The London Metal Exchange (LME) Announces Delist Plastics Contracts

The London Metal Exchange (LME) announces that it will delist its plastics contracts and that the last prompt date for all existing contracts will be Friday 29th April 2011. The formal decision to delist was taken by the Board of the London Metal Exchange following a recommendation by the Executive Committee. This announcement follows the establishment of delisting procedures.

The Exchange has decided that the costs of withdrawing outstanding warrants from the LMEsword depository will be waived. Current open interest for all plastics contracts is 228 lots, out to March 2011.

Plastics futures trading was introduced on the LME on 27th May 2005. Despite a number of changes to the contracts and the subsequent launch of regional contracts no significant volume or open interest has been established and the exchange believes that this position is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. It has therefore decided to focus its efforts and resources on other opportunities.

LME Chief Executive Martin Abbott commented, “The Exchange and its committee members have put considerable effort into this endeavour to bring transparency and hedging facilities to the plastic business. But we must now recognise that these efforts have not attracted sufficient volume business and the time has come to bring this activity to a close.”

London Metal Exchange

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Rapid Granulator: series 'open-hearted' granulators now complete

The number of the largest ever built so far frank mills cutting the 600-series Rapid is now complete: From now on, the 600 series in the three Mahlkammerbreiten of 900, 1,200 and 1,500 mm offered. Due to the extensive range of modular rotors and different types of grinding chamber is the 600 series in 45 different basic designs available and can be adapted to many tasks in the plastics recycling, the Swedish manufacturer.

New series of large mills with good viedo
Bengt Rimark, marketing manager of the Rapid Group, explains: "The 600 series uses the same patented technology that has already proven successful in the 300, 400 and 500 series, which are already on the market since 2004. Operator displays simple screen change to "open door" of the new mill from the 600 series. (Image: Rapid) The concept is completely modular and can be customized for each application in the plastics and recycling industry. At K 2010, we will be exhibiting for the first time the full open-hearted series. "

All machines in the 600 series feature Rapids unique and patented the so-called "Mineral Composite Technology Base" (MCT), a virbrationsabsorbierende heavy platform that makes the 600 series to a heavy-duty granulator for the most demanding tasks, while for noise reduction during the granulation contributes.

Direct and easy access to the "heart" of the mill
"Frankly describes a design concept that allows the operator, for example, during a production change to get full access to the rotor and the grinding chamber - in just three steps and no tools required! The free view of the basic machine components allowing the reliable visual inspection for cleanliness to prevent contamination with color and material changes. To servicing and maintenance to benefit from fast access. In both cases, the downtime is reduced significantly, thereby increasing productivity, "said Rimark further.

Apart from the cost of making rapid, according to the cost of cleaning and maintenance of a saw-mill is the major cost factor in when considering the total costs over the entire useful life. and to the 600 series such time savings by enabling the easy access to the machine, each time saving that can be achieved without compromising security improved, while the cost for users.

Efficient mills specifically for large parts and tubes
The 600 series is designed specifically for grinding of large-volume injection molding, blow molding or extrusion parts designed and waste, whether as a central or beside-mill at large processing machines, and can grind up to 3,500 kg / h. The rotor of 600 mills with a diameter of 600mm and is available with three Mahlkammerbreiten of 900, 1,200 and 1,500 mm.

To the series even more flexible, can be installed in addition, the grinding chamber of Rapid supertangentiale that allows to grind parts that are larger than the rotor diameter.

About Rapid Granulator
Rapid Granulator AB, headquartered in the southern Swedish Bredaryd, employs 195 employees and claims to have an export share of about 97%. To support the sale, the company has six subsidiaries, in Cranberry Township (USA), Shanghai, Singapore, Venice, Lyon and German Kleinostheim. Add a dense network is used worldwide by over 90 representatives and partner companies.

With almost 100,000 installed on five continents Granulators Rapid continues to see as a world leader in size reduction of plastic waste and recycling of industrial and post consumer waste.

Source : plasticker.de

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TPE makers facing a global shift to Asia

The world of thermoplastic elastomers is going through some pretty major changes.

“The shift to Asia is the single most important factor affecting TPEs in the current environment,” market analyst Bob Eller said at TPE Topcon, an industry event organized by the Society of Plastics Engineers, held Sept. 14-15 in Akron.

