Union - PE-LD - The Dow Chemical Company

Kunststoffe international, An Impact Way beyond its Small Market Share
...into molecules with shorter chains, i. e. into PTFE with a low molecular weight. This can also give rise to small quantities of PFOA, which can also be traced in end products. In 2017, the European Union passed Regulation EU 2017/1000 to amend Schedule XVII of the REACH Regulation. Accordingly, there has been a maximum limit of 0.025 mg/kg for the ratio of PFOA in many products since 4 July 2020. For PTFE micropowders and the products produced from them, however, Regulation EU 2019/1021 permits ...

Kunststoffe international, Food Safe Post Consumer Recyclate
...lates intended for direct food contact applications. The route to obtaining a safety evaluation of recycling processes for the production of recyclates for direct food contact is via the European Food and Safety Authority (efsa) in the European Union and via the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA. The evaluation itself is largely dependent on the substance to be packaged, the polymer in contact with it and storage parameters such as time and temperature. Polyethylene terephthalate (P...

Kunststoffe international, From Fishing Net to Particle Foam
...ling of their end-of-life products, companies have to deal with this issue more intensively [4]. Recently, several legislative initiatives have been introduced targeting the maritime industry, in particular a comprehensive European Union EPR, which will come into force in 2024. The increased focus on effective waste management, EPR regulations and stricter legislation has significantly increased the availability of recoverable waste and recyclates and has led to increased cooperation between re...

Kunststoffe international, Half a Million More Parts
...les with 22 mm and 12 mm blast swaths are used for cleaning flat areas. Dirt from undercuts, corners and edges is reliably cleaned with two different round blast nozzles. The applicator has a 360° rotary union so that all areas to be cleaned can be reached ergonomically. Integrated LED lights provide optimum illumination. The blast pressure and the quantity of dry ice can be individually adapted to the particular surface and degree of soiling, which ensures the most economical use of compressed ...

Kunststoffe international, Plastic in the Service of Medicine
...nes, then, fully automatically assembled, provided with blisters and tested. The Next Research Programs Are Running Celon Pharma is currently running twelve drug development programs funded by the European Union. One special field of research in this program is the administering of the drugs by inhalation. A current program called “Disc” aims to develop this method of administering the drug for treating depression by means of an already known anaesthetic. While currently available depression tr...

