% to 20% in HMW-HDPE film Converting processes like high-speed printing and bag making will run faster with more h Adding higher levels of CaCO3 to film can reduce the amount of slip and antiblock additi CaCO3 is a natural whitener, so it extends and brightens pigments. With 7-10% CaCO3 in Processors say blown film lines require no modifications to run CaCO3, other than an add Some processors using 10-15% filler say they see increased wear; others say they don't. More rapid heating and cooling with CaCO3 means bags seal at lower temperatures and How much calcium carbonate goes into a given bag film depends on application, resin, g ............................................................................................................................................ Source :PM. 199 Plastic bags are increasingly 3/27/2007 filled to reduc High Performance Polymers are at the top of the thermoplastic performance pyramid. Th High-temperature polymer polyether ether ketone (PEEK*) is registered in Germany as V very high heat resistance high rigidity low water absorption and therefore high dimensional stability high hardness good strength excellent sliding friction behavior, minimal abrasion good electrical characteristics excellent chemical resistance excellent hydrolytic stability good processability low tendency to form stress cracks long-term heat resistance at 260 °C. This properties profile makes VESTAKEEP® compounds suitable for a wide range of appl Commercial applications have been only in Europe so far. Degussa hopes to achieve cos 200 Another New Artical NameSource in PEEK 4/14/2007 PM Page 170 Articles The global market for fiber reinforcement material in 2005 was pegged at about 140,000 Major highlights of future developments are: Thermoplastic material now accounts for almost a third of the volume of advanced comp The global market for carbon fiber has more than doubled since 1998. Demand for products incorporating aramid and high modular polyethylene fiber is growin The market for carbon-carbon composites is rather small. Aircraft brakes is the main are Advanced composite, particularly carbon fiber based composite, continues to extend its In the automotive sector, reinforced thermoplastics in all forms continue to make in road Renewable energy markets, particularly wind energy, offer considerable growth potentia Industrial applications are forecast to take an increasing share of the advanced composit The pace of progress in sports and leisure applications at one time a very buoyant secto ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 201 Low Priced Carbon Article Source Fibers 4/14/2007 to : PM. open new markets for c Page 171 Articles Processors occasionally find black spots in extruded products such as films and sheets. T Contaminants in raw material could be one of the possible causes of black specks. Inhere If the incoming material is clean, a speck is introduced during processing due to: * Small amounts of polymer being overheated, exposed either to high temperatures for a * Small amount of polymer can hang up and be exposed to normal process temperatures The source of the specks can be identified by the maintenance department, or by config Large or complex dies for film or sheet, containing low-flow areas where polymer can ov Heat tolerance of the polymer is also a contributing factor. Heat-sensitive materials like P Higher throughput rate can also hasten formation of black speck, as running too hot can Finally, stoppage and shutdown for adjustments, die changes, or maintenance often exte If black speck cannot be eliminated after trying all the above care then purging with righ Artical Source : PB 202 Eliminating black spots 4/14/2007 in extruded film/sheet wit Bio plastics, being a new class of polymers having influence on the waste disposal proble The European Union packaging and packaging waste directive (94/62/EC) was amended Germany has approved an amendment to its Packaging Directive that may open up the Since it may be difficult for the specified business entities to recycle on their own, In Japa US Government support that may help drive the development of bio plastics includes the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) provide a means for the public to express them 203 Legilative regulations Arical sourse provide 4/14/2007 :PM an opportunity for A stretch film containing macro perforation is developed from reinforced polymer matrix The Macro perforated stretch film prevents the formation of internal condensation on va 204 A new reinforced Articalmacro Source 4/14/2007 perforated : PIW stretch film pro Page 172 Related Documents Articles November 2019 57 Articles October 2019 58 Articles June 2020 43 Articles November 2019 61 Articles July 2020 30 Articles October 2019 48 Copyright © 2024 PDFCOKE.