MUNDOMATERIAL

I wanted to write about materials used in cars for a while, in particular about the main uses of plastic. The automotive sector is being hardly punished by the crisis, both OEMs and tiers suppliers. For example, in 2008 in Spain both the automotive and the plastic markets suffered job losses of 39.080 y 11.480 respectively (Source: La voz de Galicia, 16 February 2009). Plastic is essential in cars today, it’s used everywhere. I invite you to have a look at your car and try to guess which parts are made in plastic, apart from the terribly obvious ones. It is not easy, if you consider that around 20% in weight of a car manufactured today is plastic. The advantages that plastic offers are low weight, low cost and ease to mass produce parts. In fact, it is thanks to plastics that our average car consumes less, simply because they make it lighter. Plastic was first used in car interior, in the dashboard, the foam of your seats, the driving wheel, etc. Today it is more difficult to say... 
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I found this video trough Bioplastic News, but it was originally posted in Green Plastics. They are actually looking for more instructive videos, so maybe we should keep an eye on them, see what else they can get. In their own words: Would you like to make a bioplastic instructional video? Can you create a fun and informative instructional video about bioplastic? We are looking for videos of all different types. You can demonstrate how to make a specific bioplastic product in your own home. You can test the biodegradability of various bioplastic products. You can compare and constrast the properties (strength, flexibility, etc) of bioplastic compared to regular plastic. Regardless of what you want to show, make it fun and informative and we will feature your video here! Enjoy the lesson! AKPC_IDS += "1686,"; 
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Introduction I’ve been following closely some of the blogs I discussed in my post Blogs boycotting plastic and paying attention to the most hated plastic items. Disposable bags are probably the first on the list, but no doubt that plastic bottles are quickly following the same path. Many different issues converge on plastic bottles, angrying activists and worrying a bigger part of the population. So what are plastics bottles made of? What are the main issues related to the way we use them today? I’ll start with the basics, then. photo credit: bbaunach Common types of plastics used in bottles Most of bottles used for drinks are PET, or polyester terephtalate. Now, PET is one of the biggies in the plastic market, with Western Europe usage reaching 3.5 million tonnes in 2006. PET is used in many other applications apart from bottles, but packaging remains its turf. It’s resistant, transparent and it doesn’t break easily. Bottles made of HDPE are also used but not... 
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1,3-Propanediol, also known as PDO, is an organic compound used as a monomer in a variety of applications. At the moment PDO can be obtained from both petrochemical and renewable sources. This gives me the chance to analyse how both routes lead to the same chemical, but not the same product. Some of the main applications for PDO are listed below: As a monomer in the production of polymers As heat transfer fluid, coolant and solvant As an additive in thermoplastic polyurethanes, to improve thermal, hydrolitic and dimensional stability As an additive in polyester systems, to improve flexibility of coatings formulationsas a chain extender in polyurethane formulations The largest producer of PDO is Shell, which manufactures it in its US plant in Geismar. Shell began PDO production in 2000 and it now has a plant capacity of 73 kt per year. The proprietary Shell method for producing PDO is the hydroformylation reaction of ethylene oxide (EO) with syngas to make 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (HPA)... 
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I just created a bioplastics group on linkedin to discuss related topics. I invite you to join it: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1454117 Linkedin is a social network directed to professionals, to promote networking and discussions. You can check my profile, but if you are new to linkedin, I recommend you have a look around. For those of you that already know it, just say that it has become much more proactive. You can now use different tools to encourage professionals with similar interests to meet, tools like groups, questions or notifications of events. I have asked a few open questions, which anyone can answer. The great advantage to me is that with linkedin I can check what type of background the person answering has, which can be any really. Here you have links to my questions, although the 3 are closed now! what is the future of bottled water? How is REACH going to impact your business? What materials are used to produce bicycles? Have fun! AKPC_IDS += "1693,"; 
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