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Liquid gold from plastic waste

Watch the clip from YouTube

Well, the above headline doesn't sound that impossible given that plastics do come from oil! But Japanese company Blest Corporation's CEO Akinori Ito, who has developed a machine that is able to convert plastic waste back into oil, is claiming fame with a video posted on YouTube.

The machine, which was shown at the IPF exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, last year, has found fame on the public stream through the video titled simply "Man Invents Machine to Convert Plastic into Oil". Akinori developed the machine and travels all over the world to show people that plastic is not waste but in fact a resource that can be reused.

In the video, he shows how simple the process is - simply put plastic waste into the machine and through a prylorisis process it into liquids and into a gas and thereafter into oil. It can be further processed into diesel, gasolene and kerosene oil. But the catch is the process requires electricity and heat to convert the gas into oil - which will add on to the total cost. Akinori claims almost 80% of carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced with his machine.

The machine is able to process PE, PS and PP and the result is a crude oil that can fuel things like generators or stoves and, when refined, can also be used to fuel a car, boat or motorbike. One kg of plastic waste produces almost a litre of oil. The company makes the machines in various sizes and has 60 in place at farms, fisheries and small factories in Japan and several abroad.

Editor's note: Read about the pros and cons of the machine on this site : Our World

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Company News

Dow to set up PG plant and improve ethane capabilities
Dow Chemical will build a propylene glycol (PG) plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, with a capacity of up to 150,000 tonnes, and also increase its ethane cracking capabilities on the US Gulf Coast over the next three years as well as improve its capabilities by up to 30%.
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Solvay to cater to Chinese epoxy resin market
Belgian chemicals supplier Solvay is building a 100,000 tonne epichlorohydrin plant in Taixing, China, with start-up planned for 2013. Epichlorohydrin is an essential feedstock for the production of epoxy resins.
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BASF/Sinopec to expand operations in China
Another company considering venturing into HPPO production is BASF's joint venture company with Sinopec, BASF YPC. This is one of the projects being considered to expand the integrated petrochemical joint venture in China, with an investment of up to US$1 billion for all the projects.
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Borealis ups Finnish PE capacity
Austrian chemicals supplier Borealis will spend EUR17 million to increase its PE capacity by 15,000 tonnes/year from the current 240,000 tonnes/year at one of its plants in Porvoo, Finland.
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Flexibility allows Keyuan to aim for higher capacity
Chinese company Keyuan Petrochemicals plans to expand its capacity by 30% from 550,000 to 720,000 tonnes/year. The company says its flexible production process and design will allow it to change the mix of feedstock to maximise production volumes, sales and profits.
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Indian plastics association steps up to improve industry
Plastindia Foundation, which is also the organiser of India's largest plastics show, is launching a knowledge centre in the country. The US$25 million centre, which is a project that comes under the framework of the Indian government, will be located in Vapi, Gujarat.
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Rhodia to push sales in India with new acquisition
Rhodia has signed a binding agreement to acquire Indian PI Polymer, the engineering plastics business of public-listed PI Industries. This transaction supports the French group's ambition to attain 15% share in the Indian polyamide compound market by 2015.
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Arkema to beef up coatings resins presence
Dow Chemical will build a propylene glycol (PG) plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, with a capacity of up to 150,000 tonnes, and also increase its ethane cracking capabilities on the US Gulf Coast over the next three years as well as improve its capabilities by up to 30%.
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GAIL selects US engineering company
GAIL India has selected US-based Shaw Group to provide its proprietary technology and basic engineering for a new 450,000 tonnes/year ethylene plant, being constructed as part of GAIL's petrochemical complex in Pata, Uttar Pradesh.
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In Brief

Pira sold to US company
US-headquartered information consultancy Smithers Group has acquired UK-based research consulting company Pira International, which was founded in 1930 and most recently was owned by BASF. Pira employs approximately 120 people at five facilities in the UK and the US. Smithers has five units with each providing technology-based services focused on a defined market.

Materials News

Closed loop recycling for labelling industry
Mitsubishi Plastics's American subsidiary, Mitsubishi Polyester Film, is setting up a closed loop process for waste polyester liner film, based on a technology it has developed. With this process, the company says, a cradle-to-cradle solution will be offered to the labelling industry.
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Gulf region potential growth market
With the total capital investment in petrochemicals in the Gulf region expected to reach US$50 billion by 2015, there is potential for further growth, said Mohamed Al-Mady, Sabic's Vice Chairman/CEO, speaking at the Fifth Annual GPCA Forum in Dubai recently.
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Making stronger PLAs
A Tel Aviv university researcher is developing new laboratory methods for developing tougher PLAs, using a new variety of catalysts.
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The yeast way to bioplastics
In more news on sustainable plastics, a US-based professor of chemical and biological science has developed a method for producing a strong, highly ductile bioplastic using yeast and one of nature's simplest building blocks, fatty acids of plant oils.
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Almonds take to plastics
The Spanish Toy Research Institute, or AIJU, has developed a plastic (PE) compound made from almond shells. The end result is a material with a wood-like appearance.
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Machinery News

