Japan's Toyobo has developed what it describes as the industry’s first biaxially oriented polyethylene furanoate (PEF) film made from 100% plant-derived materials, Samples of the product will start shipping in June. Although entirely plant-derived, PEF film offers 60% higher rigidity and ten times better oxygen gas barrier properties than petroleum-derived polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. These properties enable PEF films to enhance the reliability and functional perfo

Non-edible rice bran touted as an alternative sustainable raw material in place of lignite for these engineering plastics lubricants and nucleators. Montan waxes, extracted from lignite, are a key additive input for engineering plastic compounds widely used in the automotive, electronics, and medical device industries and much more. They function as lubricants and nucleators in the processing of engineering plastics. With lignite being resources being rapidly depleted in in G

Citroniq and Premier Product Marketing, a Vinmar company, have announced a 15-year binding offtake agreement for the supply of OrganiqPP resins, the world’s only 100% biogenic, carbon-negative polypropylene. Citroniq is a leader in carbon-negative materials, while Premier Product Marketing is a global leader in the marketing and distribution of petrochemicals and plastics. The agreement represents 50% of the planned production capacity of Citroniq’s manufacturing facility in

Methanol is a key starting material for chemical products. Researchers from ETH Zurich can now Chemists from ETH Zurich have achieved a breakthrough in catalysis research on multiple levels. They have developed a catalyst that significantly lowers the energy barrier for the production of methanol from the greenhouse gas CO 2 and hydrogen. In the catalyst, the metal indium in an extremely efficient manner in the sense that each individual indium atom behaves as an active si

Chemical Recycling Japan, a subsidiary of oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan, has completed construction of a chemical recycling plant for converting post-consumer and post-industrial recovered plastics into oil; at a site in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The plant has aplastic processing capacity of 20,000 tonnes annual and is scheduled to commence commercial operations in April 2026. The company’s proprietary chemical recycling technology is centered on a catalyst-based c

Every year, the Valencian agricultural sector generates around 800,000 tonnes of plant waste, such as rice straw and citrus pruning waste. Currently, the methods for recovering this biomass are costly, as they require commercial enzymes that can represent up to 40% of the cost of the process, which limits its industrial viability. To solve this problem, AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is leading the BIOVALSA project, an initiative that seeks to develop innovative pro

SABIC has the signed two strategic transactions to divest its European Petrochemicals (EP) business to AEQUITA and its Engineering Thermoplastics (ETP) business in the Americas and Europe to MUTARES, for a total combined enterprise value of $950 million. SABIC’s EP business produces and markets various petrochemical and plastic products: ethylene, propylene, low- and high-density polyethylene (LDPE, LLDPE, and HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and value-added polymer compounds, and

UK start-up Jiva Materials is seeking funding to further commercialization of a circuit board material made from natural fibers and a hot water-soluble, biodegradable resin. Soluboard cuts lifecycle emissions by 68% versus standard FR‑4 glass fiber/epoxy resin PCBs, makes devices lighter and allows efficient recovery of valuable metals. Soluboard combines natural fibers such as flax or jute with a non‑hazardous, water‑soluble biopolymer and a halogen‑free phosphorous flame r

The U.S. Plastics Pact (USPP) today released a new position paper on the role of physical and chemical recycling in a circular economy, offering science-based, consensus-driven guidance to policymakers and industry leaders. Developed with input from the full plastics value chain, the position provides clarity on how these technologies can help address hard-to-recycle plastics, while ensuring that they do not displace reduction, reuse, or mechanical recycling efforts. “Too of

Japan's Toppan and its India-based subsidiary Toppan Speciality Films Private Limited (TSF), have installed a hybrid manufacturing line capable of producing both biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film and biaxially-oriented polyethylene (BOPE) on the same machine. With an extensive track record in the production of BOPP films, TSF is now launching production of BOPE on the new line to cater to diversifying demand. TSF will begin mass production on the new hybrid line f

Incorporating recycled content into foamed products, particularly in the building and construction sector, can compromise product consistency, mechanical strength, and overall performance. Without effective solutions to process and reuse these mixed plastic streams, designing for recyclability remains a formidable challenge. To address the challenge, a collaborative effort across the value chain was initiated, involving key industry players including Erema, Moxietec, Engel,

Owens Corning and Gjenkraft AS have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to advance circular solutions for composite waste. The initiative aims to close the loop for glass fiber materials by integrating recycled glass fibers recovered via Gjenkraft’s thermolysis-based process back into Owens Corning’s production of new glass fibers. In practice, this means composite waste will be converted into high-quality secondary raw materials — and then reintroduced into the value chain as

New technology reduces processing temperatures and energy consumption while improving color value, product quality, and production efficiency through its kinetic boosting effect. Clariant presented its new AddWorks titanium-based catalyst solutions for polyester polymerization at K 2025, the world's premier trade fair for plastics and rubber. Set to launch in 2026, this technology offers a more sustainable and high-performance alternative to traditional antimony-based catal

Liaoning Dingjide Petrochemical has told MLT Analytics (MLTA) that it is in the "troubleshooting phase" of startup of its 200,000-tonnes/year polyolefin elastomer and plastomer (POE/POP) plant located in the Dalian Changxing Island National Petrochemical Industrial Park, Liaoning Province, China, with commercial operation slated for by the end of October 2025. Speaking to MLTA at the K Show in Dusseldorf, Germany, Head of Overseas Marketing Jason Sun noted that his company ha

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Faced with a declining domestic market and global overcapacity throughout the plastics industry, Mitsui Chemicals, Idemitsu Kosan and...

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The Promofer project focuses on different strategies to overcome key industrial bottlenecks in the fermentation processes of two...

HydroGraph Clean Power Inc., the producer of one of the world’s highest purity graphenes, has announced the launch of its Compounding...