POLYMERS Communique – 8.4 - Apr - May 2022

A CUSTAGE I N I T I A T I V E Apr - May 2022 l Issue 8.4 l ` 150

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

CONTENTS April - May 2022

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Issue 8.4

Under the Cover

It’s all about being focused; coupled with flexibility further ensures

capitalising on the right opportunities that the markets offer.

Success is all about identifying opportunities. Many-a-times, these opportunities are presented by micro-sectors within a larger framework. With business being ‘the agenda’ for POLYMERS Communiqué, this issue endeavours to highlight some such prospects.

This will set the tone for the coming issues as well, wherein readers to POLYMERS Communiqué will be privy to such market related knowledge. Notwithstanding such data or opinions are individual or derived, and need to be deliberated by the readers themselves to ascertain its suitability.

Driving business, POLYMERS Communiqué continues to be the torch bearer of industry growth, knitting the industry together for over 8 years now! If you feel that you would like to share your opinion on a business opportunity presented market sector, please feel free to write to me at manish@custage.com.

RE-SEARCHED

32

Global Manufacturing Recovery is Bumpy and Deceptive

Adrian Lloyd, CEO, Interact Analysis, UK

Lithium-ion Battery Market is Moving into Surge Mode and

Cobot Market Set for Annual Growth Rates of 20 - 30% Maya Xiao, Senior Analyst, Interact Analysis, UK

big move

40

40

60

India: A Compelling Place for Business

Dharm Vahalia, Managing Director, South Asia, Ascend Performance Materials India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

adding sharper focus to marcom +91-91366 00573 Communication Services

info@custage.com Custom Publishing

Business Forums POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

64

74

KNOCK-KNOCK

THE BIG NICHE

Shailesh Sheth, Corporate Strategy Advisor, Management & Manufacturing Technology, Ahmedabad

Harish Rai, Managing Director,

44

64

India: A New Market Now

Performing With Performance Polymers

R.E PolyTechnologies Pvt. Ltd., Vadodara

ADVERTORIAL

70

THE CHEM BOND

48

Thriving Chemical Sector: A Vital Link for Atmanirbhar Bharat

CHARGED UP

56

Dr. Sachin Jain

Managing Director, SKYi FKuR Biopolymers Pvt. Ltd., Pune

MOVING ON

EV Battery Film Separators: A Big Boom Ahead

Subodh Jindal, Global CEO, STEER Engineering

Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru

74

DIZZY ROTATION

83

Forward Looking Rotomoulding Technology for Defence Applications

Prashant Trivedi, Head Operations, BU: Engineering Plastics, Loxim Industries Ltd., Ahmedabad

ECON: A Knowledgeable and Reliable Partner

Sponsored by

Chintan R. Joshi, Kaushalya Reputation and Brand Consultancy, Mumbai

78

Conveying Systems: No Longer a Luxury

Rajiv Trivedi, Freelancer, Trivedi Associates,

MEDICAL MAGIC

90

Capitalising on High-Growth Medical Opportunities

Source: Husky Technologies

ADVERTORIAL

100

Aerodry Process Automation: Integral to Our Recycling Business

Ahmedabad

THUMBS UP

60

Big Growth Spurt Anticipated in Agro and Liquid Packaging

Bharatkumar V. Siroya, Director, Parth Poly Woven Pvt. Ltd., Junagadh

Sponsored by

DIFFERENT CONNECT

78

Jeevaraj Pillai

Market Trends in Holography

Joint President, UFlex Packaging Division, UFlex Ltd., Noida

Yogesh Kapur, Executive Vice President, Holography Business, UFlex Ltd., Noida

Digital Gallery

An online showcase of exclusive content, opinions, research reports and global developments in plastics!

Business Redefined

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The POLYMERS Communique Digital Gallery

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T: +91-22-2520 4436; M: +91-88790 50327; E: info@custage.com POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

Printed and Published by Manish Chawla

manish@custage.com

Chief Editor Jyoti

jyoti@custage.com

Editorial Advisory Board

102

122

SIVARAM SPEAKS

94

Lithium-ion Battery Fires: How Can Polymers Help?

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

Honorary Professor Emeritus and INSA Emeritus Scientist, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

ARCHIVES

102

Create Wealth by Making Something New and Better

Kairav Engineer, Vice President - Business Development, Astral Poly Technik Ltd., Ahmedabad

ADVERTORIAL

106

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

Omyaspace: Improved Hiding Power at Lower Cost and Reduced Carbon Footprint Sponsored by

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha formerly Director at Indian Institute of Packaging

EASTERN DELIGHT

122

East India Polymers Industry Poised for a 12% CAGR

Pradip Nayyar, Chairman, Indplas’22 - Exhibition Organising Committee, Kolkata

In series...

110

Sustainability through Recycling of Materials and Waste as Feedstock Part I: Chemical Recycling of Waste Plastic

Professor (Dr.) G. D. Yadav, Emeritus Professor of

Pushp Raj Singhvi formerly Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Borouge (India) Pvt. Ltd. Rajesh Nath Managing Director, German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India Office Rakesh Shah formerly Managing Director at Windmöller and Hölscher India Pvt. Ltd. S. K. Ray formerly Sr. Executive Vice President (Polymers) at Reliance Industries Ltd.

Eminence, and J. C. Bose National Fellow (GoI), Former Vice Chancellor & R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, and Tata Chemicals Darbari Seth Distinguished Professor of Leadership & Innovation, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

Designed by

117

Printed at

Supply Unbounded

Ruby Thapar, A Reputation and Sustainability

Custage Marketing Solutions LLP 406, Vikas Centre, Dr. C. G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA

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

Consultant and an Executive Coach, Mumbai

Advertising Sales - National

124

Hyderabad Vani

Fight Pollution, Not Plastics

S. K. Ray, Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee, Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), Mumbai

And The Rest

N. K. Balgi formerly President & Director at Ferromatik Milacron India Pvt. Ltd.

Mumbai Vinisha New Delhi Vijay

+91-93924 28927 vani@polymerscommunique.com +91-88790 50327 vinisha@custage.com +91-98100 15111 vijay@polymerscommunique.com

News.................................................................. 24

Weekend Delights................................. 120

Vadodara D. S. Bhumra +91-81289 90887 devinder@polymerscommunique.com

RETRO.................................................................54

Golden PAGES........................................... 127

Advertising Sales - International

Business Toons..........................................88

Events............................................................ 129

Dubai Pritam

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 406, Vikas Centre, Dr. C. G. Road, Chembur, Mumbai 400 074, INDIA. Editor: Manish Chawla.

Domestic Subscription: Single Issue Price: Rs. 150; Annual Subscription: Rs. 1200 (including shipping) Overseas Subscription: Annual Subscription: USD 60 (including shipping)

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. The maps, if used, in this document are only a pictorial representation, not to scale and do not indicate any geographical boundaries.

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.

USA Manisha

+971-5548-32330 pritam@polymerscommunique.com +1-908-720-3510 manisha@polymerscommunique.com

Subscriptions Bhavesh

+91-22-2520 4436 bhavesh@custage.com

Content Alliance Partners

Mind Speak N. K. Balgi

Rajesh Nath

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

Managing Director German Engineering Federation (VDMA) India Office

in post-COVID period that was on the recovery path ting from disruptions resul ion inflat by ered has got shatt war. In such a situation, people’s caused by the Ukraine - Russia ntials’ with the mindset that spending gets restricted to ‘esse environment, manufacturing an such In . wait’ ‘discretionary could for national development. es ramm gets driven by Government prog ing consumption of ongo be Market-driven opportunities will goods through retail umer cons and items food essentials i.e. segment growing. Health and networks will keep the packaging to g the pandemic will continue hygiene awareness created durin ent. segm ical med drive growth of the experienced spurt in demand The automotive sector that had remain moderated. will d during the post-pandemic perio nt programmes are agriculture, Sectors driven by the governme truction of roadways and cons ent lopm deve infrastructure sectors will drive demand e Thes es. water distribution to villag gs in a big way. for PVC/CPVC, HDPE pipes and fittin able explore opportunities in renew It will be good to watch and les. energy and electric vehic

Economy

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming businesses and will contribute to economic growth via contributions to prod uctivity. They will also help address societal challenge s in areas from health to climate change. These techn ologies will transform the nature of work and the work place itself. Machines will be able to complement the work that humans do, and even perform some tasks that go beyond what humans can do. As a result, some occupations will decline, others will grow, and many more will change.

S. K. Ray

formerly Sr. Executive Vice President (Polymers) at Reliance Industries Ltd.

Despite prevailing narrative clouding its future prospects, demand for plastics is unlikely to slow down because of the versatility of this new age material. While the demand could get subdued in a few sectors, there would be growth in all those areas associated with food and healthcare applications. This would include both, packaging materials and primary articles needed in these sectors.

Pushp Raj Singhvi

Arvind Mehta

Rajesh Nath

Rakesh Shah

N. K. Balgi

S. K. Ray

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha

SL

SL

R

Mind Speak Arvind Mehta

Chairman and Managin g Director Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt. Ltd.

Numerous plastic segments by end use are aut omotive, construction, pharma ceutical, packaging, electronics and consumer goods.

Prof. (Dr.) N. C. Saha

formerly Director at Indian Institute of Packaging

The global plastics ma rket size was valued at USD 579.7 billion in 2020 and is exp ected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4% from 2021 to 2028. When it comes to revenue, the packaging segme nt has outplayed all the segments due to rising demand for plastic packaging in the last two years.

Plastic packaging is used for making food containers, bag s, plastic films, dru ms, crates, fruit juice bottles etc. The Indian packaging sec tor is one of the fastest-growing segme nts in the country , owing to the e-commerce boom.

Packaging consumptio n in India has surged 200 per cent in the last decade, from 4.3 kilograms per person per annum (pp pa) to 8.6 kgs pppa, according to the Indian Institute of Pac kaging (IIP). During CO VID-19, it was the plastic packaging seg ment which experience d a growth on an everyday basis and , in the coming years, due to a lighter molecular weight and its favourability, plas tic packaging segment is expected to grow at the rate of 25%.

The 21 century is the era of technology which would lead to innovation. Innovation in all kinds of businesses including plastic packaging is all about doing things differently in order to provide better products and solutions, and an improved service to customers. New technology will always help leverage the business and boost the return on investment. However, identifying the right technology and its deployment becomes st

very crucial in business growth.

While choosing the right technology, one has to keep in mind a few important points like the future needs of the company, how the new technology would improve the existing business process, process of deployment, any kind of challenges during deployment, its reliable security and cost benefit analysis.

After identifying the right technology, there are certain steps to be considered for deployment such as creating an expert team for implementation of the new technology, implementation through a pilot programme, train the concerned employees for new tools or techniques and thereafter launch and fine tune the technique to make it suitable to meet the needs of the company in order to support business success.

Rakesh Shah

Director formerly Managing scher India Pvt. Ltd. at Windmöller and Höl

Pushp Raj Singhvi

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

Once again POLYMERS Commun iqué has raised a very pertinent point of grow th of the market segm ents and sub-market segments. Our immediate attention goe s to EV of 2, 3 and 4 whe elers. With growth of this sector, there will be automatic growth of the sub-segm ents like batteries and other spar e parts. If the renewab le energy sector is poised for great growth, compon ents like batteries are certainly not going to lag behind. Grow th of the telecommunication sector is distinctly visible, so also sub-segment like mobile phones. Big industrialists have already lined up for the sub-sector growth of elec tronic chips to cater to needs of the four wheelers. Like these examples, many more can be added and yet these will be beyond our imagination.

ng high energy and lace materials requiri will continue to rep utilising more water int, tpr foo ating greater carbon l load that will be nta material inputs, cre me iron senting any other env pre and sing the trend that ces for pro e. This is following a long period of tim es, composite fibr l ura unsustainable over nat , tals me in plastics replacing tions such as lica app has existed so far, tions, special Besides these applica dose medication, d materials, glass etc. fixe s, tem sys ry kaging, drug delive ds that will pharmaceutical pac rapidly growing fiel etc. are major and n atio dic lower than me be ic l iatr wil ger niche areas ile the volumes in including less s efit see high growth. Wh ben IP and n high value additio l continue to commodities, the h profit margins wil ence of it and hig abs or n l continue to itio wil pet com packaging films se. Mono-material will spur all and make eminent sen ing kag pac t interest in flexible ne design chi ma , nce command the highes ymer scie s and growth in pol h temperatures, in hig round development at g rkin wo als practices. Materi ents for and manufacturing act plastics developm temperatures will attr low . With at tion and lora exp uum ce vac and spa in defence, aviation uction in weight red applications such as jor ma d nee l rkets, automotives wil inent role to expansion of EV ma s will play a preem ranges and plastic ger lon ich will see e wh iev a ach are to s is another delivery, cloud kitchen achieve that. Food rs. yea ing ed growth in the com significant and sustain

Plastics

Feedback I must appreciat e the layou t, excellent quality of ar printing and ticles in PO LYMERS Co industry need mmuniqué. s such publ The ications. Cu well covere rrent topics d with mea are ni ng fu l content. Ku Publisher - Ke dos to the ep it up!

It would be great if yo u can inclu features / to de regular pics on sust ainability / will shape recycling w the industry hich in future. Al include a pa so, you may ge on buyers -sellers for us ed machine ry.

Surendra Ke

Manjushree

Your magazine covers almos t all the cu topics and in rrent forms about new change markets relat s in the ing to techno lo gi es , products et best wishes c. My to the entire team and ho other magazin pe that es follow you as an exampl e.

Maulik Patel

Gayatri Micron

dia

Ventures LL

s Ltd.

P

a wonderful iqué and it’s ERS Commun M LY ledgeable PO ow of kn ader very I am a regular re les published in the magazine are tic e ar ialists. magazine. Th rs and industr eshwari r entrepreneu Deepak Mah t. Ltd. and useful fo Pv nk eli ad Tr i Maheshwar

ve uniqué. They ha POLYMERS Comm siness. bu association with e nc g ha lon en a t tha en s It’s be publishing article ustry growth by Vijay Kumar contributed to ind President sociation As ers lym Po Karnataka State iation) soc As s stic Pla a State (Formerly Karnatak

text with The magazine balances out the of them, all not if les, artic the pictures. Most of h go along with the actually have pictures whic very informative for it ing mak content not only ng. resti inte also but ers, read the very high-definition Classic paper quality with e a world-class azin mag the printing makes magazine from India.

always Communiqué rmative fo in ry Ve t. conten have quality od articles, ich covers go magazine wh s and upiew rv te in rts’ industry expe e plastics th rmation of to-date info ep up the ke d an st e be sector. All th good work!

