top tips for colour measurement what's new in impact modifiers moving ahead in antimicrobials ...

86 Pages·2017·42.92 MB·English

ISSN 2053-7174
July 2017
DEVELOPMENTS IN MELT FILTRATION
TOP TIPS FOR COLOUR MEASUREMENT
WHAT’S NEW IN IMPACT MODIFIERS
MOVING AHEAD IN ANTIMICROBIALS
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contents
05 News
5
E 23 Meeting demands for flexible filtration
G
A
P Shorter runs and greater recipe variation mean screenchangers must offer
greater production flexibility, writes Mark Holmes. COVER IMAGE: NORDSON
38 Looking ahead to LFTs 2017
AMI’s first Long Fibre Thermoplastics conference is scheduled for Cologne,
Germany, in November. We take a look at the expert speaker line-up.
3
2
E
G 41 Science and the art of colour
A
P
Science or art? Americhem Colour Expert Rick Matthew explains the basics of
colour measurement and provides tips on how to make best use of instrumental
data.
47 Colour instruments rise to the challenge
7
4 Special effect pigments and colour data exchange are presenting new
E
G challenges in colour measurement. Mark Holmes finds out how equipment
A
P suppliers are meeting these needs.
57 Metallocenes make an impact
Metallocene catalysis technology is behind several new developments in impact
modifiers, with producers targeting polyolefins as well as ETPs such as
7 polyamides. Peter Mapleston reports.
5
E
G
A 66 Making smart choices for intelligent packaging
P
Active and intelligent technologies, which can add value to both flexible and rigid
packaging products, will be presented at AMI’s second annual Smart Packaging
conference.
69 Searching for the silver bullet
6
6 The emergence of hospital “superbugs” is just one factor driving demand for
E
G effective antimicrobials. Peter Mapleston explores the latest developments.
A
P
86 Diary
coming next issue
❙ PVC plasticisers ❙ Functional fillers ❙ Screw and barrel protection ❙ Performance PP compounds
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www.compoundingworld.com July 2017 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 3
quantec® 85 G3-14 C
Economical PVC compounding redefined
BUSS Kneader series quantec® G3
The specialists in heat and shear sensitive compounding are
setting new benchmarks for quality and productivity.
quantec® G3 – an ongoing success story in the third generation
> More cost effective due to increased throughput
> More flexible due to a larger process window
> Improved plant availability due to minimal product
changeover times
Hall 9.2
Stand F49
13394_262_Buss_Compounding_World_2017_E_210x297_RZ.indd 1 11.05.17 10:59
news
Trinseo to acquire API
Total sets
sights on
Trinseo has agreed to acquire
recycling
Imtaelria mn athkeerrm AoPpI lAapstpilci cealzaisotnoi- PHOTO: API
Plastiche Industriali from Total has completed an
founding Brunetti family. The industrial-scale test run to
deal, which includes API’s demonstrate the feasibility
manufacturing and research of incorporating around 20%
facility at Mussolente and of post-consumer recycled
transfer of all employees, is A bed shock absorber produced polystyrene (PS) in virgin PS.
expected to close in Q3. in API’s bio-based Megol Bio TPE The test, which follows a
The two company’s product series of pilot plant trials, is
lines are said to be comple- $3.7bn in 2016. The company, excellent management, deep said to have yielded a
mentary. API specialises in formerly known as Styron, technical expertise and strong product with properties
soft-touch TPEs and TPUs, operates 15 manufacturing customer relationships, we equivalent to those of virgin
EVA-based compounds, cast sites and employs around will further strengthen our polymer. Total said it is now
elastomer PURs and bioplas- 2,200 staff. Performance Plastics looking at ways to manage
tics. Trinseo’s product slate is API is Trinseo’s first businesses to create growth contamination in recycled
based on rigid plastics such as acquisition and the move is synergies with customers in all streams as part of its aim to
ABS, polycarbonate, polypro- described as part of a strategy global regions,” said Chris create a robust process to
pylene, polystyrene, SAN, and to expand its Performance Pappas, President and CEO of handle complex PS waste
compounds, plus latex binders Materials businesses. “By Trinseo. streams.
