Siemens Develop ABS Plastic Alternative

June 8th, 2012

Researchers at technology company Siemens have developed an alternative material to polystyrene-based acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic made from renewable-based polymers and carbon dioxide.

The new material — a result of a three-year project funded by the German Research Ministry and in collaboration with BASF, Munich Techical University and the University of Hamburg scientists — is a mixture of polyhdroxybutyrate (PHB) bioplastic and carbon dioxide-based polypropylene carbonate (PPC) (containing 43% by weight CO2) supplied by BASF.

According to the press release, the new composite polymer has more than 70% renewable-based content. Bosch-Siemens-Hausgeräte (BSH) demonstrated its performance by using the material to make a vacuum cleaner cover under series-production conditions. In cooperation with BSH and BASF, the Siemens researchers now want to examine whether they can replace other types of plastic used by BSH with CO2-based composite materials.

Source: Icis

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Company Information, Education, Green Chemistry, In the news, Products

No Comments »

Albemarle Introduces Next Product in the Earthwise Portfolio of Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Solutions

April 12th, 2012

Innovative polymeric fire safety solution is result of technology license from Dow

(BATON ROUGE, La.) April 12, 2011–Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of flame retardants, announced today that it has expanded its Earthwise™ platform of sustainable products by introducing a new polymeric flame retardant for use in extruded (XPS) and expanded (EPS) polystyrene applications.

This new technology, licensed from Dow Global Technologies LLC (DGTL), a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), will be commercialized under Albemarle’s Earthwise brand and provides a stable, high molecular weight, non-PBT (Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic) polymeric technology for use in these demanding applications. This new technology is expected to become the preferred choice to meet critical fire safety requirements for both XPS and EPS.

Albemarle’s agreement to manufacture and sell this premium technology confirms the company’s commitment to provide customers with sustainable, innovative fire safety solutions that meet the increasing demands of global regulations and standards, such as energy efficiency and sustainable design for these thermal insulation materials.

“This expansion of our Earthwise portfolio is another sign of our position as the industry leader in flame retardants, and joins our other key polymeric platforms, Green Armor™ and our family of brominated polystyrene products, SAYTEX® HP-3010, HP-7010 and 621,” said Brian Carter, Division Vice President of global brominated flame retardants.  “Albemarle expects to commercialize this new technology in 2014 and is already working closely with customers to fully qualify the product in both applications.”

Albemarle’s flame retardant business is part of the Company’s fire safety solutions within the Polymer Solutions business segment.

About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a leading global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of highly-engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics, petroleum refining, utilities, packaging, construction, automotive/transportation, pharmaceuticals, crop protection, food-safety and custom chemistry services. The Company is committed to global sustainability and is advancing its eco-practices and solutions in its three business segments, Polymer Solutions, Catalysts and Fine Chemistry. Corporate Responsibility Magazine selected Albemarle to its prestigious “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list for 2010 and 2011.  Albemarle employs approximately 4,000 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. Albemarle regularly posts information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, Regulation G reconciliations, SEC filings, and other information regarding the Company, its businesses and the markets we serve.

Whether consumers are watching a television, sitting on a sofa, taking a commercial airline flight, or swallowing ibuprofen to relieve a headache, Albemarle products are there making lives safer and more livable.  For more information, visit www.earthwiseinside.com.

Albemarle Media Contact:  Ashley Mendoza, (225) 388-7137, Ashley.Mendoza@albemarle.com

Albemarle Investor Relations Contact: Lorin Crenshaw, (225) 388-7322, Lorin.Crenshaw@albemarle.com

About The Dow Chemical Company
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

The Dow Chemical Company Media Contact:  Erik van Oosten, (989) 636-5090, evanoosten@dow.com

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Company Information, Education, Green Chemistry, In the news, Products, Sustainability, albemarle

No Comments »

Being Green & Eco-Friendly is Harder Than It Seems

March 21st, 2012

Flame retardant expert Susan D. Landry reveals how green chemistry advancements will progress

Landry works with Earthwise™, a division of Albemarle, which will release an environmentally preferred  flame retardant, GreenArmor™, later this year. Creating an industry with minimized environmental impact begins with the research and development of eco-friendly, non-bioaccumulative  compounds, like GreenArmor, but involves players at every level of production and implementation.