POLYMERS

Nilesh Joshi

aly)

AMAPLAST (It

Sekar V.

Formulated Polymers Ltd.

ds of high standar ght forward ou and br s les ha ty artic uniqué ith the quali POLYMERS Comm ding s industry. W tic clu as in pl y str an du di of in r the In stakeholders publication fo t read for all cus, it’s a mus rs. lie pp technology fo hinery su Shah ders and mac Padmanabh nies processors, tra mpa Co of p ou Gr Giriraj

r all the int source fo is a single po e in az ink the ag th m d an ad it uniqué POLYMERS Commrelated to our industry. I regularly re dates. It’s a good up ion g technical cs latest informat job of givin d crucial topi es a great t relevant an os m e magazine do th rs by the ve n co ke ta ich ts wh or m iu iate the eff reference med stry. I apprec perfectly. polymers indu is information th all around the g tin esen a pr d an g lin mpi Gaurav Sharmd.

PC team in co ch Pvt. Lt Galaxy Packte

6

We find P OLYMER S Comm and uniq uniqué ue as it extreme provide topics o ly inform s insigh n the p ative ts on a o ly mer ind polymer broad ra ustry. T nge of industry h e insigh stalwart an inspir ts abou s and th ing take t the eir succ for all th essful jo as a on e reade u e-stop rn ey is rs .

We see guide o develop the mag n mach ments, azine inery, ra te c h w nology trends in materials advance the poly , new ments a mer ind nd upco ustry. ming Last, bu t not th e least, aestheti it s design c, as a C is highly offee Ta appealin ble Boo g and k.

We ap preciate and c Commu ongratu niqué te late th am for c e POLY onsisten MERS tly exce llent wo rk.

HPCL-M

M. S. Ba

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POLYMERS Communiqué

ttu

rgy Ltd.

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April - May 2022

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RADICIGROUP HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS Founded in 1981 in Italy on the cornerstone of RadiciGroup’s polyamide upstream integration, RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers has grown into a global manufacturer of a complete range of engineering plastics to meet the needs of many industries including Automotive, Electrical & Electronics, Furnishing, Consumer Goods.

WE ARE GLOCAL: GLOBAL THINKING, LOCAL ACTION. This has been our motto for the last 20 years’ growth. Today, with eight plants strategically located in 4 continents and 7 countries, and a worldwide sales network, RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers provides high-quality product standards on a global scale, besides offering state-of-the-art support in research & development and processing technologies.

RadiciGroup’s Upstream integration in polyamide, coupled with the high flexibility of its polymerization plants has represented the basis for the continuous expansion of our polyamide-based product range, from long chain to high temperature polyamides. Expansion is a keyword for our future. We keep exploring new horizons, by expanding our product range and global presence, to promote the growth of RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers.

, , PPA A6.12 nd P , 0 a .1 , PA6 rature PA e PA6.6 PA6, igh temp h s other l PA blend ia spec

ial PA

Spec

nd o

a PA6.6

re PA

eratu

temp

PBT

ds

poun

d com

ase 6.6-b

TPEs

POM

and d PA6

cycle

ial re dustr

-in Post PA6.6

igh ther h

e T flam nd PB

PA a

PPS

MAIN APPLICATION SECTORS

Automotive

Electrical/electronic

Technical Industrial

RADICI PLASTICS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED 501, DLF Tower, Shivaji Marg, New Delhi - 110015 – INDIA. Tel. +91 11 41638170 E-mail: info.plastics@radicigroup.com

Sport

dants

retar

News Digest ALPLA Group has developed a new returnable PET bottle together with Vöslauer, Austria’s leading company in the mineral water market

RadiciGroup Expands in India by Acquiring the Engineering Plastics Business of Ester Industries Ltd.

R

adiciGroup

is

The of

continuing

will

year

2023,

transfers

of

following tangible

the

and

Many of the products sold by Ester

strategy. Through its high performance

and certified under UL94, the globally

polymers business area - a multinational manufacturer

and

supplier of engineering polymers

based

in the acquisition of the engineering plastics business of Ester Industries Ltd.,

an Indian company founded by the Singhania family in 1985 and currently listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Industries Ltd. has a strong market

presence in polyester packaging films,

a business the Indian firm intends to continue and strengthen. the

Indian

market,

a

strong

presence is required to react to growth and

responsive

accepted

standard

for

flammability

testing of polymeric materials.

polymers division of Ester Industries

polyester

invested approximately EUR 35 million

“In

Industries Ltd. are in fact approved

With the acquisition of the engineering

on

opportunities in sectors with short

A

site

to

Besides engineering polymers, Ester

Avery Dennison to invest over €60 million in capacity expansion and manufacturing efficiency in Europe

production

intangible assets.

and other materials - the Group has

Andaltec advances in the ‘ad-lighting project’ to develop parts that reduce condensation in transport lighting systems

the

various

strengthen its internationalisation

polyamide, Amcor and Danone present a revolutionary label-less recyclable bottle for the Villavicencio water brand, reducing the carbon footprint by 21%

acquired

become operational at the beginning

production

chains,”

Maurizio Radici, Vice President and

COO of RadiciGroup, concluded. “From

the start, the strategy of our high performance polymers business area

Ltd., RadiciGroup High Performance

Polymers will also become a prominent

partner in the Asian market for customers in the E&E and lighting sectors.

Somaiya Vidyavihar University Organised a National Symposium on Polymer Science and Technology on the Occasion of Dr. S. Sivaram’s 75th Birthday

S

omaiya

organised

Vidyavihar a

2-day

University National

Symposium event on Polymer Science and Technology between 6th and 7th

May, 2022. It was in collaboration with The Society of Polymer Science, India (SPSI) and the Department of

Polymer Science, S K Somaiya College.

The inaugural address was given by

has been based on working locally in the closest proximity to customers in order to offer not only products, but also prompt and efficient service near to their industrial sites. Presently, the

compounding business accounts for one-third of the Group’s total sales; it has

helped make the Radici name become recognised worldwide.”

24

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

H 17 C71

Prof. M. M. Sharma, FRS, Institute of Chemical

Digest BASF to wind down activities in Russia and Belarus except for business that supports food production

Technology,

Mumbai.

It

was followed by keynote speeches from Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, FRS, Former

Director General, Council of Scientific

and Industrial Research, New Delhi;

Ashwin Dani, Director, Asian Paints, Mumbai; Prof. S. Ramakrishnan, Indian

Institute of Science, Bangalore and Dr. Ashish K. Lele, Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research - National

Chemical Laboratory, Pune.

the Festschrift Session commemorating

the 75th birthday of Dr. S. Sivaram,

Ex-Director

of

National

Chemical

Laboratory, Pune. He is one of the

Founding Members of The Society

of Polymer Science, India and has DOMO Chemicals invests to expand production capacity of Technyl® polyamide in China to meet growing market demand

significantly

contributed

to

the

development of the polymer science discipline special

organised

in

India.

Additionally,

Endowment by

of Chemistry.

Lecture

the

Royal

a

was

Society

EconCore and ThermHex Waben reduce energy consumption in honeycomb production by up to 65% and double capacity

academicians,

researchers

and

science

and

industrial practitioners in the diverse fields

of

polymer

technology to get together, present

and discuss the recent academic and

industrial innovations. Spread over two days, it featured plenary talks, invited

lectures, discussions and deliberations

by eminent speakers from academia and industry across India. The event was Equipolymers, a PET manufacturer, moves closer to circular economy solutions with new Rittec technology

B-E

supported by a large number of industry giants

across

sectors

like

Reliance

Industries Limited, Pidilite Industries, PRAJ Industries, American Chemical

Society, Gharda Chemicals Ltd. and Royal Society of Chemistry. Some of the topics

that were discussed during the event consisted of polymer synthesis and

packaging

the

by

for

Innovation Dow

sustainable Modern

coveted

global was

Packaging

2021

organised

‘EcoLamHighPlus’, developed

an

more

packaging

consumers

are

solution

conscious

about what they eat and how they access their

food

items.

In

this regard, Constantia

Flexibles and Hershey

India joined hands to create an offering for ‘conscious

indulgers’

who want to relish greattasting

chocolate

that

is ‘good to them and Hershey India decided to

launch its latest offering,

‘Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate 30%

Less Sugar’ with recyclable mono-

material packaging. Now Constantia Flexibles was awarded with the silver

medal for the laminate’s sustainability aspects at the Packaging Innovation Awards sponsored by Dow.

Constantia Flexibles’ EcoLamHighPlus

is a more sustainable barrier packaging solution

economy.

designed

polymer

synthesis,

sustainability

among

supramolecular

is

(PE)

a

for

the

circular

mono-material-

laminate

solution

designed to be fully recyclable in the PE stream while satisfying all

functional and aesthetic requirements of the product.

key aspects:

for

additives,

It

polyethylene

processes

and polymer processing, new chemical

polymers,

a

manufacturer,

Awards

indigenously

The

polymer

Flexibles,

conferred

characterisation, polyolefins, rheology

many others.

26

onstantia

better for the planet too’.

The symposium offered opportunities for

C

committed to a circular economy.

A special feature of the symposium was Covestro will expand its Paint Protection Film (PPF) capacity in 2023

Constantia Flexibles India Wins Packaging Innovation Awards for ‘Recyclable PE Pouches’

developed

packaging NN

solution

EcoLamHighPlus delivers

three

Delivers key brand aesthetics even

with a recyclable laminate. There is

no compromise on the colour, finish

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

or perceived quality of the material.

NN

Essentra Packaging and AMD announce smart packaging collaboration to boost cold chain pharma security

1055303 has been optimised in such a

process

impact

or

on

any

product

Ensures ease of use with similar or

enhanced tearing and maintains pack structure / shape across the supply chain.

K

Industries

polycarbonate

based

light

masterbatch.

has

and

diffuser

This

polystyrene

additive effect’

diffuses harsh light into softer form without

significantly

light transmission.

reducing

the

This additive can be used in the extrusion

and

injection

way that the components made from it have good mechanical and tribological

properties

as well as being easy to detect.

high-

performance plastics

developed

‘special

processing industry. TECACOMP POM ID

Detectable

Kandui Now Offers Light Diffuser Masterbatches

masterbatch effectively scatters and

Lummus and Braskem announce partnership for green ethylene technology

injection-

adverse

andui

Kraiburg TPE makes waves in surfing gear innovation

for

Ensures no change in the current

integrity / shelf-life.

NN

developed

moulded components used in the food

manufacturing

Digest

specially

moulding

processes. It is mainly used in the

making of the window pane, LED light LyondellBasell licenses Lupotech T technology to Jiangsu Hongjing New Material Co. Ltd.

increase safety in food production.

They

are

used in all situations where

the products being processed

must not be contaminated with

plastic fragments from the equipment, cable ties or transport boxes. Even

small particles of the filled Ensinger ID compounds can be reliably detected and separated out using metal and X-ray detectors. They are also visually

noticeable, thanks to their inherent blue colour.

A high proportion of the additives ensure good detectability, but may also

have

a

negative

impact

on

processability during injection moulding and on the mechanical properties of the component.

Consequently,

Ensinger

has optimised the formulation of the Plastic Omnium acquires Varroc’s automotive lighting systems business

new POM ID compound in such a way that the material has significantly improved

ProAmpac launches highperformance retort pouches containing post-consumer recycled materials

E-P

Eliminates hot-spots.

NN

High light diffusion.

NN

Lowers refractive index.

NN

Very good dispersion.

NN

Results in energy saving.

NN

High heat stability.

E

is

launching

namely the engineering plastic POM-C,

stands out for good sliding friction properties and a good combination of toughness and strength. With these

special characteristics, TECACOMP POM

ID 1055303 is suitable for applications in the food industry, which place high

a

new

detectable compound. The material,

which is based on POM-C, has been

28

as

The base polymer of the compound,

Ensinger, Launching a Compound for Detectable Injection-moulded Components nsinger

detectability

yet can still be processed very easily.

Salient Features NN

inductive

compared with available products, and

profile and LED light panel.

demands on safety, tribological and mechanical properties.

Milliken Prepares to Launch a Major Clarifier Plant

M

illiken & Company will begin production at its new clarifier

plant soon in Blacksburg, S.C. This

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

Covestro Launches a New Production Line for Desmodur® 15 Prepolymers

C

Digest

ovestro launches the production of Desmodur® 15 prepolymers at

Siegwerk, one of the leading international suppliers of printing ink for packaging applications and labels, has signed a contract to purchase the Italian ink manufacturer, La Sorgente Spa

Solvay and Carbios demonstrate enzymatic depolymerisation in PET/ PVDC barrier film

its Spanish site of Barcelona. With this new production line, the company significant

additional

capacity

will

address strong worldwide demand for clarified plastic products. The company,

a global manufacturer with plastic additives

and

colourants

expertise,

addresses the growing demand for its high-performance elastomers and

can serve an ever wider range of very demanding applications.

“With

this

strategic

investment,

says this new, world-class facility will

Covestro aims to further enlarge the

market-leading

its global supply of Desmodur 15 based

increase production capacity of its

capacity and improve the reliability of

polypropylene clarifier by more than

products,” says Philip Bahke, Head of

Millad®

NX®

8000

50 per cent.

Operations at Covestro Elastomers.

“This represents the largest clarifier

plant investment in Milliken history,” says Cindy Boiter, President of Milliken’s Chemicals

Business.

“Engineering

is

complete, and we are in the process Stratasys introduces stateof-the-art 3D printer for high-end fashion and design

of commissioning the plant. When we launch production in the fall, it will allow us to address both, current

market needs and increasing demand for

these

products

well

into

the

future,” continues Cindy Boiter.

Tetra Pak partners with leading beverage brands to launch the world’s first tethered caps on carton packages

“Global demand for Millad NX 8000 clarifier has grown at an 11 per cent compounded

annual

years,”

Cindy

growth

rate

(CAGR) for each of the past nine clarifier

adds

demand

Boiter.

grew

“Global

by

16

per

growth

rates

for

contributed

to

the

cent in just the past two years,” outstripping

the

global polypropylene (PP) resin. “All Trelleborg accelerates product development and small batch production of LSR parts

S-T

regions

have

growth of clarified PP, with Asia leading the way.”

“Brand

owners

and

producers are seeing how Millad NX 8000 can contribute to improve the environmental results.

It

important in

Vice

recent

is

and

one

clarifier

memory,”

President

-

Wim Van de Velde.

30

packaging

manufacturing

of

the

more

developments says

Plastic

Global

Additives,

“On top of addressing our customers’

demand, Covestro’s Barcelona site has been operating entirely on renewable energy since the beginning of 2022,”

says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial

Officer at Covestro. “This approach is part of our ambition to reduce our

environmental impact while offering

our customers greater access to our solutions and speciality products,” adds Sucheta Govil.