and synthetic rubber. leveraging API’s advanced ❙ www.trinseo.com “Our success highlights
Trinseo posted sales of manufacturing operations, ❙ www.apiplastic.com that PS, which naturally
provides outstanding
performance for various ap-
Natureworks targets chemicals
plications, will be a
significant contributor to
PLA bioplastics producer platform of lactides for at competitive prices that help the Circular Economy,” said
Natureworks has set up a new production of polyurethane and customers move through the Jean Viallefont, vice
Performance Chemicals polyester polyols. R&D process faster with president polymer for
Division to supply lactides, “The NatureWorks minimal supply chain risk,” Europe. “It is unquestion-
polyols, binder resins, and Performance Chemicals said Richard Weber, Perfor- ably an innovative way to
chemical intermediates. Division delivers renewably mance Chemicals Division enlarge the accessible
The business will be based sourced chemical intermedi- General Manager. market for recycled PS.”
on the company’s Vercet ates with tailored functionality ❙ www.natureworksllc.com ❙ www.polymers.total.com
Braskem announces PP expansion in US
M Brazil’s Braskem has confirmed it is Fernando Musa, Braskem President.
E
K
AS to invest $675m to build a new The new plant will be built
R
B
O: 450,000 tonne/year PP production alongside an existing 354,000 tonnes/
T
HO plant at its La Porte facility in Texas, year PP unit at La Porte, where
P
US. Construction will begin this year Braskem is also building an UHM-
for start up in Q1 2020. WPE unit. The company currently
“The authorisation to continue operates five PP plants in the US:
investment in the production of three in Texas, plus two in Pennsylva-
polypropylene in the United States is nia and West Virgina. Total PP
the latest milestone in Braskem’s capacity is around 1.5m tonnes/year.
Braskem is to build new PP capacity at La Porte in Texas internationalisation strategy,” said ❙ www.braskem.com.br
www.compoundingworld.com July 2017 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 5
news
German machinery sales trend up…
VDMA, the association of remained strong in Q1 of this
German Production – Export – Import
German plastics and rubber year. VDMA said sales have
Change over previous year
machinery manufacturers, 2016/2015 2017/2016 2018/2017 also shot up in Mexico by
8.000 Production +6.0% +4.0% +3.0%
said it expects sales for 2017 m€ Export 58.3% (its third largest market)
Import
E=Forecast
to increase by 4% in real terms 6.000 and in South Korea by 44.6%.
In Mio. €
to reach a year-end total of “In Britain, on the other
2016: 7.433
4.000
€7.73bn. The forecast follows 2017E: 7.730 hand, the effects of Brexit are
an “extremely pleasing 2018E: 7.962 slowly being felt,” said Thorsten
2.000
development in export Kühmann, Managing Director
markets” in the second half of 0 of VDMA. Exports there fell by
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017E 2018E
2016, according to VDMA Source: VDMA 31% in Q1, taking the UK from
chairman Ulrich Reifenhäuser. fourth to eighth place among
The second half increase in rose by 6.0% to €7.4 billion in benefited from a strong local buyers of German machinery.
export activity pushed German 2016, near double the 3.1% market. Sales in Germany Exports to China, which
plastics machinery export growth recorded for global were up 8.2% in 2016 to accounted for 14.7% of world
growth for 2016 to 5.1%, taking plastics machinery production €3.69bn. Imports into plastics machinery trade last
total exports to €4.9bn. VDMA as a whole (VDMA estimates Germany were also up 8.9% to year, have fallen for the past
said this was achieved despite world plastics machinery €1.2 billion, with Austria the three years and were 1.7%
the fact that world trade in plas- production value stood at single largest supplier. down again in Q1 2017.
tics and rubber machinery rose €34.9bn last year). The The US market, which However, VDMA expects
by only 1%. Germany’s share of association forecasts a further accounted for sales of German growth to return in 2017 on the
world trade in plastics machin- 3% rise in sales for 2018 to machinery worth €774m last back of the country’s expan-
ery now stands at 22.8%. €7.96bn. year and is the country’s sionary economic policy.
German machinery output The industry has also largest export market, ❙ www.vdma.org
…but US shipments see third quarterly decline
The US Plastics Industry Association’s moulding machines. The total of $305.3m extruders were up by 90.4% and 59.1% .
Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) was 7.5% down on Q1 2016 and 14.4% And shipments of twin screw extruders
reported that North American shipments down on Q4 2016. were up by 8.3%. Auxiliary equipment was
of plastics machinery saw a third succes- Injection moulding machinery shipment 11.3% up and also up on the seasonally
sive quarter of year-on-year decline in Q1 values saw a sharp 14.5% fall in Q1, while strong total from Q4 2016. Overall,
2017, driven by soft demand for injection blow moulding machines and single-screw performance was slightly weaker than the
US industrial machinery sector overall.
