POLYMERS Communiqué April - May 2016

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E Apr - May 2016 l Issue 2.4 l ` 150

Power of

Plastics

Nikhil Meswani

Executive Director Reliance Industries Limited

Plastics Fast-Tracking Growth for Automotive Manufacturers

Novel Applications

with Conducting Polymers

Can Aliphatic Polyesters Mimic LDPEs?

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

1

CONTENTS

Apr-May 2016 l Issue 2.4

26

59 26

80

34

71

COVER S TORY

TH O U GH T PR O V O K IN G

“This wonder material ‘plastics’ has had a significant impact on human lives, from catering to basic needs economically, to delivering the most demanding applications. Touching lives still further, I see this trend to grow with deeper penetrations in rural markets, hitherto untouched owing to low purchasing power”, accentuates Nikhil Meswani in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

47

Prof. Ashok Misra, Chairman-Emeritus India

Prof. Anil Kumar, Chemistry Department

A D V ER TO R IA L

Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai

51

Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics

34

FAS T TRACK

“Automotives are increasingly using plastics as they offer best strength/stiffness to weight ratio and high energy absorbing characteristics; from a commercial standpoint, plastics applications plays a big role in deciding financial merits and demerits for OEMs”, says C. V. Raman in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Touching Lives, Developing Lifestyles

Nikhil Meswani, Executive Director

Automotive Manufacturers Fast-tracking Growth with Plastics

C. V. Raman, Executive Director - Engineering Maruti Suzuki, Gurgaon

42

S I VARAM S PEAKS

Dr. S. Sivaram, Former Director, CSIR-NCL

Can Aliphatic Polyesters Mimic LDPEs?

Polymers and Advanced Materials Laboratory National Chemical Laboratory, Pune

54

62

54

2

51

A New Orbit of Applications

Intellectual Ventures, Bengaluru

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai

Stretching Boundaries in High Performance Films

N EW GU A R D

Conducting Polymers: Novel Materials With Novel Applications Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

Director Research Development & Innovation Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune

59

R EC Y C LIN G PA GES

62

FU SIO N

Vice President Functional Materials & Crop Protection BASF India / South Asia

Creating Wealth from Contaminated Recyclables: The Slovakian Case

What’s Possible When New Designs Meet New Materials?

Sylvain Huguenard

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Printed and Published by Manish Chawla manish@polymerscommunique.com

Designed by Custage Marketing Solutions LLP 401, Vikas Classic Building No 4 4th Floor, Near Basant Cinema Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA

66

71

76

Editorial Advisory Board

IN C ON TROL

Arvind Mehta Chairman and Managing Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd.

Blown Film Process Complexity Driving Advanced Measurement and Control Prashant Chauhan

Sales Manager - Food, Bulk & Packaging Division NDC Technologies, Gurgaon

C HE C K POI NT

Millimeter Wave Technology: Advanced Measuring for Plastic Tube Manufacturers Harald Sikora, Director

SIKORA Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Germany

C OR P ORATE I NS I GHT

Meusburger, Austria: Quality Standard Parts for Die and Mould Making

Advertising Sales - National Mumbai Sanjana Chugh +91-99872 62726 sanjana@polymerscommunique.com Hyderabad Vani Sulakhe +91-93924 28927 vani@polymerscommunique.com New Delhi Vijay Babbar +91-98100 15111 vijay@polymerscommunique.com

IN T E R A CTI ON

Vadodara Devindra Bhumra +91-81289 90887 devindra@polymerscommunique.com

V. B. Lall , Director

Advertising Sales - International

77 80

Indian Masterbatch Industry: What Lies Ahead SCJ Plastics Limited, Delhi

IN P E R SPECTI VE

A Lot Happenend @ CHINAPLAS 2016

Dubai Pritam Bangera +971-5548-32330 pritam@polymerscommunique.com USA Manisha Janjikhel +1-908-720-3510 manisha@polymerscommunique.com

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha Director, Indian Institute of Packaging N. K. Balgi formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd. Pushp Raj Singhvi formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd. Rajesh Nath Managing Director VDMA German Engineering Federation India Liaison Office Rakesh Shah formerly Managing Director Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd. S. K. Ray formerly Sr. Executive Vice President (Polymers) Reliance Industries Ltd.

Printed at

Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd. A-403, TTC Industrial Area Near Anthony Motors Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400709 District - Thane

Content Alliance Partners

Subscriptions Maharashtra Bhavesh Brahamaniya +91-22-25204436 bhavesh@polymerscommunique.com Rest of India Rajesh Mahapralkar +91-22-25204436 rajesh@polymerscommunique.com

NEWS

20

EVENTS

84

Printed and Published by Manish Chawla, and printed at Silverpoint Press Pvt. Ltd., A-403, TTC Industrial Area, Near Anthony Motors, Mahape, Navi Mumbai - 400709, District - Thane and published from 401, Vikas Classic Building No 4, 4th Floor, Near Basant Cinema, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA. Editor: Manish Chawla.

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Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of POLYMERS Communiqué. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances and so POLYMERS Communiqué does not take any responsibility for any loss or damage incurred or suffered by any of its subscribers / readers / advertisers of this magazine. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Subject to Mumbai Jurisdiction. Some of the images used in this issue are from Shutterstock.

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing.

POLYMERS Communiqué reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

3

Mind Speak Pushp Raj Singhvi

formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Managing Director

VDMA German Engineering Federation India Liaison Office

t replaced a lo plastics have

formerly Managing Director Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd.

Prof. (Dr.) N

. C. Saha

Indian Insti

Rajesh Nath

While engineerminatgerials, to my mind, these aruley

Rakesh Shah

Director

e, the perspectiv ufacturing t use an op m ad a to m be Fro India would ions at in ic e pl ng ap le chal ding es, in deman smart phon ll/ of plastics ce of re be tu ill ac w uf e an like m re. Ther l d healthca chnologica te medical an in ly st not on e point of th m great thru fro but also innovation, n. lue additio view of va

tute of Pack

aging

Tr of competing applications. ly challenging an lives m hu e er still not the tru wh plications are re of challenging ap with the futu d areas dealing ace an sp d s, lve ce vo ien in e sc ar bioas medicine, ch su ity an m hu etc. technologies exploration / playing lymers are po ials or have moved d Plastic mater an s ea ar e les in thes monly increasing ro e more com ard from th medical to in c. very far forw et s er gs or cathet drug used blood ba sue culture, l research, tis etc. In ts an pl and biologica im ery, n and deliv r roles administratio playing greate to logy, they are no ch te e ac selves easily sp em th d len to ability applications w due to their Ne s. tie er of prop radiation modification the field of scovered in to make a d ise are being di po e ar d plastics is true protection an heretofore, so r impact than much greate industry. for the aircraft into their advance t to continue ing ak m d an Plastics are se tions to ging applica en le ib all ss ch po e im or m are possible that materials. those things n ow kn r he any ot conceive with

Important properties of plastics like its versatility (flexible or rigid), high mechanical strength, high barrier, optical properties, easy availability and cost effectiveness have enabled increase in demand of plastics for its application in packaging.

India consumes ab out 12.8 MM annually, ag T of plastics, ainst global consumption 285 MMT. Ab of out 30,000 processing un with 113,000 its processing m created man achines have ufacturing ca pacity of 30 per annum in MMT India. The indu stry has investe USD 5 billio d n in machi nery and it expected to is make a furth er investmen USD 10 billio t of n during th e next 5 ye Today, plastic ars. s are the m aterial of ch in packaging oice for sectors such as FM food and be CG, verages, phar maceuticals It is estimated etc. that agricultu re output ca increase by IN n R 68,000 cror e by using pr plasticulture ap oper plications.

N. K. Balgi

formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd.

Arvind Mehta

tor Chairman and Managing Direc Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd.

Plastics have established itself much beyond

a substitute material, having created its own standing by virtue of delivering functional superiority. Few applications: light-weighting of automobiles, combat armours for soldiers, elegant looks it imparts through superb finish and pleasing colours, and, preservation of food in multi-layered flexible-packs or rigid containers. 3D printed medical implements from plastics are replacing orthopaedic plastercasts and ‘Silencio’ low noise drain pipes.

Demanding applications require mat erials to have high strength and stiffness (almost like metals), high tempera ture capabilities, chemical resistant, dim ensional stability, ability to retain propert ies over varied climatic conditions and more. Examples include: Bullet proof shields and jackets - Special PC and carbon reinforced composites; LPG cylin der - Plastic composites; High quality surface coating in supersonic aircrafts – Polysulphones; Automobile applications near engines - Polysulphon es; Circuit boards and high temperature part s - Polyimides; Surgical equipment – PPO .

Feedback I reall y ap POL prec YME iate RS C t vigo omm hat the rous mag uniq effo topic azin ué, rts t s ev e, o co doe ery com s su me time preh u ch pw . e E to c ith n nsiv ong e an ach top ew ratu ic is d u jour late sefu very ney y l. W ou o you ahea e w n th had d. is e su and cces h won sful derf ul m iles Udy ogi N Inte rnat amita iona D l Pvt as . Ltd .

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e, reach and The magazine coverag look forward We at. print quality is gre the more inserts in to having many future editions.

Namita Bhonsle

dia) Pvt. Ltd.

Owens Corning (In

POLYMERS Commun iqué hel players to ps indust come clo ry ser and g about the et to kno latest hap w p enings in Design of th e industry the public . ation is ve Good luck ry attractiv ! e.

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I am h appy they to re ad ar give ticles a fre inform here sh p ation erspe as abou relatin ctive t new g to and d e ve I like the the p plastic lopments rint q s in Keep uality dustr it up! y. a lot as w ell.

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OLY dep MERS Com th i d mu ind niq ustr ea of u the y. hap é gives pen ing an ins in W the M/s g. Cd . Tri une r. (Ret d.) A Exh ibit ors nand Pvt. Ltd .

Apart from content, which is informative

and covers latest trends in the industry; the production quality is very good encouraging readers to go through the entire magazine.