“We are opening the new production

unit for our Desmodur 15 prepolymers in Barcelona in parallel to the ongoing expansion

of

our

Asia-Pacific

region

naphthylene

diisocyanate (NDI) capacities in the with

the

Map

Ta Phut plant in Thailand,” explains Thomas

Braig,

Head

of

Covestro

Elastomers. “This new production unit will help us to support our customers’ growth

in

the

cast

polyurethanes

high-end applications segment,” says Thomas Braig.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

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RE-SEARCHED

Going into 2022, we have

a number of factors at play.

Order books may be full in the machinery sector, for

example, but supply chain

issues persist and owing to

the globalised nature of the manufacturing economy, very few segments are

likely to escape unscathed.

C

OVID-19 saw different regions and industrial sectors suffer at varying rates.

At a country level, much depended on the local strategies adopted to deal with the virus. Some were effective and some weren’t.

Despite strong growth, the way out of this crisis is proving to be just as bumpy, as the hangover from the pandemic persists in the shape of disrupted supply chain, labour shortages, and high shipping and energy costs.

And, as I write, Russia (one of the largest natural gas and petroleum producers in the world) is invading Ukraine (one of the largest agricultural producers in the world). So, the general air of disruption isn’t going away. Sanctions will cause price rises, hitting both manufacturers and consumers. After COVID-19, this new Adrian Lloyd CEO, Interact Analysis, UK

32

crisis is something manufacturers could do without.

2021: Reciprocal Pressure Puts India Up Top The global manufacturing economy grew 8.3% in 2021. This does not reflect a manufacturing boom: it’s a recovery from the depths of the pandemic. I call

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

Global Manufacturing Recovery is Bumpy and Deceptive

it reciprocal pressure. And it’s a far

The surge in the cost of living is likely to have a negative effect on consumer-orientated manufacturing sectors. And we are expecting to see growth stabilise in 2022 at a much lower level than 2021 - 3.8% for the US, 4.2% for China and 1.5% for India, for example, but it is not necessarily going to take the form of a slowdown. We don’t anticipate that happening until late 2023 or early 2024.

smaller

rebound

than

we

saw

in

2010 after the financial crash, when manufacturing growth hit 16%. Why is

this? It’s because the COVID-induced manufacturing collapse simply was not half as bad as many (including myself) feared it would be. In 2009, the global To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

read on at page 38

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

33

Lithium-ion Battery Market is Moving into Surge Mode

The global li-ion battery market is moving into surge mode. Just look at the figures for

2020 - 2021. According to our newly released li-ion battery database, global shipments in 2021 equated to 476.3 GWh, amounting to a 72.6% increase on 2020, and that wasn’t

a blip. We’ve identified it as being part of a

longer-term trend. Let’s have a look at some more figures and identify the drivers to the li-ion battery revolution.

Demand from EV Outstrips All Others, but Energy Storage is the Growth Story Unsurprisingly, it’s the electric vehicle sector

that is driving demand for li-ion battery

technology. In 2021, EV battery shipments accounted for 354.5 GWh, representing 74.4%

of total battery shipments and a phenomenal

year-on-year increase in EV battery shipments of 90.2%. But the increase of shipments in the

same period to the energy storage sector (ESS)

was even more marked - 113.3%. Accounting for 11.8% of total battery shipments, ESS is way

behind the EV sector in terms of demand, but the huge 2021 increase is a clear pointer to

sustained future growth. Meanwhile, consumer electronics (CE) battery shipments totalled

65.5 GWh, representing 13.8% of total shipments, a year-on-year increase of 6.3%.

Impact of Ukraine Conflict will be Limited Russia and Ukraine have vast untapped lithium

reserves, and Russia is currently a big exporter of nickel, palladium, aluminium, platinum,

steel and copper. The situation in Ukraine and the resultant sanctions on Russia, therefore, will inevitably lead to shortages in the supply

of some industrial raw materials. The li-ion

battery market will be impacted to some APAC region extent, but we do not think the gobbled up 75.1% effects will be massive. In of all battery shipments terms of lithium, the in 2021, and will almost key point is that maintain its share going up to most reserves 2026, when it will hit 74.3%. But in Russia and Ukraine are as yet untapped. The war has we expect the li-ion battery market delayed plans to extract it, in the Americas to enjoy the highest but it has not taken much growth rate over the next 5 years, existing production offline. when it will see a CAGR of 29.5%.

EMEA will follow, with a 27.9% Looking Out to 2026 CAGR, and only then APAC We estimate that global demand at 27.6% for li-ion batteries will rise to over 1.6 TWh by 2026, representing a 5-year

CAGR of 27.9%. The share of shipments to

Maya Xiao Senior Analyst, Interact Analysis, UK

34

EV manufacturers will remain stable, standing To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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April - May 2022

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Cobot Market

Set for Annual Growth Rates of 20 - 30% The pandemic hasn’t exactly gone away. So there’s uncertainty. 2022 has seen new waves across the

globe. People don’t know if it will come back again. So cobots are being used as a form of future-

proofing. Maya Xiao discusses how the collaborative robot market is performing.

Q. What impact has the pandemic had on demand for cobots?

It’s had a positive impact...if we can talk about ‘positives’ coming from the virus. It’s true 2020 was the first ever year of negative growth for the cobot market, but 2021 saw a sharp recovery. And our forecasts for the mediumterm are better than we had previously predicted. We now calculate the average ROI on a cobot is just 2 - 3 years, down from 5 years.

There are several reasons for this recovery. The first is that the pandemic

has encouraged more companies to try automation as a solution to virus-related disruption. And now, as we come out of COVID, we have

on-going labour shortages. Even emerging economies such as China and Mexico are feeling the pinch of rising labour costs.

The growing number of real-world examples has played its part too.

When one company invests in cobots, and the solution is seen to work, competitors follow suit. Many pioneering companies have already deployed cobots, and now there’s a ripple effect.

And finally, the pandemic hasn’t exactly gone away. So there’s uncertainty. 2022 has seen new waves across the globe. People don’t

know if it will come back again. So cobots are being used as a form of future-proofing. In this respect, COVID is not just a short-term driver.

It’s a medium and even long-term one as well.

Q. So what’s the long-term outlook for the cobot market?

Up to 2025 and 2026, the outlook for cobots remains strong. Our final numbers are about to be released and it’s clearly looking like a larger market in the medium-term than we had previously forecast. One interesting thing to be aware of, and what sets them apart from industrial

robots, is that cobots have broken out of manufacturing and into the wider service sector. For this reason, the cobot market will start to be more closely related to the performance of the wider macro economy.

Q. What’s the single most interesting thing you’ve learned about cobots in your research?

Maya Xiao Senior Analyst, Interact Analysis, UK

38

It’s hard to pick one thing, but one interesting element is to do with the To know more, please subscribe to

Polymers Communiqué at subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

BIG MOVE

India

A Compelling Place for Business

Dharm Vahalia Managing Director, South Asia, Ascend Performance Materials India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

40

We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and have a goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emission by 80% by 2030. Furthermore, we see sustainability as being more than environmental responsibility. Our strategy has three pillars, which are empowering people, innovating solutions and operating without compromise.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

Q. Ascend comes with a huge product portfolio; please share if all of those would be available to the Indian market?

We are focused on serving our customers in India by bringing products that promote growth in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Given the growth in electrification and e-mobility, our Starflam flame-retardant engineered materials and our Vydyne PA66 will be among the first products

we will produce in Chennai. FPL (our recent acquisition in India) was

already producing Starflam products, and we expect to bring more of that

“Our investment

hypothesis in India is

predicated on a steady

expansion of the market at nearly 2 - 3x global

portfolio to the market. We will also introduce our HiDura (speciality

demand growth in

We also intend to expand our market offerings in performance chemicals

end-use applications. We

polyamides) products to target a variety of highly engineered applications.

and sustainable specialities (nitriles, amines, esters, acids and some niche

relevant chemistries and

specialities) that cater to a variety of industrial, pharmaceutical, agricultural

also anticipate that rising

Finally, we will augment our efforts to promote Acteev anti-microbial solutions

lead to demand creation in

and personal care applications.

that, I believe, will solve myriad hygiene and contamination-related issues in

discretionary income will

the medical and speciality textile segments.

value-added, more durable

Q. Please share with the readers as regards the production plans at the recently acquired FPL facility.

applications. Finally, India’s

We will continue to serve FPL’s customer base with the same reliable service they have counted on for decades. We will also find new opportunities in the region

and expand capacity (production, warehousing) and capabilities (product and

and highly engineered large domestic market supported by its

application development) as needed to meet the demands.

unmatched demographic

Q. In the first phase of your setup, what market segments do you wish to address?

terms of its young and

Our Starflam flame-retardant portfolio has been a big part of the production at

the site. The product range has a variety of markets it serves, including mobility, appliances, electrical, infrastructure and electronics.

Very soon we will start making Vydyne PA66 compounds onsite that will cater

to a broad array of applications in automotive, industrial and consumer segments.

To know more, please subscribe to

Polymers Communiqué at subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

dividend particularly in

energetic talent will make

India a compelling place to do business for many years to come,” believes Dharm Vahalia, in dialogue with

POLYMERS Communiqué.

41

KNOCK-KNOCK

India

a New Market Now It must be said that marketing is a complex subject. But approach to markets in the

‘New India’ will require differentiators and out-of-the-box solutions, keeping the six strategic directions in mind. The next five years are likely to be the best India has ever seen; but one will have to grab this opportunity with insightful approaches.

T

he consumption-led growth of the Indian economy contains many silent drivers of change within its fold. They have gone unnoticed so far. Today’s India is vastly different; today’s customers too are more demanding, more

selective and more value conscious. Producers no longer drive the market. It is in

fact markets (customers) drive the creation of capacities. Dynamics of this new consumerism have started to playout. Will Indian producers benefit or will this

Shailesh Sheth Corporate Strategy Advisor, Management & Manufacturing Technology, Ahmedabad

44

demand be satiated by imports? Just see what lack of batteries are doing to the

market of electric vehicles or semi-conductors are doing to automobiles or, for that

matter, high precision components are doing to capital goods. Thus, it is no longer going to be ‘more of the same’ market. Offering wider choice to the consumer is

the key. If you don’t do it, your competitor will do and your growth will languish.

So, looking at the Indian market with a traditional prism may be a recipe for failure.

Let us examine some of these ‘hidden drivers’.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

and old age. Today’s younger generation wants

to live (enjoy) life here and now. Not tomorrow

and day after. They see their future, in a new India,

very positively and, thus, are not driven by fear

Saturated Urban Markets

and insecurity. They want to enjoy what life has to

Urban India has been the of

spendthrift

the

family.

fellow They

already possess all key

products

and

consume

all important services.

They

have

no

offer. This is the main reason behind mushrooming of super markets and malls, even in smaller towns and overgrown villages. This will demand wide product choices and off-the-shelf delivery. Are

your scales and logistics efficient enough? If not, the youngistan will go elsewhere.

appetite for more.

To know more, please subscribe to

status, brand or one-

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

But they do yearn for

Polymers Communiqué at

upmanship. Thus, the

demand has shifted to

lifestyle products. are

It is the rural markets that being

empowered

now.

Direct benefit transfer, Jan Dhan bank

accounts,

MGNREGA

scheme,

massive

drive to build roads and other infrastructure has put in the hands of the rural population much

before.

more

Daimler

disposable selling

cash

one

than

hundred

ever

luxury

high-end Benz cars in a single day in Aurangabad is not a stray incident. Such stories are playing out across India, more to Class B and C cities,

district centres and mandi villages. “This is ‘real’

India,” said Gopal Krishna Gokhale to Mahatma Gandhi upon his arrival from South Africa. In

pure economic terms, these words proved to be prophetic. So rural is the way to go.

Spend, Rather than Save The next-gen have not seen the weak economic conditions,

shortages

and

demand

curtailing

taxation. These forced people to save, rather than spend. Future for them was uncertain and saving for the rainy day was the survival motto. But

those fears and apprehensions have given way

to optimism and security for post-retirement life

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

Today’s younger generation wants to live (enjoy) life here and now.

Not tomorrow and day after. They see their future, in a new India, very positively and, thus, are not driven by fear and insecurity. This is the main reason behind mushrooming of super markets and malls, even in smaller towns and overgrown villages. This will demand wide product choices and off-the-shelf delivery. Are your scales and logistics efficient enough?

45

THE CHEM BOND

Thriving Chemical Sector A Vital Link for Atmanirbhar Bharat

There are so many norms that the government is bringing in to make sure that the Indian industries follow world standards and are ready to play at the global scale.

Proactive steps by the industries / clusters in ensuring these are followed not only on

paper, but in spirit will make the industry more trustworthy, the environment greener, stakeholders more collaborative and, finally, the sector more growing.

T

he recently released Annual Report 2021-22 by the Ministry of Chemicals

and Petrochemicals outlines the Vision 2024 of the Ministry to establish the

Indian chemicals and petrochemicals sector as a leading hub that will contribute significantly to India’s growth story by reducing import dependency, attracting investment in manufacturing quality products and using cutting-edge technology in specified clusters with the focus on sustainability in the manufacturing sector.

Chintan R. Joshi Kaushalya Reputation and Brand Consultancy, Mumbai

48

The vision is very well articulated and attempts to underline the thriving chemical sector as a vital link towards making Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India).

The chemical sector is the main contributor to the growth of industrial and agriculture

sectors in any economy. In addition to this, it is the basic industry in which other

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

downstream adhesives,

segments

healthcare,

like

textiles,

medical

Indian businesses have an immediate opportunity to upscale themselves from sustainability and a larger ESG perspective that will open up the flow of sustainable business growth as the world looks for an alternative or addition to China.

paper,

devices,

polymers, automotive and construction can

grow and contribute effectively to the overall success of any economy.

The current pandemic challenges have made

it absolutely clear that India needs to develop more indigenous capabilities to protect, support and grow the chemicals and speciality chemical

chemical sector must adapt it sooner to make

build a sustainable and growing ecosystem of

product standards perspective. Another step the

sector in India. Only then will India be able to interdependent industry clusters that will help ‘Make in India’ for captive consumption and the

world. In the vision document of the Ministry, there are few key attributes that if dwelled

deeper would lead us to opportunities where the industries can look for growth and investments.