US Quarterly Primary Plastics Machinery Shipments, 2007-2017 Bill Wood of Mountaintop Economics &
Research, who carried out the research,
400000
said the trend in shipments data plateaued
350000 in mid-2016, before turning down. He said
s) 300000 positive growth this year remains unlikely,
d
n “but the economic fundamentals in the US
a
s 250000
u should continue to grind gradually higher
o
h
T 200000 and global demand is also expected to
S (
R improve this year”.
A 150000
LL The CES report also surveys plastics
O
D 100000 machinery suppliers; 87% expect market
50000 conditions to either remain steady or get
1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3
7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 better during the next year, slightly down
0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 from 91% in Q4 2016.
Source: Plastics Industry Association ❙ www.plasticsindustry.org
6 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2017 www.compoundingworld.com
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>> High speed compounding. Fast and accurate feeding is increasingly
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K4G Blender SyStem BenefitS
> Compact, modular design
> Include a variety of feeders
> Central collection hopper with pre-cut feeding ports
> Integrated support options for refill systems
> Pivoting feeder supports for easy access
> Patented SFT weighing technology
CW_July2017_Coperion_Plastics-Feeder-K4G_210x297_EN.indd 1 30.05.2017 12:07:38
news
BASF's expanded Schwarzheide
compounding plant in operation
BASF put its expanded compounding plant for engineering BASF’s plant at Schwarzheide in Germany ASF
plastics at its production site at Schwarzheide, Germany, into O: B
T
operation last month. HO
P
The investment gives the company an extra 70,000 tonnes/year
of capacity for Ultramid PA and Ultradur PBT, taking the total to
700,000 tonnes/year. Some 50 new jobs are being created.
The company said demand for the two products, which are
used to make high performance components for the automotive,
electrical and electronics, construction and furniture sectors, has
been growing steadily in recent years.
❙ www.basf.com
PPG completes its glass fibre exit
Wacker
opens US PPG has reached a definitive agreement to sell PPG, which is seeking to take over AkzoNobel
its remaining US-based glass fibre operations to and aims to focus on paints, coatings and
R&D unit
Nippon Electric Glass (NEG) for $545m. The deal speciality materials, sold its European glass fibre
is expected to close in 2H 2017, subject to operations to NEG in 2016, while also exiting two
Wacker has officially customary closing conditions. joint ventures in glass fibre in Asia and selling its
opened its silicones R&D The sale includes production facilities at North American flat glass business.
centre for the US at the Chester in South Carolina, and Lexington and The sale of the North American glass fibre
co-work campus of the Shelby in North Carolina, plus administrative operations completes its exit from these fields
Michigan Innovation and R&D operations at Shelby and at Harmar, and, said CEO Michael McGarry, “is the final
Headquarters in Ann Arbor, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Combined, the action in our disciplined, multi-year strategy to
Michigan. The centre is businesses employ more than 1,000 people and divest non-core businesses”.
near to Wacker’s manufac- achieved sales of around $350m in 2016. ❙ www.ppg.com
turing facility at Adrian and
will house researchers in
EuPC launches recyclates survey
the field of silicone and
polymer chemistry.
“Right from the start we The European Plastics materials (RPMs) in Europe’s and help to find solutions for
are engaged in projects Converters Association (EuPC) plastics converting industry. the future”, said EuPC
involving health and medical has launched a European The survey “will enable Managing Director Alexandre
care, paints and coatings, survey on current and future EuPC to identify the difficulties Dangis. He said converters are
electronics and personal use of recycled plastics we are facing as an industry by far the largest part of the
care products, all of which plastics industry and are
K
are key industry growth OC crucial to successfully meeting
T
S
segments, particularly for ER any recycling targets.
T
T
silicone-based chemistry,” U The hsuttrpv:e//yb iist. loyp/2ernh t4oL Yarll
H
S
said David Wilhoit, president O: European companies that are
T
O
and CEO of Wacker H active in the plastics convert-
P
Chemical, the subsidiary for ing industry. It will remain
North and Central America accessible until the end of
and the North Andean September, with results
region of South America. published in October.
❙ www.wacker.com EuPC is surveying processors on their use of recycled plastics ❙ www.plasticsconverters.eu
8 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2017 www.compoundingworld.com
“ ENTEK Helped Americhem Build a
State-of-the-Art Compounding Plant,
and Much More ”
Glenn Munshaw,
Director - Global Manufacturing, Americhem
ENTEK’s Bill Petrozelli (left) with Scott Martin, Plant Manager (center) and Glenn Munshaw
at Americhem’s plant in Liberty, North Carolina
 “Americhem is a global leader in color and additive solutions, with 12 facilities and
nine manufacturing plants worldwide. We are in the midst of a multi-year plan to
move our manufacturing platform to high speed, high-efficiency equipment to drive
our service and quality to optimum levels.