Kunststoffe international, Sustainable Growth
...o expects to see above average market growth of 4 to 5 %. The new approach from the EU Commission for a sustainable economy within the European Union – called the “Green Deal” has the goal of ensuring that no net greenhouse gas emissions are emitted starting in the year 2050. The EU wants to become climate neutral by 2050. The construction industry has a key role to play, because 40 % of global energy consumption and a third of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by buildings. The second large...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Above Average Growth of TPE
...This growth results both from new applications and from substitutions of other materials within the area of plastics and rubbers. This is leading to a reorientation of the final customers that will be accelerated by legal measures like the European Union used car regulations and new requirements on the part of key industries. Among other things this results in re-orientations by many final customers in growth branches, changed function requirements on future materials as well as exploitation of ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Additives: Custom-engineered Plastics
...y to the requirements of customers and the market. Easy to handle, environmentally friendly and cost-effective products were a clear trend at the K2004. Flame Retardants Since bromated flame retardants have been blacklisted within the European Union, the demand for halogen-free systems has grown. For production of PE and PP cable insulation, aluminium and magnesium hydroxides represent suitable replacements. In order to achieve adequate protection, however, the hydroxides must be used in large...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Airbus to Fly with PPS
...ndustrial fabric, managed to successfully marry the two materials into the high-strength, dimensionally stable and resistant composites (trade named Cetex) required for aircraft construction (see interview with Willem van Dreumel). This is a tricky union, taking place in a press at high temperature and elevated pressure. The difficult challenge posed by the process of composite production is clearly demonstrated by the 1700 or so quality parameters that Cetex has to meet to be approved for furth...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Back to Nature
...s is likely to be much higher in the very distant future. Even now, by far the most BMs are comprised of renewable resources. The Market for BMs is Developing Annual consumption of BM products in the European Union in 2001 is estimated at 25000 to 30000t, which corresponds to a sales volume of about EUR 100 million. No statistics are available for the German market, where loose fill (starch foam) and organic-waste sacks have managed to establish themselves. Market leader is Novamont SpA – an I...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Basell’s Polish Activities: Polyolefins from Poland
...ents and new technologies, the company is facing up to the expected marked rise in polyolefin consumption in Poland in the next few years. Klaus Kohlhepp With the entry of ten new member countries in May last year, the population of the European Union climbed from 380 to 455 million. At the same time, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the EU rose from 955 billion EUR to around 1000 bn EUR. Most of this growth in population and economic strength came from Poland, whose 38 million inhabitants ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Case Study: Hot-Runner Solution for an Electronics Coil
Tooling Hot-Runner Solution for an Electronics Coil Case Study. What points have to be observed in designing the hot-runner system for producing an electronic part of glass fibre-reinforced PA? This article is the first of a six-part series on practically tested solutions, which will run until the end of the year. Dirk Paulmann A modular hot-runner system allows the system to be adapted to specific production requirements while at the same time keeping lead times short. By viewing the project in...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Consumer Protection: Migration Models for the Assessment of Plastic Products
... be ensured. It is only natural for the migration of substances contained in packaging in the food sector to be one of the most strictly monitored areas of plastic commodities. In the wake of the harmonisation of legal provisions within the European Union (EU), there is now a Plastics Directive (2002/72/EC) to govern contact with foods, which is based on an older Commission Directive from 1990 and the seven amendments to this that have been introduced in the meantime. This Directive contains a p...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Custom-tailored Engineering Materials: Polyphenylene Ether (PPE)
...limination of heavy metal pigments that raise environmental concerns. Noryl wire and cable insulation helps suppliers of consumer electronics and automobiles to comply with environmental standards such as ISO 14020 and ISO 14024 in the European Union and Japan. Because of the lower density of Noryl, the weight of the wiring in an automobile can be reduced by as much as 25%. The new flexible PPE grades also comply with ISO 6722 for automotive electrical applications. The multitude of possible app...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Demand Continues to Rise: Polystyrene (PS)
... characteristics spectrum for blends. The material is to be found in extrusion as well as in injection moulding, particularly in transparent food packaging such as cups, bowls and covers. Here – in the case of Styrolux – the European Union and FDA conformity for use in food packaging contributes to the success of the materials. Besides the classical thermoformed cups and bowls made of SBS polymers, also tough thin foils are an application area. For example they find use in packaging fresh salads...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Development History of Plastics: Growth through Changing Times
...uoride, PVF; 1961: polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF; 1972: ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers, ETFE; 1973: perfluoroalkoxy copolymers, PFA). In 1965 , Union Carbide (USA) then introduced polyarylethersulphone (PES), polysulphone (PSU) and similar copolymers, with production starting in 1976. Also in 1965, polyphenylene ether (PPE) was introduced and launched on the market under the name polyphenylene oxide (PPO) by General Electric and AKU (Netherlands). However, because of its low thermal sta...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Driving the Automotive Industry: Engineering Elastomers
...riving the Automotive Industry. Within the elastomer-manufacturing industry, there is increasing concentration and focus on product groups. Regardless of this, the trend towards relocating production of standard products within the expanded European Union continues to advance. In the future, China and India will also increasingly emerge both as markets and production locations for engineering elastomer products. Werner P. Lauhus The European Union, and particularly Germany, continue to be global...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Editorial: Welcome to the EU
...mer Eastern bloc country to open its borders. And what difference even such a short a short period makes: only fifteen years later, Hungary is among the eight central and Eastern European countries plustwo Mediterranean islands) to join the European Union. Instead of welcoming this event with appropriate optimism and anticipating the imminent opportunities, apprehension and anxiety about the progressing relocation of jobs to the East are the dominant sentiment in the public mind. Yet one develo...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Elastomers
...nveiled by DuPont Dow Elastomers (DDE) at K’98 were complemented at K’01 with Nordel MG metallocene gas-phase grades, which are produced by the process originally presented by Union Carbide [3] in 1995. With ethylene contents of 50 to 80% and Mooney viscosities from 60 to 200, they provide a complement to the IP grades and conventional EPDM grades. Nordel MG promises 5 to 10% higher mixer load factors and 20% reduced mixing times. The increasing assault by TPE-Vs as substitutes for EPDM for pro...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, European Political Institutions and Plastics
European Political Institutions and Plastics VKE wants to form Political Communication with the Committees of the EU actively Increasingly guidelines resulting from political decision processes of the European Union influence national markets and global competition. To have an influence on behalf of the interests of the plastics industry, the Association of Plastics Producing Industries, VKE, wants to intensify its communication with European political institutions. The basic political con...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Flame Retardants
...ndustry and rail-transport sector are gradually being replaced. Over the next five years, a new classification system and new test procedures for the fire behaviour of construction products will replace existing national systems within the European Union. This will mean more stringent fire-protection requirements overall, necessitating a reappraisal of the plastics currently employed. All the construction products introduced on a national basis will have to be tested according to the new test pr...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Healthy Sleep . . .
...ique. Battens made of renewable raw materials are also economically advantageous compared to glass-fibre reinforced profiles. Acknowledgement The authors thank the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Technology and Transportation and the European Union for financial support of the project. Fig. 1. Components of a pultrusion machine [3]: a) creel stand, b) guiding system, c) wetting bath, d) die, e) reciprocating puller unit, f) cutoff saw Fig. 2. Flax flyer yarn Fig. 3. Flax sliver Fig. 4...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Improving the Rubber Mixing Process: Focus on Elastomer Processing
...and raw materials innovations as a means of enhancing quality. Satpro EU Project Studying Reactive and Continuous Mixing The Satpro project (System Analysis for the Production of Technical Rubber Goods and Tyres), which was funded by the European Union, was aimed at finding technical solutions for the optimised processing of two raw material and formulation innovations, each of which comprised a separate work package. Silica is currently used universally as an active filler for tread-rubber ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, In Contact with Drinking Water
...tics Carsten Wörner, Frankfurt/Main, Germany Until nationally regulated standards and testing methods have applied to plastics in contact with drinking water. However, a Europe-wide harmonisation is in preparation and the corresponding European Union guidelines will become effective in 2004/2005. All market partners are well advised to prepare themselves for the expected regulations and limits. Originally four countries, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Great Britain, took part in the ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Large Investment Plans: Polyurethanes (PU)
...cost furniture, while West European manufacturers are concentrating particularly on the high-quality end of the market. Poland has now been able to open its doors to large West European producers; the UIS (Union of Independent States) has even caught up with Germany. The share held by moulded flexible foams in the total polyurethane market has remained essentially unchanged over the last few years at about 11%, while the share of flexible slabstock foams is about 32%. The main application secto...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Lignin - Tailor-made
...manufacturers. As a result, Granit SA now has high-viscosity products available that have yet to be tested. These offer new possibilities for materials based on renewable resources. Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank the European Union for financing this research, which was carried out as part of the Valoir project (FAIR CT PL 973521). The Authors of this Article Hansjörg Nitz has been working on his PhD since 1998 in the group led by Prof. Rolf Mülhaupt at the Materials Research...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Low-Pressure Mixing Technology in PUR Processing
...ly beneficial in countries with low labour costs, since low-qualified personnel can be employed to produce high-quality articles. The machine responds robustly when the throughput is varied. Acknowledgement We extend our thanks to the European Union and Klöckner Desma Schuhmaschinen GmbH for providing financing and the opportunity to carry out the tests. Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of frictional mixer. 1: Cylindrical section of mixing chamber, 2: Conical part of mixing chamber, 3: high-frequen...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Growth Worldwide: Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
... to an increased demand for optically pure PMMA. The market for semi-finished products is similarly showing a slight increase worldwide. No essential changes or shifts have come about in the supplier structure for PMMA producers within the European Union over the past twelve months. One development worth mentioning is the purchase of the Barlo Group (including Barlo Plastics) by an investment group. The leading suppliers are still Degussa AG with its Plexiglas and Methacrylate divisions, Belgiu...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Market Report: The Plastics World in a State of Upheaval?
... our organisation with marketing support in the industrialised nations. Over the long term, we wish to adopt a strategic approach of offering storage facilities and marketing that are selectively-tailored to North America and the European Union. We intend to set ourselves a target growth rate of 15% per year, particularly since our share is so low at present", explains Kalyanpur. Fig. 1. Machinery (data in 1000 USD) The plastics machinery sector has been characterised by stagnation over ...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Materials: Housings and Catheters
...estamid E display particular resistance to chemicals as well as being compatible with body fluids and toxicologically harmless. The materials fulfil the requirements placed on medical products by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Union and can be sterilised by the standard processes. Since the materials are used predominantly in dilation catheters, their mechanical properties are particularly important. The finished catheter must be easy to guide, must not buckle and must neve...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Optimistic Prognosis: Plastics Production in Germany
...erman production. Also foreign trade developed well in Germany in 2004. Exports rose around 12.2% to 11.8 million tonnes of plastic or according to value 15.3 billion EUR. Nearly three quarters of these exports – exactly 72.7% – went to European Union countries. Nevertheless, 11.9%, that is approximately 1.4 millions tonnes, went to Asia (Fig.2). The foreign trade balance even registered a plus of 15%, 4.8 million tonnes, according to quantity, or according to value 6.78 billion EUR, a plus of 1...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Pelletised and Powdered Rubber: New Feedstock from Old Tyres
...Recycling Maschinen und Anlagenbau, Gechingen/Germany) started production just as the EU directive prohibiting landfilling became official law: as from April of this year, landfilling of post-consumer tyres will be prohibited throughout the European Union. The new facility has a capacity of 30000t per year, accounting for two thirds of the waste created by post-consumer tyres in Austria. For comparison: Germany alone produces 650000t of post-consumer tyres per year, a maximum of only 90000t of w...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Plastics Remain a Growth Industry
...h Industry Gottfried Zaby, Leverkusen/Germany Just since the last K in 1998, total global production of plastics has risen by more than 12 % or 20 million tonnes, from 158 million tonnes in 1998 to 180 million tonnes in 2000. Within the European Union, some 47 million tonnes of plastic were produced in 2000. One in every four tonnes of plastic in the world now comes from the countries of the European Union. The industry can therefore embark on K 2001 with impressive production figures. Howev...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, PU Seat Foams from End of Live Vehicles
PU Seat Foams from End of Live Vehicles Drawing up Quality Criteria within the European Union Martin Brunner, Rapperswil/Switzerland, Frank E. Mark, Horgen/Switzerland, and Axel Kamprath, Wettern/Belgium The physical and chemical condition of PU seat foams from End of Live Vehicles (ELV) was tested to provide an indication of whether they can be economically recycled. A point of interest is whether there are differences between different countries of the European Union. German legislatio...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Recovery of Used Plastics from E+E
...using materials will be considered in further depth. This stream offers the largest source of secondary raw materials and the recycling of these bulk polymers is needed to achieve the high reuse and recycling quota as requested today by the European Union WEEE Directive. The composition of typical housing fractions from the consumer sector such as TVs, the IT sector such as Monitors, PCs and printers are presented in Tables1 to 3. In addition the concentrations of the critical components in used...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Solar Modules: Plastics, Architecture and Photovoltaics
...rovide lighting effects of a kind never achieved before (even with a separate energy supply), The first project of this kind, which is to be installed in early 2004 in Porto Venere/Italy, with support by the European Union, shows that photovoltaics are highly aesthetic and can even be harmonically integrated into historic surroundings (Fig.4). For industrial roofs, photovoltaic modules offer the possibility of providing a power supply for stand-alone systems, such as actuating motors, fans or em...

