Update | sustainability Sharp adopts bio-display
Sharp Corporation is to use Durabio bioplastic from Mitsubishi Chemical to manufacture the front panel for the second generation of its Aquos Crystal smartphone (pictured), which goes on sale in Japan later this year. Smartphone panels are
traditionally manufactured from
glass for its optical perfor- mance. However, the poor impact resistance and heavy weight of glass has meant phone manufacturers have considered a range of polymer- based alternatives. According to Mitsubishi, Sharp’s decision to use its Durabio bio-based engineering polymer on Aquos Crystal is a world first. Durabio is produced from plant-derived isosorbide and is claimed to offer high impact resistance, good thermal stability and resistance to weathering. Most importantly in this new application, the bioplastic is highly transparent and offers very low
MHG gains OK marine bio label
Bioplastic producer MHG is the first to gain the OK biodegradable Marine certification from Vinçotte International.
“This additional
certification provides even more support to the credibility and potential of Nodax PHA to have a significant impact on replacing for plastics,” says Dr Paul Pereira, MHG’s CEO and Executive Chairman. The OK biodegradable
Marine logo can be used only on compliant products intended for use in the marine environment. ❙
www.mhgbio.com
www.injectionworld.com Treading more lightly
Spain’s GCR Group claims its Granic mineral masterbatches can help plastics processors reduce their carbon footprint. This PP paint pot contains 40% of Granic calcium carbonate
masterbatch. Mechanical performance is said to be unchanged but emissions are reduced by 31.5% to 528.8 kg CO2 equivalent per tonne of polymer processed. The compounder says its carbon footprint claims are certified by TÜV Rheinland to PAS 2050. Savings are due to displacement of oil-derived material and localised filler sourcing. ❙
www.gcrgroup.es
optical distortion. Mitsubishi claims Durabio’s
levels of distortion in light transmission are considerably less than PC. The resins are produced at a 5,000 tonne/year plant at Mitsubishi’s site at Kurosaki in Japan. Last year, the company said it planned to expand capacity of the produc- tion unit to 16,000 tonne/year. Last month, Mitsubishi
announced that Suzuki is to use a newly developed Durabio grade to manufacture coloured interior trim panels for the instrument panel of its Alto Lapin X car. The resin is claimed to provide a high gloss surface that provides scratch resistance without the need for coatings. ❙
www.m-kagaku.co.jp
in brief
❙ Akro-Plastic subsidiary AF-Color has announced that its AF-Eco range of biode- gradable colour master- batches now carry Vinçotte International’s OK Compost certification, allowing the company to offer solutions compliant with the EN 13432 compostability test. “We can now manoeuvre freely within the certified pigment pool to realise any number of different Vinçotte-certified colour adjustments in a range of colours and blacks”, says Dirk Schöning, Sales and Distribution Manager at AF-Color.
www.af-color.com
❙ Trinseo’s 2014 Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Report shows the company has cut VOC emissions by 23%, and non-VOC emissions by 21%. The company, formerly known as Styron, has also reduced waste by 37% and energy use by 2% compared to 2013.
www.trinseo.com
❙ BASF has licensed its Sustainable Solution Steering methodology to international sustainability services group Thinkstep (formerly PE Inter- national), allowing it to integrate it into the thinkstep. one software it provides to third party clients for assessment and steering of product porfolios in line with sustainability criteria. BASF says it has used the method to analyse 60,000 product applications over the past three years. ❙
www.basf.com ❙
www.thinkstep.com
July/August 2015 | INJECTION WORLD 53
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