We partnered with ENTEK to design and build our new compounding plant in Liberty, North Carolina. It’s a state-of-the-art plant,
but there’s more to our partnership than that. ENTEK has helped Americhem drive our company’s values, which include
providing better service to our customers through worldwide upgrading and improvement of our plants and services.”
www.entek.com
200 Hansard Avenue, Lebanon, Oregon, USA, 97355
Tel: [phone] • www.entek.com
Twin-Screw Extruders | Replacement Wear Parts | In-House Pilot Plant Services
Complete Extrusion Systems | Turnkey Manufacturing Plants
news
Materials handling specialists
back new compounding show
Leading suppliers of materials handling ments and compare different technologies”.
systems are signing up to exhibit at the The exhibition will also feature leading
first Compounding World Expo, which suppliers of extruders, kneaders, mixers
takes place at Messe Essen in Germany and complete turn-key compounding lines.
on 27-28 June 2018. In the five months They already include Brabender, Buss,
since its launch, the exhibition has already Coperion, Dr Collin, Extricom/CPM
attracted bookings from Azo, Brabender “The conveying and feeding of hard-to- Century Extrusion, Farrel Pomini, Feddem,
Technologie, Bronkhorst, Coperion handle materials is critically important for ICMA San Giorgio, JSW, Jwell Machinery,
K-Tron, Motan, Plastic Systems, Schenck every compounding plant,” said Matt KraussMaffei Berstorff, Leistritz, Mixaco,
Process, and Sonner. Wherlock, AMI’s exhibition sales and Plasmec, Promixon, SM Platek, Steer and
Organised by AMI and Compounding marketing manager. “So we are delighted to Xinda.
World magazine, the Compounding World have such an impressive and international For more information on the Com-
Expo 2018 will be free-to-attend and will selection of leading materials handling pounding World Expo, including the
feature more than 100 exhibitors plus a systems suppliers already signed up to current floorplan and exhibitor list, visit
packed programme of seminars, industry exhibit. Visitors to the show will be able to the updated exhibition website at:
debates and technical presentations. find out about the latest industry develop- ❙ www.compoundingworldexpo.com
MBA Polymers sold; MGG takes
Erema sees
sales grow over full control in Austria
to €138m
US-based plastics recycling K
C
O
Erema Group reported a 5% company MBA Polymers has ST
R
E
annual increase in consoli- been acquired by German TT
U
dated sales to reach €138m investment group Elephant SH
O:
in the 2016/17 financial year. Equity. As a result of the sale, OT
H
The plastic recycling Müller-Guttenbrunn Group P
systems manufacturer said (MGG) has taken over full
two new subsidiaries had control of the MBA Polymers
performed well. The Pure Austria WEEE recycling joint
Loop subsidiary ended the venture at Kematen.
financial year with turnover In a statement, Elephant MBA Polymers sale sees MGG take over Austrian WEEE JV
of €4.5m. The Umac Equity said it plans to integrate
subsidiary which sells used MBA Polymers into its other role of CEO of MBA. been a partner in the venture
recycling systems and waste management, recycling Following the ownership since its formation in 2004.
components, had turnover and engineering activities in change, Müller-Guttenbrunn “The location in Kematen
of €1.5m. Europe and Asia. These Group (MGG) has taken full has developed magnificently
Erema Group CEO include Indian biogas systems ownership of the MBA over the last few years and we
Manfred Hackl said the developer Green Elephant. Polymers Austria joint venture are convinced that the
outlook for the group is MBA Polymers generated operation at Kematen in company is perfectly fit to our
positive, highlighting a “very sales of around €40m last year Austria. This employs more strategic orientation,” said
good order intake” in the and reprocessed some 140,000 than 120 people and has Christian Müller-Guttenbrunn,
first few months of the tonnes of polymer. Elephant capacity to process 50,000 CEO of MGG.
2017/18 financial year. Equity founder Dr Felix-Mi- tonnes of electronics industry ❙ www.mbapolymers.com
❙ www.erema.com chael Weber will take on the plastics annually. MGG had ❙ www.mgg-recycling.com
10 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2017 www.compoundingworld.com