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At Fakuma this week, Kraiburg TPE presented thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on variable proportions of renewable raw materials. By introducing these new compounds, the global TPE manufacturer is expanding its Thermolast R range of sustainable materials to include grades incorporating post-industrial or post-consumer recycled materials. Kraiburg TPE is particularly targeting the consumer and automotive sectors with these materials. When evaluating new raw materials for bio-based TPEs, Kraiburg is focusing on…

The automotive world is witnessing a new design era, as translucent plastics pave the way for more personalization and light effects. Automotive OEMs in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, in particular, are seeking eye-catching light effects that promise to reshape the landscape of automotive design. Targeting this trend, materials supplier LyondellBasell has introduced a new range of translucent polypropylene (PP) compounds under its Hifax and Hostacom brand names that, it…

Molded Devices Inc. (MDI), which was acquired by private equity firm TruArc Partners in August 2022, has rebranded as Aptyx. The new brand encompasses more than a dozen companies with over 70 years of experience in complex manufacturing, particularly in the areas of molding, extrusion, coatings, and medical device assembly. The Aptyx name and brand identity integrates a global group of companies that are part of MDI, including GlobalMed, Seitz,…

Spot resin trading maintained its elevated level of activity through mid-October, reports the PlasticsExchange in its Market Update. The horrific terror attack in Israel and the military response in Gaza may have contributed to some additional resin demand. The potential for the conflict to expand within the region seems to have encouraged additional purchases, according to the PlasticsExchange, as some processors voiced a desire to build extra inventory as a…

A little less than a month after announcing that it would shut down its Exeter, CA, plant, global packaging company Sonoco Products Co. has notified state officials that it is permanently closing its Fremont, IN, facility. A letter sent to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development dated Oct. 10, 2023, in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, said that the “first separation as a result of the…

Plastics processing is a complex system of dialing in and maintaining quality parts as efficiently as possible. Companies with solid process setups start presses quickly, producing no more than three to five pieces of scrap as the press cycles in, and can then maintain cycle times above what was quoted. They are also able to consistently run with zero scrap, preferably, but no more than 1.5% in most cases. The…

Portugal-based compounder Cabopol is nearing completion of its first North American facility in Monterrey, Mexico. The supplier of thermoplastic and crosslinked compounds expects the production unit to be online by this December. The plant initially will have two production lines in operation, with potential for expansion, and is expected to reach a production capacity of 25,000 tons per year. The 10,000-square-meter (108,000-square-foot) plant is located in the heart of Monterrey’s…

Pyrolysis-based advanced recycling can reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and increase US recycling rates, according to a peer-reviewed life-cycle study published in the November 2023 issue of Journal of Cleaner Production. The research conducted by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory reportedly is the first to look at the full cycle of post-use plastic from recycling to its integration in new plastic products at multiple facilities. The study collected operating…