And these attributes are backed by committed

efforts of the Government of India from all aspects. These steps have opened up a

Benchmarking

lot of opportunities for domestic as well as

will help us

international players to profitably invest in

understand if we

the sector.

have domestic capacities

available for key raw materials,

opportunity to

of materials that can be sourced domestically.

available for key raw materials, steps to enhance their competitiveness and the opportunity to

reduce the import of materials that can be sourced

domestically. And finally, this step will ensure that we have only the priority chemical products

imported from various countries and take policy steps towards creating domestic capacities and

sector, the speciality chemicals sector, which is

and investment in any of these sectors, will

a

policy frameworks, have opened up the sector

for more investments and will take India towards self-reliance.

knowledge-based

opportunity

to

not

sector, only

has

reduce

immense import

dependency for the chemical sector, but the

larger manufacturing sector as well. While the government has announced setting up PCPIRs

and recently announced dedicated plastic parks and medical devices parks that will help increase

domestic capacities as well as capabilities, the

government will also have to be collaborative,

With the Vision 2024 document of the

agile and constructive in its approach such that

industry prepare itself for the opportunities as

time. The government has announced setting up

progressive and sustainable development.

the upgradation of the domestic plastic processing

Government, some attributes will help the

these announcements are materialised in a finite

well as support the industry in moving towards

of 9 such plastic parks across India that will ensure

Reduction in Import Dependency India largely is a net importer of key raw materials

ecosystem with all the required facilities available within these dedicated parks.

for downstream industries and the same is valid

Quality Products

years, the government has taken an important

standardising and improving the policy frameworks

for the chemical sector. During the last couple of

As

step to move the industry towards standardisation

comprehensively, the industry needs to focus

and have begun implementing globally accepted

standard codes. While there may be teething problems in getting all the organised as well as

unorganised players in the sector on board to maintain the standards in paper and spirits, the

50

us understand if we have domestic capacities

Within the larger chemical and petrochemicals

sector. All these steps, coupled with enabling

reduce the import

domestic capabilities. This benchmarking will help

sector, with an outlay of INR 1.97 lakh crores;

over the next five years period for the chemical

and the

this will help India as a country to benchmark its

invite investments in those segments.

investment to the tune of INR 18,000 crores

competitiveness

get the import data component for each element;

schemes for 14 sectors, including the chemical

The PLI scheme was launched in 2021 for

enhance their

government has taken consciously since 2019 is to

The Government of India has announced PLI

need a stable and strong chemical sector.

steps to

the industry competitive from a world-class

the

government

is

working

towards

on improving the quality of the products it is To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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MAKING MARCOM

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99

7

Pankaj Poddar CEO, Cosmo Films Ltd.

It’s a journey that few can emulate; a Trainee at E&Y 25 years ago, Pankaj today spearheads Cosmo Films and is today one of the Captains of the industry.

Change being the only constant, we thought it

would be wonderful to capture this and freeze

‘time’. We associate with the ‘current look’ of

our industry colleagues and would it not be

exciting to know of their persona, decades

ago. That’s what we did, had them dig deep into their archives and share this just for your ‘read’... or should we say ‘see’!

1

A visual delight!

98

4

Mukesh Mishra COO-India & Vice President, IPG Asia Pvt. Ltd.

Hopefully a journey full of smiles for Mukesh! The retro picture was when he was in his 7th grade and today, with his 7-star performance, he leads IPG Asia. Kudos!

54

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

1

97

6

Anil Kumar Mehta

1

Advisor, PLUSS Advanced Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

99

A true retro; the 1976 picture is just before the start of Anil’s professional career and the current one is post his retirement. The astuteness remains evident then and now!

1

Sanjay Sharma Director Operations, Megaplast India Pvt. Ltd.

1

Birgunj, Nepal then to Daman, India today is what this photo story captures.

Steel then, and plastics today, is the enriching experience that Sanjay possesses.

2 8 9

Pankaj C. Shah CEO, Shri Gurujyot Plastics

40 years ago, Pankaj was with Monal Plastics and thereafter set up his own company, Shri Gurujyot Plastics for plastic moulded components. A lot for Pankaj beyond business; be it, IPI, Rotary and so much more.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

55

CHARGED UP

EV Battery Film Separators A Big Boom Ahead

As the EV market continues to grow, the expectations from the industry are set to boom. EV producers are

increasingly exploring the large capacity li-ion battery to ensure longer mileage of vehicles.

W

ith the electric vehicle (EV) segment growing exponentially the world over, especially in the developed countries, the demand for

lithium-ion batteries is at an all-time high. However, this demand

also brings to the fore several important issues, such as performance,

Dr. Babu Padmanabhan Managing Director & Chief Knowledge Officer STEER Engineering Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru

56

reliability, safety and durability of batteries, as the expectations from the consumer market as well as the awareness levels increase. Under such

circumstances, manufacturing practices of lithium-ion batteries is critical, as

the components and other materials have to be of high quality. One such crucial component of the lithium-ion battery is the battery separator film,

which is responsible for the battery’s safety and reliability. Let us review this.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

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The battery separator market has been growing between 16% to 17% CAGR with EVs and mobile phones expected to drive the demand up to 2026. From US$ 5.3 billion in 2020, the market is expected to expand to US$ 12.4 in 2026.

faulty batteries. At present, most of the battery separators are produced using polyolefins.

These separator films are produced using a

twin-screw extrusion process to achieve the highest

required

level

of

wetting

homogeneous

without

mixing

degrading

to

with get

the highest level of performance. But, producing polyolefin films is not an easy task as it involves a complex process. Consequently, battery films are produced through a proven and reliable

process involving twin-screw extrusion. Yet again,

producing polyolefin (battery) films through twin-

screw extrusion is challenging because degradation

Understanding the Separator Film The battery separator film is used between

results in black specs, which need to be eliminated to maintain the film quality.

electrodes - anode and cathode - and it is a key

Technology Behind the Separator Film

of the separator film is to separate these two

polyolefin

component of every li-ion battery. The function

There are two standard methods of producing

electrodes from each other to prevent internal

involves

short circuits to avoid fire or explosion, a major

cause for worry, as being witnessed in many parts of the world. EV manufacturers have been forced to recall their vehicles from the market due to

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

(battery)

extrusion,

films.

high

The

dry

stretching,

process

cooling,

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

59

THUMBS UP

Big Growth Spurt Anticipated

in Agro and Liquid Packaging

Q. How do you see the penetration of mulch film usage?

I

see

significant

potential

here...the

current

penetration in the market is less than 10%; primary reason being the lack of awareness. It

will slowly increase with more and more farmers

using it, and benefitting from it...this word will soon

spread

its benefits.

amongst

the

fraternity

about

PAN India, the awareness is on the rise and I see a lot of growth potential in the coming years.

We can see mulch film usage as essential to the

growth of quality products, maximised production and satisfaction for the farmers. It will help the overall growth of the Indian market as well.

Q. What are the trends in the adoption of biodegradable mulch films in India today?

How do you see the next 3 years?

also easily removable without tearing after the crop is completed. I do see the famers investing in quality products in coming times.

Q. With a lot of reforms in the agro industry in India, how do you see the market trends for mulch films, crop covers and similar products?

I

have

been

working

very

closely

in

the

agriculture sector and I see a significant growth potential in this sector. Some products that I have

been manufacturing are drip systems, greenhouse films, blow tunnels, and films used for creating

artificial lakes or water bodies. There are other accessories used in agriculture also made in

PVC, PET and HDPE as well, and used for storage and transport.

I do not see any challenges that would slow down or retard the growth in this sector as there is

In the current market scenario, biodegradable

excellent support from the state and the central

been some enquiries; however, they have not

sector in terms of subsidies, policy reforms and

early to talk about biodegradable mulch films.

The agro produce is a perennial requirement

mulch films have not been in use. There have

government that is beneficial to the agriculture

translated into continuous business. I feel it is too

knowledge sharing.

We continue to focus on producing premium

across the society and there is a demand which,

our mulch is sustainable till the crop demands and

business related to this sector shall keep growing

quality mulch films with a guaranteed life; hence,

I think, shall only keep growing; hence, my too. With reference to today’s market scenario,

people are connecting more and more with

ve in investing We truly belie d technology in the high-en eet the tomation to m and support au t. We are d in the marke an m de ng si increa e equipment y the cost of th not deterred b ts of this e of the benefi ar aw e ar e w as investment.

60

agriculture. Agriculture is not just an occupation; it has become a business. If farmers want to earn healthy money, they need to use modern

techniques and it’s not possible without the use of

mulch films, crop covers and other necessary items.

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

“The agro produce is a perennial

requirement across the society and there is a demand which, I think, shall only keep growing. With

reference to today’s market scenario, people are connecting more and

more with agriculture. Agriculture is not just an occupation; it has become a business,” believes

Bharatkumar V. Siroya, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Bharatkumar V. Siroya Director, Parth Poly Woven Pvt. Ltd., Junagadh

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

61

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THE BIG NICHE

“In my personal opinion,

there is going to be a huge

demand for this segment and the growth is going

to be phenomenal. The future is bright for this

niche, yet ever-expanding sector called engineering

polymers. There is a reason for this...the big driver

being that the engineering polymer parts come with much longer life and

much lower maintenance; this significantly impacts

the project commercials,” suggest Harish Rai, in

dialogue with POLYMERS

Communiqué.

Harish Rai Managing Director, R.E PolyTechnologies Pvt. Ltd., Vadodara

Performing With

Performance Polymers Q. Share with us in a snapshot about your business today...

We are majorly, or may say totally, into engineering polymers (and sometimes commodity), but catering to engineering applications. Our singular focus is on

material replacement of metals with polymers. This, I believe, is our forte and we consciously focus on a meaningful replacement, adding technical and commercial

value to our clients. With a satisfying journey this far, the company started business with a mere Rs. 1,400 as capital investment making hand moulded toys in the year 1987, and in the last FY, we clocked a turnover of Rs. 150 million.

Q. What is the growth that you envisage in performance polymers and its applications in the engineering sector over a horizon of next three years?

According to me, most MNCs having their bases in India are hesitant in working

64

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

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with local companies to innovate on the subject of

metal

parts

/

spares

replacement

with

performance polymers. Some Indian companies are willing.

In my personal opinion, there is going to be a huge demand for this segment and the growth is going to be phenomenal. The future is bright

for this niche, yet ever-expanding sector called engineering polymers. There is a reason for

this...the big driver being that the engineering polymer parts come with much longer life and much

lower

maintenance;

this

impacts the project commercials.

The current market trends in use of polymers for engineering applications clearly shows a growth of 25% YoY; to add, post pandemic, there is a steep growth at the rate of 40 - 45% YoY that we as a company have witnessed.

significantly

The current market trends in use of polymers for engineering applications clearly shows a growth

in engineering polymers has also registered

Q. Apart from the application categories that you have earlier mentioned, which other categories do you think are the future growth sectors?

market is slightly retarded due to the issue I

electronics

of 25% YoY; to add, post pandemic, there is a

steep growth at the rate of 40 - 45% YoY that we

as a company have witnessed. The global growth some strong numbers; the growth in the Indian

I see a huge opportunity in the electrical /

mentioned earlier; but the future is great.

conductive segments are yet untapped. We have

Q. Which are the top 4 applications that contribute significantly to your business?

The four major applications in their order of contribution are cryogenics, paint industry, bath accessories and in the security sector wherein we

the

conductive

and

non-

done a few projects wherein we have researched

and provided the prototype which has been approved and cleared, but the production is awaited as the demand is yet to be created in the market.

parts. To sum it up, I have these segments and my

limited customer base have immense confidence

Q. For your various engineering applications or newer applications, which types of materials have you used?

in us and give us new business each year; we do

a lot of new product development along with

Compounded materials used are called speciality

our customers.

polymers; they are based on end application of components.

supply engineering polymer fabricated spares /

Q. In your opinion, what is the prime reason for the MNCs’ hesitation in giving business for the engineering polymers applications in India?

Bioplastics are not used in speciality polymers;

Traditionally,

Q. Changes over the next 2 - 3 years in the field of material science that you foresee shall strongly influence the engineering polymers / applications?

the

MNCs

have

always

been

apprehensive about the quality aspect. I feel it’s more to do with the mind-set, and slowly that

is changing with time. I have been supplying

some material to MNCs as they faced challenges that could not be resolved and I provided them

with solutions that were both, suitable and cost-effective, and of the required quality.

Another issue that we face here is the availability

of the raw material required for certain niche applications; these are only available overseas.

66

sector;

however, it is widely used in commodity plastics where

the

application

polymers is good.

acceptance

of

these

The material science sector is going to radically change the application scope; materials that are

specifically made based on the applications is To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

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ECON

A Knowledgeable and Reliable Partner A good quality underwater pelletiser is an important part of the

whole plant as the shape, size and consistent quality of the end

product is solely dependent on the pelletiser. Importantly, it also helps to increase the output of the production.

Q. What was the single most reason for you to take the plunge into a business based on bioplastics / biopolymers?

I believe we have borrowed our planet from our next

generations and we have obligations to hand over to them this Mother Earth in a better shape than we have

Indian market, but also to the surrounding countries.

Q. What are the challenges faced whilst forming the company and the most crucial milestone this far?

received it - sustainable materials is one of the solutions

More than challenges, I would like to call them learning.

play a key role in this segment.

realisation of time scale whilst working in a complex

which we can offer and, hence, I believe biopolymers After spending a decade and a half outside India, I

believe it is time to pay back Mother India what we owe to this lovely country. A lot of developments

We had several interesting learnings, especially on environment like ours. Ease of business is still a

distant dream; however, it has opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

have happened across the world and if we can

The most difficult phase was when we actually

opportunities will be endless. I sincerely believe that

March, 2020 and by the end of that March, COVID-19

adapt

some

of

them

for

the

Indian

markets,

if you are passionate about something and really believe in it - which I do - in sustainable materials -

then success is guaranteed. We found a reliable and supportive partner in FKuR - who is a market leader in this segment. This journey of SKYi and FKuR started

way back in December, 2010 and here we are in 2022 with a dedicated biopolymer plant set up as a joint

70

venture between SKYi and FkuR to cater not only to the

decided to set up the manufacturing plant - it was restrictions struck India, so all our planning went for a toss. Be it banks, machine suppliers, vendors etc.,

everyone was in a panic mode and in the same boat.

However, I must appreciate our partners - machine

manufacturers - who had a lot of patience and supported us to realise our dream. Our very young

and relatively less experienced team worked day and

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

In the coming years, different geographies will grow in different business segments; e.g., India is pretty focused currently on offering alternate solutions to conventional banned single-use plastics so compostable biopolymers will see growth. In other countries, it is a mix of compostable and non-biodegradable / recyclable polymers as well. These may open up different well-established applications; e.g., toys.

Dr. Sachin Jain Managing Director, SKYi FKuR Biopolymers Pvt. Ltd., Pune

night during the month of June - till August, 2020 - when COVID restrictions

were strict, especially in Maharashtra

and that too in Pune. This was a very important milestone in our biopolymer business history.

