Extrusion International 5-2024

20 Extrusion International 5/2024 INDUSTRY NEWS Biopolymers Portfolio Expanded  BASF is now offering the packaging industry a way to increase the use of renewable feedstocks: It is ex - panding its portfolio of certified compostable biopoly - mers to include a biomass-balanced (BMB) ecoflex ® , a polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) that is fre - quently used in the compounding of biopolymers. For the new ecoflex ® F Blend C1200 BMB, the fossil raw ma - terials that are usually used in the production process are replaced with renewable feedstock at the begin - ning of the value chain. The renewable feedstock comes from waste and residual biomass and is attributed to the ecoflex ® grade via a mass balance approach which is certified according to REDcert2 and ISCC PLUS. The bio - mass-balanced ecoflex ® not only contributes to reduc- ing the use of fossil resources, but it also offers a 60% lower Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) than the standard ecoflex ® F Blend C1200. Certified compostable products based on PBAT com - pounds help create a circular economy by supporting the collection and recycling of organic waste. However, in the production of PBAT, it is not yet possible to fully avoid the usage of fossil resources. With ecoflex ® BMB, BASF closes this gap and offers a solution that is organi - cally recyclable at the end of life: In addition, its fossil feedstock is completely replaced with renewable raw materials at the very beginning of the production pro - cess. BASF is thus taking another step towards closing the biological loop of circular economy. ecoflex® BMB enables customers in the packaging in - dustry to contribute to the reduction of fossil resource consumption and differentiate their products without compromising on performance and quality, or the need for extra investment into newprocessing lines: The BASF PBAT is identical to the conventional grade in proper - ties, quality, and certification. As a result, customers do not need to re-qualify their applications made of eco- flex ® BMB, reformulate the compounds or adapt their existing manufacturing processes: They can rely on the same performance to which they are accustomed and benefit from a drop-in solution. BASF Performance Materials www.ecoflex.basf.com www.basf.com/massbalance New HiQuad ® Neo Mass Spectrometer Introduced  With its new HiQuad Neo mass spectrometer, Pfeiffer Vacuum combines powerful performance with flexibility and user-friendly operation. This mass spectrome- ter achieves an exceptionally high measuring speed of up to 125 μs/u. It is distinguished by its outstand - ing sensitivity and a wide dynamic range. Depending on the applica - tion different, mass ranges, rod diameters, ion sources, detectors, interfaces and cable lengths are available for selection. Its proper- ties predestine the HiQuad Neo most particularly for applications in research and development and make it ideal for integrating into analytical systems as well as for cleanliness verification for EUV- lithography. Previous-generation devices can be upgraded to match the latest Hi - Quad Neo technology. It is also possible to re-use existing components, such as the analyzer. This minimizes both expense and waste. The mass spectrom- eter is easy to operate with the PV MassSpec software. This provides a clear, user-friendly platform for re - cording and presenting measured data as well as parameter settings. The integrated sequencer enables easy automated programming of entire measuring procedures. One click is all you need to perform leak detection and vacuum diag - nosis. The software also permits automated calibration and tuning. Defining measurement recipes is easy, and it is possible to link the mass spectrometer data to external signals. Alternatively, direct com - munication via the ethernet inter- face (via OPC-UA) is possible. These features provide an efficient, user- friendly solution for a wide range of applications. Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com