Pradeep Chudasama

Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd.

ore is m iqué n u much m it is Com ERS hes stics, M la Y p n L PO st about t only e ric and ju no base than s it ledge also nd a know , but beyo e ll a iv r t e c v e o p nces s r xperie one’s e pe the e ns th ders e a m d o le r a f s o s br arn of usine b ne le l o io u s f it n help ccess ry ed u e s v e ly h d in of hig ature are fe .

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News Digest Brückner Presents Advanced Solutions for speciality film at CHINAPLAS 2016

Milacron Continues to Invest in Fast Growing Indian Market

Kannan Venkatraman, Managing Director,

technology company serving the

market continues to impress, and Milacron

M

Goeke commented, “The Indian plastic

plastics processing industry recently

continues to grow alongside it to ensure

completed another round of expansions to their injection, blow and extrusion moulding machine manufacturing facility

at Ahmedabad, as well as their hot runner The completed addition to the Ahmadabad facility added an additional 9304 square metres, bringing the total footprint to

65,000 square metres. The additional space will primarily be used for machining

and assembly. The ground floor of the Covestro presented its innovative Baymedix® polyurethane (PU) technology for modern wound dressings

facility features a state-of-the-art rainwater harvesting

and

recharging

system.

The machine manufacturing facility will enhance manufacturing capabilities and

boost Milacron’s production volumes to meet the increasing demand for Milacron’s industry leading injection,

Eastman offers colorfabb for a more durable filament for advanced 3D printing

blow and extrusion moulding machines.

Milacron’s

India

machine

plant

manufactures a large variety of hydraulic,

servo and electric injection moulding machines, blow moulding, PET, as well as extrusion machines.

B-E

the event.

ilacron Holdings Corp., an industrial

manufacturing facility at Coimbatore.

CHIMEI announced the launch of new generation food contact materials at CHINAPLAS 2016

Mold-Masters India were present at

we are able to make our customers possibilities a reality.”

Krisanda echoed Goeke’s comments,

“The Indian injection market continues

to outperform estimates and remains a key geographical area of focus for Milacron’s brands.”

Bisleri Swachh Bharat PET Plastic Bottle Collection and Recycling Awareness Programme Receives the Guinness World Record

O

n 4th October 2015, Bisleri conducted

a used plastic bottle collection

activity at Mumbai with the support of 105 schools and over 2 lakh students.

The main aim of the initiative was to support the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister

of India, Narendra Modi, by motivating the children to recycle used plastic

bottles. Bisleri educated the students on the process of recycling and why it is

essential for the environment through

Tom Goeke, CEO and Ron Krisanda, COO,

a school contact programme. As a result

Chairman, Ferromatik India; Shirish Divgi,

in overwhelming numbers and the total

Milacron along with Mahendra Patel, Vice

of the same, the students participated

Managing Director, Ferromatik India and

collection was 23,538.9 kgs of used

plastic bottles i.e. 11 lakh bottles. The

number was so huge that it even broke the existing world record of maximum bottles collected for recycling by a school

in USA which was 13,408 kgs. Bisleri now

officially holds a record in Guinness world records and Limca book of records for this initiative.

20

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

This initiative has helped change the

supported by DCPC i.e. Department of

bottles and has inculcated the best

of Fertilizers and Chemicals, Government

mindset of the people towards plastic

Digest ENGEL at Plastpol 2016, demonstrates how integration of intelligent assistance systems and networking of machines and systems can unlock even more efficiency and quality potential

practices in children of collecting the

bottles and handing over for recycling

rather than throwing it away. It made them believe that they can make a difference by taking a small step.

To mark the success of the Bisleri Swachh Bharat Plastic Bottle Recycling Initiative,

Bisleri International felicitated schools who had participated and contributed in accomplishing this achievement. These

schools were rewarded with participation certificates from Guinness World Records,

Limca book of records along with gifts and KraussMaffei Group will become the principal business entity in the operation and management of related machinery enterprises for China National Chemical Corporation; takeover complete

M&H introduces a new 250 ml tottle manufactured in polypropylene which offers greater barrier properties and increased ability to return to its natural shape after squeezing

certificates from Bisleri.

To honour and motivate the students,

Sameer Unhale, State Mission Director, Swachh Maharashtra Mission Directorate,

Government of Maharashtra; Bollywood

Actor, John Abraham; Vijay Merchant, one of the founder members of Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE) were also present along with Ramesh Chauhan, Chairman, Bisleri International.

ElitePlus Vinyl India 2016, Attains New Heights

of India.

The summit attracted 770 delegates from

24 countries and over 300 companies. The agenda covered topics across the vinyl

chain starting from the keynote addresses on the economy and vinyl market scenario,

PVC manufacturing technology, additives and compounding, PVC processing, pipe segment, the largest end use of PVC

in India, other emerging applications,

potential applications for smart cities and the role of PVC in building Swachh Bharat and infrastructure. In addition to knowledge packed presentations from eminent speakers from across the globe, other highlights of the summit were a

panel discussion comprising of the next generation of successful PVC processors of India, a dinner speech and an outstanding achievement award.

In all, there were 34 technical, market or

business

papers

eminent speakers.

presented

by

In this summit, Mr. Khurshed Batliwala

V

spoke on the elusive work-life balance.

Mumbai on the 21st and 22nd April,

good tips like not to postpone happiness,

and has attained the status of one of the

outings and gaining experiences which

inyl India 2016 was organised in

He focused on being happy and gave

2016. This 2 day event was 6th in the series

meditate, exercise and spend money on

most important vinyl summits, globally.

will result in good memories for a lifetime.

This was organised jointly by ElitePlus, a

group specialising in organising petchem and energy related summits, meets and

roundtables along with CPMA - Chemicals and

E-M

Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry

Petrochemicals

Manufacturers’

Association, India. The summit was

Windmöller & Hölscher at drupa 2016, Presenting New Generation of Flexo and Gravure Presses

W

indmöller & Hölscher Group will

present its comprehensive product

portfolio spread over 1,000 m2 at drupa 2016 in Düsseldorf.

A new generation of flexo and gravure printing presses will be premiered at the event. “As is customary for W&H, we will unveil our newest technologies

at drupa where visitors from all over

the world can have a close-up view,” says Dr. Jürgen Vutz, Chairman, W&H.

22

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Lohia Group’s Technical Training & Research Centre (TTRC) Alumni Meet

T

TRC is the country’s first and one of its

kind specialised training and research

centre dedicated for the raffia industry.

Raj Kumar Lohia, Chairman and Managing

Director, Lohia Corp Ltd. was the Chief At this year’s tradeshows, W&H will focus

Guest of the function.

on the concept of Packaging 4.0, the

Within a short span of time, TTRC has

to the production of packaging. “We will

and international level through various

company’s vision of Industry 4.0 applied show how intelligent machines, integrated processes and intuitive handling are already

increasing

efficiency

during

production and bringing customers

attained recognition at the National

technical and skill training programmes facilitating

unemployed

get employment.

youth

Netstal demonstrated its outstanding application expertise in the field of cosmetics closures at Plastpol

In addition to the booth at drupa, W&H

will simultaneously host an in-house expo with further machine demonstrations in Lengerich.

Addressing the alumni meet, Raj Kumar

Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd. Appoints CEO

skill as well as honesty and dedication for

Lohia highlighted the need of technical

N

success in a profession. He appreciated

CEO who will be based out of its factory

were distributed to top performers

u-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd., a leading name in plastic auxiliary equipment in the

country has appointed Sanjay Lapalikar as premises at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. On this occasion, Sanjay Lapalikar shared, “I am

very happy and honoured to be a part of

this wonderful organisation. The plastics industry is growing at a fast pace and we

will try to be ahead of the competition and offer products to customers that

help them increase production, improve quality and cut costs”.

the growth and popularity of TTRC

programmes not only Nationally, but also internationally. ‘Certificates of Excellence’

On this occasion, Rajeev Kumar Dwivedi, Director, TTRC welcomed all guests and TTRC Alumni and narrated the growth story of TTRC.

Co-Injection Technology from Milacron

M

TPRC, Fokker and TenCate jointly win JEC Innovation Award for smart recycling of thermoplastic composites for aeronautics

ilacron is the supplier of turnkey

co-injection systems to the plastics Its

multi-layer

packaging

technology meets the industry’s need for a robust high barrier technology, delivered

with the same high-volume production efficiencies

as

parts or containers.

in the long term given that it is registering

Solvay streamlines access to Aquivion® PFSA portfolio with new global distributor and expanded product line

amongst TTRC-AIumni.

industry.

The appointment will help the company

Milliken (through subsidiary SiVance, LLC) to introduce to Chemspec Europe visitors its unique custom manufacturing capabilities for silicone-based reactive and fine chemicals

to

substantial added value,” adds Vutz.

in its new 3000 m2 technology centre

Digest

monolayer

plastic

M-T

a growth of 15% every year.

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

23

The three-layer approach has become the global standard for heightened quality

Digest WACKER presents new hydrophilic softener for textile finishing

and strength; world’s leading brands use

Milacron co-injection technology for high barrier packaging solutions.

KRAIBURG TPE at CHINAPLAS 2016 and More

F

or Kraiburg, the product focus for

CHINAPLAS this year was two new

WINTEC unveils two exhibits at CHINAPLAS 2016 - the new allelectric e-win series alongside a large size t-win machine

W

compound series, namely the UV/HF and UV/HF/SF series targeting new high flow

technology for window encapsulation.

The segment focus was on automotives.

and other requirements. These include the GM standard, Kalahari test, Florida test etc.

Also, Kraiburg will be expanding its production line in Malaysia by 2017 to meet increasing demand.

The company is looking into other ecofriendly, sustainable alternatives to replace the use of white oil currently used.

Enercon Surface Treating Solutions

E

nercon partners with leading OEMs

around the world and supplies end

users

with

Corona,

Plasma and flame surface treating solutions that are currently used by leading companies.

KRAIBURG TPE will be investing in R&D,

new product development and laboratory test equipment expansion.

Automotive TPE compounds already

comply with weathering, odour, fogging

Surface treaters can be found on cast film, blown

film, printing, coating and laminating

operations across the globe. The Corona treating solutions can be tailored to meet specific customer requirements.