It was a record that within a span of two

and a half months, our team, definitely with the support of machine suppliers,

set up the whole plant. What started with a lot of hesitation in the first week of June, 2020, got completed and we had our first successful production trials on 18 August, 2020 - ECON and other th

suppliers’ engineers stayed with us for a couple of weeks without complaining

about the external environment. I think

this is the spirit of India and we are proud of it.

Q. As a material, what is the biggest hurdle facing biopolymers for its large-scale adoption?

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

How can the industry address or circumvent this impediment?

I think it is a question of time and

biopolymers will overcome the hurdles it

is facing. Any change is difficult to accept and adopt. Some changes evolve over time, some are forced and some have no choice but to accept. Biopolymers

have

different

challenges;

however,

when I look back some 20 odd years ago, biopolymers have come a long way. It has started to find commercial applications,

a lot of innovations have happened on the material side, application / product side

and

are

unforeseen areas.

fast

penetrating

the

currently are in the very infant stage in

Yes, there are still challenges and

it has not reached its maturity yet.

solutions,

India, and also in developed economies, Fortunately, I have been a part of the

early history of biopolymers - both, durable and compostable - and both

certain hesitation in adopting these especially

when

people

compare conventional plastics, which have existed for a century now, with

biopolymers which are only a couple

71

of decades old. Obviously, biopolymers

solutions in India and are in line with

chances of getting it right the first time.

an established material. Secondly, due

Bharat’ mission; secondly, we want to

in India, their business network has

have to compete with plastics - such to the very nature of biopolymers, they are different in terms of processing; be it in blown film or thermoforming or any other manufacturing process. Even the processes and machines need to be optimised for biopolymers so that we

come to the same level of productivity as that of conventional plastics. I

believe in certain areas this is already happening. This is part of evolution.

Embracing

new

solutions

such

as

biopolymers by the plastics fraternity

will certainly help it to grow faster and it

is an extension of the existing solutions.

For a new entrant, the learning curve is

longer. I have started seeing this change happening across the country. This is part of adopting a change.

Another important role is that of regulations.

I

believe

the

scientific

community in India, including CIPET

the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar

be closer to our business partners our customers - whom we can better serve when we are present in the same geography.

Now that we have set up a plant, we

have started adding more product lines

that can be manufactured at the India plant and are gearing up for future

growth. We would like to be competitive and yet offer the best quality. Quality is

our prime focus and we would like to offer the best to our customers.

Looking at various challenges which will come due to the ban on singleuse plastics, we are offering several

solutions to customers by supporting them with technical expertise not only on materials, but also on processing so that they are well prepared for the upcoming times.

and

Likewise, we are also adopting our

problem and providing technical and

regulations of different countries and

and

CPCB,

did

an

excellent

commendable job in identifying the

product

portfolio

to

comply

with

environmentally-friendly solutions. If the

that’s why many MNCs like to work

spirit and regulatory framework, this

Europe (Willich, Germany) and Asia

to benefit. This is part of forced change

advantages

implementation is enforced in the right

with us as we have manufacturing in

will speed up the change for everyone

(Pune, India). Both plants have different

and, I believe, it is inevitable.

features; e.g., produce similar quality of

Q. Biopolymer, as a material, is here to stay and with the plethora of products that you have in your portfolio, you have all your bases covered; what next?

and

yet

few

common

products and proximity to customers.

Q. What role has ECON played this far to be your business enabler?

ECON has played a significant role in our journey. If I remember correctly, we

With

multiple

machine

installations

become vast; with their reference,

the possibility of a connect becomes very high.

We bought state-of-the-art ‘underwater

pelletiser’ along with the online screen changer from ECON India. A good quality

underwater

pelletiser

is

an

important part of the whole plant as the shape, size and consistent quality

of the end product is solely dependent on the pelletiser. Importantly, it also

helps to increase the output of the production. The online screen changer

ensures that the line runs uninterrupted during changing of the screen and

the melt flow is passed through the second screen without disturbing the

operation. This helps to run the machine continuously and ensures consistent quality products for our customers. This

is indeed very critical as our customers’ production lines run continuously and

we need to assure them the material supplied by us will run smoothly without any breakdowns.

In ECON, we have found a reliable

partner who is helping us through our journey.

Q. What is your analysis of the market leadership position attained by ECON in its business segment?

Not a very difficult question to answer!

I think business is done by people,

obviously quality of product is the

Yes, FKuR has one of the broadest

have been discussing about setting up

biopolymer

we

was patient with us until we actually

One of the major reasons for ECON’s

have products which are suitable for

period, ECON shared a lot of their

management

thermoforming, injection moulding etc.

a real partner. This is the key to long-

product portfolios amongst all the

a plant in India since 2018 and ECON

are proud to bring them to India. We

released the PO in 2020. During this

flexible

learnings and also business insights like

manufacturers

packaging,

rigid

and

packaging,

By setting up a manufacturing plant

term success.

basic criteria.

success is the accessibility of Indian to

their

customers.

ECON India team is fantastic and very

supportive

business growth.

in

every

step

of

in India, we clearly wanted to make

ECON brought the experience of its

Second

about business to provide sustainable

which gave us confidence and high

response to help support customers. We

a

72

statement

that

we

are

serious

Austrian facility and people to India

important

reason,

I

would

say, is that they are very fast in their

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

had some hiccups post installation of the

machines,

and

ECON,

without

hesitation, sent us the replacement tool which was very expensive; they made sure that our production did not

stop and eventually they sorted out the challenge we were facing. Service to customers is key to success.

and technology at affordable prices

in India. Adoption to Indian market demand keeping in mind the price

expectation is another success factor which is making ECON the market leader and far ahead of its next competitor.

Q. How do you see the market trends from here on within your business verticals over a period of 3 years? Which is the segment / sub-segment that you feel shall contribute significantly to your business growth?

In general, the biopolymer market is growing. New applications are opening

up and that is propelling business growth. It is an exciting time and yet

also of caution that it should not go in the direction of conventional plastics and ruin its reputation. the

coming

geographies

will

years,

grow

in

different

different

business segments; e.g., India is pretty focused currently on offering alternate solutions

to

conventional

banned

single-use plastics - so compostable biopolymers will see growth. Obviously,

it will depend on acceptance by the plastics industry and how seriously

the government would like to enforce the regulations.

In other countries, it is a mix of compostable and non-biodegradable / recyclable polymers as well. These may open

up

different

applications; e.g., toys.

well-established

Q. How do you see the evolution of your global partnership? Do we see a big foray into manufacturing

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

in the coming years?

Global

partnerships

important.

First,

differences

are

the

between

very

culture

two

countries bring in a lot of synergy -

obviously till you understand and

integrate cultures, it is very difficult.

However, once you understand, working

Third reason, of course, is the quality

In

Biopolymers currently are in the very infant stage in India, and also in developed economies, it has not reached its maturity yet.

When I look back some 20 odd years ago, biopolymers have come a long way.

April - May 2022

can be smoother.

our recent failures is that you should

For customers who are present across

focus on your strength, rather than

beneficial

sought-after.

expected market is doing. There is

proximity to customers and sometimes

focus and build on what we offer

communication language makes the

share that every competitor would be

the globe, such partnership is very

chasing what your competition or

Cultural understanding of business and

always room for everyone and if we

simple

best, I think we can get the market

and

also

things

difference

in

such

as

building

common

customer

-

supplier partnerships. This also helps

us to bring our combined strengths

to the market by offering solutions that

are

both

commercially

technically attractive.

and

Importantly, as I mentioned earlier,

envious of.

We

need

to

be

alert

about

developments around us and in the market; however, only focusing on what

others are doing is bound to fail us in the long term.

every geography has different needs,

Q. What does competition mean to you?

internally than your own partner so that

Just like customers, competitors are

market relevant products.

important to have competition in the

and

who

best

can

convince

you

future growth is secured by offering

In the past couple of years, we had several challenges; however, I foresee that

with

opportunities

upcoming and

business

regulations

your best teachers. It is always very market as it helps to grow the market.

No customer would like to work with a product which is offered only by one supplier.

and

Competition for us is not only from

manufacturing and we will surely like to

products, but also from the solutions

being more

implemented,

investments

will

more

come

into

be ahead to serve our customers.

Q. A failure that you have experienced, that has taught you the most.

No one likes to fail, me neither. However,

it is a part of our life and of the business

as well. It is bound to happen - whoever gets up first and starts again by quickly learning from what went wrong -

will succeed. Sometimes, learning is

small and can be ignored; at times, it is hard and expensive.

One of the things which I learnt from

our peers who are in the similar providers who offer alternatives to even

compostable polymers such as paper, pulp based products etc.

I believe there are more and more

business opportunities and there are

a lot of innovations needed and also

happening all across - which may bring competition. If we are alert, we will innovate some and at the same time also adopt some.

Competition will help us grow the

business and together we can help better serve the cause of a sustainable and green environment.

73

MOVING ON

“Conveying systems are an

essential part of automation

and production. Each conveying system is developed to fit a

specific application. Considering

all the factors and benefits, from an entrepreneur’s point of view, investing in conveying systems is a very important concept to survive in today’s highly

competitive market,” suggests Rajiv Trivedi, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Rajiv Trivedi Freelancer, Trivedi Associates, Ahmedabad

74

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

Conveying Systems No Longer a Luxury

Q. What according to you is the role of conveying systems?

Q. Any additional highlights of a conveying system that you would like to share?

Conveying systems are at the very heart of

The alarm system of the hopper notifies the

revolutionised manufacturing by well developing

consistent level, thereby increasing productivity.

manufacturing and industrialisation. They have

the assembly lines. Without conveying systems, many of the raw material and plastic processes that we take for granted today would not have been possible.

hoppers was considered luxury in the initial ’90s.

The machinery sourced from Europe had hopper loaders with a capacity of 50 - 100 kg/hour. changing

advancements higher

the-hour. use

output

of

This

and

times

machine

demands

is

conveying

resins in processing.

and

are

reflected of

technological

by

plastics

population,

the

need-of-

the

rising

granules

/

The current scenario of highly emerging one-

stop purchase malls and e-commerce portals

has decreased the dependency on skilled / unskilled labour. Today, with a single operator working on 2 - 3 machines together, conveying is

a huge saviour. In normal machines, the hopper’s height results in wastage and spillage of the raw

material. Unlike this, conveying has vacuum and

pressure which helps granules to be routed without wastage, regardless of the height of the machine.

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

making well-timed use of raw materials. Conveying lines have a centralised system with a coupling

station which eases process flexibility to convey assures an important attribute of maintaining clean

Raw material conveying between machines and

with

The conveying system works on the FIFO method,

material with the help of piping as well. This

Q. Usage of conveying systems for raw material handling. Your thoughts please.

But

level of the material and helps in maintaining a

room conditions.

With these benefits, conveying continues to gain

popularity in transporting materials to machines, to

the store, covering the distance to godowns as well.

Furthermore, the centralised systems are available

with SCADA for supervisory control and monitoring even remotely. Being automated, this approach of

‘no manual touch’, is well accepted by the medical and pharmaceutical sector.

Q. Do you see the importance of conveying systems for finished goods as well?

Conveying of finished goods is equally important, wherein the end products are transferred to the nearby machines in collection bins, directly to storage areas or to the next assembly section.

In

the

process,

conveyor

belts

of

suitable

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

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75

We Stretch to Meet

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DIFFERENT CONNECT

A

ttractive packaging is usually the

first line of strategic marketing in order to maximise sales for

organisations. However, in addition to

focusing on the look of the product, organisations today also want to assure

consumers of the authenticity and

quality of their products. Brands strive to

adopt various innovative mechanisms to make their products more secure. One of the major avenues to achieve this is with the use of holographic solutions and labels.

What are xxxxxxxxxx Holographic Solutions and Labels?

Holography is essentially a technique that allows the material to have an iridescent

effect

giving

Yogesh Kapur Executive Vice President, Holography Business, UFlex Ltd., Noida

stunning

rainbow-like images to the viewer. These images are completely customisable and can store a plethora of information

like the manufacturing date, batch number or any other information that the supplier may choose to store - all

in a single holographic image, instead of multiple labels. Moreover, they are

visually appealing and can be made highly secured with attractive colour combinations

and

patterns,

them impossible to replicate.

making

Holographic labelling solutions help

to protect products from the threats of counterfeiting and ensure that the

product outshines on the retail shelves and reaches the end consumer in its most pristine state.

How does Holography Secure Product Packaging?

Due

to

advances

in

holographic

technology, holographic solutions offer

myriad features that not just facelift the

overall look of the packed product, but also alarm about the unwanted acts the pack may have suffered at any stage

of handling. Holographic packaging

78

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

The demand for holographic product

Market Trends

packaging and labels is expected to witness growth momentum in the

in Holography can make a product come to life in

the fiercely competitive world and can

protect the brands from fakes or lookalike products.

developed and developing nations. It is

encouraging to see a rise in purchasing power of consumers that will prompt affordability of holographic solutions

by brands that will help them earmark the legitimacy of products for the end consumers, and fight the fakes.

Intelligent Labels

can be assured, which is helpful to

Holographic labels and solutions not only enhance the overall look and feel of the product, but also open a world of

Enhance the Visual Appeal

possibilities and added functionalities.

Today, brands are aggressively relying

Subsequently, these intelligent labels

products stand out on the retail shelves

information as required by the brands

The holographic solutions used by

chain

are made by integrating a wide variety

that could provide information useful

which can be attractively patterned,

such as information about product

the product packaging requirements.

and so on. It acts as direct

on holographic solutions to make their

and solutions can store customisable

and catch the consumers’ attention.

and consumers. They boost supply

packaging manufacturers and brands

a linked digital bank of information

of eye-catching colour combinations,

to any stakeholder of the product,

differently shaped and sized to suit

development, packaging journey

Holographic

communication

solutions

can

make

a

product look unique, exclusive and visually aesthetic, allowing brands to

be easily identifiable and different from the others. The superior and creative

finishing adds an element of premium quality giving a sense of pride in owning the product.

Holographic solutions are economically

priced and can be incorporated into the product packaging without significant addition of costs, given the quantum of benefits they provide.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

performance

monitored

with

prevent unfair business practices and fraudulent returns.