Landry highlights three things necessary for increased sustainability:

  • Mandatory regulations
  • Voluntary phase-outs
  • Life-cycle awareness

Landry asks that users of flame retardants participate in VECAP (Voluntary Emissions Control Action Program) to address emissions in the manufacturing, processing and waste disposal stages of the product life-cycle.

To find out more, go see Landry’s presentation, “Regulatory Status and Sustainability of Flame Retardants,” at the IPC It’s Not Easy Being Green symposium, July 19-21 2010. You can view the presentation slides here.

Regulatory Status and Sustainability of Flame Retardants

About the Presenter

Fire safety blog from Earthwise- Susan Landry photo
With over twenty-five years with Albemarle, Susan D. Landry serves as the company’s Advisor, Fire Safety & Advocacy. In this role, Susan promotes the benefits of Albemarle’s flame retardant products with a wide variety of stakeholders, particularly in the U.S. A respected expert on flame retardants, Susan has received fourteen patents related to these products and has presented numerous papers and presentations on flame retardants, with a particular emphasis on fire safety, regulatory, and recyclability. She recently authored a chapter (“Changing Chemical Regulations and Demands”) in the American Chemical Society Book entitled, “Fire Retardancy ofPolymeric Materials, 2nd Edition.” Susan has served on an assessment panel in the Building & Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and she is a member of the SPE, SFPE, and SAE. Susan received a Bachelor of Science in Polymer Science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Brominated Flame Retardants, Conferences, Education, Products, albemarle

No Comments »

Good Science – the Cure for Better Living

March 16th, 2012

Today, we take for granted that our medicines and juices are pure, our meat does not harbor bacteria and many consumer products may be used safely.

Standards for health and safety have been established by credible scientific research. Everyone relies on the precise analysis of chemists and other scientists to give us peace of mind when using countless products every day. This safety was not always the case.

In the 1920s, it was common for companies to use mercury in laxatives. Under the then-ineffectual Federal Drug Administration, manufacturers did not list the ingredients in their products. Nor were they required to test their products for safe usage. Consumers, and even the drug-makers themselves, were unaware of any hidden poisons.

Contemporary scientists analyzed the biochemical effects of substances found in the home and pharmacy. Their studies revealed that the mercury of the laxative medicine, for example, accumulated in the body and caused death.

The ground-breaking research of these scientists, who carefully built the model for forensic medicine, is the subject of The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum.

The book recounts how, between 1918 and 1936, a team of doctors, chemists and toxicologists developed procedures that revealed how unsafe many medicines and consumer products were.

The importance of reliable scientific research, which occurs behind the scenes before products are brought to market, cannot be over-estimated. As reviewer Matthew Pearl states, The Poisoner’s Handbook will “transform the way you think about the power of science to . . . save our lives.”

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Education, In the news, Market studies, Packaging, Plastics, Products, Sustainability

No Comments »

Green Future for Polyurethanes Industry Unveiled at UTECH Europe 2012

February 21st, 2012

LONDON & MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands, Feb 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — A session titled ‘Green Chemistry,’ detailing the latest advances in sustainable manufacturing processes for key polyurethane raw materials, will open the technical programme of the prestigious UTECH Europe 2012 conference on Tuesday 17 April. The session comprises 12 papers which are expected to announce developments in the production of useful raw materials from natural and renewable resources from specialists working on several key technologies at research establishments throughout Europe, in the Middle East and in North America.

‘Green Chemistry’ is the first of 11 different sessions in the conference, which runs 17-19 April at the MECC in Maastricht, the Netherlands, alongside a major exhibition where more than 100 companies will be showcasing their latest offerings for the polyurethanes industry. This combination of a high-level conference – with more than 90 presentations, as detailed in the full programme available at http://www.utecheurope.eu – with a major exhibition gives the UTECH events a unique appeal: in just three days delegates and visitors can come up to speed in every significant area of technical and commercial development in this still fast-moving technology.

