King Starboard Inside & Out

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jeff King, President of King Plastic Corporation, and I’ve got a great deal of respect for him. As a businessman he’s carved out a niche segment for plastics that desperately needed a vision and defined not only a standard for which all similar materials would be compared to, but he created a brand with an intent to infect consumers with an appreciation, respect and need for plastic. King Starboard has evolved beyond marine applications now and is becoming a staple of the construction and renovation trade for building outdoor rooms that compliment the luxury and appeal of the home. There’s no doubt in my mind that King’s relentless pursuit of perfection, cosmetic appeal, and utility will attract luxury home builders into enhancing pool-side and deck cabinetry crafted out of King Starboard – not out of whim, mind you, but as a design standard.

Perfect example of outdoor rooms using King Starboard

Used in a Vet’s exam room: Pee & Poo Proof!

It’s not enough to just say that King Starboard is a modified high density polyethylene, it is truly unique. Beyond the fact that its colors reflect standard gel-coat tones rather than the customary Pantone color chart, King Starboard stands up to ANY WEATHER – blistering heat, UV all the time, to cold and wet. That’s why luxury boat builders such as Bay Liner, Hunter, Catalina, Chris Craft, Doral, Hatteras, and Sea Ray all rest their image and reputation on King Starboard.

It’s surface texture (it has an anti-slip texture patterns [dot/diamond]) and cosmetic appeal are second to none – and I’ve held the competition side-by-side and you can tell the difference. Starboard machines as easily and as finely as cedar but with the environmental ruggedness of a hardwood. It can be cut, routered, drilled, Dremil’d, sanded, and planed – and with the usual hand tools found in your workshop. I’d like to offer an opinion here – you wouldn’t start chewing into a $200 piece of oak with a $29 dollar no-name power-saw, would you? So, why would you think you can get better results with a $200 piece of King Starboard? Use good tools to get good result!

Consider The Anti-slip Dot Pattern
For Around Your Pool Or Deck

Polyethylenes, by nature, are resilient to chemicals making it difficult to adhere (glue) anything to them. That said, you can weld King Starboard to King Starboard (HDPE to HDPE). It’s recommended that you get in touch with the experts at Plastic Welding Technologies for specifics.

Yes, King Starboard Floats!

Here’s some specs on standard sheet:

Sheet Size : 54″ x 96″
Tensile Strength (PSI) : ASTM D638 4100
Flexural Modulus (PSI) : ASTM D790 180,000
Screw Holding Strength (lbs.) : ASTM D1761 425
Water Absorption (7day) : ASTM D570 .05%
Weight (lb./Cubic Inch): .034
King Starboard is made entirely from FDA- and USDA-approved materials.

Here’s some specs on the XL/Starlite sheet, which is about 33% lighter and has tiny air bubbles, called perosity, throughout:

Sheet Size: 60″ x 96″
Tensile Strength (PSI) : ASTM D638 3300
Flexural Modulus (PSI) : ASTM D790 130,000
Screw Holding Strength (lbs.) : ASTM D1761 325
Water Absorption (7day) : ASTM D570 .09%
Weight (lb./Cubic Inch): .024

King Starlite takes staples making it
an excellent substrate for seats

Warehoused Plastic Sales is one of King Plastics largest distributors in Canada with lots of stock ready to ship. Please call us first for your off-cuts or full sheet needs.

When Bears Attack… Run For The Plastic!

* * * CREATURE-PROOFING YOUR HOME OR COTTAGE * * *

It was about 1:30am on the Maddawa plains during MILCON 85, our annual combat exercise. My regiment was deployed into the field and we’d dug into our respective defensive positions for the night. I’d joined the Armored Corps so I wouldn’t have to dig holes but it appears that the brochure was lacking in depth, namely 48″ of dirt to be specific.

