Archive for the ‘Materials’ Category
New catalysts may encourage recycling
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Chemical catalysts rarely make big news, but today's an exception. In a paper published in Macromolecules, a journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers at IBM and Stanford University said they have discovered a new way to make plastics that...
ADM’s plant up and running
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Here's a story I've been watching for (and I assume some Plastics Blog readers have been too): Archer Daniels Midland Co. has started production at its starch-based polymer plant in Clinton, Iowa, according to a report in the Clinton Herald....
Dow assisting in Haiti, Chile
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Dow Chemical Co. is continuing to support relief efforts in Haiti, which is recovering from a major earthquake on Jan. 12. The Midland, Mich.-based company announced today that it supported a relief mission that took surgeons, medical supplies and clothing...
Nightly Business Report looks at Tupperware
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Tupperware Corp. may have a reputation as being a bit old fashioned -- remember Tupperware parties? But the PBS Nightly Business Report did a story on the Orlando, Fla.-based housewares company that emphasizes Tupperware's emphasis on new products, and its...
Plastics M&A in the spotlight
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Plastics M&A activity is in the spotlight in a major financial publication today. Crain's Cleveland Business, a sister publication to Plastics News, has a Page 1 story in its March 8 issue headlined: "Plastics firms play chess in recession: Stronger...
Calif. aquarium raises awareness of marine debris
Monday, March 8th, 2010
The Sea Life Aquarium at the Legoland Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., has a new exhibit aimed at raising children's awareness of plastic marine debris. The project is called "Beach Trash, A Whale of a Problem." First grade classes from a...
Plastic banknotes coming to Canada
Friday, March 5th, 2010
Pretty soon, you won't be using paper money in Canada. Bank of Canada announced yesterday that starting in 2011, it will begin to issue a new series of bank notes printed on a polymer material. The new notes will incorporate...
One city wants to educate its citizens, not ban plastics
Friday, March 5th, 2010
Here's a radical idea: a sustainability committee in one California city, concerned about litter and marine debris issues, wants to start a "massive public education" program instead of banning products like plastic bags. That's the recommendation of the South Lake...
Winning gold with high-tech equipment
Monday, March 1st, 2010
I love a good sports technology story, and The Wall Street Journal has a winner today with a look at the high-tech materials used at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The story, headlined "The Olympics of Engineering: From Heart Monitors to...
Reliance bid for LyondellBasell comes up short?
Monday, March 1st, 2010
The New York Post weighs in today on the bidding for polyolefins giant LyondellBasell Industries AF SCA, with a report saying that Reliance Industries Ltd.'s $14.5 billion bid for the company will fail. Reporter Josh Kosman wrote that "three Lyondell...