Kunststoffe international, 2005-11-21, Upward Trend Relative to 2002: Edging Towards K 2004 with Cautious Optimism
...e market than the Italians in 2002. Developments in Global Sales Markets Analysis of German exports of plastics machinery to the world’s markets in 2002 shows that Asia gained 5 percentage points, mostly at the expense of the European Union and Latin America. While Europe remains the traditional market for most German exports (Table 2), its share has fallen slowly but surely over the years. This trend continued in 2002. Despite the fact that the value of exports to European customers grew 5.2% ...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-06-27, Light Sources: OLED – Light of the Future
...racters or logos is to laminate planar OLEDs with structured films. The Fraunhofer Institute’s logo as OLED (7x7cm2) was produced in the course of the joint project “OLLA” as part of the 6th General Programme of the European Union (IST-2002-4607) Additional interesting possible applications result from the use of transparent OLEDs (Fig. 5). These bidirectionally emitting OLEDs, which exhibit a transparency of more than 25% when turned off, can be integrated like a normal OLED. The first of these...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-05, Interview with Sebastian Karrer: “Our Turf Solves a Problem of Modern Football Arenas"
...t football fields with artificial turfs? Karrer: According to the FIFA authorisation, since 2001 world-wide international matches including World Cup qualification matches and since the 2005/2006 season matches in the football association UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) competition, including the Champions League, can be played on artificial turf fields. Thus also the European top professional division. The quality requirements have been specified by FIFA and UEFA as overall footb...