I pulled the midnight watch for OP duties (Observation Post) and me and buddy warily trudged about 300 meters forward of our hide location and tapped out the team preceding us. Now, you have to realize that the mind is constantly in motion, easily bored, and looking for opportunity even when you’re nothing more than a walking corpse. You might be wandering the land of your nods but that old brain of yours is alert and taking everything in – sounds, smells, sights. And, when it doesn’t have a clear picture it begins putting one together for you. At night, you see things – and hear things. Things that aren’t really there. And, that’s why they usually put a senior, more experienced member of the Troop out with the newbs. But, not tonight. Tonight, the senior, more experienced members of the troop were sleeping – hey, the enemy were a day or two away, right? Just send the newbs out on their own. It’ll be fine. JUST DON’T GET CAUGHT SLEEPING. Now, it’s been twenty years so the details of the evening are kind of sketchy, but I’m pretty sure my fox-hole buddy, that night, was the same guy that I got busted for stealing a truck with (but, that’s another story). He was a weapons tech and was a combat clerk – yeah, 7.62mm typewriter and everything (later I hand in my typewriter and convert to a 76mm gun but, again, that’s another story).

So, we’d finished our shift and I offered to run back and wake the next team. That’s when crap hit the fan and I ran into 400 pounds of stink – I’ll never forget that. I smelled it. I heard it. Then, it ran in front of me. So, I shot it – with my 9mm Sterling SMG. I emptied 30 blank rounds into the air and in the muzzle flash saw teeth, eyes, and fear – and that was just my reflection in the eyes of the bear. Well, that ignited shouts of “Ambush, ambush, ambush… we’re under attack” and soon the whole camp was alive with the sounds of gunfire and para-flares going off. The flares lit up the bush in a weird red glow and three bears ran amongst 60 or so men running amongst three bears.

I’d run for the 2 ton supply truck thinking I could climb up and out of harms way. But, when I got there the Sergeant Major had locked it up tight and no one was getting in – seems he’d been sleeping in the back of the truck and woke up to a bear trying to get to the food supplies.

* * * CREATURE-PROOFING YOUR HOME OR COTTAGE * * *

So, what type of plastics are useful in keeping the wilderness out?

Window glass is about 3/16 to 1/4″ thick. If you were to simply replace it with acrylic you would gain about 30 times the impact strength but it will eventually break under relentless pressure. Polycarbonate would be a better choice being a hundred or so times the strength of acrylic. HOWEVER, there is a rubberizing agent in the material that will mar and scratch when attacked by claws. And, you get a couple of big old bear claws up there in a deep freeze and you could puncture it. Polycarbonate, as a solution, fails more times than not because it was incorrectly installed – someone (or something) literally pushes it out of the frame. Polycarbonate is prone to cracking at the stress points caused when holes are drilled into it – and if the holes were forced, such as by self-tapping screws or nails, then you might as well just leave the window open.

IF YOU DRILL HOLES IN POLYCARBONATE you should debur the hole using a chamfer bit, or at least sand down around the hole to make sure there’s no notches. That’s where things WILL CRACK and then it’s only a matter of time before some pesky rodent yells FOOD FIGHT! and the whole forest drops in for dinner. Where possible, screw in a supporting frame around the installation of the polycarbonate – on 24″ you’d probably want at least 1.5″ (width of your jack stud) of 3/4″ OSB plywood (the lamination process makes it tougher than a strip of natural wood) – meaning if you have a 24 x 24″ window you really want a piece 25.5 x 25.5″.

 

When the sky falls: I’ve heard of animals falling right through acrylic skylights. Most probably, the home owner used an ammonia based cleaner to wash the acrylic skylight which attacks the integrity of the material at the molecular level. The acrylic is further weakened by a few seasons of snow resting on it and then, when Mr. Raccoon stops by to see what’s for dinner – FWOMP!

Teething Pains: Animals are adept at using all parts of their body to get into where they’re not supposed to. They learn from experience. They know when to shove, when to pry, when to kick, and when to bite. Acrylic and styrene will chip off when gnawed on. Polycarbonate has a rubberizer in it that makes it more resilient to teeth, but eventually it will fail, too. Polyethylenes, such as HDPE and UHMW are probably your best bet for lining a food bin in the barn or in the cottage where you don’t want furry critters eating their way in (ponder the porcupine below) – this is what I’d recommend to a zoo or farm where you have animals with hooves and/or big teeth (goats, sheep) that gnaw and gnaw.