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POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

COVER STORY

Nikhil Meswani Executive Director Reliance Industries Limited Mumbai

Touching Lives

Developing Lifestyles “This wonder material ‘plastics’ has had a significant impact on human lives, from catering to

basic needs economically, to delivering the most demanding applications. Touching lives still

further, I see this trend to grow with deeper penetrations in rural markets, hitherto untouched owing to low purchasing power”, accentuates Nikhil Meswani in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. If the plastics industry in India has to double, what according to you are the three most crucial aspects that need to be worked on?

lower ‘Life Cycle Cost’ than traditional material pipes.

Plastics industry in India has seen a significant

The irresponsible habit of end consumers of ‘throwing

growth over the past five decades. Yet, per capita consumption in our country is much lower than the

world average. This can be seen as an opportunity for future growth.

In my opinion, the three main aspects that we need to work on are:

Understand and apply the importance of ‘Life

Bust myths about plastics and associated additives

End-of-life management

l

l l

Cycle Cost’ concept

In our country, majority understand the importance

of ’Life Cycle Cost’, but few practise it. We still fall prey to the initial purchase cost, and end up spending

more on service cost, maintenance cost, repairing cost, installation cost etc. Plastics are an alternative to

traditional materials of construction in many end-use

First, it is cheaper to transport and install plastic pipes; plus they have longer life as plastics are more resistant to corrosion.

anything anywhere’ has given a bad name to the wonderful material called plastics. Plastics put least pressure on hydrocarbon resources, conserve natural

resources like wood and water, require much lesser processing temperatures – and hence, energy –

than many traditional materials, release much lesser greenhouse gases during life cycle, and have longer

service life than most conventional materials. The

myths about the polluting characteristics of plastics need to be busted. Plastics are chemically inert substances and do not cause environmental or health

hazards. If plastics are collected and disposed off / recycled as per guidelines (as is being practised in many countries), then plastic waste would cease to

be an issue. By blaming plastics for damaging the environment, we are merely passing the buck for our own callousness.

applications. Inspite of higher initial cost, plastics save

We need to understand the importance of every

service life. For example, plastic pipes have a proven

4Rs of product management – Reduce, Reuse,

us lot of money, energy and environment during its

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

material we use in daily life. We keep talking about the

27

Recycle and Recover. As regards reuse, we Indians are, perhaps, more innovative than others when it comes to reusing something, and plastics are no

exception. We all know that plastics can be, and

are being, recycled, and at a stage where recycling is not feasible, we can recover chemicals, fuel or

heat from plastics. To transform our perception

about plastics, we just need to add one more

‘R’ – Respect – to the 4Rs of product management.

Once we start respecting plastics and stop littering, it will go a long way to save the environment.

Q. Plastics have made luxury affordable. How do you see this trend?

About 25 years ago, a landline phone at home used to be a status symbol. But today, practically every grown

up member from even low-income households has a

cellphone. Of course, Reliance has played a leading role in triggering telecom revolution in India, and plastics

have contributed significantly in making handsets affordable for the common man. Look at other

major end-use sectors, such as automobiles (plastics have played an important role in manufacturing by replacing more expensive traditional materials, and

have also made vehicles more fuel-efficient), white

through increasing use of plastics products.

When we talk of futuristic applications, we look

forward to two main end-use sectors – packaging and healthcare. Plastics have made inroads into both. They have enabled us to preserve food without refrigerating them. We have developed

packaging methods which can store and preserve milk at room temperature for several days. Similarly, other dairy products, processed food, sea food,

fruits and vegetables can be packed and preserved under normal conditions. Nanotechnology is being increasingly used to improve barrier properties of

plastic wrappings for food, and plastic bottles for soft drinks and juices. As regards healthcare, plastics are used in external applications, as well as implants. Yet

another application showing lots of promise is the

oriented PVC pipes that are used for high-pressure

water distribution systems. These pipes are practically unbreakable (because of excellent impact strength),

and hence there is no risk of water contamination

owing to leakages and breakages which are common in pipes made out of other materials.

use of plastics, have become easy and affordable like

Q. Do you expect some developments in material science that could redefine material properties, thereby opening up new vistas of applications?

penetrations in rural markets, hitherto untouched

Innovation in material science is in the interest of

goods, healthcare etc. Plastics have definitely helped improve the standard of living. Human lives, with the

never before. I see this trend to grow with deeper owing to low purchasing power.

the entire plastics industry. We need to keep looking

Q. With newer applications coming in the realm of plastics, which futuristic applications, according to you, will have significant ramifications for the industry?

to substitute metal in automobiles with lighter and

This can be answered in two parts: The first is about optimum utilisation of well-

established plastic products which will make a

significant contribution to the development of India

and to the success of drives like Swachh Bharat Mission.

Plastics can certainly help in building affordable

houses at a faster rate, so that there is a roof above the

for innovative solutions – for example, the solution

cheaper plastics without compromising quality and

safety. Innovative solutions for high-temperature resistant polymers should also open up new avenues

of growth. Another innovative application is a

PVC compound which by incorporating rice husk

and calcium carbonate exhibits significantly better

properties, including look and feel, than wood-based products like wood polymer composites and plywood.

This particular material, though not prevalent in India yet, has a huge potential.

of Swachh Bharat come true. There are many places where clean potable water is still not available. Proper

Q. What according to you is the changing role of feedstock for the growth of the petrochemical industry?

sanitation is still a distant dream in many parts of our

country. The ever-growing population entails an ever-

A large number of crackers in Asia still use

increasing demand of food products. Plasticulture can

naphtha as feedstock. Low propane prices will lead to reduced ethylene cost for flexible feed

head for one and all. Plastics can also make the dream

help us enhance agricultural produce per hectare, making the optimum use of available resources. In

28

short, healthy and hearty India can become a reality

crackers, but most Asian plants are not flexible

enough to adapt this. Cheap propane will also

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

B2B Marketing Communication Specialists RELATIONSHIPS All India Plastics Manufacturers Association

Asian Packaging Federation

AVI Global Plast Pvt. Ltd.

Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd.

Blend Colours

Brückner Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology

Chemicals & Petrochemicals Manufacturers’ Association of India

Ferromatik Milacron India Ltd.

Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment

Indian Institute of Packaging

Indplas Exhibition

IPLEX Exhibition

India Trade Promotion Organisation

J P Plaschem Ltd.

Kandui Industries Pvt. Ltd.

Mitsu Chem Pvt. Ltd.

Organization of Plastics Processors of India

Pennwell Publishing

Plastasia

Plastindia Foundation

Rajoo Engineers Ltd.

Sintex Industries Ltd.

Technical Training and Research Institute

The Economic Times Polymers

Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd.

Windsor Machines Limited

World Packaging Organisation

Adeka India Pvt. Ltd.

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add

significant

volumes

propylene from PDH units,

of

to these, other measures like appropriate

some of which have recently become operational. New CTO/MTO

units

project financing, as well as new free trade economic

as well. But the viability these

PDH

zones are required to

and

support the growth of

CTO/MTO units looks

the industry.

doubtful in such a low

Q. The role of exports for the growth of this industry.

oil price regime as

returns on capital are extremely challenged.

There

have

also

Even

been talks of ethane

demand

replacing propane as the

be

preferred gas feedstock, but

this

depend of

will

on

ethane

the

and

duty

processes in investment and

have

been coming up in China of

import

structure, minimal bureaucratic

though

the

is

local

going

mainstay

to

for

growth in consumption,

largely

exports of plastic products

prices

to

propane

high-value

markets

in the US, and on related

infrastructure like the export

of

terminal in the US. So, naphtha will

continue to be the leading feedstock

there

emerging

will

contribute

significantly to the development the

many

processors

which

feedstock security.

sectors like FIBC bags, exports actually constitute

Applied research in fields of new material,

technology and processes will boost the local industry with better products, reduced cost and

improved efficiency levels. For example, research in the field of additives and catalysts can significantly lower the cost of production. On the machinery front, it can help automate processes and offset

some of the expenses incurred in this labourintensive industry.

by

Q. Global scale capacity or speciality niches what is the right balance?

We definitely need to strike a balance between the

two. On one hand, global scale capacity gives the economies of scale and operational efficiencies.

It becomes relevant when one is operating with

low margins, particularly in highly commoditised

markets which constitute a large part of the plastics industry. On the other, speciality niche products provide better margins irrespective of the market conditions, but they are not high volume business.

Q. What do you define as essential infrastructure for the petchem industry?

Today, a substantial part of India’s resin imports

Essential infrastructure for the petchem industry (rail,

sea

and

road

transportation), gas pipelines, access to ports for imports / exports, easy availability of land,

uninterrupted and cheap power, skilled manpower etc. There is also the need for focused action in the

Petroleum, Chemicals & Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIRs) in order to ensure infrastructure development in each of these PCPIRs. In addition

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

mainly

expanding customer bases outside India. In certain over 90% of the entire industry output.

Q. Role of applied research for the Indian plastics industry. Your opinion.

connectivity

growth

Already,

have

comprises

organic

industry.

in this region in the near future. Ethane will be used as a supplementary feedstock, as well as for

witnessed

are

comprise niche plastics / grades, and that is why

we intend to introduce metallocene PE, a speciality product, as part of our J3 project. This will add to the basket of our existing differentiated grades in PE and PP.

To know more, please subscribe to

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ at subscriptions@ polymerscommunique.com

31

FAST TRACK

Automotive Manufacturers

Fast-tracking Growth with Plastics “Automotives are increasingly using plastics as they offer best strength/stiffness to

weight ratio and high energy

absorbing characteristics; from a commercial standpoint,

plastics applications plays a

big role in deciding financial

merits and demerits for OEMs”, says C. V. Raman in dialogue

with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. ‘Automotive plastics, saving costs for OEMs’.

Your thoughts please.

With ongoing regulatory framework development in India in the areas of emission norms, safety or FE in line

with international standards, use of plastics is bound

to increase in automotive as they offer best strength/ stiffness to weight ratio as well as high energy absorbing characteristics giving the best overall value in meeting

the above demands. So, weight reduction is the biggest motivation factor for this trend.

