NEWS
Neste ups its circular capability
Finnish petrochemicals group Neste said it has now produced more than 6,000 tonnes of liquefied waste plastic feedstock at its pilot site at Porvoo, with the largest run exceeding 2,000 tonnes. “We are processing
increasing volumes of waste plastic, which is testament to our commit- ment to scale up chemical recycling,” said Heikki Färkkilä, Vice President Chemical Recycling at Neste. “We are confident we will see chemical recycling become a commercial-scale contribu- tor to the circularity of plastics in the upcoming years.”
Neste is currently building a larger unit at Porvoo that will be capable of processing 150,000 tonnes of liquefied waste plastic when it starts up in 2025. The €111m invest- ment is part of its Pulse project, which aims for an annual capacity of 400,000 tonnes. �
www.neste.com
KM works on lignin PLA
KraussMaffei Extrusion, together with specialists at the Polish subsidiary of Synergy Horizon Group, has developed a system for production of a 100% bio-based PLA compound reinforced with up to 30% waste-derived lignin. Hydrolysis lignin is a
by-product of the bioethanol industry but is difficult to process into a plastic compound. Synergy Horizon Poland has developed a process at its site at Poznan that is capable of converting hydrolysis lignin to a free-flowing powder that can be metered into the extruder as a filler. KraussMaffei has
demonstrated successful incorporation of up to 30% of the natural raw lignin filler into a PLA bioplastic matrix at its newly established technical centre at Laatzen in Germany using both a ZE Blue Power 28 lab and ZE Blue Power 42 small production compounder.
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“We have specially adapted the screw configuration to the lignin with heavy-sensitive mixing elements, operate at a low temperature of 160°C maximum, and use both a 6D-long filling zone and side degassing,” said Lars Darnedde, Lars Darnedde, Process Engineering Development and Project Manager at KraussMaffei Extrusion. Compared to pure PLA, the lignin reinforced compound is said to offer an up to 30% improve- ment in flexural and tensile modulus. �
www.kraussmaffei.com �
www.synergyhorizon.com
DIC develops PPS for plating
Japan’s DIC Corporation has introduced a new polyphe- nylene sulphide (PPS) compound that can be plated on existing plastics plating lines, including electroless, without the need for special etching processes. The DIC.PPS MP-6060
BLACK grade has been developed together with
plastics plating specialists Tsukada Riken Industry and Yoshino Denka Kogyo. The companies said the new grade will make it possible to use plastic instead of metal in applications such as electronic device housings and connectors requiring high durability and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
Traditional PPS grades can only be plated using special etching processes such as blasting, plasma etching, hydrofluoric acid etching and concentrated nitric acid etching, accord- ing to DIC. This new grade can be processed using a general-purpose solution such as chromic acid. �
www.dic-global.com
Westlake extends its recycled options
US-headquartered PVC compounder Westlake Global Compounds is partnering with sister company Westlake Dimex, an Ohio-based recycler of industrial PVC materials, to offer a new line of recycled products internationally. Westlake Global Compounds’
representatives will market three Westlake Dimex product lines: flexible
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PVC compounds containing a minimum of 73% recycled content; reprocessed TPE/TPV compounds containing a minimum of 84% recycled content; and reprocessed TPO compounds containing a minimum of 88% recycled content. “Our compounding operation helps close the loop by utilising post-industrial and post-consumer
COMPOUNDING WORLD | January/February 2024
scrap,” said Andy Antil, Westlake Dimex General Manager. “This partnership with Westlake Global Compounds will expand our tolling operations and offerings into interna- tional markets, while contributing to Westlake’s continued waste reduction and recycling efforts.” �
www.westlakeglobalcompounds.com �
www.westlakedimex.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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