Enabling Authenticity Holographic solutions are high-quality, water-resistant

and

heat-resistant

solutions that ensure no deterioration during the course of transit. Holographic To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

A recent technology that uses augmented the consumer and reality to project the ultra-realistic the brand. hologram from within the product Today, beyond packaging ensures seamless interaction aesthetics, the scope between brands and consumers. The inbuilt of holographic tool is activated using a smartphone and solutions in packaging the hologram can be viewed through the is growing manifolds. mobile phone camera. This technology Due to its traceability is serving as a self-help handy kiosk that helps trace for intelligent and data-curious reverse logistics for the consumers. e-commerce sector, the legitimacy

of

between

transactions

79

e-Bulletin For An Impregnable

BondWith

The Global Markets

DIZZY ROTATION

Forward Looking Rotomoulding Technology

for Defence Applications Rotomoulding has vast opportunities. It’s only an individual’s imagination for

applications to move ahead with development. Defence provides huge business potential not only in India, but from India to the world.

R

otomoulding, a legendary technology, has had a strong base in developing the plastics industry for many innovative and successful products. The most popular being water storage tanks. This technology was first adopted

to make hollow products, especially PVC toys. The properties of being hollow, seamless and stress-free are the unique proposition of this technology.

Rotomoulding has seamlessly transited to other materials and products. The primary

material being used today is LLDPE and has also been the highest contributor this far. New materials have been developed for rotomoulding and we now see their contribution increasing with many new, innovative products in various fields.

With water storage tanks business being stable, business owners and new entrants have now started looking forward to newer avenues such as materials and technologies which have good potential, advanced properties as well as efficient and advanced manufacturing.

Some of the few industries and sectors wherein the rotomoulding industry is

looking forward to include infrastructure, telecom, waste management, logistics,

marine, automotive, defence and many more, where many other technologies are not able to serve or economics are not justified. We will talk about an important sector which has high potential, and has also been an important sector for any country, for safety reasons - the defence sector.

For the Armed Forces The defence sector of any country has multi-facial activities, over and above safeguarding the country. Their services are always requested during natural Prashant Trivedi Head Operations, BU: Engineering Plastics, Loxim Industries Ltd., Ahmedabad

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

calamities, disaster management and during the country’s internal disturbance.

They need to be ready 24/7 for any such situation and are also required to be

well equipped. Defence also needs products which can be helpful to them in adverse

environmental

conditions,

even

at

remote

places.

Rotomoulding

technologies have been offering many such products which can be of great help

and assistance to the defence in order to face and handle situations as well as

83

conditions. Due to statutory requirements, it

restricts us to showcase the product details; though we will be discussing here the product needs and those developments for the required usages.

Defence also

needs products which can be

helpful to them in adverse

environmental

conditions, even

at remote places.

Rotomoulding technologies have been

offering many

such products which can be of great help

and assistance

to the defence

in order to face and handle

situations as well as conditions.

There are two types of rotomoulded defence

boxes - one for storage of equipment and

ammunition which needs to be carried along and

The first area we shall look for products which

thus needs to be light and strong. The other one is

is securing the borders in cold regions that are

(carrying ammunition and other contents) also

can help our defence, especially the army who

used for dropping at site or air lifted. These boxes

covered by snow throughout the year and

need to be light and designed much stronger so

are rough and tough to survive.

All-terrain Vehicle Body Parts

temperatures nearing -35° C. The conditions

Insulated Shelters

as to withstand the impact.

The all-terrain vehicle needs to be light as well

They are in the shape of an igloo and have

as feasible to operate in an adverse surrounding

insulated shelter keeping the habitat safe.

and also should have the ability to be camouflaged.

similar

applications;

their

double-layer

The material is LLDPE and can be moulded with a single shot, large enough to take care

of 6 - 10 people to stay inside comfortably.

The insulation thickness is enough to take

care of the outside temperature. This can be made in a camouflaged design as well. There is also an underground shelter designed where needed.

Safety Guards at Posts / Stations There are shelters designed such that they can be placed to safeguard the posts / stations.

Designed

with

reinforcements,

these shelters ensure safety of guards in case of insurgency.

Insulated Water Tanks Availability of drinking water is challenging

in such adverse conditions. Thus, insulated water tanks which can keep water in a

environment. The body parts need to be replaceable

Surveillance Drone Body In today’s scenario, drones are playing a very important part in surveillance as well as for transporting

light

shipments,

especially

for

medical support, and during disaster management or while providing medical assistance to the

remotest part where no other mode of transport is available. The fundamental need here is to

make the drone body as light as possible so that its lifting capacity can be increased.

Medical Stretchers These have been very useful during war scenarios, natural calamities or any internal disturbances.

They are fast to manufacture and can be delivered in a very short time.

Specifically for the Navy

Speed Boats and Rescue Boats

liquid state for a sufficient period of time is the

Rotomoulding plays a crucial role in making

is again built with LLDPE along with a thick

meet the functional requirements. These can be

need of the hour. This double walled structure

single moulded boats which can be designed to

insulating material.

used by the navy to transport its teams to the

Insulated Fuel Storage

in danger. The lifesaving boats, which are not speed

These are double walled with different outer and inner materials so as to restrict the oozing out of the

fuel through the tank as well as ensuring that it does not freeze.

Waterless Toilet Blocks These toilets are an essential part of the defence

camp as they have a self-decomposing mechanism

and do not discharge water thereby safeguarding the environment.

Listed here are some other products that play a crucial role in the defence sector.

84

Defence Boxes

required sites and also be useful to save incumbents boats though, have been used extensively during floods by the navy for saving citizens in distress.

Defence Barges and Floats These are seamlessly designed floats which can be

self-assembled

capabilities.

for

required

load-bearing

Naval Buoys To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

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April - May 2022

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B u s in es sToon s

More than just ordinary, BusinessToons take content to another level in POLYMERS Communiqué.

Reading this, some may laugh, some may smile, some may read it and just put the magazine on the

side. In either case, it has achieved its intent to help you unwind and reset your mind...make it fresh, as green as it can get; essential isn’t it...as possibilities with polymers are endless...circular nevertheless!

88

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89

MEDICAL MAGIC

Capitalising on

High-Growth Medical Opportunities Source: Husky Technologies

Today it’s important that companies deliver integrated systems as a total system solution which has singlesource responsibility and is specifically configured

for an application as these solutions not only offer maximum part performance, but also precision

and repeatability in high-cavitation manufacturing processes, bringing validated medical parts to the market at unimaginable speeds and volumes.

M

edical

injection

moulding

continues to enjoy strong growth as worldwide demand

increases for medical devices, according to industry observers. New business opportunities are emerging globally as

the industry expects the medical device sector to see compounded annual growth of greater than 10%.

The rising prevalence of chronic disease and the ageing population are the key market drivers. In addition, emerging economies with higher GDPs are seeing increasing expenditures for healthcare.

Another major influence has been the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spurred

the explosive growth of laboratory consumables for testing, vaccinations and other diagnostics. Among the growing

90

business

opportunities

are

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

Today, it’s important that companies deliver integrated systems as a total system solution which has single-source responsibility and is specifically configured for an application.

pipette tips and blood collection tubes, utilising integrated

manufacturing

approaches

which

assure the highest levels of certainty, scalability and fastest time-to-market.

Identifying the High-Growth Opportunities Processors and end users are poised to capitalise on potential growth applications. Selecting the

right application means balancing the risk and opportunity. Making a risk / rewards evaluation is important in selecting business opportunities that

present a reasonable risk and complexity level, combined with high volume for fast payback.

Amidst the pandemic, the production of pipette

tips, blood collection tubes and pre-filled syringes have emerged as high-growth tracts that are ripe for expanded penetration.

Pipette tips - which dispense medical fluids and liquids - are a high-volume application which are predicted to see a 9.7% compounded annual growth

rate

opportunities

(CAGR) are

through

fuelled

2025.

by

Growth

COVID-19,

nationalisation and demand for quality parts.

Pipette tip design has several critical quality

criteria including dimensional tolerances, part

filling (especially below 0.5 mm wall thickness), concentricity (run-off or run-out), inside and outside flash and insert split lines positioning.

Another promising application is blood collection tubes which have seen dramatic growth due to To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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91

SIVARAM SPEAKS

Lithium-ion Battery Fires

How Can Polymers Help?

One of the key components of the battery is the

Cylindrical

polymer separators.

Polymers are critical to

safer lithium-ion batteries.

Aromatic polyimides are emerging as promising

separator materials. The ultimate solution is to

18650 Round

flammable electrolytes.

Cathode Anode Separator Cell Case

develop intrinsically nonPoly (ionic liquids),

low molecular weight

Prismatic

polyfluoropolyethers and

perfluorinated polyethylene oxide have shown promise as intrinsically safe

electrolytes for LIB.

Figure 1: Lithium-ion battery formats.

E

lectric scooters catching fire have captured headlines several times in newspapers and television in recent months. Between March and April

2022, as many as six events have been reported; some even leading to

loss of life. This has led to heightened anxiety in the minds of consumers on

the inherent safety of e-vehicles (EV). For the nascent Indian market, where electric mobility is just taking roots, apprehensions in the minds of consumers regarding the safety of EV is not desirable. These are not the first instances of

reports of fire with EVs. There have been recurring instances of fire associated with mobile phones,

laptops, automobiles, aircraft, marine vessels and

grid energy storage systems since 2003. China reports as many as 30 fire instances per year of EVs. The US Federal Aviation Agency has reported as

many as 250 fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries (LIB) in air cargo Dr. S. Sivaram Former Director, CSIR-NCL, Honorary Professor Emeritus and INSA Emeritus Scientist, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

94

or baggage since 2006. More than 20,000 occurrences of fire in consumer products have been reported in the US between 2012 and 2017. Although

statistically rare, LIB fires are a source of concern because they are ubiquitous in modern societies and also because they pose fire hazards which are unique in their character.

Why are LIB inherently hazardous? How can we make them more rugged

and fire-proof? Is there a role for polymers to enhance the operating safety of LIB? We will address some of these issues in the flowing paragraphs.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

What Causes the Fire?

and anode and a liquid electrolyte

which is typically a 50:50% weight

Since the introduction of LIBs by Sony

mixture of dimethyl carbonate and

Inc., in 1991, the energy density of a

ethylene carbonate. One of the most

battery has seen relentless increase.

The

current

state-of-the-art

catastrophic failures of an LIB system is

lithium

the cascading thermal runaway event

ion cells can reach a specific energy of

which proceeds in three stages (Refer

250 Wh per kg. This, coupled with

Figure 3 and 4) [1,2]. During stage 1,

the need of the consumers to rapidly

overheating occurs due to faulty battery

charge the batteries, has resulted in

charging (being charged beyond the

design changes that has sometime

designed voltage), exposure to high

compromised the safety of the battery.

temperatures, external short circuits

Thus, safety is an essential prerequisite for

large

scale

application

of

due

LIB,

to

faulty

wiring

and

internal

short circuiting due to defects in the

especially in large format applications.

individual cells. One of the frequent

Several issues need to be resolved before

causes for internal shorting is due to

the widespread deployment of such

cell crush occurring during vehicle

batteries in high energy applications.

collisions. Other defects in the cell

The basic configuration of an LIB is

may arise due to the needle shaped

as illustrated in Figure 1. The battery

lithium dendrite formation under high

pack of a car such as the Tesla Model S

current density which results in the

is shown in Figure 2. The battery

contact of the anode and the cathode

essentially consists of a solid cathode

are very volatile and are inflammable.

At room temperature and atmospheric pressure, their flash points are about 25° C.

In

high

presence

and

of

oxygen,

flammable

organic compounds, all confined in a sealed container, is nothing short of

an explosive device and results in an explosion and fire.

involved in thermal runaway reactions,

the onset of stage 2. At stage 2, due to

overheating, many chemical changes

occur internally. Lithium salts used as

the electrolyte decompose leading to flammable gases and oxygen. During this stage, the pressure and temperature

inside the battery increases and oxygen

the initiation and propagation processes

many approaches are being explored to enhance battery safety through rational

design of battery components. Herein, we will restrict the discussion to areas where polymers can play a critical role in

enhancing

battery

safety

minimising the incidence of fire.

and

Polymers...A Game Changer One of the key components of the battery

Decomposition heat

the

temperature

insulating barrier between the anode

battery begins to overheat leading to

is

the

polymer

separators.

Polymers are critical to safer lithium-

Combustion heat

ion batteries. I had earlier discussed this subject in an issue of POLYMERS Heat generation

Heat dissipation

Safe Operation: Heat balance

Quick heat generation Internal causes

External causes

stage 3. The organic liquid carbonates

Based on significant understanding of

and the cathode. During stage 1, the

Figure 2: 85 kWh battery pack of Tesla Model S consisting of 7,104 cylindrical 18650 cells mounted on a cooling pad.

accumulates. Combustion begins in

leading to short circuit and defective

polymer separators which provide an

Joule heat

To prevent damage due to mechanical crushing, shear thickening polymeric additives have been recommended for the electrolyte solution.

Reducing flammability of electrolyte liquids by flame retardant additives, commonly used in the polymer industry, is another option.

Communiqué, December 2016 - January 2017. For higher energy density large battery

formats,

polyolefin

based

flammable

and

the

suitability

separators

of

is

increasingly being questioned. Nonhigh

temperature

resistant polymers have been explored

for this application. Such polymers are amorphous (hence do not shrink), Electrical Mechanical Thermal abuse abuse abuse

Defects Self-heating ignition

Unsafe Conditions: Fast temperature increase rate Thermal Runaway

Figure 3: Abuse conditions that can lead to LIB thermal runaway.

(Source: B. Diaz, et al, J. of the Elecrochem, Soc., 2020, 167, 090559)

96

stable to temperatures beyond 200° C and

possess

adequate

mechanical

To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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ADVERTORIAL

Sponsored by

Aerodry Process Automation Integral to Our Recycling Business

“If we must implement the recently announced EPR,

then we would need around 1,500 recycling plants of

medium-scale capacity. Currently, there are less than 50; hence, there is a big opportunity for the industry to come forward and invest in this area,” opines Jeevaraj Pillai, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. UFlex continues to invest in its recycling business. Please share with the readers the latest updates.

We have recently commissioned an MLP recycling

plant of 1,000 kg/hr and a PET bottle recycling plant of 2,000 kg/hr at our Mexico site. We have also

commissioned an MLP recycling plant of 1,000 kg/hr at our Poland location. We have increased the capacity of the MLP recycling plant at our Noida location. We

also intend to equip all our global manufacturing

Jeevaraj Pillai Joint President, UFlex Packaging Division, UFlex Ltd., Noida

100

locations with a recycling facility.

We are currently recycling around 20,000 MT of

PCR and PIR MLP per annum and intend to reach a

level of 1,00,000 MT per annum by 2024-25.

Q. With increased awareness across the industry on sustainability and circular

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

economy, what kind of business opportunity do you think this sector offers?

The recycling plant is a self-sustaining business with an ROI of 8 - 10%, very similar to that of the packaging industry.