However, from cost point of view, plastics technology and its application plays a big role in deciding financial merits and demerits for OEMs.

On one hand, applications like usage of carbon fibre reinforced plastics in vehicle structural components are limited to high-end performance and luxury segments where the desired high performance justifies the skyrocketing

cost of composites and its initial capital investment (almost 5 - 6 times than conventional steel). So, the technology may

not find inroads into mass market segment until significant industrialisation could bring its cost down.

On the other hand, some innovative ideas that can lead to better value in the whole system through parts integration,

optimisation of manufacturing lead times, infrastructure, productivity, tooling etc. could result in drastic cost merits for OEMs.

34

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

C. V. Raman Executive Director - Engineering Maruti Suzuki Gurgaon

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

35

plastic fuel tanks offer 30

-

40%

weight

advantage along with other merits in terms

of durability (corrosion), compatibility bio-fuels,

freedom

optimum

with

design

allowing

utilisation,

space noise

dampening and crash characteristics etc.

Plastic Fuel Box Assembly Introduced in the New Vitara Brezza

eliminating the need for assembly by welding,

adhesives

and

mechanical

fasteners. So, the overall cost advantage for OEMs due to faster processing time

and elimination of expensive joining and assembly tooling would far outweigh the raw material cost of engineered plastics.

To conclude, opportunities are abound for automotive plastics and if complemented

with right R&D, significant industrialisation

and development of superior plastic technologies at the right price, along with

collaborative OEM-plastic maker efforts,

it is surely going to be an attractive cost saving package for OEMs.

Q. At Maruti, what has been the most challenging replacement from metal to plastics in the recent past?

assembly with plastic fuel rail which

gave us substantial weight reduction of 50% with similar costs with respect to aluminium.

Q. According to you, the next 3 areas in a car which according to you will benefit with the use of plastics?

Structural components of BIW, especially front end and bumper systems, will be

one key area where plastics will find more usage owing to increased emphasis on

of plastic fuel box was conceived based on

pedestrian safety.

the benchmarking exercise and was taken part can replace multiple metal parts,

We have replaced aluminum fuel rail

Generally, the fuel box is made in sheet metal. In order to reduce weight, the idea

For example, a single injection-moulded

Plastic Fuel Rail Assembly Introduced in the Alto, Celerio and Baleno

crash worthiness, passenger safety and

l

up as an advance engineering project.

applications

like

powertrains, transmission and thermal

management systems will be another

This was the first application of plastic

area where engineered plastics, which

fuel box in Suzuki family. The project

can withstand severe temperatures /

gave us weight reduction of 50% with

pressures and maintain low friction,

respect to steel fuel box and assembly

are going to play a key role.

parts reduction by 35%.

Plastic Cylinder Head Cover Introduced in the New Swift

Underhood

With ‘Man more-machine less’ concept, the engine systems are becoming

We have replaced aluminum cylinder

more compact and complex in

head cover. The biggest challenge was to

of plastic moulded parts due to their

and sealing performance for engine oil.

manifolds, air ducts, suction pipes,

the oil separation system in the plastic

gas recirculation cooler units, thermal

substantial weight reduction of 60% with

EVs, and even plastic mufflers are

head cover with plastic composite cylinder

shape which can also increase usage

meet the desired thermal requirements

easy manufacturability. Air intake

Also, there was a challenge to integrate

oil pans, engine front covers, exhaust

cylinder head cover. The project gave us

management systems of HEVs and

similar costs with respect to aluminium.

just

some

of

the

innumerable

The most challenging conversions from metal to plastics in recent years have been:

Plastic Fuel Tank Introduced in the New Swift, Celerio and Baleno We have replaced conventional sheet metal tanks with multi-layer plastic fuel

tanks. Despite huge initial investments,

36

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

Q. In the latest ‘Vitara Brezza’, what new incorporations using plastics?

Vitara of

Brezza

innovations

witnessed with

plastics applications:

l

a

l

to

any complex shape is the solution.

l

As mentioned earlier, the introduction

opportunities for weight optimisation

for ‘Design for assembly’ concept

under the hood.

Besides, it can benefit areas where rust

issues are common and enhance the overall life of the vehicle.

l

Other value creation areas in a vehicle which can lead to weight savings and

parts consolidation could be plastic fuel lines, seating frames, door systems

or other areas which can eliminate the need for welding / use of adhesives / fastening as is required normally in sheet metal.

38

by eliminating need for fasteners

We offered customised interiors by using plastic decoration technologies

like in-mould film decorations which

and assembly.

l

hold the key for future if customer

Plastics give designers and engineers a

high degree of design freedom; more than with metal. The shape of objects made of

plastic can be easily varied and numerous functions can be integrated.

Designers take advantage of many aspects of the plastics technology:

Designers benefit from the hybrid

design nature of plastics where

metallic components can be insert

preferences change at the same pace.

Q. Plastics empowering car designers. Your comments.

replace multiple sheet metal parts

and can aid designers to design

engineers in the entire Suzuki portfolio.

Single injection moulded parts can giving same strength and rigidity

of plastic fuel box assembly was done for the first time by Maruti Suzuki

l

shape beyond the realm of sheet metal as easy manufacturability of plastics in

couple

regards

Designers can virtually think of any

moulded with plastics.

l

Advent

of

plastic

decoration

technologies like chrome plating / hot stamping to

create

has

aided

aesthetically

designers pleasing

interiors as per the tastes of different customer profiles.

Q. It is said that plastics would be about 18% by weight of a car by 2020, where are we today, and h

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Product Concept

ow does this compare with global standards?

the increased usage of plastics in the coming decade.

India Today’s vehicles on an average, plastic

content is around 10% by weight of the vehicle.

Q. How do you see the growth of plastics in automotives in the coming years?

Globally

Besides hurdles of industrialisation, price

If we compare the same trend roughly

with EU, typically the content would be somewhere around 15%.

To talk about the future trends, my

sensitivity, indigenised research and

innovation in engineered plastics, plastics will hold the key to the future and the key drivers for growth would be:

developed and developing countries

Matching Global Trends in Vehicle Performance Benchmarks

are

frameworks

Developed

ahead with research and innovations

up

for

tighter

vehicle

regulatory

emission

standards, fuel efficiency, encouraging recyclability and ELV norms. So, the trend

towards light weighting will assume

dominant position in the automotive industry in the years to come and the

challenge is to create superior value to all stakeholders by harnessing the

technology of the hour i.e. plastics.

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

countries

have

raced

on fibre reinforced plastics in BIW, advanced

polymers

in

powertrain

and transmission gears which gives superior

performance

and

weight

advantages. To cope up with these trends, automotive industry in India is

bound to follow similar footsteps in the coming years.

Skill Sets Required

Product Development Product Evaluation

Mass Production

Regulatory Framework Besides,

automotive

regulatory

frameworks in India in the areas of

opinion is that law makers in both, setting

Product Design

So, it would be optimistic to assume

emission norms, safety or FE have

begun to take shape in-line with international standards. So, today the automotive industry is under significant

pressure to meet higher fuel efficiency, environmental standards.

and

Engineered

performance plastics

is

the right balance for meeting these To know more, please subscribe to

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ at subscriptions@ polymerscommunique.com

39

SIVARAM SPEAKS

Can

Aliphatic Polyesters

Mimic LDPEs?

Dr. S. Sivaram Former Director, CSIR-NCL Polymers and Advanced Materials Laboratory National Chemical Laboratory Pune

M

ost widely used class of polymers, such as polyolefin, possess an aliphatic backbone structure, that is, only aliphatic carbon atoms linked to each other in a

repetitive fashion with no heteroatoms. The useful properties of

polyolefin result from the aliphatic nature of the chain, such as, crystallinity, hydrophobicity, chemical inertness and processability.

However, carbon – carbon bonds are very strong and cannot be easily degraded. While this is responsible for the durability of

New polymerisation methods are emerging to make high molecular weight, linear aliphatic polyesters having ‘long’ aliphatic chains.

Aliphatic polyesters will certainly expand the scope of new materials for new or specialised applications, suggests Dr. S. Sivaram.

polyolefin, they are also the cause for concern as they persist in the

environment. As consumption gallops, civic society is increasingly concerned about the fate of plastics in the environment. Citizens

seek magical solutions, of a material, which has all the attractive

properties of a polyolefin, yet which will disappear safely in the environment, leaving no trace or any toxic residues.

Structure Driven Performance Polyesters and polyamides, made by the condensation of aliphatic diacids with aliphatic diols or diamines, are also aliphatic. However,

in the most commonly used materials of this class, the aliphatic chains are relatively short, typically six atoms or shorter linear

carbon chains, --(CH2)n--. In such cases, the properties of the

polymers are controlled by the heteroatom, namely the ester or

the amide bond. The best examples of this are nylons (6, 6, 6, 11 etc.)

Fully aliphatic polyesters have one major advantage. They are

hydrolytically degradable. Poly (lactic acids) is a class of fully

aliphatic polyesters, with one carbon atom separated by an ester group. Poly (lactic acids) are the most studied aliphatic polyesters since they fulfill a unique set of attributes; they are based on bio-

renewable monomers, are bio-degradable, bio-compatible and

can be degraded under composting conditions to innocuous residues. While they meet all the criteria for a sustainable material,

the properties of such polymers are limiting and cannot meet

all the diverse applications of a polymer, such as, low-density

42

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

polyethylene. Nevertheless, poly (lactic acid) markets are growing steadily and are likely to be the largest volume, economically viable, bio-based polymer.

It was realised very early that useful properties could be realised in polyesters with short aliphatic chains only if

Poly (Lactic Acid)s: An Aliphatic Polyester from the Most Simple AB Monomer Insoluble in water, moisture and grease

l

resistant

aromatic repeat units are introduced in the chain. This led to the discovery of poly (ethylene terephthalate), made by the condensation of terepthalic acid with

ethylene glycol. The usefulness of PET is evidenced

today by the fact that over sixty million tonnes

of the polymers are consumed in a variety of applications. But, the introduction of the aromatic group results in poor degradability of the polymer under hydrolytic or composting conditions.

