Category: Chemicals & Materials

UMaine wins DOE grant for 3D-printed wind turbines

UMaine wins DOE grant for 3D-printed wind turbines

February 1, 2021 |

In Maine, the US Department of Energy has awarded the University of Maine $2.8 million to develop an additive for 3D manufacturing of wind turbine blades. The grant will see large wind blade molds printed at UMaine’s Composite Center, home to the world’s largest polymer 3D printer, according to Habib Dagher, executive director of UMaine’s […]

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IFF, DuPont N&B deal creates natural ingredients leader with $11 billion in annual sales

IFF, DuPont N&B deal creates natural ingredients leader with $11 billion in annual sales

February 1, 2021 |

In New York, IFF and DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences business are set to close their mega-merger. First announced in 2019, the Reverse Morris Trust transaction creates a global leader in high-value ingredients and solutions for the Food and Beverage, Home and Personal Care and Health and Wellness markets, with estimated 2020 pro forma revenue of […]

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Bemis launches seam adhesive using DuPont’s biobased propanediol

Bemis launches seam adhesive using DuPont’s biobased propanediol

February 1, 2021 |

In Massachusetts, thermoplastic films and adhesives company Bemis has launched a partially renewable seam adhesive for the garment industry. Dubbed Sewfree 3700, the adhesive is made using 25% biobased Susterra® propanediol produced by DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. The adhesive is engineered to replace elastics and bulky sewn seams in garments. “It allows for […]

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Novozymes, FMC sign biocontrol deal

Novozymes, FMC sign biocontrol deal

February 1, 2021 |

In Denmark, enzymes leader Novozymes and leading pesticides firm FMC have announced a partnership in the biocontrol segment. Under the terms of the deal, the two companies have agreed to codevelop and commercialize biological enzyme-based crop protection solutions focusing on FMC’s diamide insecticide technology, as well as a biocontrol solution for Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), […]

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Latest architecture and design trends take waste not, want not approach

Latest architecture and design trends take waste not, want not approach

February 1, 2021 |

Architecture is undergoing a “biowaste revolution,” according to Architect, an online publication affiliated with the Journal of the American Institute of Architects. The piece detailed a number of new raw materials innovation.  One architect profiled, Ayse Yilmaz, began making new materials out of tangerine peels when she was just 20, and eventually would add discarded […]

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Absolut Biobased: Paper vodka bottles hit shelves in select markets

Absolut Biobased: Paper vodka bottles hit shelves in select markets

January 25, 2021 |

In the United Kingdom and Sweden, the first rollout of paper bottles from the iconic vodka brand Absolut have hit liquor store shelves.  The bottles are actually made from a mix of paper and recycled plastic and are the first step toward a fully biobased spirits bottle, says Pernod Ricard, the French owner of the […]

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MIT grows wood in a petri dish

MIT grows wood in a petri dish

January 25, 2021 |

In Boston, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have grown plant tissue, including wood and fibers, in a lab, paving the way for a new method of growing food and materials with less land and inputs.   “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table,” Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, a principal scientist […]

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Microbial stamp could help track E. coli outbreaks

Microbial stamp could help track E. coli outbreaks

January 25, 2021 |

In New York, start-up Aanika Biosciences is developing biological tags that can help authorities pinpoint the source of deadline E. coli outbreaks.  The company’s technology tweaks the genome of inactivated microbe, essentially creating a unique identifier that is then added to each head of lettuce to enable tracking.  The Centers for Disease Control often struggles […]

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UConn team creates polylactic acid face mask

UConn team creates polylactic acid face mask

January 25, 2021 |

In Connecticut, researchers have invented a reusable and biodegradable face mask made from polylactic acid. Thinh Le, mechanical engineering PhD student at University of Connecticut, tells Daily Campus the masks are made of poly-L lactic acid, “an FDA-approved material [used] in medical applications, which is completely safe and biodegradable.”  Most masks are made from polypropylene […]

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Indian researchers develop bioplastic film using red algae

Indian researchers develop bioplastic film using red algae

January 25, 2021 |

In India, the National Institute of Ocean Technology has converted seaweed into biodegradable plastic film.  Using red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii cultivated from the Gulf of Mannar and plasticizer polyethylene glycol (PEG)-3000, the team was able to create films with high tensile strength. The films also have good oxygen and moisture permeability properties for use as […]

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