European mechanical plastics recycling exceeded 8 million tonnes in 2021 despite feedstock insecurities caused by Covid-19 slowdown

The waste plastics value chain is a complex and dynamic sector, with an evolving operating environment. New legislation and targets for the recycling of plastics and the use of recyclate are changing the way the whole plastics industry must operate.  The mechanical plastics recycling industry, therefore, has become the focal point for investments, acquisition, and expansion.

Although the volume of commodity plastic entering the waste stream on a yearly basis is extremely large, estimated by AMI as 35.6 million tonnes in 2021, feedstock availability should not be taken for granted.  Much of this waste is currently uncollected for recycling or ‘lost’ at the sorting stage and ends up in landfills or used by EfW plants. Feedstock is, therefore, a finite resource, characterized by bail price fluctuations and variable quality and supply.

Plastics recyclate production was 8.2 million tonnes in 2021 and is forecast to grow at a rate of 5.6%/year to 2030. To put this figure into context, one must review it in tandem with the 35.6 million tonnes of commodity plastic entering the waste stream in 2021. This implies that Europe achieved an overall plastic recycling rate of 23.1%, far lower than one might have assumed.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on both the volume of waste being collected for recycling as well as simultaneously reducing the demand for recyclate, as factories close or reduce production. However, to date, it has not seemed to have had a long-lasting effect, as the industry has in general bounced back.

AMI sees within the 2030 timeframe of its report, additional absorption of recyclate volumes into applications that to date absorb negligible levels, particularly in Western Europe.  Uses for recyclate are becoming more diverse, and the ability to absorb recyclate into higher-value applications is also increasing, creating added value for the industry. AMI expects the commercialized and scaled production of food-grade rPP and rPS within the timescale of the report, creating new closed-loop systems, as we already see for rPET

Expanding on its highly successful 1st edition, AMI’s brand new 2nd edition report, Mechanical Plastics Recycling 2022 quantifies the market for mechanical recycling, analyzing the supply and demand balance, along with an evaluation of current production by country.  The report also looks at feedstock supply and the waste plastics value chain. A detailed review of the end-use applications for recyclate has been given, with an examination of potential future absorption.

The report is relevant to all those involved in the plastics industry value chain, from resin producers to brand owners/end users of plastic products. The report delivers a comprehensive quantitative assessment of the current industry situation and forecasts where this critical aspect of the plastics industry will go in the future.

#recyclingindustry #AMI #investment #expansion #covid19

www.ami.international

 Quick way to check t quality of 3d-printed alloys

Cutting Emissions with Sharkskin Technology

Together with the leading global chemicals and coatings manufacturer BASF, we developed a functional biomimetic technology: a film with a barely perceptible ribbed texture of small protrusions – riblets. Sized in patches for easy and targeted application, the film has millions of these prism-shaped riblets, each one 50 micrometers high.  Applied to the aircraft in a specific manner and aligned with the airflow, the riblets achieve efficiency gains, by reduced friction, similar to those of their counterparts in nature, and can also improve lift if attached on wings.

The riblet film is easy to apply, even on large commercial aircraft – up to 500 m2 on a Boeing 747-400’s lower fuselage and belly fairing. It is extremely resilient, withstands large temperature shifts, pressure differentials, and ultraviolet radiation on high flight levels.

“Fact is that our riblet technology can be applied to any aircraft with a similar effect.”

Jens-Uwe Mueller, Manager AeroSHARK

More than a cost-effective and scalable solution

Combining BASF’s advances in coating technologies and application processes with our extensive experience in aircraft engineering, research and testing resulted in a unique solution. It checks all the key boxes: cost-effectiveness, scalability, retrofit ability, and sustainability. And the latter is not only because of its impact on fuel savings and emissions reduction but also due to its lower manufacturing and application footprint compared to other technologies.

AeroSHARK is to be rolled out on Lufthansa Cargo’s entire Boeing 777F freighter fleet from the beginning of 2022, making the aircraft more economical and reducing emissions. Here we estimate a drag reduction of more than one percent. For the entire fleet of ten aircraft, this translates to annual savings of around 3,700 tons of kerosene and just under 11,700 tons of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of 48 individual freight flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai.

No hype. Results.

CELANESE TO ACQUIRE MAJORITY OF DUPONT’S MOBILITY & MATERIALS BUSINESS

Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a majority of the Mobility & Materials (“M&M”) business of DuPont for $11.0 billion in cash. Celanese will acquire a broad portfolio of engineered thermoplastics and elastomers, industry-renowned brands and intellectual property, global production assets, and a world-class organization.

“The acquisition of the M&M business is an important strategic step forward and establishes Celanese as the preeminent global specialty materials company,” said Lori Ryerkerk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “For nearly a decade, we have implemented, enhanced, and increasingly extended the Engineered Materials (“EM”) commercial model to generate shareholder value. M&M will be a high-quality addition to EM and will unlock significant opportunities to generate further customer and shareholder value. We are eager to welcome the M&M team to Celanese and jointly elevate the future growth and cash generation of the combined Celanese portfolio.”