The question that is, therefore, relevant to ask is whether a compromise solution is possible, of a

Biodegradable and compostable

l

Clarity and gloss similar to PET

l

Requires 20 to 50% less fossil fuels to

l

produce than PET

CO2 emissions down by 60% (0.75 kg of

l

CO2 per kg v/s 3.4 for PET

aliphatic chains consisting of fourteen carbon atoms or longer.

material, which has the desirable properties of LDPE,

The Chemistry

Some early answers to this question are now

linear aliphatic repeat units in the early thirties. In his

yet can be easily disposed off in the environment.

Wallace Carothers studied polyesters with ‘long’

emerging from academic research laboratories .

pioneering studies, he established the relationship

1,2

Recent reports show that higher melting points and crystallisation abilities can be achieved in aliphatic

polyesters provided ‘long’ aliphatic carbon chains

can be incorporated. In this context, ‘long’ means

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43

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THOUGHT PROVOKING

A New Orbit of Applications

With great deal of efforts towards synthesis of polymers, this article highlights some important developments, thoughts penned down by Prof. Ashok Misra and Prof. Anil Kumar.

P

olymers have evolved from being

going on around the globe to develop

Apart from this, there is a great deal of

part of life over the last century.

for specialised applications. This article

of polymers via continuous flow processes

academic curiosity to an integral

Polymers are affecting every sphere of life and it is not an exaggeration when

we say that we live in the polymer age.

At this day and age, it is very difficult

to find products that do not depend directly or indirectly on the development

of polymer science and technology.

Polymers

have

been

traditionally

developed for diverse applications such

new polymers with unique properties

gives just a glimpse of some of the recent developments.

The recent trend in polymer science and technology is to develop multifunctional polymers wherein single material exhibits

multiple properties. Some of the recent approaches include:

l

as composite materials for high strength

as biomedical applications, as drug

to

or

l

In this article, some of these important

developments are being described in brief.

Artificial Skin

replace

Wow Factors Artificial skin based on tunable

l

cross-linked polysiloxanes

Mimics the mechanoelastic

sensors, solar cells, super capacitors

l

Combining

l

high

strength

and

properties of the natural skin

Hides aging

flexibility with self-healing properties

for stretchable and wearable devices.

l

Combining energy storage with

Imagine having youthful skin that hides

future electronics.

hydration, releasing drug on demand,

for

all wrinkles, prevents sunburns, improve

A colour changing artificial skin to

protecting skin from rashes and treating

Structurally

l

l

high

temperature

stability

mimic chameleon.

coloured

materials

to replace dyes and pigments by mimicking butterflies and peacocks.

Smart paints and coatings.

Artificial

l

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

functionality and surface properties.

to create artificial muscles or substrates

There is a lot of exciting research work

Prof. Anil Kumar Chemistry Department Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai

with precise control over size, shape,

inorganic

and batteries.

for industrial processes etc.

Prof. Ashok Misra Chairman-Emeritus India Intellectual Ventures Bengaluru

metals

area products like displays, lighting,

products, hydrogels for sanitary as well

as paper substitutes, as catalyst support

semiconducting

in development of flexible large

and elastomers for various commodity

carrier for pharmaceutical applications,

or

semiconductors, which can result

various optoelectronic applications, fibres

to get designer unimolecular polymers

Making polymers highly conducting traditional

applications, insulating materials for

effort being directed towards the synthesis

l

l

skin

with

optoelectronic devices.

integrated

Synthetic membranes for chemical separation and purification.

skin diseases. It may sounds like science

fiction! Not any more. Researchers at MIT have developed a so-called ‘second skin’

which can be applied as thin coating as and when required. This artificial skin

mimics the mechanoelastic properties of the natural skin and is based on tunable cross-linked polysiloxanes. This artificial

skin can be applied without heat or

exposure to UV light and can also be used

47

for wound dressing. Furthermore, the

based

artificial skin can be fine-tuned to suit

on stretchable surface. This so called

devices

and

interactive e-skin can lead the way for

the desired properties of the natural

development of wearable devices as well

skin of the person using it. These

as smart robots4.

properties do not change significantly

with time resulting in durable and long-

Sequence Specific Designer Polymers

lasting artificial skin1.

Self-healing Synthetic Polymeric Muscles

electrochromic

highly tunable resistive pressure sensor

mechanoelastic properties of this

electronics for decades. Though polymers are known to be light weight, flexible,

Wow Factors

scalable and easy to fabricate in complex

geometries, their use in high temperature

Designer unimolecular polymers

l

dielectric for extreme applications such as

that can help explore the

aerospace and underground exploration

sequence-specific structure-

remained elusive. Recently, Wang and his

property

team from Pennsylvania State University

Use of continuous flow multistep

l

developed a hybrid material based on

synthesis, the way forward.

cross-linked polymer nano-composite

reinforced with boron nitride nanosheets.

The resulting nano-composite exhibits excellent

breakdown

strength

and

discharged energy density even at a Combination of hard and soft segments in polymer composites results in the

formation of elastomers, those have wide ranging applications in daily life. In

fact, these elastomers behave like natural

temperature of as high as 250° C. This paves the way for applications of organic materials for flexible high temperature

energy storage and power electronic devices3.

Nature

exhibits

excellent

control

over critical design parameters such as size, shape and functionality of unimolecularbio-macromolecules

by clever design of sequence of just twenty odd monomers (amino acids).

However,

this

remains

an

elusive

of muscles such as self-healing power,

Chameleon-inspired Colour Changing Stretchable Electronic Skin

dream for synthetic polymer chemists.

stretchability and actuation. In this

Mimicking nature has been a long-standing

volumes for commercial applications)

muscles but lack many other properties high dielectric strength, large reversible direction, Zhenan Bao and coworkers from

Stanford University have developed an elastomer that mimics synthetic muscles

in mechanoelastic properties including self-healing nature. They used a copolymer

based on poly(domethylsiloxane) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide ligand that was crosslinked by Iron(III). The weaker

iron-ligand bond results in self-healing as it can break and re-form, which results

in reversible unfolding and re-folding of chains2.

Polymers for High Temperature Power Electronics Traditionally, ceramics have been the main backbone of high temperature power

48

dream of scientists. In this direction, one of the fascinations is to mimic chameleon

skin wherein it is stretchable as well as

it changes colour with the variation in applied pressure as well as duration of applied pressure. A team from Stanford

University led by Zhenan Bao have come

out with a solution wherein they have

integrated organic conjugated polymers

Furthermore, reproducibility of sequence

specific polymers at various volume scales (from small batches for research to large proves to be another stumbling block.

In

this

direction,

continuous

flow

process provides a potential solution wherein

machine-assisted

synthesis

can lead to sequence-specific designer macromolecules with excellent batchto-batch

reproducibility.

Recently,

a

group from MIT reported the synthesis of unimolecular macromolecules with precise control over sequence and architecture. They used continuous flow

multistep synthesis coupled with iterativeexponential growth. They christened their

semi-automated

process

as

To know more, please subscribe to

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POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

Media for Packaging Professionals Your Partner in Packaging Sector Editor: Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha (Director - IIP) - 9819996630 For Advertisement and Articles Contact: Asst. Editor: Bhushan Surpur (Assistant Director) - 9821022112 Email: director-iip@iip-in.com/infoiip@iip-in.com Website: www.iip-in.com

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I

t is critical for every consumer goods organisation that the

products offered to the market and the respective customers

arrive as per specifications, secure and intact. To ensure packaging

integrity, secondary and tertiary packaging play a significant role in the logistics chain where products move through transportation, distribution, storage and retailing before reaching end-users.

Over the past three decades, stretch film has evolved as one of the most preferred packaging mode for load unitisation.

Stretch films are light weight, strong, durable, flexible and

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POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

51

Hand-wrap Films

needs of goods security as well as physical

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Hand-wrap films are rather commoditised for those sold on cost-per-weight basis and offer minor differentiation in performance.

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52

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Key Benefits for Machine-wrap Films High stretch-ability on highlight testing Superior load retention Light-weighing of films with superior performance Superior puncture resistance reduces film breakages leading to high productivity Low noise film reduces cling additives usage by over 50% Outstanding clarity to enhance consumer experience operations. Hence, film with properties like

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Pre-stretched films have high tensile strength

Pre-stretched Films Recent

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and thin gauges due to the pre-stretching process, thus reducing the material used by

40% to 60% compared to conventional stretch films. To date, there has been slow adoption of

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machine-wrap films

53

NEW GUARD

Conducting Polymers Novel Materials With Novel Applications

Due to the large scale usage of insulating polymers, there grew a need for conducting polymers. Today, conducting polymers have certainly a bright scope for expansion in near future for making life safe, clean and comfortable, says Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.

Polymers: Insulating or Conducting?

Conducting polymers are of three types:

Polymers or plastics, as we know them, are

l

Conducting polymer composites (CPC)

l

Inherently conducting polymers (ICP)

l

Ionically conducting polymers or solid

well known for their insulating properties.

These materials were discovered, synthesised and manufactured on a large scale for their insulating properties. As such starting

polymer electrolytes (SPE)

(PVC),

CPC are made by mixing conducting materials

polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon) are all

a composition. ICP are conducting because of

have established themselves as electrical and

which have ionic dissociating groups.

with

bakelite,

polyvinyl

chloride

polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE, XLPE) and going to

with conventional insulating polymers to make

used for their insulating properties and these

their chemical structure while SPE are polymers

thermal insulators. Then why and how come,

Conducting Polymer Composites (CPC)

scale usage of insulating polymers, there grew a

These are earliest materials made for electrostatic

of static charge, totally transparent nature to

have maximum tonnage level production. In

‘Conducting Polymers’? In fact, due to the large need for conducting polymers!! The large build

discharge (ESD) protection. Commercially, these

electrical interference of ‘noise’ necessitated the

the early days, the conducting material such

discharge and shielding of sensitive electronic and electrical equipment. Further, growth in

electronics with microprocessor based circuits

and control systems increased the demand for plastics which can be antistatic and noise shielding. This led to research in the area of conducting polymers.

