Extrusion International USA 2-2022

24 Extrusion International 2/2022 INDUSTRY NEWS New Packaging Valley Member „ ILLIG Maschinenbau has become a new member of Packaging Valley Germany e.V., the world’s most innova- tive packaging industry cluster, headquartered in Waib- lingen with an additional of fi ce in Schwäbisch Hall. The cluster networks around 100 companies with more than 30,000 employees. These include manufacturers of pack- aging systems and machines, providers of software and automation solutions, component manufacturers, service providers, and public institutions. The companies in Packaging Valley are always one step ahead of the future and offer the market the best tech- nologies in the fi eld of packaging machinery. With an ex- port share of over 80%, the technological diversity from Packaging Valley is represented all over the world. Inter- national market leaders from the food, beverage, confec- tionery, pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors are repre- sented among the wide range of customers. With “Circular Thinking!”, ILLIG bundles many years of technical know-how into the development of sustainable systems. The company supports packaging manufacturers in the design of recyclable applications with “Pactivity ® 360”, a holistic approach to package development. “Circular Thinking!” solutions support the circular econ- omy and the related goals of reduce, reuse, separate, recycle and renew. Optimized packaging can reduce the use of raw materials and make recycling possible in the fi rst place. This “design for environment” principle can be seen on the market today in the form of ILLIG’s I-PACK®, a novel combination of plastic and paper, which reduces plastic use by 50%. ILLIG Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG www.illig.com NewLong Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic isMade of Regenerated Cellulose for LighterWeight andHigher Strength „ Polyplastics Group has announced the introduction of PLASTRON ® LFT resin which is made of specially formu- lated regenerated cellulose fi bers. The eco-friendly PLAS- TRON ® LFT provides weight reduction plus mechanical strength, enabling manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint and meet today’s sustainability demands. Eco-friendly resins that incorporate natural fi bers, starch, wood powder, and other plant-based and natural mineral fi lling materials are being considered for use in a broader range of applications. Cellulose is a promising material to help reduce CO 2 emissions but its insuf fi cient strength is a limiting factor. Polyplastics has addressed this problem by using regenerated cellulose in the development of LFT resins with an excellent balance of physical properties. Re- generated cellulose is natural cellulose spun into continu- ous fi bers through wet spinning. Since cellulose is highly insoluble in solvents, a large por- tion of regenerated cellulose fi bers are manufactured through long and cumbersome processes. Simplifying these processes would likely lead to a further reduction in CO 2 . Polyplastics has developed regenerated long- fi ber cellulose materials via a solvent method – a simple manufacturing process that emits very little CO 2 . Since this method involves a closed process that recovers virtually 100% of the solvent, it generates hardly any waste and produces materials that are even more eco-friendly. The company has earned multiple patents for this technology in Japan and internationally. A comparison of long- fi ber cellulose-reinforced PP resin versus long- fi ber glass-reinforced PP resin at the same fl exural modulus shows that cellulose-reinforced resin has lower density than glass- fi lled resin. While long- fi ber cel- lulose-reinforced PP resin has a fl exural modulus roughly 3% higher than that of 30% glass-reinforced PP resin, it exhibits higher values for Charpy impact strength, tensile strength, and fl exural strength, thus indicating potential for upgraded strength. *PLASTRON ® is a registered trademark owned by Polyplastics Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries. Polyplastics Co., Ltd. www.polyplastics-global.com/en/approach/10.html (Source: Polyplastics Co., Ltd.)