Consider lining the bottom 24″ of an outside wall with HDPE or UHMW

Another concern, especially around remote cottages, is crawly animals frying themselves on exposed transformers and power transfer stations. The Midsun Group have come up with some ingenious solutions using polycarbonate disks:

 

A New Polycarb Illumination Solution

source: http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/510185

GE’s New Lexan* SG305-OB Sheet Combines Uniform Illumination with Superior Optical Brightness for Eye-Catching Signage

PITSSFIELD, Mass – Feb. 22, 2007 – GE Plastics has introduced a new grade of Lexan* polycarbonate (PC) sheet that is specifically designed to boost the visibility and attractiveness of illuminated signage. Lexan SG305-OB sheet, unlike conventional sheet products, offers both uniform light diffusion to eliminate light emitting diode (LED) “pinholes” and a view of light sources, and superior light transmission for exceptional optical brightness at lower energy costs. In fact, the 2mm and 5mm thicknesses of Lexan SG305-OB sheet boost light transmission to more than 50 percent, vs. competitive materials like polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) that allow only about 25 percent. The new white sheet grade, which has a matte finish on its outward-facing surface to reduce reflections, also provides excellent UV protection as well as the renowned impact resistance of tough, virtually unbreakable Lexan resin.

 

The outstanding aesthetics, performance, and formability of GE’s new Lexan SG305-OB sheet are spurring innovative new lighting solutions, such as the ADDscreen® illuminated roll-down security shutters offered by Euroll and ADDscreen, both of The Netherlands. These unique shutters, which protect stores, ticket windows, and other spaces after hours, feature computer-generated advertising that is beamed onto the reverse side. The GE material’s superior optical brightness and diffusion capabilities present the projected graphics with optimal visibility, while its impact resistance enhances security. The product’s easy fabrication enables complex designs.

Joanna Wolska, global clear sheet product manager, GE Plastics, said, “Until now, sign manufacturers have been forced to choose between optimal diffusion and optimal brightness. Now, with our Lexan SG305-OB sheet, they get both – plus great performance and fabrication ease. This new material opens up many new design opportunities for illuminated signage. For example, the SeaCloud Hotel in Busan city, South Korea is using Lexan SG305-OB sheet for its main exterior sign and others are following suite.”

The SeaCloud hotel sign utilizes a color-changing system, which occurs when Lexan SG305-OB sheet is installed with a gray-colored film. As a result, the material shows as gray during the day and white at night when displayed with LED lamps. This gray color film has many small holes which allow lamp light to pass through when it is dark.

Although conventional materials such as PMMA typically lose significant brightness in the process of achieving acceptable diffusion, Lexan SG305-OB sheet retains a high level of optical brightness while presenting a uniform appearance that masks both light bulbs and LEDs. The result is a consistently, bright appearance that enhances graphics, which can be screen-printed on the back surface, projected from the rear. The back surface of the sheet is polished for better printing, while the front surface’s matte texture reduces glare and reflection. Another major benefit is the enhanced brightness of the Lexan sheet that enables designers to reduce lighting requirements for energy savings.

From a performance standpoint, the GE material is highly resistant to UV light, making it a great choice for outdoor signage. Unlike acrylics, which are often brittle, GE’s Lexan SG305-OB sheet offers exceptional impact-resistant to deter vandalism and other damage. It is an excellent candidate for a variety of sign industry applications ranging from back-lighted and pole-mounted signs to channel letters and projection screens

The material is commercially available worldwide.