1.E+04 1.E+01 1.E-02 1.E-05 1.E-08 1.E-11 1.E-14 1.E-17

54

er Cr s y to st a co nd ls Se uc m to ic on r du s ct or s D op ed IC Se P m im et al s M N ob eta ls el Su M pe e ta rc ls on du ct or s

s

c

Ph o

O

rg

an i

Po

ly

m

tz

m ic

Ce

ra

ua r

to

Q

ul a In s

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Director Research Development & Innovation Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune

rs

1.E-20

Figure 1.

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Percolation Threshold (Wt%)

Log Sigma (S/cm)

PPS-Expanded Graphite Composites 1.00E+01 1.00E-01 1.00E-03 1.00E-05 1.00E-07 Powder mix 1.00E-09 Insitu polymerisation 1.00E-11 1.00E-13 1.00E-15 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

2

1.5 1

0.5 0

0

25

50

75

Aspect Ratio

100

125

Wt% expanded graphite

Figure 2.

(S.Radhakrishnan et al, J.Thermoplast.Composites, 2014, 2015)

as carbon black, graphite, metal particles of nickel,

studied is polyacetylene. In fact, the nobel prize for

etc. were added in sufficient quantity to increase the

was awarded in the year 2000, fifteen years of its

copper, silver, carbon fibres, doped indium oxide

conductivity level. One peculiarity was observed in the compositional dependency of conductivity viz. there was a critical concentration only above which

conductivity was found to increase. This critical concentration was high up to 40% by weight for many

chemistry and particularly, conducting polymers

discovery. By then, many other polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene etc. were being synthesised and studied extensively. This gave tremendous impetus to R&D in the area of

fillers. Hence, many of these compounds were found

To know more, please subscribe to

mechanical properties are adversely affected at high

polymerscommunique.com

to be difficult to melt process and mould. Also, the

POLYMERS Communiqué at subscriptions@

filler loading. With the advent of nano-particles such

as carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanofibres (CNF), nano-

graphite, grapheme etc., the critical concentration, or ‘percolation threshold’, could be brought down considerably to less than 5% by weight. However,

the conductivity level was not sufficiently high for many applications such as printed circuits, fuel cells etc. In recent studies, we have shown that by using hybrid materials i.e. combination of two or three

materials simultaneously, one can achieve very

high conductivity at low additive concentrations.

As indicated in Figure 2, one can obtain very high

conductivity at low concentration of the conducting additive which leads to improved mouldability and retention of mechanical properties.

Many groups world over are working on easy to

mould conducting plastics. CPCs are finding large number of applications, both in volume as well as

variety. To name a few of these: Energy production and storage (fuel calls, battery, super capacitors)

power electronics, EMI shielding, ESD protection, antennas and mobile devices.

Inherently Conducting Polymers (ICP) Inherently conducting polymers are chemically different from conventional insulating polymers. The

first to be discovered, synthesised and extensively

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

55

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RECYCLING PAGES

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Creating Wealth from Contaminated Recyclables The Slovakian Case

The Slovakian Plastics Recycling Center (RCP-S) converted its best practice recycling concept for household and industrial plastic waste into a ‘green-field’ operation, applying recycling technology to end-of-life waste streams.

About RCP-S For the owner of Slovakian Plastics Recycling Center (RCP-S),

Dr. Peter Leskovsky, recycling plays an indispensable role

in the plastics industry. With the support of the EU, he

successfully launched the project a few years ago. At first glance, one finds an impressive ensemble of new and modern industrial buildings that house the recycling line, which began operation in 2014.

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

59

Sponsored by

Understanding the Recycling Process The complete recycling process begins after the delivery of the plastic waste in the sorting

the washing equipment, the next stop on our recycling pathway.

unit, where the material originating mainly from

Here, the material is first shredded in wet mills,

the well-trained staff and is separated by colour

washers and then dried. The evenly distributed

Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Austria is sorted by and amount of print. The suppliers can always monitor these processes via camera.

Waste material is continuously available in sufficient quantities. On an average, two

truckloads or 40 tonnes of raw material is available in the warehouse. Already before

commissioning, RCP-S could make its first contacts with potential suppliers and purchasers.

cleaned in a float-sink procedure using friction residual moisture is 2%.

The in-house chemical / mechanical treatment

unit ensures efficient recycling of the wash water, i.e. sand, paper, adhesives, other plastics etc. are sorted out, pressed and provided

for further use. The aim is to create an own source of energy in the future by recycling the pressed sludge.

One problem, according to Dr. Leskovsky, is not the

The washed and dried plastic flakes are fed back

increasing degree of impurities in this material.

shredder that allows the user to process large,

available quantity of input material, rather the

60

Particular attention was, therefore, given to

to the recycling system which has a massive

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

Sponsored by

The washed and dried plastic flakes are fed back to the

recycling system which has a massive shredder that allows the user to process large,

thick-walled industrial plastic, if necessary.

Film rolls

can likewise be shredded

directly

in the

machine.

thick-walled industrial plastic, if necessary.

Film rolls can likewise be shredded directly in the machine.

With an output currently of 400 tonnes per month, it will still be some time before the

limit is reached. Upgrading the washing

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

equipment, some 12,000 annual tonnes can

be handled before full capacity is reached.

The PE pellets are exported in large quantities

to Germany and Italy for further processing in

The challenge for

The back-end of the production line consists

companies in the

bags and film.

of two complete multi-layer blown film

units, as well as a packing unit for bags.

Additionally

purchased

material

is

also

used to produce plastic bags, which are then exported.

The recycling process is supplemented by

the on-site laboratory, where the recycled material is subjected to a visual inspection alongside special, client-specific tests before delivery. Continuous monitoring of the pellets

plastic recycling future will be to

balance between

the declining

quality of input

material and the

higher quality

standards for the

output pellets.

is not required for material specifications. “The

requirements for the pellet quality supplied are increasing continuously and focus more and

more heavily on the criteria used for original pellets. The challenge for plastic recycling

companies in the future will be to balance

between the declining quality of input material and the higher quality standards for the output pellets,� says Dr. Leskovsky.

To Summarise This is a good example of a forward-looking strategy

with

regard

to

post-consumer

plastics recycling. Namely, to produce high quality pellets for new top plastic products from heavily contaminated recyclables. The recycling line provides RCP-S with a wide variety of processing options.

61

FUSION

What’s Possible When New Designs Meet New Materials?

As we look ahead to the future of urban

living, we will see innovation and design

Sylvain Huguenard Vice President Functional Materials & Crop Protection BASF India / South Asia

converging together with new materials and the way they are processed and

produced, opines Sylvain Huguenard.

I

t is well established that innovation has an important role to play in addressing our biggest challenges.

But what happens when creative individuals from

the design field get access to new materials? The

results are sometimes surprising as new products enhance customer experience. The context for this

development is the parallel rise of two mega trends: global urban revolution and global design revolution.

China and India are the most vibrant examples of urbanisation, a trend which has many benefits; but like

all major transformations, it also impacts economic, environmental and social aspects.

At the same time, there has been another kind of

transformation. Design as a field is growing in emerging markets. Continuous improvements in intellectual property

protection in emerging countries are creating more

confidence among designers and innovators, and creating more tangible value from innovation.

The long term impact is that designing has become the next level of innovating. Now is the time for the polymer industry

to leverage this, to make the most of these growing design

resources. Useful innovations have been brought to life by these materials due to their unique properties and multiple

conversion options and are set to meet societal needs such as the challenges of urban living.

62

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

New Options for Vehicles Urban

living

means

greater

demand for mobility – both, in

public transportation and personal mobility. A new bus seat made with polyamide combines design

properties, better functionality and

makes light weighting a reality. The

material allows construction of lighter

seats, and enhances fuel efficiency

Light weight vehicle seats.

in vehicles. It also possesses excellent

surface aesthetics, which enables the stylish

design appearance of the bus seats.

New power trains – hybrid or fully electric – are also emerging as a viable alternative to conventional

engines to reduce emission. This also creates new requirements for charging stations. Once again,

engineers are turning to new materials: charging

cable and connectors made with Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) are a durable solution for charging

stations. Owing to their outstanding abrasion

resistance and strength, coupled with chemical and oil resistance, charging cables made with TPU have

an extended life, despite the stresses of delivering

high levels of electricity and outdoor exposure. At the

same time, connectors in charging stations made with

polyamide offer high mechanical strength, stiffness and thermal stability.

Reducing Risk from Fire New polymers formulations with additives allow design of articles with superior characteristics (such as mechanical and optical) and safety features. For example, a new firefighter’s helmet visor and eye

protector, made with polyethersulfone (PES), has a

working temperature of upto 220° C, excellent inherent fire retardant properties and good impact strength.

Thanks to the material’s high light transmission, firefighters can see clearly through the transparent face mask even in harsh conditions.

The flame-retardant 25 per cent glass fibre-reinforced

thermoplastic polyamide (PA) used in the shell of the helmet is impact-resistant and has very good mechanical properties. The helmet is also lightweight, To know more, please subscribe to

POLYMERS Communiqué at subscriptions@ polymerscommunique.com

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63

IN CONTROL

Blown Film Process Complexity Driving Advanced Measurement and Control

Considering the many blown film products that are available, one can appreciate the need to manage both, the quality and manufacturing performance for sustained profitability, opines Prashant Chauhan.

T

he blown film business has good reason to

While the lion’s share of blown film lines still

from business researcher, Freedonia Group Inc.

and grocery sacks, the lines that produce these

be enthusiastic, according to a recent study

This study states, “Demand for plastic film in the U.S.

is expected to grow 1.5 per cent annually through 2018, when it will reach 15.4 billion pounds worth USD 24.9 billion.” While in another report, Freedonia

states, “US demand for speciality films is forecast to rise 4.8 per cent per year to USD 8.4 billion in 2019.

