petrochemicals | MLT Analytics

INSIGHTS

Spanish Project Drives Safe, Sustainable Bio-Based Solvents

The Solress project officially kicked off in September in Valencia, Spain, marking a major step toward the development of safer, sustainable, and high-performance bio-based solvents for European industries. Funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) with a contribution of €7 million under a total budget of €9.1 million, the project will run for 48 months under the coordination of AIMPLAS, Plastics Technology Centre. Solress aims to develop an integrate

7 days ago1 min read

Start-up Seeks Funding for Sustainable Circuit Board Material

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

Nov 241 min read

U.S. Plastics Pact Releases Position Paper on Physical and Chemical Recycling

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

Nov 202 min read

Korean Researchers Pioneers Catalyst that Converts CO2 into Key Ingredient for Clean Fuels

A research team at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) led by Dr. Koo Kee-Young of the Hydrogen Research Department has developed a high-performance copper–magnesium–iron catalyst that efficiently converts carbon dioxide (CO₂)—a major greenhouse gas—into carbon monoxide (CO), a key building block for eco-friendly synthetic fuels. The breakthrough targets the reverse water–gas shift (RWGS) reaction, which converts CO₂ and hydrogen (H₂) into CO and water (H₂O). The r

Nov 62 min read

Wind Turbine Blade Recycling Receives a Boost

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

Oct 242 min read

Clariant Unveils Titanium Catalysts for Sustainable Polyester Production

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

Oct 222 min read

New POE Supplier Starts Up Plant in China

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

Oct 222 min read