Plastic Money – The Real Deal

source: http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_3801.html

Professor David Solomon – Inventor of Plastic Bank Note Wins 2006 Victoria Prize Media Release, Thursday 19 October 2006 Eminent scientist and inventor of the plastic bank note, Professor David Solomon, Honorary Professorial Fellow in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Melbourne, has been awarded the prestigious 2006 Victoria Prize. The Prize was presented to Professor Solomon by the Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria, The Hon Justice Marilyn Warren, at a function at Government House last night. The University of Melbourne was also recognised for supporting Professor Solomon’s work, receiving the $100,000 Anne & Eric Smorgon Memorial Award from the Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Foundation which complements the Victoria Prize. The annual $50,000 Victoria Prize is awarded by the Victorian Government to a leading scientist or engineer whose discovery or innovation is advancing knowledge and has the clear potential to be commercialised. In 1966 when Australia converted from imperial to decimal currency, and after a spate of forgeries, Professor Solomon was invited by the Reserve Bank to be a member of a scientific think tank to develop currency that could not be forged. The issue of the 1988 Bicentennial $10 note was the culmination of 21 years of his research. Professor Solomon’s contribution of the invention of the plastic banknote technology has seen Victoria become the world leader in security printing. The technology is now available in more than 20 countries worldwide. “I am very proud to receive this award and to see how this technology has developed into a booming export industry in Australia,“ Professor Solomon said. The application of polymer technology to other areas of science is being further investigated. Professor Solomon is currently leading a team to determine how polymers can reduce evaporation of water. “If a layer of polymer can be placed over water it can stop crucial water being evaporated. It will be very rewarding to be able to use this technology in the area of water conservation,” he said. Professor Solomon is also renowned for his pioneering work on polymer chemistry; he has invented the first process to give precise control over molecular structure by a commercially viable method. His patent was the top 10 most cited patent each year from 1999 to 2004 in chemistry. Professor Solomon started his polymer research career in the paint industry at Dulux. He has set up led three major polymer research laboratories in Victoria; the Dulux Polymer Laboratories, the CSIRO Molecular Science Group and the Polymer Science Group at the University of Melbourne. His work into the plastic bank note technology was carried out in Victoria at the CSIRO and in later years at the University of Melbourne, where he has spent the last 15 years. Professor Solomon is one of an elite group of Australian scientists admitted to The Royal Society, London, whose 1300 members include Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute The plastic banknote work is currently a feature display at both The Royal Society London and in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Victorian Fellowships of $18,000 each were also announced today by the Minister for Innovation John Brumby. Three of the six Victoria Fellowships announced were awarded to University of Melbourne academics • Dr Bryan Fry, Australian Venom Research Unit, for finding medical cures from Australia’s snakes and poisonous creatures. • Mohammad Tabbara, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, for using next generational technology to produce safer and cleaner cars. • Hadi Lioe, Chemistry, for using mass spectrometry to help improve the detection of new diseases, biological warfare agents and toxic agents. Hadi Lioe is also the recipient of the 2006 AFAS FEAST-France Fellowship. The Fellowships enable young researchers and innovators to travel overseas on a short-term study mission to pursue specialist training or to develop a commercial idea. Applications are open to any young researcher working in private enterprise or a research institution.

Fuel-latent Plastic Converts Into Biodiesel

source: http://www.poly.edu/news/articles/article103.php

Gas from Garbage: Professor Gross Develops Bioplastic that Breaks Down into Green Energy – 03-20-2007

 

Professor Richard Gross

In an effort to develop a new source of sustainable energy, Professor Richard Gross at Polytechnic University has bioengineered a fuel-latent plastic that can be converted into biodiesel. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the central research and development organization for the US Department of Defense, has awarded Gross $2.34 million to advance this innovative technology and transfer it to industry. The commercialization of the technology will lead to a new source of green energy to households worldwide. This groundbreaking research was featured in the Business Section of The New York Times on Monday, April 9.

Gross, director of Polytechnic University’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules (CBBM) developed the new bioplastic using vegetable oils. He also partnered with DNA 2.0, a biotechnology company specializing in gene synthesis, to develop enzymes that can both synthesize and break the fuel-latent plastic down into biodiesel after its use.

“We showed DARPA that we could make a new plastic from plant oils that has remarkable properties, which includes being tougher and more durable than typical polyethylenes. Additionally, the bioplastic can be placed in a simple container where it is safely broken down to liquid fuel,” said Dr. Gross.

“Polytechnic University has a long history of innovation, and we are confident Professor Gross’ research will revolutionize how we produce and consume biofuels,” noted Jerry M. Hultin, president of Polytechnic University. “Gassing up at the pump could be part of the past thanks to the possibility of this research.”

The process of converting biogengineered fuel-latent plastics into biodiesel is of interest to DARPA since the U.S. military can use this technology on the frontline. “Military units generate substantial quantities of packaging waste when engaging in stationary field
operations. If we can turn this waste into fuel, we will see a double benefit – we will
reduce the amount of waste that we have to remove, and we will reduce the amount of
new fuel that we must deliver to the units,” explained Khine Latt, program manager for DARPA’s Mobile Integrated Sustainable Energy Recovery program.