Kunststoffe international, 2006-09-27, Actuator Materials: Liquid Crystalline Elastomers for Microengineering
...n muscle. The technology, mode of operation and use of these effectors are described using the example of a hybrid microgripper. Tamás Fischl et al. Seven European research groups in the “FULCE” Research Training Network funded by the European Union have been working on functional liquid crystalline elastomers (FULCE) since 2003. The aim of the Ilmenau research group is to integrate these novel elastomers with actuator properties effectively into micromechanical systems. Creating Actuator Prop...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-04-17, Plastics Processing Boom
...on the GKV co-founded the vocational training council for plastics (Berufsbildungsrat Kunststoff) with the workers’ representatives of the IG BCE (Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau-Chemie-Energie – Mining, Chemicals and Energy Industrial Trades Union). This does not just put youth training at the centre of its activities, but also the qualification and continuing training of experienced staff. Plastic Packaging Increasingly Dynamic As products associated directly with consumption plastic packaging...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Biggest Growth in Our History
...of his success. Every third machine sold there is now from Engel. Strong Commitment to Eastern Europe and China It is impossible to ignore the fact that the importance of the East European market has increased with the expansion of the European Union and the associated opening up of the market. Engel has deliberately taken this fact into account in recent years, says Neumann. An important step was taken in October 2006, when Engel Russia was founded with its base in Moscow. After Engel doubled...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Goal: Quicker Return on Investment
...ën. Compared to a conventional all-steel body, a weight savings of about 12kg results. - New halogen-free flame-retardant product developments for PA and PBT that comply with current changes in the laws and standards of the European Union for the electrotechnical and electronics industry, e.g. RoHS, WEEE and IEC/EU 60335-1 (Fig.2). An example is the handle made of PA6 Durethan BKV30 Z FN50 for the pipe of a vacuum cleaner from Vorwerk. - Pedal support bracket for the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class ba...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-08-14, Prince Charming
...oyees have realized that they must contribute their expertise, that the question of whether we will still exist in five or ten years principally lies in our own hands. We had a strong trade union here, which took up radical stances. Now it only plays a marginal role. The colleagues know that they can no longer moan about an investor who does everything wrong. That is an important insight: when we win, we win together; and when we lose, we lose together. I think that that binds us together strong...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Micas for Heat-Resistant Plastics
...eat-exposed applications in which low distortion is an absolute must. References 1 Fei, Y.: Article in: T. J. Ahrens (ed.), Rock Physics and Phase Relations – a Handbook of Physical Constants, AGU Reference Shelf, Vol. 3, American Geophysical Union, Washington 1995 2 Clauser, C., Huenges, E.: Thermal Conductivity of Rocks and Minerals. In: T. J. Ahrens (ed.), Rock Physics and Phase Relations – a Handbook of Physical Constants, AGU Reference Shelf, Vol. 3, American Geophysical Union, Washington...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, The Right Machine for GMP
...n their prescribed limits. So that this can be proved in individual cases, the law lays down rules and directives which impose a duty to prepare systematic documentation. This is because in spite of very extensive regulations within the European Union for the marketing and commissioning of medical products and their accessories such as the Medical Products Law (Medizinproduktegesetz – MPG), EU directive 93/42/EEC and 98/79 EWG for "In-vitro diagnostica", actually placing them on the mark...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-09-19, Uniloy Launches Energy Initiative
Uniloy Launches Energy Initiative Blow Molding (Trade-fair-pre-report K 2007) A 20 % reduction in the output of greenhouse gases by 2020 is the goal of a current set of measures by the European Union. Manufacturing industry, too, has to do its part in these savings. The following meeting report shows how one internationally operating manufacturer is going about this task. At a round table discussion with invited representatives of the European trade press, Uniloy Milacron of Mage...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-19, A Strong Industry
...lastics produced in Europe are intended for the European market. Imports from overseas, e.g. to Germany, still play a very minor role at something over 6%. In 2006, two thirds of German plastics exports – 70.6%, to be precise – went to European Union countries (Fig.3); of imports, as much as 88.8% came from the EU (Fig.4). In 2006, the export quota was 70%; the import quota around 45%. Sales, Margins and People Total sales of plastics in Germany in 2006, at EUR 22.2 billion, were around 6.1% h...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Bioplastics
...within a few months, prices for agricultural products have risen strongly; wheat and sugar have become 50% dearer in some cases. The extensive political support for biofuels plays a significant part in this. In March 2007, the European Union determined that biofuels should make up at least 10% of total consumption by 2020 (the voluntary goal had been 5.75% before). Within a few years, large production capacities grew up; further plants are planned. Unlike energy production, biofuels do not offer...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-10-21, Polystyrene (PS)
...n 2006 and forecast for the year 2011 (source: CMAI) Fig. 4. Development of Consumption: Development of polystyrene consumption in Europe and the Mediterranean area from 2000 to 2007 (CEE countries: Central and Eastern European Union countries) (source: BASF) Table 1. Producers of polystyrene and nominal capacity in Europe (as of mid-2007) Table 2. Polystyrene consumption worldwide by application area (as of 2006) (source: CMAI)

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Short Process for Hybrid Structures
...orced rib. By injection of the plastic molded compound onto the still molten, already formed semi-finished sheet in the rib foot, a solid, fused connection is built up between the two materials. Through the mutual penetration of molten phases, the union of the two materials is boosted by fusion in micro-undercuts. An integrated pinching edge enables trimmed P/FCP hybrid carriers to be manufactured. Further automation of the process will yield cycle times that come close to those of conventional ...

Kunststoffe international, 2007-12-17, Tomorrow’s Packaging
...w function principles will be made possible such as humidity adjustment or antimicrobial effects. The concept to specifically absorb false smells formed by the product must be regarded as an erroneous trend, however, because European Union legislation – because of the possibility of thus deceiving the consumer – has effectively put a stop to this. In the more distant future special indicators will be developed and integrated into packaging materials that will permit indicating product specific q...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-17, As Good as Welded
...nd Teflon of differing geometries as the more heat resistant material have been used. Acknowledgements The studies were funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Society for the Advancement of Scientific Research) and the European Union. References 1. Op De Laak, M.; Pötsch, G.; Schwitzer, K.: Plastic-Metal Hybrids. Kunststoffe plast europe 91 (2001) 9, pp. 39–41 2. Ehrenstein, G. (Ed.): Handbuch Kunststoffverbindungstechnik. Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 2004 3. Völker, M.: Der Krage...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-17, Few New Products but Business is Booming
...thods so that suppliers often have to test using the old and new methods. New markets for flame retardants have resulted from the energy saving regulations for the insulation of buildings, i.e. the Construction Products Directive in the European Union, the Energieeinsparungsgesetz (Energy Saving Law) in Germany as well as new regulations regarding the external insulation of buildings in China. In transportation there are discussions taking place regarding higher fire retardancy for road vehicles...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-02-17, Shielding Plastic Housings
...e, U.: Kunststoffe und EMV. Kapitel 4.1.4 Kunststoffe mit magnetischen Füllstoffen. pp 126–127, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 1997 Acknowledgement The current project (no. 2006WG 0112) was co-financed by the European Union from the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE) together with the Free State of Thuringia. We also wish to acknowledge the support of the SCITECH Department at the University of Applied Science Jena, on whose behalf a diploma on this topic was written based on work perf...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-08-14, Food Packaging: A Green Light for Recyclates?
Kunststoffe: Mr. Hackl, this new regulation has been in the making for years. Since being published in the Official Journal of the European Union last 28 March, it replaces all previously valid national regulations. What do recycled plastics have to fulfill for them to be approved for food packaging according to the new rulings? Hackl: According to the new regulation, packaging materials and food packaging with recycled plastics content may be put in circulation only if the recycled plastics con...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-09-23, Plastics, Electronics and the Environment
... technologies are developed, the previous year’s model is often disposed of for the latest model. The impact on resources of the waste – both landfills and incinerators – is a practical problem for many governments. The European Union and Japan are the legislative leaders in this field, although China, the United States and other countries are tightening their rules. The more decentralized culture of Europe, an infrastructure based on waste incineration and political environ...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, PET in Beverage Packaging
... This means that in Europe about 35 to 40% of all PET bottles on the market are collected and recycled. The largest amount (slightly less than 60 %) is collected in Germany, France and Italy. Recycling takes place largely within the European Union. In 2006, the percentage exported to the Far East dropped to 14%. The majority of PET bottles collected still ends up as fibers (Fig. 7). In recent years, however, so-called ”bottle to bottle” recycling has experienced sig...