“The M&M business is a unique complementary specialty materials asset to EM, spanning product, geography, and end-market,” said Tom Kelly, Senior Vice President of Engineered Materials. “This acquisition greatly enhances the EM product portfolio by adding new polymers, industry-renowned brands, leading product technology, and backward integration in critical polymers. We are eager to combine the product and technology leadership of M&M with the commercial excellence and customer engagement model of EM to accelerate our growth in high-value applications including future mobility, connectivity, and medical.”

Transaction Overview

The M&M business is a leading global producer of engineering thermoplastics and elastomers serving a variety of end-uses including automotive, electrical and electronics, consumer goods, and industrial applications. The acquired M&M product portfolio includes numerous specialty materials with global leadership positions in nylons (PA 66, PA 6), specialty nylons (HPPA, LCPA, filaments), polyesters (PET and PBT), and elastomers (TPC and EAE). The M&M portfolio is highly functionalized to meet a wide variety of application specifications and is supported by a leading intellectual property portfolio and technology organization.

According to the terms of the definitive agreement, Celanese will acquire a majority of the M&M business for a purchase price of $11.0 billion on a cash-free, debt-free basis. As part of the transaction, Celanese will acquire the following:

• A global production network of 29 facilities, including compounding and polymerization
• Customer and supplier contracts and agreements
• Industry-leading intellectual property portfolio including approximately 850 patents with associated technical and R&D assets
• Approximately 5,000 highly-skilled employees across the manufacturing, technical, and commercial organizations

Within the first four years following the close of the transaction, Celanese expects to achieve run-rate synergies of approximately $450 million as a result of the highly complementary fit of the businesses. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share with anticipated accretion of $4.00 or more per share once full synergies are achieved by 2026.

The acquisition is expected to be fully financed with committed debt financing at the time of closing. Significant expansion of free cash flow and swift deleveraging is expected to support a reduction of total debt to below 3.0x EBITDA within two years of closing the transaction.

“Robust and growing cash generation and a strong balance sheet enable us to fully finance this acquisition with committed debt financing while maintaining our investment-grade credit profile,” said Scott Richardson, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. “M&M has historically been a strong generator of cash flow. We are confident in our ability to capture synergies that would allow us to double Celanese total free cash flow within the next five years.”

#Duptons #Acquiremobility #globalproduction  #futuregrowth

https://www.celanese.com/

OCSiAl receives the green light for Luxembourg graphene nanotube facility project to power the next generation of electric vehicles in Europe

Evonik invests in U.S. start-up offering medical device to improve patient recovery after open-chest surgery

Evonik Venture Capital has invested in CircumFix Solutions, a Tennessee, U.S.-based start-up that has developed a new sternal closure device to improve patient recovery after open-chest surgery. The patented orthopedic device, made of a high-performance polymer from Evonik, closes and holds the sternum securely together after surgery.

“We are seeing a revolution in implantable medical devices with the shift from metal to high-performance polymers and this investment supports that shift,” said Bernhard Mohr, head of Evonik Venture Capital. “Patients and doctors can benefit enormously from a technology that is safe, reliable and enhances recovery.”

CircumFix’s medical device is composed of a slender chest plate placed on the sternum and held in place by fasteners that encircle the sternum and are affixed to the plate. The construct allows for even “load sharing” of bone and device and restricts motion, which increases stability and reduces pain. Surgeons can close the sternum faster and more easily than with traditional devices. Should a further operation be needed the device can be quickly reopened and closed again. It is safe and comfortable as a permanent implant. In comparison to some metal devices currently on the market, bones and tissue aren’t damaged.

The Evonik material used in the closure device is an implant-grade polyether ether ketone, or PEEK. The material is biocompatible – not harmful or toxic to living tissue – and bioinert – it doesn’t initiate a response from the body. These properties as well as being hydrophobic – repelling water – significantly reduce the chance of infection. Being made from PEEK polymer means that the device is transparent to x-rays and therefore doesn’t interfere with post-surgical diagnostics.

“The investment will deepen our relationships across the medical technology industry and with engineering companies,” said Marc Knebel, head of Medical Systems at Evonik. “At the same time, we can reach U.S. clinical experts in orthopedics, many of whom are less aware of PEEK as an alternative to titanium and stainless steel.”

The U.S. sternal closure device market was estimated at $1.4 billion for 2021 with more than 700,000 procedures performed per year. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5 percent reaching $1.9 billion by 2026.

The investment will allow Evonik to build on expertise already acquired in implant-grade high-performance polymers. PEEK is already used in spine, skull, jaw, and face surgery as well as orthopedics and has high potential to be used in other medical applications.

Circumfix Solution, Inc. founders Louis Houff and Ken Richardson have more than 50 years combined experience in orthopedic sales, marketing, product development, and senior leadership roles. They founded the company in 2020 recognizing the need for improved sternum closure techniques and materials. Houff first conceived of the novel bone fixation and healing concept in 2012 and received his first patent in 2017.

“We are making great progress towards the goal of improving patient recovery,” said Houff, who is also a chief executive officer of CircumFix. “With support from Evonik, we will be able to further drive business development forward.”

#Investment #openchestsurgery #U.S startup #recovery

http://venturing.evonik.com