India consumes something like 1,25,000 MT of flexible packaging material, mostly in the

Aerodry process automation the recently announced EPR, then is helping us produce we would need around 1,500 high-quality recycled PET chips. recycling plants of mediumIt is designed to reduce the PPM scale capacity. Currently, there PET flakes crystalliser and levels of the external contaminants are less than 50; hence, there dehumidifying drying systems. is a big opportunity for the like organic compounds in the r-PET industry to come forward and granulates. This improves the invest in this area. of the r-PET chips. line productivity of the filmThis helps in using manufacturing line which Q. Role of packaging to a larger proportion produces the change the future of the of r-PET granules in r-PET film. industry and the environment. film production. form of MLP. If we must implement

Your views.

EPR has laid an emphasis on recycling. Structures that have a better recyclability index would

Q. How does automation from Aerodry impact your recycling business?

be encouraged by the industry to have better

compliance with the EPR norms. Mono-polymer

Aerodry

structures would be preferred by them in the future.

produce high-quality recycled PET chips. It is designed to reduce the PPM levels of the external

Q. PCR MLP recycling continues to be a challenge. What solutions / approaches are available?

We, at UFlex, have been recycling PCR MLP for a

process

automation

is

helping

us

contaminants like organic compounds in the r-PET granulates. This improves the line productivity of the film-manufacturing line which produces the r-PET film.

long time. The technology is available. There is a

Q. Who is your role model that you look up to and why?

to suit the needs of the Indian PCR waste.

Way back in 1993-94 when UFlex was putting

need to customise the washing and recycling line

Q. In your crucial process of converting flakes to chips, what is the role of the solution deployed from Aerodry?

Aerodry process automation enhances the quality

up a massive infrastructure for manufacturing the flexible packaging material, the concept of circularity did not exist. That’s the time when our

Group Chairman, Shri Ashok Chaturvedi envisioned the need for recycling the MLP waste. Since then,

we have been recycling the MLP waste to make all

our packaging plants zero-discharge. We received the ‘Best Paper’ award from Davos Recycling

At UFlex, we intend to equip all our global

manufacturing locations with a recycling facility.

We are currently recycling around 20,000 MT of

PCR and PIR MLP per annum and intend to reach a level of 1,00,000 MT per annum by 2024-25.

Association way back in 1995 and were awarded

with the ‘Best Technology’ award by the then Finance Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Today in the times of circular economy, the vision of Mr. Chaturvedi has come to the fore and is helping the industry meet the challenges of recycling.

He is my role model, and we look up to him for all types of sustainable developments.

POLYMERS Communiqué

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101

ARCHIVES

“As regards

business, India’s piping

category is expected to grow at

14% CAGR between 2017 to 2024;

we think 15 - 20% volume growth

would be possible this year,” shares a confident Kairav Engineer, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Kairav Engineer Vice President Business Development, Astral Poly Technik Ltd., Ahmedabad

Create Wealth

by Making Something New and Better Some articles don’t have a shelf-life. For the ‘Archives’ section, we pick a select few for your ready-read. The article published is reproduced on an as-is basis.

102

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Q. You have been a part of the CPVC business in very early days.

How do you see the evolution of this industry?

applications of CPVC still further?

The industry has evolved to a great

advanced CPVC piping for automatic

extent. In a vast country like India, it

was

a

huge

task

to

replace

galvanised iron (GI) pipes completely

with CPVC for hot and cold water. Yet

riginal pipes. This duplication of piping

We are continuously improving the compound to make it more versatile.

Astral Fire Pro is one such example. This

fire sprinkler systems has now got wide market acceptance. Not only that,

CPVC Pro, our plumbing piping system

leads to many adversities.

Q. The impact of education is immense in your business.

How do you see this need as regards consumer education and education of plumbers?

for hot and cold water, is also going

Astral trains over 80,000 plumbers every

The CPVC prowess has also enabled us

knowledge about new products, new

industrial piping system for transporting

so that they can be more efficient and

improvements.

year across the country. We impart

to manufacture Astral Chem-Pro - the

techniques and new plumbing methods

various chemicals.

effective. Astral has developed specific

manufacture good quality CPVC and

Q. Any areas of its development that concern you?

keep on updating the same.

Today, the range of fittings and pipes

There

can suit any market requirement. Not

manufacturing

selling plumbing piping system.

a direct impact on the health and

Q. Any developments underway to enhance chemical resistivity of CPVC to broaden the horizon of

quality piping can lead to un-wanted

today, there are pockets where GI pipes are still found in use. Earlier, there

were many players producing CPVC,

but the quality standards were not maintained. Today, over a period of

time, those players have emerged who offer the same at competitive prices.

through

continuous

are

local

concerns players

in

who

terms

of

being manufactured is very wide and

many

only that, CPVC today is the highest

quality. Plumbing and drainage have

products

of

are

video content for this purpose and we

still

sub-par

hygiene of the residents and the sub-par troubles. There are many local players who engage in counterfeiting of o

Q. What kind of growth do you expect in your CPVC pipes business in FY20? How sustainable is this growth?

India’s piping category is expected to To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

Your Partner for High-Performance Plastics The Ensinger Group is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of compounds, semi-finished materials, composites, technical parts and profiles made of engineering and high-performance plastics. To process the thermoplastic polymers, Ensinger uses a wide range of production techniques, such as extrusion, machining, injection moulding, casting, sintering and pressing.

Ensinger India Engineering Plastics Pvt Ltd. · 2205, 22nd Floor, SOLUS Building Hiranandani Estate · Thane West – 400607, India · sales.in@ensingerplastics.com 2021_High-performace-plastic-180x110-print.indd 1

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ensingerplastics.com 02.12.2021 14:26:01

103

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April - May 2022

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POLYMERS Communiqué

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62

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locally from sources being widely available around the world.

Low Abrasion and Metal Wear Omyaspace is far less abrasive than TiO2 and any other

oxide pigment, and will allow longer life of extruders, slitting machines and all metal tooling involved in the manufacturing of plastic articles.

Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Plastic Products Omyaspace is a natural calcium carbonate and has

a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to polymers and most pigments. Use of Omyaspace, thus, reduces the ecological footprint in the colour masterbatch and also that of the end product.

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108

Ashish Bhatt Head of Technical Service - Polymers, RAP Mobile: +91 91670 3268 eMail: ashish.bhatt@omya.com

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

POLYTHINKING

Sustainability through Recycling of Materials and Waste as Feedstock

Part I: Chemical Recycling of Waste Plastic

There is tremendous scope for further upgrades in the

management of waste plastics, especially through chemical

recycling. Chemical recycling is an excellent idea and its time

has come. Catalytic processes to

recycle or upcycle plastics will also be hotly pursued.

S

ustainability is just now a buzzword, but must be a practice to be

adopted by all stakeholders. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) has covered 17 of them, but my personal opinion is

that many of these might have been derived from the grand engineering

challenges mentioned in the US National Academy of Engineering’s 1999 report. We are all concerned about sustainability, health, vulnerability

and joy of living. The material needs of society will require 3 Earths if recyclability is not adopted in the so-called circular economy. I am going

to

cover

some

issues

related

to

material

recycling

sustainability in the next few issues of POLYMERS Communiqué.

and

Facts and Figures of Waste Generation The world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually, in which it is predicted that one-third is not managed in an environmentally safe manner. Currently, waste generated per person per Prof. (Dr.) G. D. Yadav

Emeritus Professor of Eminence, and J. C. Bose National Fellow (GoI) Former Vice Chancellor & R.T. Mody Distinguished Professor, and Tata Chemicals Darbari Seth Distinguished Professor of Leadership & Innovation Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

110

day averages 0.74 kgs, but ranges widely anywhere from 0.11 to 4.54 kgs depending on the income level and place of residence (Refer Figure 1).

Even though they only account for 16 per cent of the world’s population,

high-income countries generate about 34% or 683 million tonnes of the total waste.

Approximately 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions was generated from solid waste treatment and disposal

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

800 700 600 Millions of tonnes per year

714

661 516

500 400

396 342 289

369

300 200

177 129

100 0

290 231

269

255

174

Middle East South-Saharan Latin North America and North Africa America and Africa Caribbean 2016

2030

602 490 440 392

466 334

South Asia

Europe and Central Asia

468

East Asia and Pacific

2050

Figure 1: Solid waste generation.

(Source: World Bank)

lying all over, including plastics, tires, food, animal manure, woody biomass, construction debris and

2 2

the like. Generation of heterogeneous and toxic MSW, heaps and heaps of it presenting an ugly

12

site, is the real cause of concern. Among these solid

wastes, plastic has received the maximum attention due to the widespread littering, production scale

44

and visible environmental damage. Plastic was

17

supposed to be a cheap and better alternative to

paper which was responsible for denudation of forests. However, the benefactor became a curse

14 4

Food and green Other

over a period of time. Plastics are usually used for packaging because of their lightweight, low

5

cost, processability, high performance and easy

Glass

Paper and cardboard

Rubber and leather

availability. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene

Metal

Wood

(PP) are some of the most commonly used

Plastic

plastics in multilayer film packaging, among other applications. The single-use plastics (SUP) polythene

Figure 2: Global waste composition.

(Source: World Bank)

in 2016, or 5 per cent of global emissions (Refer

Figure 2). Disposing of waste in open dumps and landfills without landfill gas collection systems is

very common. Food waste accounts for nearly

50% of emissions. Solid waste-related emissions are anticipated to increase to 2.38 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent

per

year

by

2050

improvements are made in the sector.

if

no

Plastics in Perspective The moot question is, “Can we live without plastics?” The answer is resoundingly ‘no’, but what

about the pollution? We must convert the waste into wealth by using technology (Refer Figure 3).

There are enormous quantities of solid wastes

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

bags

available

freely

are

mainly

responsible for their being discarded after use.

High durability of plastics leads to huge quantities of waste accumulation in landfills and oceans because most synthetic polymers are designed for

longevity

and

performance,

rather

than

recyclability and degradability. The single-use plastics are used for sterile packaging, storage, transportation which

and

contribute

disposable to

medical

parts

global

waste.

worldwide

resulting

Approximately 380 million tonnes of plastics is

produced

annually

in huge contributions to global waste and To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

111

INSIDE OUT

Supply

Unbounded Supply chain will have to

do the delicate balancing act, to juggle success,

sustainability and efficiency

to meet disruptions, growth targets, supplier networks, customer needs and the ever-changing future.

I

t amazes me how the infrastructure fell in place for a virtual life during the pandemic, with adaptation to zoom and virtual working and shopping seamlessly. AI and

robots enabled a stream of COVID-19 vaccines to be produced in record time. Similarly, some foods can now be generated in a laboratory rather than grown or reared in fields. I believe the world was

reinventing itself way before the pandemic and it came full circle during the pandemic.

The world order has altered Ruby Thapar A Reputation and Sustainability Consultant and an Executive Coach, Mumbai

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

and that is nothing new. The

difference this time, though, is an

According to the Oxford Economics Survey, 2021 of worldwide supply chain decision makers across industries: 88% have either created a clear mission statement around sustainability or they’re in the process of writing one; but, only 52% have put those words into action.

unprecedented pace of change in

an increasingly flat world. The call to re-

fashion the ways of conducting business and

redefining markets is now an exercise in real time.

117

MAKING MARCOM

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This chip monopoly and shortage is threatening to derail many industries.

Governments and companies are stepping in to find longterm solutions, given that chips are a way of life now.

The Widening Base of Supply Chain The Metal Story In the last few months, the prices of metals including steel, nickel, aluminium and others have been on a sharp rise. These metals are critical for infrastructure

development

from

construction

of roads to airports. Russia - Ukraine contribute

15 - 20% of global export of steel products. The

conflict between the two countries is having a huge impact on global steel demand and

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

trade, coupled with China’s decreasing steel

production due to COVID and raw material

challenges like iron ore as well as power shortage.

The two situations have led to a hike in steel price and supply chain restrictions, leaving the

infrastructure sector and developers vulnerable.

What kind of innovation and diversification will this lead to? Wait and watch!

More

the

economic

activities

are

being

globalised, more is the ask for harmonisation of complex processes in production and supply.

This complexity could be because of factors such as differences in cultures, economic systems, government

regulations,

international

rules

and agreements. Additionally, pandemics, trade wars, real wars, climate wars, water wars and more continue to contribute to this complexity.

The environment of business decisions has been To know more, please subscribe to Polymers Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

119

Weekend Delights Friday night to Monday morning, a time to unwind, rejuvenate and be geared to face another grueling week. Each one of us use this ‘my time’ is different ways. And why not, weekend is a time for expressing ourselves. We all have known the personalities featured here as astute business stalwarts; as life is more than just business, we at POLYMERS Communiqué, have started this section called ‘WEEKEND DELIGHTS’. Live life...

Chandrakant B. Patel Jt. Managing Director

Mamata Machinery Pvt. Ltd.

For me, unwinding is always worship of God and meditation. That always gives me strength and time to think without any distractions. Therefore, it has always been my favourite activity. I am blessed to receive full support from my family for these activities. So it becomes a family event by default. Having support from family and blessings of God, what else would one need to recharge on a weekend!

Balkrishna Bajaj Director

Sonali Group

Weekends, for me, are meant for getting away from the day to day hustle. To take a pause, focus on my own fitness activities which includes cycling, yoga, walking and running, and spending quality time with family and friends.

It is also the time to reflect on the overall direction of the company and the strategic interventions it needs in order to be better planned for the upcoming week in general.

120

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April - May 2022

Varun Bajaj

Executive Director Luk Plastcon Ltd.

Weekend is the time to get refreshed. I generally start my weekend by watching a movie in a theatre. All weekends, I like to indulge in different activities. I like going off-roading in my Mahindra Thar. There are a lot of jungles (national parks) around Nagpur and I visit these parks on some weekends.

A South Indian breakfast, spending time with family and friends coming over, are other elements of my weekend.

Tuhit Katariya Director

Skills Engine Projects

Travelling, boating and exploring new places with family and friends rejuvenates me. To me, family and friends are the most important part of spending time over the weekend. A gettogether of friends and families provides a lot of insights and energy to step forward; be it, personal or professional life.

So, to sum up, the weekend is used to power up energies to work during the coming week.

Umang Shah

Business Development Manager - Healthcare Polymer Solutions, Medical & Pharma Segment

PolyOne Polymers India Pvt. Ltd.

Weekends are for relaxing and spending time with my family. Each weekend is different for me depending on my mood. I prefer different leisure activities like walking, watching movies, exploring new restaurants, visiting beaches and enjoying the food varieties.

I also like to explore electronic gadgets and sometimes do a little photography. Occasionally, I also attend some interesting webinars on the weekends to learn new things.