Kunststoffe international, 2008-10-17, The Cost Phase will be Followed by an Employee Phase
...nnel is available for the work at hand. If both of these factors were taken into account the acceptance of flexible working hours could be much greater still. Kunststoffe: Where are the skeptics mainly to be found these days, in management or in the unions? Hoff: The necessity of flexible working time schemes is actually widely accepted since experience has shown that nothing works as well as a system in which control is decentralized. However, resistance is fairly evenly distributed in manageme...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-02-17, Good Not Only for Teeth
...sible impurities through the use of special filters and sterilization processes and subsequently must be transported to the patient without any loss in quality. Therefore, dialysis water processing equipment in the European Union, including the attached ring lines and systems, is classified as a Class IIB medical product in accordance with Guideline 93/42/EWG and must be subjected to the corresponding conformance evaluation. To prevent the risk of microorganisms adhering to surfaces, special des...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, A Guidance System for the Perfect Component?
Agreat share of the economic performance of the European Union (EU) is due to its plastics industry. In 2007, close to 380,000 employees worked in the German plastics industry alone, generating a good EUR 83 billion turnover [1]. Here, the industrial sectors of injection molding and upstream tooling and moldmaking are global leaders in terms of technology. They are among the key sectors within the EU. The success of European plastics manufacturers, among other factors, results from small and med...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-10-14, Focus on High-Tech
...and applications. One focus, alongside themes such as environment, mobility and lightweight construction, is energy. The background to this can be seen amongst other things in the ambitious climate targets of Germany and the European Union. Carbon nanotubes offer a wide range of opportunities to reduce energy consumption, for example by improving the efficiency of fuel cell and battery technology or enabling lightweight construction solutions that reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles. Product...

Kunststoffe international, 2009-11-19, Light, Inexpensive, and Good for the Environment
...nd 1.40 g/cm3. What is more, the environmental balance deteriorates with every gram of weight, starting from material use and energy consumption during manufacturing, ranging up to emissions. Regarding e.g. CO2 emissions, the European Union requires emissions to remain below the level of 130 g/km by 2014. On average, every 100 kg of weight in a vehicle leads to an increase in consumption by 0.5 l of fuel per kilometer. With every liter of fuel consumed, 2.32 kg of CO2 are generated, and therefor...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-04-20, Saving Time and Costs
...efficient light sources can save a good deal of energy. Energy experts estimate that private households in Germany could save up to EUR 2 billion per year. According to Professor Norbert Hüttenhölscher, director of EnergieAgentur NRW, the European Union (EU) expects to save 7.5 billion kilowatt hours in private households in Germany alone by replacing incandescent lamps with energy-saving lamps. The saving would be even greater if they were replaced by LEDs. Bernd Franke, head of strategy and in...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-07-22, Polyvinyl Chloride – A Many Faceted Polymer
... recognized at the time since in 1926 Griesheim-Elektron, which in the interim belonged to IG-Farbenindustrie, with Klatte’s permission allowed the patent to lapse and thus opened the PVC sector for other companies: In America in 1928 Union Carbide as well as DuPont copolymerized vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate. Around the same time research into PVC was restarted at IG Farben in Germany, initially with work on the copolymerization of vinyl chloride and vinyl ethers as well as acrylic acid este...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-08-19, Vital Contacts
...t come into direct contact with potable water and food have to have appropriate regulatory approvals. The approval depends on the region in which the product is to be sold. For food contact these are for example the American FDA/NSF and the European Union EU directives. In the case of potable water the situation is a little more complex. Before the potable water delivered by the water utility flows from the tap it has traveled a long way through pipes and various devices. Materials that are used...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Internationality Still on the Increase
...to the customer’s IT system. “This solution is perfect for customers with an existing EDP infrastructure and who are equipped for electronic data exchange.” According to Eurostat (the statistical office of the European Union), 20% of EU companies are now enjoying the benefits of e-invoicing, with 1,200 users joining daily. “E” for efficiency: the right solution for every customer There are several reasons for this. You could say that “e” stands for both “electronic” and “efficient.” “WACKER e-in...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-09-24, Two Centuries of Polyolefins
...as many of the discoveries made here were also employed in other areas of chemistry that at that time were still essentially coal-based. While the technology continued to develop, for example with the first shellandtube reactor process at Union Carbide Corp. (UCC) as early as 1943, new fields of application for the material also evolved. More recent applications still widespread today include household articles. Tupperware presented its first collection as long ago as 1949, the Title photo shows...

Kunststoffe international, 2010-11-25, Of Fibers, Foam and Nano (?)
...ore thoroughly investigated. Another milestone was the development of cheap polyols in the USA: OH-polyether from Wyandotte, Dow and Union Carbide to name but a few. Farbenfabriken Bayer AG, in the precise style they have, recorded 10:30 a.m. on March 16, 1958 as the time of birth for a polyether in one of their pilot plants. In the meantime just about anything that has at least two-OH groups has been or is being reacted with propylene and/or ethylene oxide. Renewable raw materials such as starc...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, From Metal Substitution to Sterilization
...avan mover (manufacturer: Reich GmbH) transfers large forces and can withstand extreme loading and weather conditions Fig. 4. Melt flow properties of Ixef 1022 polyarylamide in comparison to other aromatic and aliphatic polyamides Fig. 5. The union nuts of TECElogo fittings are manufactured in a 2-component process in polyarylamide with an insert molded viewing port Fig. 6. Following gamma irradiation with 40 kGy the variation in the shift of the stabilized colors has a ΔE of 0.06 and 4.65 compa...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-02-21, Science for a Better Life
...s why MaterialScience is working intensively on the use of new materials for energy production from regenerative energy sources. The further growth of this dynamic market is being driven strongly i. e. by the 20/20/20 targets of the European Union’s “Package of Directives and Targets for Climate Protection and Energy”. The aim is to achieve a 20 % reduction in Europe-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 relative to 2005, to increase the share of renewable energies to 20 % and to achieve 20 % mo...