Of particular interest in the Green Chemistry session will be the two opening presentations from Bayer MaterialScience detailing the latest state of play in their fascinating work converting waste carbon dioxide into useful polyurethane raw materials. Christoph Gurtler will present From Waste to Value: CO2-based Polyols, while colleague Hans-Georg Pirkl considers CO2-based Polyols: A Future New Product Class for the Flexible Foam Market? Erwin Honcoop of Purac will also discuss his company’s work in a paper titled Products Based on Renewable Materials with a Minimum Impact on CO2-Emission.

A further nine presentations in the session will highlight advances in other areas of ‘green chemistry,’ including the latest work from Green Urethanes Ltd of the UK in raising incorporation levels of renewably resourced polyols in flexible foam formulations to 100-percent, while other specialists will detail their latest developments using a wide range of natural and renewable resources.

Among these are Angela Smits of Croda who is presenting Bio-based Priplast Polyols for High-Performance Polyurethane Elastomers and a team from the Amirkabir University of Technology, Department Polymer Engineering in Tehran presenting From Aminolysis Product of PET Waste to Novel Biodegradable Polyurethanes, while Aleksander Prociak of Cracow University of Technology will look in depth at Polyurethane Foams and Composites Based on Renewable Raw Materials.

Jeff Rowlands of Green Urethanes will cover Expanding the Use of Natural Oil Polyols in Urethane Foam Formulations. Pietro Campaner of Cimteclab will deliver a paper on Innovative Bio-Based Aromatic Polyols: Polycard XFNTM. Marieke Smidt of DSM Bio-based Products & Services will discuss Sustainable Polyurethane Opportunities with Biosuccinium.

Ugis Cabulis of the Institute of Wood Chemistry in Latvia presents details of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme project Forbioplast: Developing Bio-based polyurethane Foams, and Minh Ta Ton-That of the National Research Council of Canada will deliver a paper entitled New Biopolyols from Non-Food Grade and Renewable Resources. In addition, Bob Miller of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products in the US will present details of the use of its bio-synthetic propanediol building block, in a paper titled Susterra(R) Propanediol — Evaluating the Structure-Property Relationship in CASE Applications.

Often described as the hidden polymer, polyurethanes are ever more widely used throughout manufacturing and construction industries today. Applications are as diverse as automotive, aerospace, building and construction, furniture and bedding, electrical and electro-technical, footwear and textiles, mining and offshore, pipes and pipelines, refrigeration and building insulation as well as specialist surgical and medical products.

The UTECH Europe 2012 exhibition and conference offers materials specialists from across all these industries the perfect opportunity to see the latest global advances in polyurethane technology including all the raw materials and processing equipment used in making these versatile polymers. Among more than 100 exhibitors are industry leaders Bayer, BASF, Dow, Huntsman, BorsodChem/Wanhua, Shell, Repsol, Baule, Momentive, Silcart and Evonik, processing equipment makers such as Cannon, Hennecke, Impianti OMS and Beamech Ltd, as well as systems houses, technical consultancies, and test laboratories.

In 2009, the last time the UTECH Europe event was held, almost 3,000 exhibition visitors and several hundred conference delegates came from more than 85 different countries worldwide. As the global industry celebrates 75 years of polyurethane technology in 2012, similar numbers are expected to travel to Maastricht for all the latest information on the key raw materials, such as diisocyanates, polyester and polyether polyols, as well as formulated systems and the key ancillary chemicals such as surfactants, catalysts and flame retardants.

Manufacturing technology innovations unveiled at the exhibition will include the latest mixing and dispensing machinery, equipment for reaction injection moulding as well as the cutting equipment needed for making products based on flexible and rigid foams, elastomers. More specialised companies, such as those supplying the test equipment used in the industry and detailed market research, will also join the event, making it a one-stop source for the whole of the polyurethanes industry.

