Global Housing, DuPont and Braskem join forces to innovate in the Brazilian construction market

(Braskem) -- Global Housing, DuPont and Braskem have established an unprecedented partnership to launch a new concept for the commercial and residential construction market in Brazil. Dubbed Concrete PVC House, this technology represents a fast and innovative way to build a variety of high-quality constructions on an industrial scale, with reduced usage of water and wood and minimum waste of materials.

The beauty of this system is the versatility that it brings, allowing methods used in simpler constructions to be applied to much more complex construction projects, such as hospitals, creches, schools, community centers and warehouses.

Other innovative features are: the speed of construction, which makes it possible to put up a completely finished house in one week (traditional methods take at least 90 days); durability; immunity against bacteria and fungus; ease of cleaning and conserving; and low maintenance. Also, specialized labor is not necessary for the construction. Due to these factors, the project aims to contribute to the reurbanization of several cities, both in Brazil and worldwide.

MRC

(PlastEurope) -- PVC recycling in the UK is continuing to increase, with more than 50,000 tonnes of material expected to be recycled by the end of 2011, according to Recovinyl (Brussels / Belgium), the PVC industry's recycling initiative. Jane Gardner, of Axion Consulting (Bramhall, Stockport), Recovinyl's UK agent, said the PVC industry's recycling initiative is expected to exceed the 49,343 t of post-consumer PVC recycled last year in the UK through its 26 specialist recyclers.

Speaking at a recent recycling seminar organised by the British Plastics Federation, Gardner said that Recovinyl is now positioned strongly to build on its ⌠Vinyl 2010 achievements and co-ordinate delivery of fresh targets up to 2020 under the new ⌠Vinyl Plus voluntary commitment.

Recovinyl has gone above and beyond its original recycling targets. These targets include 800,000 t to be re-used in all European countries by 2020 - with 700,000 t mechanically recycled and the remainder through new technologies for more difficult-to-recycle or contaminated PVC. ⌠

MRC

(Plastics Today) -- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been a major target of the environmental activist group Greenpeace for at least 20 years, dating to activism by chemist Michael Braungart. The focal point of Greenpeace was dioxins. The Vinyl Institute was formed in 1982 because of health-related attacks on PVC pipe by the steel industry. Since then PVC has been under attack for questions surrounding vinyl chloride monomer and phthalate plasticizers.

Last week new problems emerged. The American Public Health Association (APHA) urged a reduction in use of PVC in hospitals and schools. Also last week, an advocacy group called Clean and Healthy New York released a report questioning the safety of chemicals such as PVC used in 72 mattress models on sale in the United States.

For Allen Blakey, vice president of industry and government affairs at the The Vinyl Institute (Arlington, VA), it was a bad week. "I had sensed that direct attacks on vinyl had tapered off in the past couple years until last week," Blakey said in an interview with PlasticsToday.com yesterday. "Why? PVC continues to prove its cost-effectiveness in myriad applications, including many high-value applications (material of choice for blood bags, medical tubing, tamper-resistant packaging, electrical wire insulation, pipe delivering drinking water, etc.)," Blakey said in a follow-up email.

Blakey says that officials at APHA never called The Vinyl Institute to check their facts and get perspective. As a result, there were some statements in the APHA resolution that were outright wrong. Lead and cadmium, for example, are no longer used as stabilizers in PVC. He also faults the APHA for making no mention of what he describes as a positive review of phthalate plasticizers by industry groups where they didn't find actual problems despite more than 60 years of use.

MRC

(PlastEurope) -- With ⌠Hostaform ⌠XT20, German plastics producer Ticona has added to its range a new high-tech POM that it says ⌠sets a new scale for cold impact- and fuel-resistance and extends the polymer's possibilities into regions previously open only to impact-resistant modified PA 11/12.

The extrudable polymer is designed in particular for pipes and hoses used in such automotive applications as protective sleeves of hand brake cables and elastic shafts of seat adjusters or sun roofs. It is also claimed to hold promise in applications such as fuel lines, pneumatic braking systems, clutches, air-conditioning and power steering.

Ticona says the third-generation Hostaform product exhibits burst strength and impact toughness that meet most of the requirements set for technical pipe applications, including greater low-temperature impact strength and improved chemical resistance as well as low water absorption, excellent mechanical and tribological properties.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Nigeria has become a net-exporter of polymers like polyethylene a(PE) and polypropylene (PP), courtesy Indorama-Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL). The polymers are being exported to various countries in Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. Since EPCL was privatized in 2006, it has been producing various grades of PE and PP, and accounts for 10% of Nigeria's non oil exports.

MRC