Taiwanese/Italian jv to cater to Chinese demand
Taiwanese auxiliary equipment supplier Shini has teamed up with Italian Syncro Corporation to establish Shini-Syncro Extrusion Process Control in Dongguan, to supply extrusion and auxiliary equipment to China and the Asian markets.
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IML system for thermoformed containers
German Marbach Werkzeugbau, which supplies injection moulding and thermoforming tooling and related automation for the packaging industry, has unveiled an in-mould labelling (IML) system for thermoformed PP containers. The technology gives packagers and food companies a new high-output, low-cost alternative to injection molding IML for food packaging.
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Breakthrough filling technology for low-acid aseptic products
German Krones has received a letter of non-objection from the US FDA for a rotary dry-aseptic PET-bottle filling system featuring H2O2 as the sterilising agent. The company says this development has not been accomplished by other bottling line makers.
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In Brief

KraussMaffei increases tooling space
To meet the rising demand for its PU machines, KraussMaffei Technologies has doubled the production area at its German facility for manufacturing tooling and moulds to 2,700 sq m. It will to cater to the increasing growth from its Automotive Component Systems (ACS) business unit in Harderberg. Sales generated by the unit have grown by more than a factor of ten since the end of 2005, when the plant was opened, as has the customer base, said the company. "The decision to go ahead with the expansion was taken in the middle of Germany's most serious economic crisis in recent years, but it was an easy decision in view of the very good growth rates achieved by ACS and escalating customer demand," the company said.

Gloucester to start 2011 with clean slate
Creditors of extrusion machinery maker Gloucester Engineering have voted overwhelmingly (92% cast their ballots) to approve the company's restructuring plan, paving the way for it to emerge from bankruptcy by the year end. Blue Wolf Capital Fund II will now become its majority shareholder (95% equity).

Second Asian base for Leistritz
German extruder manufacturer Leistritz Extrusiontechnik will set up a sales and service centre in China to target the growing market in the country, the company said at the K show. The company is currently sourcing for suitable space in Taichung, which will include a showroom. Headquartered in Nuremberg, it's other offices are in the US, Singapore, France and Italy.

Rubber Journal Asia

Silicones to cater to Asian demand
Dow Corning's integrated silicone site in Zhangjiagang, China, jointly owned with a local partner, will cater to the Asian markets. The combined US$1.8 billion investment is China's largest facility of this kind for integrated silicone production sites.
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More SSBR for tyres
US-based Styron is expanding its SSBR capacity by 50,000 tonnes, at its facility in Schkopau, Germany, by the fourth quarter of 2012.
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Car roof sealed with TPVs
Supplied by Teknor Apex, UV-resistant grades of Sarlink thermoplastic vulcanisate (TPV) elastomer were used as alternatives to EPDM to provide weight and cost savings for the roof seals of the new M6 multi-purpose vehicle built by China's BYD Auto.
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In Brief

Nitrile latex plant in Thailand
Bangkok Synthetics is setting up a 110,000 tonnes/year nitrile latex plant in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Rayong province. It will commence operations in the third quarter of 2012. Total requirements for feedstock like butadiene will be from captive supply from its 140,000 tonnes/year plant while acrylonitrile will be provided either by a domestic producer in Map Ta Phut or imported. With about 90% of nitrile latex consumers being rubber glove makers that are situated in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, the company is set to capture this market with its output.

Higher output for NR
The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) says the world's total natural rubber output this year will be 6.6% higher, compared to last year, despite production losses due to the adverse weather conditions. All the ANRPC rubber producing countries reported an increase in production, except for Thailand. The total production of natural rubber in the current year is estimated at 9.5 million tonnes, compared to 8.92 million tonnes in 2009. Until October, nine leading rubber producing countries had registered a growth of 9.4%. However, during the October-December period, the production of natural rubber witnessed a decline due to excessive rain in all key growing areas.

. Injection Moulding Asia

Husky to be sold?
Canadian injection moulding machine and tooling supplier Husky Injection Molding may be sold by its private equity firm owner, if media reports circulating are true. A statement issued by owner Onex says it is continually considering potential opportunities and does not comment on rumour or speculation.
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Engel sees good growth in India
Injection moulding machinery maker Engel's Indian subsidiary has recorded "exceptionally high level of orders" in the financial year 2009/2010, especially for the automotive and technical moulding sectors, with good growth also expected for the caps/closures sector.
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Combined technique for lighter automotive parts
Swiss company Georg Kaufmann Formenbau has a combined technology using thermoforming with an injection mould that produces 25% lighter structural components from glass fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites. It showed an automotive side impact protection component at the K2010, using this technology.
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Sumitomo Demag expands horizons
Machinery maker Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery has expanded its network with the addition of a subsidiary in the Middle East, by partnering with Riyadh-based Showrann Trading.
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Powder-form nylons for SLS
French company Rhodia has launched polyamide (PA) powders for rapid prototyping and small series manufacturing by selective laser sintering (SLS). This is the first time that PA6 powders are offered for direct part fabrication by SLS. The range will be extended to include PA66 powders in the coming months.
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In Brief

Husky gets award for EcoBase
Husky Injection Molding Systems has been recognised with the Best Innovation Award by Coca-Cola China, for its support and innovation in working with Coca-Cola China on the development of various lightweighting projects. The award acknowledges Husky's development of its EcoBase preform, which allows for not only sustainable packaging but also helps lower the costs involved since less resin is used.

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