The next phase of the research will entail developing a more efficient low-cost process for both manufacturing the bioplastic and converting it into biodiesel. The personal generation of biodiesel is an important step in developing green technologies and reducing waste.

Life, It Seems, Comes Down To Peeing In A Plastic Cup…

Where would medicine be without plastic?

This morning I had to drop in to the local vampire for blood work. I’m now at that age when the doctor insists on an annual physical rather than just suggesting one. I was there at 7:26am for a 7:30am show – and there were three older men there already, two sitting on the floor as if they were back in high school waiting for gym class to start. At 7:30 and 8 seconds the lab hadn’t opened yet and the class senior began beating on the door. A nurse popped her head out, inquired if there was a problem, and then grimaced knowing that this was probably an indication of the rest of her day. We herded in like a chain gang, showed our ID, and were handed our cups and then we all stood there waiting our turn to use the one wash room.

Styrene Urine Test Jar

And that’s when the plastic-guy inside me began his day – scanning the room for applications for polymers yet to be discovered.

The FIAlab SMA-Z Flowcell (for absorbance measurements) is a “Z” type flowcell constructed of chemically inert Teflon, Plexiglas (as pictured), Ultem, PEEK or high grade stainless steel. The SMA-Z Cell’s optical path length is available in 1.5, 5, 10, 50, 100 mm (other lengths are available with special orders).

There’s a certain ironic comedy, bordering on tragedy, for the learned plasticologist in a medical clinic. On one side of the room you have all these sophisticated separators and testing machines reeling out tendrils of polyethylene and vinyl tubing, hidden within ornate cabinets made from Kydex. If you look deep into the heart of the blood analyzers you catch a glimmer of translucent bronze – most likely Ultem. Engineered solutions at their finest.

This project required extremely close tolerances to be met in order to form a seal between two solenoids in a kidney dialysis medical device in which very tight tolerances are required to form an adequate fluid seal. The product is manufactured out of Ultem-1000 grade material, which required skilled material processing to deliver quality finished product.

Then, you look at what separates the farmer from their herd, the reception window – the most gawd-awful orangy-yellow faux-lead diamond pattern imprinted on cheap old styrene sheet – which I’m sure I’ve seen in 70’s era hutches. Would it have really blown the budget to spend another $10 and put in a sexy piece of matte-finished acrylic – maybe green edge Crystal Ice? Come on now, we just peed in a jar made from what we’re looking through!

So, what did Marie Curie’s lab look like when she was swooshing isotopes back and forth between glass test tubes and spilling them onto metal counters? Or watching radio-active chemical reactions happen behind regular old glass portals? Would she be amazed to learn how certain grades of acrylic can now withstand x-rays and gamma rays? That her table tops would be plastic too, perhaps blends of acrylic & PVC (Kydex). That her test tubes would sit in high density polyethylene trays rather than metal racks.

Plastic hasn’t just changed modern medicine, it’s evolved it into something different than it was. Plastic has made medicine accessible to more people – it’s made the business of medicine lighter, safer, and more cost effective. It’s inspired people to invent devices that would never have been conceived fifty years ago – that a tube can be made so precisely that it will fit inside an artery and take a doctor’s tool right to center of the heart avoiding the need to rip someone’s chest open (I guess if could have used the term invasive procedure here, but it wouldn’t be as dramatic). Plastic has given the possibility of life.

If you’re a budding young surgeon or medical technologist looking for materials to build your next tool, then please, give us a call at Warehoused Plastic Sales. We have expertise at our fingertips that can give you qualified engineering advice to help you identify the solutions you’ve been looking for.

Heart Catheter Using Teflon Tubing

Teflon/Polypropylene Heart Valve

The Heart Laser housing measures 28″ X 48″ X 62″ (711 x 1220 x 1575mm). Pressure-formed of KYDEX® Vinyloy™ 103 thermoplastic alloy, it won the Annual Thermoforming Institute Award of Excellence.

What Would Archie Bunker Say?

source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1649301,00.html

August 2nd, 2007

Paper, Plastic or Prada?