Kunststoffe international, 2011-11-18, Oriented Spraying of Fibers
...mentioned technological process parameters. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Parts of the work were funded within the framework of the European Centre for Emerging Materials and Processes Dresden (ECEMP) – sub-project B4 – by the European Union and the Free State of Saxony. Fig. 1. Material and technological parameters on the composite formation in the LFI process Fig. 2. Spray cabin and shuttle mold carrier of the A-LFI plant (figures: ILK) Fig. 3. Non-aligned fiber orientation during the A-LFI process with stan...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-02-24, Portable Medical Devices
... dark gray. The resin provides excellent mechanical performance under high-temperature conditions. Further, this material provides flame retardance without the use of hazardous materials, enabling it to meet the requirements of the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives. PC was chosen for the S9 top case and H5i humidifier flip lid for its exceptional impact properties. Plastics can be enhanced with an almost in...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-02-24, The First Laser-Sintered Skull Implant
...ed skull implants made by a U.S. company received FDA approval. And the first ever laser-sintered PEEK cranial implant prototype has now been created by a team of doctors, design engineers and materials specialists working together in a European Union-funded research project called Custom IMD (see box page 48). The implant has a unique lattice structure that promotes bone growth into the implant and can only be created with this additive-manufacturing technique. Final laboratory tests and animal...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-07-23, Long-Term Growth Trend
... of plastics to Germany in 2011 remained at the previous year’s level of 8.4 million t. On the other hand, due to price increases, this translates to a value increase of 13.3 % to EUR 14.5 billion. The 27 states of the European Union (predominantly BeNeLux, Italy, France, and Poland) played a major role in foreign trade: they accounted for 73.5 % of exports and 86.9 % of imports. “Our everyday market is Europe”, concluded Hapke. An Increase in Customers According to surveys conducted by Plastics...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-09-17, Lighter and Cleaner Cars
...islators worldwide are reacting with guidelines and restrictions to persuade auto manufacturers to develop vehicles with lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions. This applies not only to the USA and Japan but also, particularly, to the European Union (EU). Here, the CO2 emissions of newly registered passenger cars and commercial vehicles up to 3.5 t are subject to mandatory limits (see the relevant EU Regulation [2]). These limits will gradually be reduced still further in the years to come...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-09-17, Ultralight Electric Vehicle
...he research vehicle will be presented to the public for the first time at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main, Germanyk, in 2013. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project is financed by funds from the European Union and the Free State of Saxony. The InEco demonstrator vehicle: By the end of 2012, individual components and assemblies already tested and suitable for series production will be available for the demonstrator vehicle (photos: TU Dresden) Fig. 1. Specific energy absorption of steel/C...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-10-15, A Matter of Combinations that Fit
A groundbreaking invention is on the verge of disappearing: The European Union is successively banning light bulbs from the market. Starting this year’s fall, they will be banned from sale for environmental reasons. However, since their very beginning, the lighting sector has thrived on constant evolution – just as has the branch of industry that only made it possible to utilize and show off the benefits of light sources to full advantage, and that is the lamp industry. Again and again, new illu...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Demands and Innovations
...tation, innumerable very different regulations and tests for fire protection have to be observed. The majority of fire tests today are international, so that the “small state mentality” with national tests is steadily decreasing. In the European Union, classifications and tests for fire protection in building have been harmonized for about 10 years. This has finally been achieved also for rail transportation: The EN 45545 standard on fire protection in railway vehicles that has been undergoing d...

Kunststoffe international, 2012-11-26, Inliner for Automotive High-Pressure Natural Gas Tank
...te-damaging nitrogen oxides, their emissions are as much as 53 to 95 % lower. The automotive industry is also relying on natural gas-powered vehicles in its concepts for sustainable mobility etc. The background to this is legislation by the European Union specifying that the average emission of the greenhouse gas CO2 from manufacturers’ new car fleets must be reduced by 40 % to 95 g/km until 2020 as compared with 2008. Up to 4 % Weight Saving Most natural gas-powered production vehicles today ar...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-02-22, Are Halogens Really Necessary?
...g parameters, the effectiveness of the fire protection, environmental compatibility and economy, different perspectives and different assessments of possible solutions present themselves to the experts. The importance of this prompted the European Union in 2009 to set up the ENFIRO project to study and evaluate the modes of action and consequences of using fire-protection alternatives in plastics. Full-fledged Alternative Methods Available Proceeding from the finding that some BFRs are not only ...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-04-19, Plastics Cycle
...pose. As a result, plastics are often the butt of public criticism, because waste that is not disposed properly will pollute the environment. And this is despite the fact that the recycling rate in the European Union is as high as 80 %. In Germany, even 98 % of the plastics materials were recycled last year, nearly half of which was done by mechanical recycling. Most of the remaining material was processed by energy recovery, a sma...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-06-19, Medium-Sized Companies REACH Marathon
... tonnes per year, in addition to carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductively toxic materials (CMR substances) beginning from one tonne, annually. Almost 4,900 different substances were registerd in approx. 28,000 dossiers all over the European Union in the first phase. The second phase of registration ended at the end of May 2013, recording all quantities above 100 tonnes per year. For this phase, ECHA expects to receive approx. 15,000 registrations for 3,900 substances, roughly, among them about ...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-06-19, Radiation Shielding
...ctrical devices have to comply with special regulations that require them to be equipped with sufficient shielding. Strong legislative standards are in place for this. Thus the EMC (ElectroMagnetic Compatibility) guideline introduced by the European Union in 1989 determines what requirements an electric or electronic device has to fulfill all over Europe. With the mandatory CE label, binding since 1996, and an enclosed EU declaration of conformity, the manufacturer or importer guarantees that an...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-07-22, Reducing Costs through Systematic Development Processes
...new products. Only highly innovative, courageous and open-minded SMEs will manage the leap from contractor to OEM development partner. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors are grateful to the European Union, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) as well as the “Otto von Guericke” Confederation of Industrial Research Associations (AIF) and the Federal German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology (BMWi) in Germany f...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-07-22, Trade Fair Shows Positive Sentiment
.... This year, a moderated contact platform gave an opportunity for establishing business relations between companies and industry research institutes. Advisory meetings were organized and conducted by the Enterprise European Network of the European Union in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce in Kielce and the Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul. More than 30 companies from Italy, Slovakia, Poland and Turkey could exchange their experiences during individual conversations. The effectiveness of s...

Kunststoffe international, 2013-08-19, Feasibility Analysis for Risk Assessment
...s is guaranteed. This way also the procedure can be customized according to the individual needs of the company and unnecessary steps can be removed. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Cornet research project (51 EN) has been sponsored by the European Union, the ministry of education, science and technology of the republic of Slovenia, the Austrian Forschungsförderungsgemeinschaft FFG, the “industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung und -entwicklung (IGF)” and the German Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologi...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-02-20, Fillers: Even Lighter
...ld exhibit significant waviness. To achieve a smooth part surface, lightweight fillers are mixed with fine fillers, e.g. finely ground chalk. As part of the joint project “TC2” funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and the European Union, lightweight fillers that have not yet joined the ranks of established materials for the SMC process are being investigated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT), Pfinztal, Germany. The primary objective of this project is to inc...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-04-14, Ultrasound Injection Molding: A Screw Is Not Always Necessary
...-off company of the Spanish Fundació Ascamm foundation specializes in the development, manufacture and sale of industrial solutions based on high-power ultrasonic waves, and markets the results of multiyear applied research, sponsored with European Union resources, into the advantages of ultrasound as a highly efficient energy source for polymer processing. Until now, ultrasound in the plastics industry was predominantly used for welding and cutting. Energy Saving with USM Technology The first p...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-06-17, Recovering Carbon Fibers
...Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland of Windisch, Switzerland, for fiber characterization and Hadeg Recycling GmbH of Stade, Germany, for its support with material and discussions. This work was supported financially by the European Union within the framework of its Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative, Platform ECO Design.ServiceReferences & Digital VersionYou can find the list of references and a PDF file of the article at www.kunststoffe-international.com/840572German Version...