Gains will be fuelled by the rising need for high-value

goods have changed substantially. Today, they may incorporate technologies such as multi-layer

co-extrusion, internal bubble cooling for increased output, oscillating haul-off systems for improved roll structure and sophisticated winding systems for improved conversion efficiency.

and technologically advanced materials that provide

Considering the many blown film products that are

permeability, light control and electrical conductivity

both, the quality and manufacturing performance for

global blown film business.

trend to increase the number of discrete layers

Knowing the Applications

product’s properties and for extra strength. All this

characteristics such as barrier properties, controlled

available, one can appreciate the need to manage

or resistivity.” Both these messages bode well for the

sustained profitability. Adding to this is the growing anywhere from 5 to 11 (or more) to improve the

Blown film products serve a wide range of applications,

increases the process complexity and drives the need

stretch films, bag films and container liners. Consumer

also offers the potential for downgauging, which we

including packaging grades such as shrink films,

for advanced measurement and control solutions. It

packaging films, for example, can be found in frozen

will discuss in this article.

for bulk products. Other packaging films used for milk

Reviewing Industry Needs

paper. There are also barrier films that act as aroma

needs flat films that can be converted at high speeds,

products, shrink film and form-fill-seal (FFS) packaging or coffee are laminated with either aluminium or

or oxygen barriers that use polyamides and EVOH

for packaging of meat, cheese and more. Since some Prashant Chauhan Sales Manager Food, Bulk & Packaging Division NDC Technologies Gurgaon

66

serve commodity applications like trash can liners

of the materials used in the barrier layers are expensive,

it is important that these are present in the correct

quantity to provide the shelf-life and performance expected by the end-user.

Today’s printing lamination and converting industry

plus large diameter rolls to reduce splicing frequency at changeovers. Barrier films also need to have the

thickness of their individual layers measured and controlled within the product structure itself. Therefore,

blown film manufacturers face the challenge of

measuring these complex structures, while producing flat rolls and downgauging their products within the product specifications. These requirements call

for tight control and uniform thickness throughout

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

LLDPE, HDPE and PP, all have nearly identical NIR signatures.

ä Long-term machine direction (MDL) variation l Extruder speed l Line speed

Infrared transmission gauges can be configured as either fixed-point (Refer

Figure 2) or on an O-frame scanner (Refer

ä Thickness or Weight

Figure 3). For blown film process, the only place to locate these is after the collapsing frame (Refer Figure 4). Here,

the product becomes a collapsed tube

ä Profile (CD) variation l Die setup l Die temperature variation

ä Short-term machine direction (ST) variation l Out-of-round rolls l Bearing runout l Material ‘surging’ in the extruder

good the blown film process is, there will always be some variation in thickness

(Refer Figure 1). The source of these

variations can arise from, but not be limited to, the extruder and/or die.

Gamma Backscatter Technology Gamma

backscatter

(GBS)

sensors

are single-sided contacting sensors to measure basis weight or thickness

(using the polymer’s specific gravity).

They are relatively inexpensive and can

measure a wide range of films. Generally the sensor’s isotopes have long half-

thickness or basis weight of blown film

without the need to recalibrate and are

gamma backscatter, beta and infrared

In contrast to capacitance gauges,

commonly used to measure either the

lives and remain stable and accurate

products. These include capacitance,

subject to nuclear licensing regulations.

technologies as detailed here.

they are insensitive to temperature

Capacitance Technology

additives with better absolute accuracy.

been the de-facto choice for on-line measurement of blown film thickness.

They

are

single-sided

contacting

fluctuations, film composition and But

again,

they

cannot

measure

individual polymer film layers in a multilayer structure.

sensors with a low price point and a

Infrared Sensors

good profile detection. Capacitance

unique property over other measurement

reasonably fast response rate, with sensors are capable of measuring a wide

range of polymers, including opaque polymers. However, they are incapable of reading certain combinations of

polymers correctly, such as EVOH and

nylon where their dielectric constants are significantly different, resulting in a questionable absolute accuracy. They

are also sensitive to film temperature, ambient temperature and humidity

and are able to measure individual polymer layers.

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

are evenly distributed.

deconvolution algorithms, enable the

There are a range of on-line sensors

For years, the capacitance gauge has

thickness or where the coextruded layers

technologies, often referred to as

Figure 1: Describing quality variation.

direction. Unfortunately, no matter how

bottom halves are not necessarily of equal

New layer separation measurement

ä Total Quality Variation = MDL2 + CD2 + ST2

the film, both in the machine and cross

with double thickness, where the top and

Near infrared (NIR) holds a powerful and principles because it offers the prospect

of discriminative measurement. This

is because different organic materials

have their own unique IR signature. This property forms the basis of an on-line instrument that can differentiate and

simultaneously measure the components that exist in a co-extruded structure. The only limitations are with materials that

possess very similar chemical composition and similar NIR signatures and those that

contain carbon black. For example; LDPE,

thickness and component information to be extracted from the top and bottom parts of the tube. This solves the

challenge

of

separating

the

thickness data from the upper and lower portions of the collapsed tube. This

new ‘deconvolution’ algorithm takes advantage of the fact that the thickness contribution from the top and bottom

layflat layers is continually changing as

the bubble oscillates. The easiest way to explain is by considering:

A blown film line with oscillating die

Discrete profile points

NIR scanner measuring double layflat

Software system tracking oscillator

System

Models for bubble twist, melt slip

l l l

l

l

l

at high speed position

measuring

scanner speed

web

speed,

When the system starts scanning, each

measurement zone’s thickness data is stored in a matrix. As the scanner scans,

the

oscillator

is

constantly

changing which zone’s data lies on top of which. The system maps which zones’

thickness data ‘co-exist’ with each other, To know more, please subscribe to

POLYMERS Communiqué at subscriptions@ polymerscommunique.com

67

Innovative Plastic Recycling Solutions

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CHECK POINT

Millimeter Wave Technology

Advanced Measuring for Plastic Tube Manufacturers This new technique, based on millimeter wave technology, can be used for non-contact, precise, online

measurement of inner and outer

diameter, ovality, wall thicknesses and sagging of large plastic tubes with a diameter larger than 120 mm, highlights Harald Sikora.

Introduction During the manufacturing of plastic tubes with

large diameters and wall thicknesses, the product

quality as well as reduction of material costs have the highest priority.

Norms and standards precisely define the minimum

and maximum permissible diameter and wall

thicknesses of a tube dimension. In addition, the

determination of sagging plays an important role. Due

to standards and growing demands in tube extrusion,

manufacturers use measuring and control devices for quality assurance in production lines.

A new technique based on millimeter wave technology for non-

contact, precise, online measurement of inner and outer diameter,

ovality, wall thicknesses and sagging of large plastic tubes with a

diameter larger than 120 mm. Thanks to the innovative concept of the

measuring system, it adapts the characteristics of extruded plastics and does not require any calibration by the operator. This new millimeter wave

Harald Sikora Director SIKORA Holding GmbH & Co. KG Germany

POLYMERS CommuniquĂŠ l April - May 2016

Figure 1: System on the basis of millimeter wave technology for measuring the diameter, ovality, wall thicknesses and sagging of large tubes.

71

technology allows for an increase of product quality

from environmental or material influences can be

during extrusion.

introduced here.

and ensures significant material and cost savings

assured by the use of millimeter wave technology,

In recent years, enormous success, regarding

Technologies for Dimension Measurement of Plastic Tubes During Extrusion

measuring accuracy, has been achieved by researching metrological applications with frequencies in the

Today, there are diverse technologies used for quality

assurance during the production of plastic tubes such as optical methods e.g. lasers for determination of the diameter or X-ray for the additional measurement of

the concentricity and wall thicknesses. Conventional technologies such as ultrasonic also measure

tube dimensions; however, they often reach their functional limits.

An additional technology that is used for quality control works with terahertz impulse technique. This

method uses a powerful fibre laser that generates terahertz impulses directed at the measured object.

From the reflected echoes striking the inner and outer boundary layers, the wall thickness is determined.

Millimeter Wave Technology for Measurement of Large Tubes

millimeter wave range. Nevertheless, the results

could not yet be used for the coating thickness measurement of cylindrical products. The newly developed millimeter wave technology creates the prerequisite for reliable measurement of the nominal

size as well as the outer diameter, ovality and wall thickness of all kinds of extruded tubes.

Without any knowledge of the properties of the extruded materials and its temperatures, the system

measures the outer contour as well as the wall thicknesses simultaneously at several positions of the

circumference. Also, individual layer thicknesses of

multi-layer tubes can be measured precisely. Thus, the system represents a key technology for future-oriented To know more, please subscribe to

POLYMERS Communiqué at subscriptions@

Precise measurement of large tubes independent

polymerscommunique.com

lohiagroup.com

It’s reliable It’s produced on Lohia Machines Our machines not only extrude tapes and weave fabrics but also coat, print and convert to produce world class flexible packaging for a wide range of solid materials like food grains, fertilizers, cement, animal feed and minerals, including special applications like tarpaulins, geo-textile and big bags.

Our continuous innovation and updated technologies help customers save material, energy and efforts to optimise cost of production and quality.

Leadership through customer satisfaction is the passion we pursue at Lohia.

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Delivering Advantages

72

Tape Extrusion . Winding . Circular Weaving . Coating . Printing . Bag Conversion . Yarn Spinning

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Speciality Colour Masterbatches l

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CORPORATE INSIGHT

Meusburger, Austria

Quality Standard Parts for Die and Mould Making Core Skills

Understanding Meusburger India

Meusburger is the leading manufacturer in the field of

In order to better serve customers in India,

all over the world benefit from the numerous

and with its registered office in Bengaluru (Peenya

over 50 years of experience in working with steel.

the company is planning to further invest in the

high-precision standard parts. Over 15,000 customers advantages of standardisation and from Meusburger’s Offering an extensive range of standard parts,

combined with high-grade products in the field of

workshop equipment, Meusburger is a global partner for making dies, moulds, jigs and fixtures.

Meusburger India Pvt. Ltd. was formed in April, 2015

Industrial Area). With an across India coverage today, location and a bigger sales team.