Paper, plastic or Prada? Grocery shopping gets chic with eco-friendly designer totes to bag your greens, here an Anya Hindmarch bag.

For fashion-conscious women, every season has an It handbag. Shopping blogs, lunch hours and entire episodes of Sex and the City are devoted to discussing the waiting lists, long lines and bribes to key salespeople often required to get an early shot at the most sought-after Birkin, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga or Fendi baguette. So when the newest must-have tote, designed by British bag guru Anya Hindmarch, went on sale in England in April, it wasn’t terribly unusual that devotees began lining up at 2 a.m. or that all 20,000 coveted pieces were gone by 9 a.m. What was odd was that instead of queuing up in front of department stores or exclusive boutiques, fashion addicts were camped outside of humdrum supermarkets. And the bag in question was not one of Hindmarch’s luxurious metallic clutches but a $15 canvas tote designed for ferrying groceries home and embroidered with the phrase I’M NOT A PLASTIC BAG.

The frenzy surrounding these limited-edition bags–several would-be owners were trampled in Taipei, Taiwan, in July, the same month in which a mob of Hindmarch fans forced police to shut down a mall in Hong Kong–is the result of a calculated effort to encourage shoppers to use fewer disposable plastic sacks, some 88 billion of which are consumed each year in the U.S. alone, with many ending up stuck in trees, clogging roadside drains and killing the birds and sea creatures that accidentally ingest them. As legislators around the globe debate whether to tax or ban outright these petroleum-based products–which experts estimate take up to 1,000 years to decompose–celebrities have been doing their part to steer consumers down a greener path. This year’s trendy eco-tote has been photographed on the arms of actresses Keira Knightley, Alicia Silverstone and Reese Witherspoon.

And Hindmarch isn’t the only high-priced designer–her wares typically cost thousands of dollars apiece–trying to improve the world one purse at a time. Joining her in the attempt to persuade fashionistas to carry their groceries home in a reusable bag is Stella McCartney, the English designer–and daughter of Sir Paul–whose organic cotton shopper retails for $495. Hermes’ collapsible silk bag costs nearly double that, while Louis Vuitton’s canvas tote retails for a staggering $1,720. Of course, people who can handle those kinds of price tags are probably outsourcing their grocery shopping. But Hindmarch thinks such fashion symbols can have a powerful ripple effect. “There was a time when what was cool was drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes,” she says. “Now it’s all healthy living, and I think fashion had a part in that–people seeing photos of models and celebrities–Gwyneth Paltrow walking around carrying yoga mats and bottled water.”

But being the Prius of plastic bags has its pitfalls. After the stampede in Taipei, sales of the Hindmarch bag were canceled in Beijing, Jakarta, Shanghai and Singapore. And to add irony to injury, some of the I’m Not a Plastic Bag totes sold after the near riot in Hong Kong were triple-wrapped in plastic bags in an effort to keep their new owners from being mugged on their way home.

Even so, the antiplastic movement is well under way. Bangladesh, France, Uganda and a few other countries have approved nationwide bans of the flimsy flyaway sacks. San Francisco this spring became the first U.S. city to ban nonbiodegradable bags from large grocery stores and pharmacies, and similar legislation is being debated in Boston; Santa Cruz, Calif.; and Portland, Ore. In Annapolis, Md., alderman Sam Shropshire is pushing for what would be among the strictest plastic regulations in the world: banishing plastic bags not only from big retailers but from small ones too, forcing mom-and-pop restaurants, for example, to abandon leakproof doggie bags. “With our proximity to the Chesapeake Bay, there’s no other option for the protection of our sea life,” says Shropshire.

Environmentalists applaud such efforts but worry about an unsavory side effect: increased use of paper bags. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, demand for paper bags in the U.S. consumes 14 million trees a year. And the Environmental Protection Agency has noted that the production of paper bags involves more energy use and water pollution than that of plastic bags. Paper bags are heavier–and therefore use more fossil fuel during shipping–although they are biodegradable and recyclable. They’re also more expensive for retailers, at 5.7¢ per bag (and up to 17.6¢ for ones with handles) in contrast to 2.2¢ per plastic bag. Given the downside to both paper and plastic, perhaps that $1,720 tote isn’t so outrageous. “Everyone has framed the debate incorrectly,” says Shropshire. “It’s not paper vs. plastic. It’s about getting rid of plastic in favor of recycled paper or reusable bags.”

