Green Chemicals Blog
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Waste chewing gum to TPEs
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I honestly love this idea of waste chewing gum being converted into a raw material for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). According to this press release from UK-based custom compounding expert, Teknor Apex Company, it has been working with Gumdrop Ltd. to advance its technology of recycling waste chewing gum to produce commercial-scale quantities of TPE compounds…
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Pilot Plant Demonstrates the Potential to Co-Process Biomass Streams with Petroleum
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It’s Saturday and I am still working on my Biomaterials newsletter (poor me!) but I just want to post this press release from the US DOE as I find this technology very interesting. Cut and paste story below: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), together with leading petroleum refining technologies supplier W.R. Grace, and leading…
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Sustainable Sourcing of Feedstocks for Bioplastics
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Bio-based chemicals and materials producer, Corbion, has released a white paper outlining the company’s position on feedstock selection, as well as covering issues such as land use, feedstock efficiency and food security. The paper was presented in September at the company’s PLA feedstock workshop reportedly attended by some 70 companies throughout the value chain. Corbion…
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Cellulosic sugar coming soon to a market near you
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I am now working on my Biomaterials newsletter deadline at Tecnon OrbiChem so I’m copying this press release word for word: Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative (CSPC) has initiated an equity campaign to develop a corn stover and wheat straw to dextrose supply chain in southwestern Ontario. CSPC will engage with growers in the region to…
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VIDEO: Biodegradable Mannequin from Bonaveri
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I find this biodegradable mannequin very interesting and I’m hoping to learn more about the raw materials and companies who supply these new materials. Bonaveri, a leading Italian manufacturer of artistic mannequins and bust forms, has recently unveiled a biodegradable mannequin (said to be the world’s first) during London’s Fashion Week at the Green Carpet…
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Bio-based polyamides update
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I’ve been always monitoring activities from the bio-polyamides sector as I consider the nylon industry a high-potential area for bio-based chemicals. Here’s a slide from a presentation I gave early this year featuring various building blocks and intermediates required to produce a certain polyamide. The green arrows indicate current R&D/commercial production for bio-based alternatives. But of course,…
