Author: weeklypellet

News Digest 2/20/2017

Citizen Kane

Solvay appoints new president to head up composite materials

Plastic electronics set to revolutionize products

Weekly resin report: Lackluster demand opens gap between buyer and seller price expectations

USI Group claims new cyclic block copolymers offer many advantages

Toyoba turning to foaming to reduce weight of plastic parts for automotive

Ohio recycler closes doors

 

What PEX Tubing and the Microwave Oven have in Common

old-microwave

I have a friend that is in the pipe and pipe fitting business. He distributes copper and steel pipe and fittings for commercial and residential applications. He is convinced that PEX tubing is going to give everyone cancer and advises everyone not to use it. He also thinks that microwave ovens will give you cancer and won’t go near one, much less eat anything that was cooked in one.

If he knew how PEX was made, he’d be even more freaked out.

Continue reading “What PEX Tubing and the Microwave Oven have in Common”

ASA: The Lesser Known Cousin of ABS

vance-and-coy-2

How exactly did the word cousin become synonymous with similarity? How many times have you heard someone refer to one thing being the close cousin to another thing like granite is a close cousin of marble or a planet in a distant solar system being Earth’s cousin? I don’t know about you but I am not that much like any of my cousins. Maybe it’s just me.

Anyway, you could say that ASA is a close cousin to ABS. ASA is ABS with one ingredient changed out.

Continue reading “ASA: The Lesser Known Cousin of ABS”

The Dream of Polycarbonate Car Windows is Still Just a Dream (updated)

fiat-500l-window-1
The Fiat 500L polycarbonate rear quarter window

Originally posted on 4/25/2016.

In 1997, GE Plastics and Bayer AG announced that they were forming a joint venture with an initial investment of 40 million dollars to develop and market polycarbonate materials that could be used to replace glass for automotive side windows. 15 years later in 2012 the Fiat 500L became the first car to use polycarbonate side window glazing. Sounds like the beginning of a great new market for polycarbonate. Unfortunately the only windows on the Fiat 500L that are made from polycarbonate are the tiny rear corner windows at the back of the vehicle. To make matters worse, the Fiat 500L remains the only car that has used polycarbonate side window glazing. What happened?

Continue reading “The Dream of Polycarbonate Car Windows is Still Just a Dream (updated)”

News Digest 1/23/2017

KRLD News Room

Braskem starts up new UHWMPE plant in La Porte Texas

Scientists have developed a new plastic derived from pine needles

NOVA begins shipping LLDPE from new reactor in Canada Also here

United Solutions buys Rubbermaid totes business Also here

Largest ever polycarbonate automotive window debuts on new Chinese Buick minivan Also here

Weekly Resin Report: New year begins with PP, PE price increases

ExxonMobil signs logistics contract for PE export from Texas

PET recycler US Fibers expanding in South Carolina

 

 

Virtue Signaling in the Petrochemicals Industry

Virtue Signaling: noun

Definition: the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.

It seems odd that large chemical and petroleum companies spend big bucks on 30 second TV ads. The ExxonMobil “To-Do List” advertisement, like all of these ads, does not ask you to buy or consider any particular product. BASF runs similar ads on television and I don’t think that you can buy a BASF branded product at the store (I used to buy their blank audio cassettes back in the day to make mix tapes though).

In other news, the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus is closing after more than 100 years in operation. Maybe they needed to run some ads.

Continue reading “Virtue Signaling in the Petrochemicals Industry”