Anyone wishing to attend the paid-for UTECH Europe conference and the exhibition can now register online at www.utecheurope.eu . Discounts are available on conference bookings made before 29 February 2012. Entrance to the exhibition is free to all visitors who pre-register and costs EUR25 on the day for unregistered visitors. A wealth of travel and accommodation information is available on the event website.

About UTECH Europe 2012:

Held at the MECC in Maastricht, where The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium meet, UTECH Europe 2012 is uniquely placed as the only truly international exhibition and conference for the polyurethanes industry. Unique to Europe is the sheer breadth of the applications of polyurethanes technology. From tiny medical devices to the roof insulation of the highest skyscrapers, polyurethane-based product applications are wide and varied. In 2009 UTECH attracted an audience of just under 3,000 decision makers from 85 countries and the sector is predicted to grow rapidly in the coming years. Website: www.utecheurope.eu Twitter: www.twitter.com/utecheurope Linked In Group: http://linkd.in/utooZo

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Company Information, Conferences, Eco-friendly flame retardant, Education, Junk Science, Products, Sustainability, albemarle

No Comments »

Chemist Invents Environmentally Friendly Plastics of Tomorrow

January 17th, 2012

This ScienceLives article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

Marc Hillmyer loves plastic. He is fascinated by the incredible properties that these amazing materials exhibit. They can be stronger than steel, stop a speeding bullet, convert light into electricity, protect us from harmful pathogens, and help cure disease and repair our bodies.

As a chemist, Hillmyer thinks hard about the polymer molecules that make up plastic and how to design new materials with even more advanced properties and applications. However, while plastic polymers are essential to myriad technologies we encounter every day, the production and disposal of these products presents inescapable environmental challenges that are costly to correct at a minimum and unsustainable in the long term.

In his latest mission, Marc focuses his research attention on solving the “sustainability problem” in the world of plastics by developing alternatives using renewable bulk materials like carbohydrates, plant oils and plant based organic compounds called terpenes. He envisions the plastics of tomorrow being even more remarkable from both performance and sustainability perspectives.

To learn more about Marc, click here.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Company Information, Education, In the news, Packaging, Products, Sustainability

No Comments »

Albemarle® and Louisiana State University Develop New Techniques in Flame Retardant and Synergist Analysis

November 29th, 2011

Visualization of key polymer additives in 3-D without damage to polymer or test sample allows for future advances in fire safety solutions

BATON ROUGE, La., Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –

A collaboration between researchers from Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), Louisiana State University (LSU), and the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD) has led to innovative new methods that will increase 3-D visualization of flame retardant and synergist components using element specific X-ray tomography. This research shows that it is possible to visualize key polymer additives in 3-D without damage to the polymer or test sample.

Brominated flame retardants and synergists are important polymer additives for fire safety. The ever increasing demand for fire safety, lower cost products and greener chemistry in consumer products drives extensive research aimed at creating more efficient and green flame retardants. Dispersion of the additives in the polymer matrices is critical to their efficiency and use. The spectroscopic tools and mathematical methods developed in this collaboration allow researchers to study both the dispersion of brominated materials and synergists to develop more efficient and greener blends.

“Our collaboration with LSU has been very successful and has led to new insights benefiting polymer additives, especially brominated flame retardants and synergists,” says Joop de Rooij, Albemarle’s R&D director. “New tools developed in this collaboration allow us to more accurately study dispersion and address performance issues in real commercial flame retardant application. This effort enables Albemarle to maintain our technology leadership in this highly competitive field by adapting and developing new and advanced products faster than the competition.”

According to Professor Les Butler of LSU and CAMD, “Working with Albemarle has clearly been a good situation. We have learned a lot about practical polymer and imaging technology and with this knowledge we have been able to develop the novel and powerful visualization tools.”

The work is funded through a Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) from the National Science Foundation. Principal investigators with Professor Butler are Professor Randall Hall of LSU, and Dr. Larry Simeral, Distinguished Advisor at Albemarle.

For more information, view Albemarle.com.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Automotive Flame Retardants, Brominated Flame Retardants, Company Information, Eco-friendly flame retardant, Education, Products, albemarle

No Comments »

1.6 Million Sony LCD TVs Recalled

October 25th, 2011

1.6 million LCD TVs are being recalling globally by Sony Corp. due to a defect that can trigger overheating, smoke and melting parts.