That will be an uphill battle. Plastic bags have their own lobbyists, who don’t appreciate lectures from the catwalk. The Progressive Bag Alliance, which represents major plastic-bag makers, maintains that bags aren’t the problem. Littering is. In an attempt to turn the tables on the eco-chic movement, the alliance has begun an unsubtle anti-Hindmarch campaign by emblazoning their signature product–using a bubble print strikingly similar to the one on her popular tote–with a defiant message: I AM A PLASTIC BAG, AND I AM 100% RECYCLABLE.

The trouble is that California is one of the few places to mandate that stores offer plastic-bag recycling, and the industry has been slow to volunteer elsewhere. Less than 1% of bags are recycled in the U.S., according to the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute. Major chains like Giant Foods are trying to improve that statistic by giving rebates to shoppers who return plastic bags for recycling, although few consumers take advantage of the policy. In March, Ikea began charging a nickel per plastic bag and selling a reusable tote for 59¢. While it’s still too soon to tell how this strategy has affected U.S. consumers, a similar program launched in the U.K. last year reduced plastic-bag consumption 95%. Ireland has reported a similar decline since the country instituted a roughly 20¢-per-bag “plastax” in 2002.

Designer bags may make such taxes and prohibitions more palatable. But even Hindmarch concedes that her canvas tote has its limits. “I have five kids,” she explains, which adds up to a lot of groceries–and she’s still not willing to ditch the plastic when bringing home a smelly fish or other items with leak potential. But the combination of stylish looks and too-thin wallets may drive real change. Thousands of shoppers camped out in Dublin in July to get a Hindmarch bag. And many of this season’s trendy $15 eco-tote bags have been selling on eBay for more than $400. Which means that this year’s environmental slogan could be reduce, reuse, resell.

Bioplastics – The Story Back Then

source: http://web-japan.org/trends/science/sci031212.html

BIOPLASTIC
Eco-Friendly Material Has a Bright Future (December 16, 2003)

Products made from bioplastic (Jiji)

More and more uses are being found for next-generation plastics made from such plants as sweet potatoes and sugarcane. Bioplastics are environmentally friendly because, compared with traditional plastics, their production results in the emission of less carbon dioxide, which is thought to cause global warming. They are also biodegradable, meaning that the material returns to its natural state when buried in the ground. Bioplastics are already being used in automobile interiors and in cases for consumer electronics. In 2002 Japan ratified the Kyoto Protocol, which requires countries to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and Japanese corporations will have to play their part in achieving this goal. This means that the use of bioplastics, seen as an effective way of cutting carbon dioxide emissions, is likely to continue to expand.

Toyota Becomes First Automaker to Use Bioplastics
Toyota Motor Corp. became the first automaker in the world to use bioplastics in the manufacture of auto parts, employing them in the cover for the spare tire in the Raum, a new model that went on sale this May. The bioplastic used for the tire cover is made from plants, such as sweet potatoes and sugarcane. Enzymes are used to break starch in the plants down into glucose, which is fermented and made into lactic acid. This lactic acid is polymerized and converted into a plastic called polylactic acid, which can be used in the manufacture of products after being heated and shaped.

When ordinary plastics made from petroleum are burned, they release the carbon dioxide contained in the petroleum into the atmosphere, leading to global warming. Bioplastics, however, are made from plants that grow by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so when they are burned, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere does not change. Because petroleum is not used, emissions of carbon dioxide are cut, and a contribution is made to the fight against global warming.

In addition, bioplastics are biodegradable. If something made of bioplastic is buried in the ground, microorganisms will break it down into carbon dioxide and water. Since this material is environment-friendly, interest in bioplastics is high, and the materials have been the subject of research and development both in Japan and abroad. Bags made of bioplastic can be thrown away and buried with other biodegradable garbage, and there are a growing number of other uses for the materials as well, including artificial fibers, medical products, and construction materials.