Kunststoffe international, 2014-11-26, Low Weight and Sustainability for Vehicles
Using lightweight materials is a crucial issue in automotive construction, in order to meet the European Union’s climate targets. Corresponding investigations were conducted on polypropylene compounds, showing that natural reinforcing fibers have the highest potential for lightweight construction. Moreover, life cycle assessments yielded excellent results for these types of lightweight materials. Current trends in automotive development range from traveling comfort and entertainment up to proces...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-02-28, Bio-Based and Flame-Retardant?
... they are treating.Initiatives such as the "Design for Environment" projects of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Enfiro (European Environmental Project Management) project sponsored by the European Union, are identifying non-halogenated flame retardants for different materials and conclude that – next to a favorable environmental and health profile – these flame retardants also represent real alternatives from a technical and commercial view. This is a step forward in easin...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-03-17, Bringing Light into Darkness
...rch in the SNC project at the University of Zittau/Görlitz; dave-krueger@gmx.de headed the SNC project group at the University of Zittau/Görlitz; M.Klaubert@hszg.deAcknowledgmentThe work presented here was sponsored with funds from the European Union, the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Free State of Saxony (Sächsische Aufbaubank) (Europe promotes Saxony).ServiceReferences & Digital VersionYou can find the list of references and a PDF file of the article at www.kunststoffe-international.co...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-04-20, Drop for Drop
...l surroundings, but by service providers specialized to these. From a regulatory point of view, these applications also lie in a gray area and are often defined as individually prescribed and fitted medical products. Thus, within the European Union the constraint of CE approval falls away; to be sure, however, materials and processing conditions have to comply with corresponding requirements in order to counteract injuries to the patient.In the field of individually fitted ear pieces, so-called ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-07-20, Colorful, Lush and Smooth − All in One
...t saline lake on earth. One assumes that it contains over 10 trillion tonnes of salt. It is even slightly larger than the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah, USA. The salt’s smooth glittering is reflected in this hue.The background to the color "Union Lane Blue" is equally fascinating. Union Lane is an alley in the bohemian metropolis of Melbourne, Australia. The narrow lane is well-known for its urban art, with graffiti covering every inch of its walls. There is not much to see in the alley apart f...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-07-20, The Carbon Footprint of an Injection Molding Machine
...stry is held responsible for a large proportion of global CO₂ emissions. For the current commitment period of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as "Kyoto Protocol", the countries of the European Union have agreed to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), by a total of 20 % by 2020 compared with 1990 [1].These various gases have very different potential effects on climate change. So, over a pe...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-08-17, PET Recycling in Europe
... the introduction of the deposit system in Germany, the PET bottles had to be sorted out of the packaging collected via the dual system, e. g. in the so-called "yellow sacks".The collection and funding systems in individual states of the European Union, i. e. Germany, France, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, are illustrated below. The emphasis is placed here on the collection of PET bottle waste.GermanyThe Packaging Regulations came about as a result of efforts in the 1970s and 1980s to red...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-09-18, Regulations, Markets, Trends
... their use in various fields of construction and transportation, electrical engineering/electronics (E&E), as well as furniture and furnishings.The requirements regarding the fire behavior of construction products have been set within the European Union by classification systems and testing processes for many years and have, in part, been adopted in other parts of the world, such as China. In July 2013, the European Construction Products Regulation became law, thereby replacing the previous Cons...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Inventiveness Ensures Growth in Machine Manufacturing
Gerhard Gotzmann, Chefredateur (© private)Gerhard Gotzmann, Chefredateur (© private)Gerhard Gotzmann, Chefredateur (© private) Nine countries, organized in the European Union of Plastics and Rubber Machinery Manufacturers (Euromap), together produced 40 percent by value of all the processing machines manufactured worldwide for the industry in 2014. This represents sales of EUR 13 billion on an overall market of EUR 32.5 billion. The Euromap countries have thus been able to retain their individu...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Lighting with a Future
...ansparent materials together with LEDs allow attractive light designs for lighting, computer monitors and TV screens or in the automobile. Energy consumption is to be reduced by 20 % till 2020 – that is the target that has been set by the European Union for its member states. In concrete terms that means energy savings of 1.5 % per year for the member states between 2014 and 2020. According to estimates by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH, Berlin, Germany is well on the way to achieving the 20 ...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-10-12, Metal Effect Design in the Injection Molding Process
...ss, the coating is referred to as a two-component coating, despite the addition of the metal pigments. The polyurea coating is completely solvent-free and, thus, meets the requirements of the Directive 1999/13/EC of the Council of the European Union from March 11, 1999 on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents.This technology expanded to include metal pigmentation is also the subject of a joint project of Panadur GmbH in Halberstadt and the K...