The televisions subject to recall were manufactured in 2007 and 2008 and were mostly sold in Europe and the United States, although some were also sold in Japan and other parts of the world, a Sony spokeswoman said. None of these reports involved injuries or damage beyond the TVs.

The models subject to the recall are the Bravia KDL-40X5000, KDL-40X5050, KDL-40W5000, KDL-40V5000 and KDL-40V3000.

The electronics giant also experienced trouble in its video game unit on Wednesday, declaring that it had to suspend nearly 100,000 online gaming accounts because its PlayStation Network had been hacked, according to The New York Times.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Company Information, Education, In the news, Products, Television market, albemarle, fire safety

No Comments »

Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Company Breaks Ground on Jubail Aluminum Alkyls Facility

October 25th, 2011

JUBAIL, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –

Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Company (SOCC), a joint venture equally owned by Albemarle Netherlands B.V., a subsidiary of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) , and SABIC affiliate, SPECIALTY CHEM (Saudi Specialty Chemical Company), held a groundbreaking ceremony on September 18, 2011 to initiate the construction of a new aluminum alkyls manufacturing facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Representatives from Albemarle, Samsung Engineering, SABIC, SOCC and SPECIALTY CHEM as well as a number of regional customers attended the ceremony. During the celebration, executive leaders from each company discussed the regional economic benefits that are expected as a result of the project. The facility is projected to create a number of new jobs, 80% of which will be reserved for Saudi nationals in accordance with the country’s Saudization policy.

During his opening remarks, Koos Van Haasteren, Executive Vice President of SABIC Performance Chemicals, expressed his enthusiasm for the project and for the opportunity to collaborate with the partnering companies, “We are proud of our partner, Albemarle Corporation, which has a proven track record of maintaining in-depth relationships with customers and a good record in social responsibility,” said Van Haasteren. He also praised Samsung’s commitment to delivering the project safely, on time, and on budget.

“Albemarle is delighted to join SABIC in a venture to provide key catalyst raw materials to our customers in one of the highest growth regions in the world for petrochemical production,” said John Steitz, Albemarle’s Chief Operating Officer.

Khalil Ibrahim Ibn Salamah, SOCC’s Chairman of the Board, described the project as a natural extension of the growth being experienced by the regional petrochemical industry. He also expressed his commitment to recruiting and training a local workforce to help operate the facilities.

The construction phase of the new project, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East, is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2012. The facility will manufacture 6,000 metric tons/yr of tri-ethyl aluminum (TEA), a Ziegler Natta co-catalyst used in the plastics industry. The plant is being built at this location to bring TEA production closer to the end-users, thus supporting growing regional demand.

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Brominated Flame Retardants, Company Information, Eco-friendly flame retardant, Education, Green Chemistry, Products, Sustainability, albemarle

No Comments »

Environmentally Friendly Flame-Retardants Protect Cotton and Foam

September 19th, 2011

Flame-retardant coatings for clothing and foam in furniture could soon be made of environmentally benign substances such as clay and polysaccharides, according to work presented at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Denver this month. The new layered films might answer the call for safer alternatives to commonly used halogenated compounds, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, that are being phased out because of toxicity concerns.

One coating, made of nanometers-thick layers of poly(sodium phosphate) and poly(allylamine), protects cotton from being consumed during flame tests. Compared with uncoated cotton, which completely disintegrates in an applied flame, a 10-bilayer phosphate-amine coating develops only a char when exposed to a flame, retaining 41% of its weight. Under high heat, the same film does not ignite at all.

To learn more about this first time in-tumescent coating, one that forms a protective carbon foam when exposed to fire or high heat, click here.

For more information on fire safety from flame retardants, view:
Flame Retardants Used to Increase Fire Safety in Electrical Equipment

  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Brominated Flame Retardants, Eco-friendly flame retardant, Education, Furniture, Products, Sustainability, Uncategorized, albemarle, fire safety

No Comments »

« Older Entries