The Austrian Production Site While the business has a high proportion of exports, at the moment, production is centralised at the

Customers also appreciate that all steel plates

Meusburger factory in Wolfurt, Austria. Located in

Meusburger’s three furnaces at

(bordering four countries), the location offers state-

are heat treated for stress relief in one of

the middle of Europe, on the western side of Austria

approximately 580° C for

of-the-art business facilities, high trained and well-

24 hours. The subsequent

motivated workforce.

slow, controlled cooling

Robust Supply Chain

is even more important.

The ever-increasing globalisation of companies lead

at approximately 35° C

Meusburger serves this demand through global

that thick plates are

With 18,000 m² of warehouse area, Meusburger has

the core, and therefore,

plates and accessories. With nearly all catalogue

of 14 hours in the furnace Here, the plates are cooled per hour. This guarantees

availability of its products.

also heated through to

the industry’s largest standard parts warehouse for

provide a reliable basis

for

to the demand of well organised supply chains.

high-grade

standard

parts for moulds and dies.

Standard parts by Meusburger help

optimising the whole process chain. With

the consequent use of high-precise standard

parts, customers benefit from a large cost-savings

potential for both, die and mould making and the

items available in stock, the company achieves 99% readiness for delivery; one of the strongest unique selling propositions of Meusburger.

Meusburger Technology Showcase @ Die & Mould India At the Die & Mould India (6th and 9th April, 2016, Bengaluru), the European standard part manufacturer

following parts production. Standard parts are becoming more and more important in modern die and mould making due to a variety of reasons.

When taking a closer look, numerous advantages

through the use of standard parts for all people and

companies involved in the development, design and production process of dies and moulds can be seen.

While the complexity of the products is continuously increasing, the requirements for stamping dies and injection moulds are even more challenging.

76

presented its large product range to include

interactive product models, for example slide systems, which were in great demand.

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

INTERACTION

Indian Masterbatch Industry

What Lies Ahead V. B. Lall Director SCJ Plastics Limited Delhi

With the plastics industry expanding and setting new targets for itself, industry expert V. B. Lall talks about what lies ahead for the masterbatch industry at large. Read on...

Q. In your opinion, how important is research and development in a segment like masterbatches?

share the same quality and standards. I am also glad that the rate at which the plastics industry has grown

in India, we have not lagged behind in its R&D. The

Masterbatches as a product may sound to be

Indian masterbatch industry has been participating

research and development. Masterbatches is highly

globe, with a constant endeavour to bring the best

a simple one, yet require maximum amount of

at various knowledge sharing platforms across the

technical, and the users demand for masterbatches is

technical know-how that aids manufacturing of high

ever-increasing. From household utilities to lifestyle

quality additives into practise.

luxuries - masterbatches find extensive applications.

Therefore, it is important that our R&D has to also

Q. Does the Indian masterbatch industry offer competitive costs vis-à-vis players abroad?

be based on the environmental bindings and other industry standards.

Q. Do you think Indian masterbatch manufacturers meet the global R&D standards?

Yes! India is very much at par with the global R&D

standards since we, as an industry, do not work in isolation. We collaborate across Nations and thus,

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Since our quality standards are the same as our global counterparts, we are offering competitive cost. We do

have issues with taxes, but it is a fraction. In fact, India To know more, please subscribe to

POLYMERS Communiqué at subscriptions@ polymerscommunique.com

77

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IN PERSPECTIVE

A Lot Happenend

@ ChinaPlas 2016 CHINAPLAS further blooms in its 30th edition with a record number of visitors and exhibitors.

C

HINAPLAS 2016 closed on 28th

April, 2016 with a marvelous success; a total of 148,575 visitors

(which included 39,454 overseas visitors) making it the highest-ever number of visitors.

“We are extremely happy to witness

a historical record of the show in terms of scale, number of exhibitors and a wide array of exhibits in display.

The

joint

achievement effort

of

all

is

obviously

our

a

supporting

organisations, exhibitors, visitors, our co-organiser - Messe Düsseldorf, our exclusive supporter - EUROMAP and

80

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

our ADSALE team”, says Stanley Chu, Chairman

made their Shanghai debut this year, while

of CHINAPLAS.

introduction to the trade fair.

of Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., organiser

the Recycling Technology Zone was the latest

According to Ada Leung, General Manager of

While recycling is at the same time an end

of exhibitors this year has reached a record-

of products, design is the driving force behind

Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the number breaking high of 3,335 from 39 countries, in spite

of the less favourable global economies. The exhibition area also boasted an 80% increase to

240,000 square metres compared to 2008, the last time when the economy was sluggish.

Forward-looking Strategies Driven by User Needs Trendy materials and technologies presented

point and a new starting point in the life cycle the enhancement of products. New plastics technologies continue to appear, allowing

product designers to realise good designs and create new experiences and higher values for customers. CHINAPLAS once again joined hands with BASF, to present ‘Design x Innovation’,

a concurrent event comprising of the display

of innovative and sustainable solutions at the Innovation Gallery, Open Forums and Meet the

to visitors, all fit in the current or projected

Designers, to stimulate product creativity.

like lightweight automobiles, food safety, green

of groundbreaking technologies which were

needs of plastics and downstream industries, packaging, low carbon buildings and light-

thin electronics etc. Industry 4.0, intelligent manufacturing,

Internet+

are

undoubtedly

among the hot topics, and at the same time

core ingredients of some forward-looking

development strategies of the various plastics application industries, regardless of the different

materials and machinery involved. The Industry 4.0 conference, jointly presented by CHINAPLAS and VDMA, the German Engineering Federation, was therefore organised in response to the

needs. Operational action plan and smart factories were the focus of this conference. The

introduction of German technology provided opportunities for manufacturers to transform and upgrade.

Diversity at its Peak Among the 16 special theme zones, one of the recurrent distinguishing features of CHINAPLAS,

the Automation Technology Zone and the Composites & High-performance Materials Zone

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

According to the organiser, there were 40 kinds

launched for their first time either in the world or Asia.

Events Tailored for Application Industries The success of CHINAPLAS depends on the prosperity of the downstream industries. In this

light, a number of communicative activities were organised to include the participation

of application industries, so that their needs and

future

development

can

be

clearly

understood. Examples of such activities were the 2nd Medical Plastics Conference, 2016 Haier

Supplier Communication Conference, MicroPort

Technical Conference, seminar on The Trend and Development of Consumer Electronics Technology,

Industry-University-Research

Collaboration Summit on Plastics Packaging -

Latest R&D Achievements of Green Packaging Materials and seminar on How to Cope with the New Demands of Plastics Application in Automotive Industry.

81

Design and Innovation Must Meet

Challenges of Urban Living

A

t CHINAPLAS 2016, BASF invited the

BASF co-hosted the ‘Design x Innovation’ event

for the challenges of urban living by using

Adsale, with a focus on creating opportunities for

region’s designers to share their solutions

advanced materials from BASF.

“China’s urban revolution has affected the

at CHINAPLAS 2016 together with the organiser,

designers to come together with BASF experts and explore opportunities.

economy.

BASF launched a design competition, entitled

increase in the scope and capabilities of local

innovators with ideas to address the challenges

environment,

society

and

the

This change has coincided with a significant designers. Now is the time to make the most

of these growing design resources, to address

the complex challenges and opportunities of urban living. Working with innovative materials provided by BASF, designers can transform the homes we live in, the cars we drive, the furniture

we own and the sports gear we play with,” says

Dr. Stephan Kothrade, President and Chairman Greater China, BASF.

‘Design it. Love it. Live it.’, which was open to of urban living using BASF materials. Solutions addressed issues in homes, cars, furniture or

sports. Prizes included a round-trip ticket to visit BASF’s award-winning designfabrik® in Germany and cash grants totalling RMB 35,000.

BASF and Adsale brought together leading

designers, advanced materials and innovative

ideas together at the Open Forum. This threeday session, between 25th and 28th April, featured

renowned designers and experts from industrial design, electrical and electronics, lifestyle, and mobility sectors.

At CHINAPLAS 2016, BASF showcased a wide

range of practical examples of how innovative materials enable good product designs that address the challenges of urban living. “By

bridging the gap between creative ideas, form

and function, we can help our customers bring great products to market and contribute to establishing China as a global creative power,” added Dr. Stephan Kothrade.

Turning New Pages, Moulding a Fine Future Trends

affect

industries,

but

creativity

never goes out of style. According to Ada

Leung, demand for high performance and personalised products is increasing, resulting

from the constant pursuit of quality life by the expanding middle-class consumer

ever-changing consumer needs are driving

forces of the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector. In the years to

come, CHINAPLAS will continue to guide the industry in these changing times by seizing opportunities in the dynamic environment in order to mould a fine future.

base worldwide, and in turn contributes

The next edition of CHINAPLAS will take place in

production, which involves shorter lives

PR China between 16th and 19th May, 2017.

to the trend of small batch multi-variety

82

and development cycles of products. The

China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou,

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

Events Plastics Recycling 2017

PPPEXPO Africa

IPLEX 2016

K 2016

16th – 18th June, 2016 The Dome, Nairobi, Kenya

26th – 28th August, 2016 Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre, Kochi, India

19th – 26th October, 2016 Düsseldorf, Germany

6th – 8th March, 2017 Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Mexico

INDIA CHEM 2016

Plast Show 2016

6th Plastasia - 2017

7th – 10th July, 2016 BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand

1st – 3rd September, 2016 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India

26th – 29th November, 2016 The Gujarat University Convention & Exhibition Centre, Ahmedabad, India

8th – 11th July, 2017 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

PackPlus 2016

INDOPLAS

ARABPLAST 2017

Plastindia 2018

27th – 30th July, 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

7th – 10th September, 2016 JI Expo, Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia

8th – 10th January, 2017 Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

7th – 12th February, 2018 Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

SRI LANKA PLAST

VietnamPlas 2016

10th Plastivision India 2017

NPE2018

5th – 7th August, 2016 BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka

28th September – 1st October, 2016 Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center - SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

InterPlas Thailand 2016

84

19th – 23rd January, 2017 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India

7th – 11th May, 2018 Orlando, Florida, USA

POLYMERS Communiqué l April - May 2016

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