Kunststoffe international, 2015-12-17, Electronic Waste as a Challenge
...tate the verification of compliance with such requirements to ensure that ecological, social and economic aspects are considered in IT products. TCO Development is a subsidiary of the umbrella organization of the Swedish Salaried Employees Union.www.tcodevelopment.deServiceReferences & Digital VersionYou can find the list of references and a PDF file of the article at www.kunststoffe-international.com/1262605German VersionRead the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or a...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-02-17, Mold Surfaces as a Quality Determinant
... quickly through the production line and clean whenever and wherever necessary. The applicator’s ergonomic design and LED light provided optimal illumination of the surface being cleaned. Because of the 45° and 90° angled nozzles and rotary union (allows 360° rotation in the mold) available for the i³ MicroClean, it was easy and effortless to clean hard to reach areas and behind slides. Another benefit was that both the dry ice and compressed air could be regulated individually and the settings ...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-03-08, Energy Efficiency – the Response to Increasing Electricity Prices
...nvironmental management system that meets standards such as DIN EN ISO 50001. Otherwise they face severe fines.This so-called "energy efficiency directive" has the purpose of creating a common framework for energy efficiency measures in the European Union. It obliges all companies of the aforementioned size and greater to pursue energy saving policies. An obvious approach is to reassess the drive technology of one’s own machinery or at least take it into account when making new purchases (Fig. 1...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, Good Fire Protection with Simple Flame Retardants
Bioplastics are comparable to conventional materials, not only in terms of their mechanical properties. By adding simple mineral additives the fire protection of these materials is improved substantially. Different flame retardants were tested for a sandwich board from bio-based polyurethane with linen cover layers, and their performance has been proven. Natural fiber-reinforced polyurethanes (PU) are currently mostly used in the automotive sector. The key applications are compression molded par...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, Tamper-Proof Sealing of Pharmaceuticals
...ods – falsified products with ineffective or incorrect doses of active ingredients can cause patients considerable harm, not to mention the economic loss for the manufacturers. To control the increasing number of falsified products in the European Union, in 2011 the EU adopted Directive 2011/62/EU entitled "Directive for prevention of the entry into the legal supply chain of falsified medicinal products", or in short "Falsified Medicines Directive".Two authenticity features on the outer packagin...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-04-08, The Computer also Listens
...ial behavior of plastics is taken into account in the simulation of structure-borne sound in the calculation programs by suitable material models. Real and Virtual Test SetupAs part of the "Acoustic Plus" research project sponsored by the European Union and the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Industry, and SMEs of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, a systematic procedure for the acoustic design of plastic moldings was developed [1]. In this work, various thermoplastics such as p...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-07-20, Smooth Mobility
...er employs a total of about 400 people. The machine park includes about 100 injection molding machines. Most of the production is carried out at the headquarters in Fürth. But Bruder also manufactures at other sites in the European Union, for example, opening a new factory in Pilsen, Czech Republic, in fall 2014. With its own design and mold making activities, Bruder has a continuous supply chain and customer support – from the idea, via production, to marketing, Bruder combines everything under...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-10-17, Polyurethane (PU)
...estments by Raw Material ProducersA negative influence on PU sales was due to the slackening growth in China and the economic problems in Brazil, Russia, and India. Also the political crises in North Africa, the Near East, or between the European Union (EU) and Russia have left their marks.In spite of the current economic downturn, the long-term growth perspectives for PU in China are still above average. That is why the Middle Kingdom was and still is a focus for investments in capacity expans...

Kunststoffe international, 2016-11-30, Icecold to Higher Quality and Productivity
... from smaller tools. For cleaning of molds with complex geometries, undercuts, edges and corners and other hard to reach areas, there are blasting nozzles with a 45° and 90° curved heads available. They can be rotated 360° due to a rotary union. Specially designed fragmenting nozzles (to reduce particle size and kinetic energy), for use with units in the Performance series, have been developed in which the size of the pellets can be adjusted into four levels – from normal to extra fine – via sma...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-07-19, Becoming Part of the Solution
... its work.There are many initiatives, NGOs and foundations focused on the issue of marine litter. Why did your company opt for WFO?First, because they approached us actively, second, because we are impressed by WFO’s network with the European Union (EU) and the European Commission. It is undeniable that a lot of countries, especially developing countries, have trouble with waste disposal. Unfortunately this typically includes plastic waste. In the worst case, the materials even end up in the foo...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-10-13, Polyurethanes (PU)
...late pipes against heat and cold. PU-insulated pipes find application, for example, in district heating networks, in the oil and gas industry, in the chemical industry, in the food industry and in the sanitary sector. The European Union has set itself a target for 2020 of a 20 % reduction in overall energy consumption and a 20 % (preferably 30 %) reduction in CO2 emissions. District heating networks can make a valuable contribution here, as heating pipes are a large-volume application. The easy ...

Kunststoffe international, 2017-12-21, Flame Retardant with Molecular Anchor
... many decades, small amounts of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) were added to PS foams as a fire retardant and flame resisting agent. However, since August 21, 2015, the European REACH regulation for chemicals forbids the use of HBCD in the European Union because it has been classified as a substance of very high concern (SVHC). Since then, HBCD may not be used in XPS, and the EPS industry was granted a two-year transitional period. Following the inclusion of the HBCD flame retardant in the POP li...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-02-21, Naturally Non-Flammable
...e decomposed by the higher processing temperatures of engineering plastics, which can exceed 250 °C, thereby reducing their strength [2]. Moreover, the typical application areas of (reinforced) PBT achieve a V0 classification.In the European Union, a classification system for the fire behavior of construction products plus the associated test procedures permits these products – including the plastics used – to be assigned to specific Euro Classes [3]. Due to increasingly tougher fire protection ...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-05-15, Italy Achieving Record Highs
... the best seller continues to be mold-making (EUR 960 million), which accounts for a 29 % share of total industry exports.In 2017, over half the Italian exports of machinery and molds for plastics processing went to countries of the European Union. According to figures from the Italian statistics authority, Istat, the main sales markets broke down by region as follows: Europe 60.7 % (EU 51.7 %),Asia and Oceania 15.1 %,North America (NAFTA) 13.7 %,Central and South America 5.6 %,Africa 4.9 %.Sale...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-08-14, Load Well Loaded
...ces, a load unit has been developed that requires less material and offers improved stability. Goods and products have to reach customers or consumers safely and in good time. This is why the new EU control ordinance went into effect in the European Union on 20 May 2018. According to it, load units including transport packaging on trucks will be checked more often for stability [1]. Appropriately developed packaging ensures an efficient and secure supply chain.Arranged products on a pallet have ...

Kunststoffe international, 2018-08-14, Secondary Raw Materials of the Future
... used. Flame-retardant plastics have to guarantee safe fire protection. Flame-retardant additives either prevent plastics from igniting, or significantly delay the spread of fire. The total annual demand for flame-retardant additives in the European Union amounts to approx. 500 kt/a, and its annual growth rate until 2025 is estimated at 5 to 7 wt. %. For well-known reasons, halogen-free flame-retardants are increasingly relied upon that currently have a market share of 70 wt. % [1]. Their commer...

Kunststoffe international, 2019-07-17, Longer Shelf-Life, Less Waste
...mer Plantic preserve flavor and protect food from atmospheric oxygen and pollutants. The properties of these barrier materials help reduce food waste. At the same time, they make a contribution to cutting packaging waste and meeting the European Union’s targets for sustainable packaging. Protection against Oxidation Contact with oxygen causes oxidation of many foods, which affects their color, consistency and taste. In addition, an acid rich environment promotes the proliferation of microorganis...

Kunststoffe international, 2020-05-05, Can One Material Be Enough?
The goal of the European Union (EU) to recycle all plastic packaging in Europe in an economically viable manner by 2030 is exerting enormous pressure on the packaging industry. It is very common that packaging films are made of different materials, and this causes challenges since they are often not easy to recycle. The demand is high for recyclable films which at the same time deliver the same or only slightly reduced food shelf life and packaging productivity. Various current examples show tha...