Toyota Motor is building a plant to undertake test production of bioplastic at a factory in Japan, with production due to begin in August 2004. The company plans to produce 1,000 tons of bioplastic annually, which will be used not just in car parts but in many other plastic products as well. Toyota also plans to use bioplastics in the construction of the exhibition pavilions at the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, so that no construction waste is generated when the pavilions are dismantled at the end of the event. A spokesperson for Toyota Motor’s Biotechnology and Afforestation Business Division expresses high hopes for the future of bioplastics, saying, “The inside of a car gets very hot and is exposed to shocks while the vehicle is running. If bioplastics can be used in this tough environment, they can be used in ordinary household products or anywhere else.”

Also Used in Electronic Devices
Mitsubishi Plastics has already succeeded in raising the heat-resistance and strength of polylactic acid by combining it with other biodegradable plastics and filler, and the result was used to make the plastic casing of a new version of Sony Corp.’s Walkman released last fall. Mitsubishi Plastics had previously looked at bioplastic as something that would mainly be used in the manufacture of casings and wrappings, but the company now feels confident that this revolutionary material has entered a new phase in its development in which more complex applications will be found.

NEC Corp., meanwhile, is turning its attention to kenaf, a type of fibrous plant native to tropical areas of Africa and Asia that is known to grow more than five meters in just half a year. A mixture of polylactic acid and kenaf fiber that is 20% fiber by weight allows for a plastic that is strong enough and heat resistant enough to be used in electronic goods. The goal is to begin using this new plastic in real products, such as computer cases, within two years.

At present approximately 14 million tons of plastic are produced in Japan annually. Though bioplastics and other environment-friendly plastics account for only about 10,000 tons of this, the market for bioplastics is expected to grow by 400% to ¥20 billion ($181.9 million at ¥110 to the dollar) by 2005

New QC Testing Device For Plastic

source: http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/525398 

Plastics Testing System performs tension and flexural tests.

July 30, 2007 – Suited for production floor or QC environment, bundled system comes with Model 3345 testing machine, tensile wedge grips, flex fixtures, Dell® PC, and Bluehill® Lite Materials Testing software. System provides automatic recognition, balancing, and calibration of load and strain transducers, and uses dc servomotor with digital closed-loop position control to provide accurate crosshead speed control. It meets requirements of ASTM, EN, BS, ISO, and JIS testing standards.

New Software Picks Right Plastic For Job

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/526069 

CES Selector 2007 a Major Step Forward for Materials Decision-Making

New software for cost analysis, product design, and optimizing eco-propertiesCambridge, UK, July 25 – Granta Design has announced a new release of CES Selector(TM), the unique PC-based software for the selection of engineering materials and manufacturing processes. CES Selector helps product designers and manufacturers to avoid cost, innovate, and meet environmental and other regulations. The new CES Selector 2007 version adds capabilities for applications including cost analysis, medical devices, plastics and elastomers, eco-design, and guiding and communicating materials decisions.

CES Selector combines data on the mechanical, physical, economic, and eco-properties of materials with powerful graphical software for analysis and selection developed at Cambridge University and Granta. The 2007 version features new price estimate data for over 3,000 materials, generated using an improved and updated price model. Together with new software features enabling materials to be easily ranked based on ‘cost per unit of function’, this allows users to quickly identify and compare optimal materials for complex combinations of properties. For example, cost per unit stiffness could be assessed to help choose an appropriate material for a light, cheap panel. CES Selector is ideal for identifying substitute materials – such as a lower-cost grade of plastic, or an alloy with lower nickel content.

New specialist data is also available for medical plastics, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), and the eco-properties of materials. These allow CES Selector to find the best materials for a medical device or food contact application, to navigate the fast-
moving and commercially important field of TPEs, and to estimate more accurately the environmental impact of product designs.

New communication, usability, and documentation features not only make CES Selector easier to use, but also improve even further its outstanding graphical presentation of analysis results. These graphical capabilities help materials teams or designers wishing to present or discuss selection decisions, as well as materials producers wishing to position products against competitive offerings.

“Manufacturers must make the right choices when selecting or substituting materials. Materials producers need help in positioning their products,” says Professor Mike Ashby of Cambridge University and Granta. “With its extensive new data and improved analysis, presentation, and usability, CES Selector offers more help than ever in tackling such commercially significant problems.”