It’s also enjoyable to have a nice cup of tea with some old Bollywood melodies.

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April - May 2022

121

XXXXXXX DELIGHT EASTERN

East India Polymers Industry

Poised for a 12% CAGR

“Industry 4.0 standards, new polymer manufacturing technologies, polymer recycling and the upcoming

government initiatives will be the focus areas that you

would witness at Indplas’22. I must emphasise that you

need to be here to feel the magic,” urges Pradip Nayyar, in dialogue with POLYMERS Communiqué.

Q. The pandemic has posed some serious challenges to business operations? How can the industry manage to mitigate the prevailing challenges in your views?

The polymer industry has taken a giant stride forward inspite of the pandemic. Common perception of plastics

has now changed. PPE kit, disposable masks, syringes for vaccination etc. have all helped humanity in these

testing times. Consumer behaviour too has changed in general. We now need to accelerate and make up

for the lost opportunity and cater to the wants of the consumers.

Pradip Nayyar Chairman, Indplas’22 - Exhibition Organising Committee, Kolkata

Q. Please share with us some salient points on how the eastern India market is unique when compared to the rest of India. Any specific opportunities you wish to share?

To know more, please subscribe to POLYMERS Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

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PIN POINT

Fight Pollution

Not Plastics The environmental costs in terms of material, water and energy use, plastic products are

invariably found to perform better. This begs us to question the rationale of making a switch from plastics to alternatives.

R

epresentatives countries session

Environment

from

assembled

of

The

Assembly

193 for

United

member

the

fifth

Nations

(UNEA-5)

at

Nairobi during February and March’22.

One of the agenda was a plan to

fight plastic pollution. This had an ambitious target of a legally binding

agreement like the Paris Agreement on climate change. On 2nd, March’22,

a resolution was passed to forge a

legally binding agreement by 2024

to end plastic pollution. While the

objective of reducing plastic pollution

S. K. Ray Hon. Secretary & Member of Executive Committee, Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), Mumbai

124

is laudable, its strategy remains fragile.

Most multilateral initiatives are complex

and

their

consultation

process

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

time-

April - May 2022

consuming. This initiative is no different and

suffers from many infirmities and contradictory action plans, making it vulnerable to failure. One

of them is an attempt to curb production of plastics at its sources. This simplistic approach to reduce

flow of plastic products at its source or ‘closing the

tap’ is both, impractical and counterproductive.

Let us examine.

Growth in Demand Gave Rise to...

Plastic products are used for their utility value.

Demand

for

all

products

(including

plastic

products) and services are governed by consumer

demand. From the early fifties, when most of the commodity plastics were commercialised, to date,

the size of global consumer base has increased by over three folds and the average affluence of

Ironically, the ‘Meta Life Cycle Analysis’ carried out by UNEP acknowledges that plastic carry bags, termed as SUP, has the lowest environmental impact compared to the alternatives like paper, cloth, or the so-called biodegradable plastic bags.

It is the single-use and littering that are the problems and not plastics as a material, the report concludes.

people around the world has increased many

folds. This has pushed the demand for all

products and services, consequently demand for

more affordable, their limited availability

metal, to its current level. Being a new class of

segment of the population.

all resources and materials like paper, glass and material with versatile property profile, the growth

would

disproportionately

impact

this

of reducing use of

in demand was fastest for plastics. It is important

The Analysis Brings Forth...

in demand that eventually has an impact on all

carried out by UNEP acknowledges that

to take cognisance of this basic feature of growth

Ironically, the ‘Meta Life Cycle Analysis’

pollution, including plastic pollution, when these

plastic carry bags, termed as SUP, has the

are discarded into nature. Poor civic sense, coupled with mindless littering and inadequate waste

management infrastructure in various countries,

particularly the low-income countries, aggravates the problem.

The narrative on ‘single-use plastics’ (SUPs) has introduced another complexity and ambiguity

in addressing the issue of plastic pollution. Any product used once and then discarded is the precise and accepted definition of SUP. This simple

expression of SUP gets complicated when social context is factored in. Large number of plastic products that are typically ‘single-use plastic

alternative

the single-use and littering that are the

problems and not plastics as a material, the

needs are important from the societal equity perspective. Plastic products being comparatively

POLYMERS Communiqué

l

April - May 2022

of the use of

material

report concludes. This clearly brings out the

considered. The

unleashing a bigger problem by aggravating

factor is often

paradox. With this initiative, we might be global

warming

and

contributing

to

climate change. In terms of material, water

affordability

overlooked or

ignored.

and energy footprints, plastic products score better than products made from alternative materials.

be counterproductive to use alternative material

Their numbers are fairly large. Factoring their

the impact on

so-called biodegradable plastic bags. It is

impact

in low-income countries and households. Products

multiple use amongst this segment of consumers.

sectors, rarely is

the environment

environmental

to the alternatives like paper, cloth, or the

Most plastic products used in the food and

like beverage bottles and shopping bags are of

plastics in these

compared

lowest

products’ amongst consumers in high-income countries and affluent households may not be so

In the discourse

packaging sectors are technically SUPs. It would due to their functional deficiencies as compared To know more, please subscribe to POLYMERS Communiqué at

subscriptions@polymerscommunique.com

125

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n Colour Pigments & Masterbatches

Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd.

Rakesh Chandra Jha, National Sales Manager

419-420 Udyog Vihar Phase 1, Gurgaon-122016, Haryana.

T: +91-124-4184444 E: rcjha@pahwa.com W: www.bryair.com

Blend Colours Pvt. Ltd. Sharad Rathi, Director

Plot No.35, IDA Kattedan, Hyderabad-500077, Telangana.

T: +91-40-24361499 / 24360887 M: +91-9885118511 E: info@blendcolours.com W: www.blendcolours.com

Nu-Vu Conair Pvt. Ltd.

Pradeep Chudasama, Asst. Manager - Marketing Plot No. 147, 148 & 154, Devraj Industrial Park, Piplaj-Pirana Road, Piplaj, Ahmedabad-382405, Gujarat.

T: +91-79-29708147 M: +91-9712928201 E: marketingindia@conairgroup.com W: www.conairgroup.com/india

Deep Plast Industries Ramesh Patel, Partner

Block No.553, Rakanpur (Santej), Kalol, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad-382721, Gujarat.

T: +91-2764-286032 / 286450 M: +91-9825035472 E: rameshpatel@deepplast.com W: www.deepplast.com

n Blow Moulding Machines Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

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Sonali Polymers Pvt Ltd

Suresh Bajaj, Managing Director

G1/17, H21, H22, RIICO Industrial Area Bassi, Jaipur - 303301, Rajasthan, India M: +91-9001093913 E: jaipur@sonaligroup.in W: www.sonaligroup.in

127

n Extruders & Extrusion Lines

n Machinery for Foam, Reactive or Reinforced Resins

Davis-Standard, LLC A-One Enterprise

Dilip Prajapati, Proprietor

49, Gajanan Indl. Park, Ambica Mill Compound, Vatva, GIDC, Ahmedabad - 382445, Gujarat T: +91-79-29628850 M: +91-9724308850 E: dilip@bladesandblowers.net W: www.bladesandblowers.net

Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Injection Moulding Machines

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Machines & Equipment for Preprocessing and Recycling

Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Parts and Components Davis-Standard, LLC

Debbie Crowley, Global Marketing Administrator 1 Extrusion Drive, Pawcatuck-06379, CT

Yizumi Precision Machinery India Pvt. Ltd. Pramil Das, Sales Manager

No.7, Mahagujarat Ind. Est., Moraiya Patiya, Village Moraiya, Ahmedabad-382210, Gujarat.

M: +91-7575009363 E: sales.india1@yizumi.com W: www.yizumi.com

n Integrated Automation

T: +860-599-1010 E: dcrowley@davis-standard.com W: www.davis-standard.com

n Raw Materials

APAR Industries Limited

Kamal Sharma , GM- Business Development

No 303, Welworth Regency, S. No. 24/3, Near Shivaji Nagar Bus Stand, Shivaji Nagar, Pune-411005, Maharashtra.

Himanshu Sharma, Head - Marketing & Corporate Communication

T: +91-20-25514720 M: +91-9823311662 E: agency.polymers@apar.com W: www.apar.com

T: +91-20-41478999 M: +91-9979888790 E: himanshu.sharma@br-automation.com W: www.br-automation.com

Masand Associates

B&R Industrial Automation Pvt. Ltd.

8, Tara Heights, Mumbai-Pune Road, Wakdewadi, Pune-411003, Maharashtra, India

Mifa Systems Pvt. Ltd. Abhay Upadhye, Director

703, Akik, S. G. Highway, Opp. Rajpath Club, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad-380015, Gujarat.

T: +91-79-26870825 M: +91-9327220008 E: au@mifasystems.com W: www.mifasystems.com

Hassanand N.Masand , Proprietor

Shed B, Khasra No. 2/11, Nr. Bharat Petrol Pump, State Highway No. 26, Gurgaon-Patoudi Road, Jamalpur, Gurgaon - 123503, Haryana, India.

M: +91-9373067103 E: masandautomotives@ymail.com

Be a part of the exclusive Golden Pages for as low as Rs. 2500 Call Bhavesh at +91-96640 61103; bhavesh@custage.com to book your slot.

128

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

Events IPLAS International Plastics Exhibition 2022

Plastics & Rubber Indonesia 2022

Interplastica

28th Fakuma

10th - 13th June, 2022

16th - 19th November, 2022

24th - 27th January, 2023

17th – 21st October, 2023

Indoplas

Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai

IEC Expocentre, 14, Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya, Moscow, Russia

Messe Friedrichshafen, Germany

Plast Eurasia Istanbul 2022

PLASTINDIA 2023

PLASTIVISION 2023

31st August - 3rd September, 2022

23rd - 26th November, 2022

1st - 5th February, 2023

07th - 11th December, 2023

TAIPEI PLAS 2022 27th September 1st October, 2022

Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo), Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia

Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, Indonesia

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India

VietnamPlas

HIPLEX International Plastics Expo - 2023

Plastfocus 2024

23rd - 26th November, 2022

04th - 07th August, 2023

1st - 5th February, 2024

Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center, Istanbul

Hitex Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad, India

India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, India

NPE 2024

Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1, Taipei, Taiwan

Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

K 2022

Indplas 2022

T-PLAS 2023

25th - 28th November, 2022

20th – 23rd September, 2023

19th - 26th October, 2022

Düsseldorf, Germany

Milan Mela Ground, Kolkata

BITEC - Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre, Bangkok, Thailand

06th – 10th May, 2024

Orange County Convention Center OCCC, Orlando, Florida, United States

*Status as on 15th May, 2022

POLYMERS Communiqué

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April - May 2022

129

BEYOND JUST MACHINES IT’S THE JOY OF BUSINESS

Sustainable Packaging

Customers partner with Mamata beyond just looking for a machine. They trust us to discuss business opportunities, they share their plans with us to know how we could assist them to realise their vision in flexible packaging and they come to us to experience sheer engineering delight.

“The New Normal” Talk to us!

And why? As an organisation, Mamata Group is always in the forefront of sharing knowledge. We see sharing our team experience as a benefit to the industry; and what’s good for the industry is good for us. Our position of leadership is just the end result!

BLOWN FILM PLANTS

CONVERTING MACHINES

PACKAGING MACHINES

Total Solutions for Flexible Packaging Survey No. 423/P, Sarkhej Bavla Highway, Moraiya, Tal: Sanand, Gujarat 382213. +91 2717 630 800 sales@mamata.com www.mamata.com

R

Desiccant Masterbatch Moisture Absorber Compliant with WELSET QC - DA 201 Test

Residual moisture removal.

Solves and avoids problems during the process, such as fisheyes, holes and silver streaks.

Highly recommended for polyolefin reprocessed polymer.

An ISO 9001:2015 Certified

Welset Plast Extrusions Pvt Ltd Arvind Mehta Group Company

8, New Metalage Industrial Premises, Subhash Marg, Off Caves Road, Jogeshwari (E), Mumbai 400 060 Maharashtra, INDIA,

: : : :

+91-22-6822 6822 +91 77158 17733 marcom@welset.com www.welset.com

Milliken awarded 2021 SIES SOP STAR AWARD for Millad® NX® 8000 UL Eco Label The SIES SOP Star Awards recognizes the talent among the Packaging Sector for its continuous efforts in Innovation / Creativity / New Developments across various product segments such as Beverage, Food, Home + Personal Care, Pharma among others.

This label communicates to customers that products have been audited by a credible third-party and independently validated to have been manufactured and/or perform in accordance with its environmental claims.

Milliken Chemical’s team accepts SIES SOP award April 2022

Having started in the year 2017, this 5th Edition of the SIES SOP Star Awards saw better participation and increase in number of entries as compared to 2020, the year of the first wave of pandemic. This year onwards, the award categories in SIES SOP Star Awards have been aligned with the WorldStar categories to simplify the application process for winning companies to participate in WorldStar Awards.

Among the entries, developments in sustainability and materials were witnessed with maximum entries received in the Health + Personal Care category,

closely followed by Food + Packaging Materials, showcasing the market trends for these sectors.

The Millad NX 8000 value proposition for low temperature processing has a strong impact on energy energy savings and sustainability, which are important for the green industry landscape and unique for Millad NX 8000 as a clarifier.

Milliken has chosen to work with one of the world’s most trusted names in third-party product safety, validation and standards development — UL — to validate sustainability claims through a label.

The UL Label will enable convertors, that pass the validation procedure requirements, to visibly demonstrate their positive contribution to the environment on product packaging and marketing materials.

• MILLAD® NX® 8000 ENABLES AN AVERAGE OF 10% ENERGY SAVINGS FOR PRODUCTION OF CLARIFIED PP PARTS ULCOM/ECV

Millad NX 8000 clarified household container validated by UL.

For more details and information please contact us at asiachem@milliken.com or visit us online at milliken.com © Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Milliken is a trademark of Milliken & Company.

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PROTECT YOUR

PLASTICS from Rodent & Termite ATTACKS

FEATURES : 

Long-lasting effectiveness due to controlled release of active ingredients increasing life of finished product.



Good dispersion in the final product due to high surface area without affecting polymer properties.



Effective at very low addition level.



No change in physical, chemical or mechanical properties of base polymer.



Approved by third party laboratory.



RoHS Compliant.



Human safe, Environmental friendly.

KANDUI KANDUIINDUSTRIES INDUSTRIESPVT. PVT.LTD. LTD. MANUFACTURER OF MASTERBATCHES

KANDUI

Plot No. 112, Minerva Industrial Estate, Near Hercules Hoist, Mulund (West), Mumbai-400080, India. www.kandui.in | masterbatchinfo@kandui.in | +91-22-62673500

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