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Technology
Additives for Polymers
June 2000
particles, while no residual products are deposited. The container can beset at different positions: inverted for filling through the cone, tilted slightly for levelling the mixed content and positioned horizontally for cleaning. It can be mounted on a rail, for top-filling beneath a silo before moving to the docking station of the mixer, and can then travel on a rail to the processing machine. The mixer is available in five sizes, offering capacity range from 150 to 2000 litres.
a
Contact: Thyssen Henschel GmbH, Henschelplatz I, D-34127 Kussel, Germany; tel: +49-561 801 Ol;,fLlx: +49-561 801 6338
TECHNOLOGY New technology makes red phosphorus as a fine powder A new process to manufacture a red phosphorus powder for manufacturing flame retardants has been developed by a Japanese company. In conventional manufacturing processes, the red phosphorus powder is produced by smashing ingots, making a relatively coarse powder, with particles that are large and sharp. Rinkagaku Kogyo Co, however, claims to have developed a technology that produces the phosphorus with particles that are spherical and extremely fine and smooth. The company also says that the powder, which it will put on the market shortly, is very stable and gives off less phosphin gas during processing. Contact: Rinkagaku Kogyo Co Ltd, 34 ShinBori, Shin-Minato City, Toyomu Prefecture, Japan; tel: +81-7 6686 251; fax: +81-7 6686 1178
Plasma barrier treatment gets first public demonstration The first public demonstration of the plasma barrier treatment for PET bottles, developed by the French machinery manufacturer Side1 SA, is given this month at the National Plastics Ex-
8
position (NPE) in Chicago, USA (June 19-23). The technology (see Additives for Polymers, February 2000) involves insertion of a foodsafe gas, acetylene, into the bottle, in-line with the production of the bottle by the injection/blow moulding process. The gas is then broken down to its plasma state, creating an internal layer of amorphous carbon inside the bottle which protects the liquid contents against all types of exchange and migration of gas. Under the name Actis, the technology is the first commercial application of cold plasma for PET packaging, and the system has been designed to give maximum productivity, with short treatment times (about 3 seconds), and continuously operating rotary kinetics. At the NPE, Side1 is demonstrating production of 50 cl PET bottles with in-line plasma treatment on a 20-station Actis unit, running at a speed of 10 000 bottles per hour. In Europe, Actis bottles have been approved as safe for use with foodstuffs by the Netherlands authority TNO. In the USA, the company Keller & Heckman has officially stated a favourable opinion and the FDA is reviewing the file and is expected to give a final decision in mid-year. The Actis system is particularly interesting for packaging beer in PET, and the leading brewery in France, Kronenbourg, has ordered a machine. Several merchant bottle suppliers have also ordered the Actis system, including Hokkai Can (Japan), Logoplaste (Portugal), Apla Werke (Austria) and Plastipak (USA). Contact: Side1 SA, Avenue de la Patrouille de France, Octeville-sur-mer, BP 204, 76053 Le Havre Cedex, France; tel: +33-2 32 85 8249; ,fax: +33-2 32 85 8134
TECHNICAL
BRIEFS
Searching for alternatives to fine silica for gel coats With the development of use of fibre-reinforced thermosetting resins in the consumer products industry, much attention has been centred on the gel coat, and the need to make this as attractive as possible. It has two functions: to
02000 Elsevier Science
June 2000
particles, while no residual products are deposited. The container can beset at different positions: inverted for filling through the cone, tilted slightly for levelling the mixed content and positioned horizontally for cleaning. It can be mounted on a rail, for top-filling beneath a silo before moving to the docking station of the mixer, and can then travel on a rail to the processing machine. The mixer is available in five sizes, offering capacity range from 150 to 2000 litres.
a
Contact: Thyssen Henschel GmbH, Henschelplatz I, D-34127 Kussel, Germany; tel: +49-561 801 Ol;,fLlx: +49-561 801 6338
TECHNOLOGY New technology makes red phosphorus as a fine powder A new process to manufacture a red phosphorus powder for manufacturing flame retardants has been developed by a Japanese company. In conventional manufacturing processes, the red phosphorus powder is produced by smashing ingots, making a relatively coarse powder, with particles that are large and sharp. Rinkagaku Kogyo Co, however, claims to have developed a technology that produces the phosphorus with particles that are spherical and extremely fine and smooth. The company also says that the powder, which it will put on the market shortly, is very stable and gives off less phosphin gas during processing. Contact: Rinkagaku Kogyo Co Ltd, 34 ShinBori, Shin-Minato City, Toyomu Prefecture, Japan; tel: +81-7 6686 251; fax: +81-7 6686 1178
Plasma barrier treatment gets first public demonstration The first public demonstration of the plasma barrier treatment for PET bottles, developed by the French machinery manufacturer Side1 SA, is given this month at the National Plastics Ex-
8
position (NPE) in Chicago, USA (June 19-23). The technology (see Additives for Polymers, February 2000) involves insertion of a foodsafe gas, acetylene, into the bottle, in-line with the production of the bottle by the injection/blow moulding process. The gas is then broken down to its plasma state, creating an internal layer of amorphous carbon inside the bottle which protects the liquid contents against all types of exchange and migration of gas. Under the name Actis, the technology is the first commercial application of cold plasma for PET packaging, and the system has been designed to give maximum productivity, with short treatment times (about 3 seconds), and continuously operating rotary kinetics. At the NPE, Side1 is demonstrating production of 50 cl PET bottles with in-line plasma treatment on a 20-station Actis unit, running at a speed of 10 000 bottles per hour. In Europe, Actis bottles have been approved as safe for use with foodstuffs by the Netherlands authority TNO. In the USA, the company Keller & Heckman has officially stated a favourable opinion and the FDA is reviewing the file and is expected to give a final decision in mid-year. The Actis system is particularly interesting for packaging beer in PET, and the leading brewery in France, Kronenbourg, has ordered a machine. Several merchant bottle suppliers have also ordered the Actis system, including Hokkai Can (Japan), Logoplaste (Portugal), Apla Werke (Austria) and Plastipak (USA). Contact: Side1 SA, Avenue de la Patrouille de France, Octeville-sur-mer, BP 204, 76053 Le Havre Cedex, France; tel: +33-2 32 85 8249; ,fax: +33-2 32 85 8134
TECHNICAL
BRIEFS
Searching for alternatives to fine silica for gel coats With the development of use of fibre-reinforced thermosetting resins in the consumer products industry, much attention has been centred on the gel coat, and the need to make this as attractive as possible. It has two functions: to
02000 Elsevier Science