But Eller did not stop there.

“Some TPE markets are approaching maturity in Western markets,” he added. “They’re seeing commodity-like pricing and reduced customization, and that’s opening up the market for smaller companies and making a significant price challenge to established TPEs.

“We’re also seeing a split into commodity and specialty TPEs. That means there are opportunities for custom TPE compounders who are willing to tailor grades. Targeting higher-value applications like air-bag doors.”

Eller’s comments may not have been welcome news to North American TPE makers, who have long described their products as value-added specialty materials, residing far from the commodity realm.

On a more positive note, Eller — owner of Robert Eller Associates Inc. in Akron — also pointed out numerous growth opportunities for TPEs around the world. Vehicles in China, for example, use only 4.4 pounds of thermoplastic vulcanizate per vehicle, while India checks in even lower at 3.3 pounds. The global average is 5.7 pounds. New markets for TPVs and other types of TPEs include weatherstripping, hoses and belts and elastic fibers and films.

“We’ve seen the introduction of higher-performance [thermoplastic polyurethanes],” Eller said. “And an expanded range of [styrenic block copolymer] chemistry, with process technology allows for hard/soft combinations and foam/solid configurations.”

Moving forward, Eller said that new Asian TPE compounders may have an advatange over Western competitors, even if Western firms already have valuable automotive approvals. Automotive continues to hold a 35-40 percent share of the TPE market. U.S, automotive demand for TPEs is improving, but other regions of the world now have more growth prospects, he explained.

“Western companies need to go into Asia with specialties, not with a broad product line,” Eller said. “The global TPE life-cycle curve is changing in shape. It’s a substantially higher curve that’s more diverse, and with a higher number of compounders competing.”

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Which Plastics to Use and Avoid

Plastics are very important in day-to-day lives due to the numerous applications associated with them. Some of the common uses of plastics include packaging of items. Packaging industries must realize which plastics to use/avoid thus protecting the environment from harmful plastics. Generally, plastics are non-biodegradable hence they do not decay. For this reason, plastics fill the earth and cause water run off when they accumulate in soil. Because of this reason, packaging industries must use the appropriate plastic. The advantage of using plastic for packaging is because plastics offer a good barrier to many elements including oxygen and water.

Many governments, because of its pollution effects, ban thin plastic use. Thin polythene is not recycled after use; it thus ends up in the garbage heap thus polluting the environment. On the contrary, high-density plastics do not damage the environment due to recycling; this reduces pollution of the environment. Apart from conserving the environment, many employment opportunities crop up and sparing of raw materials thus boosting the economy. Another vital use plastic is in building and construction however, majority of construction work uses high-density plastic that is renewable. Polyvinyl chloride makes pipes as well as sliding sheets. Insulators, computer hardware as well as many handles are made of high-density plastics. These plastics never damage the environment because they are recycled. Apart from recycling, the plastics are multipurpose.

Industries use high-density plastics to manufacture of automobiles, trucks as well as airplanes seats and bumpers. Another use of plastics is in electric appliances and electric wire coatings. Due to inability of plastics to conduct heat or ectricity, they are widely used as insulators. Majority of these plastics are high-density plastics. Low-density plastics on the other hand lead to flooding. This is so because thin plastic fills the ground, thus no water percolation in the ground. Thin plastics harbor water that is breeding grounds for harmful insects like mosquitoes.

Thin plastics have some advantage because they are very cheap and they are produced fast. Plastics both high and low-density have general benefits to man and they include, flexbility. Tailoring plastics is easy thus attaining many different forms and shapes of products. Plastics have lightweight thus excellent for transporting purposes. This leads to reduced fuel consumption. When well kept, plastics are durable because they do not rust nor rust. Plastics are excellent building materials because they are resistant to water and chemical damage. Medical equipments and foodstuffs are packaged using plastics due to cleanliness of plastics. Plastics contain chemical compounds that are harmful to human body, thus, they are not ideal for food covering. An alternative plastic like bio-plastics solves this problem.

Scientists are researching on a new form of plastic called bio-plastic made from plant polymers. The advantage of this plastic is that microorganisms have the ability of degrading it. Bio-plastic are friendly to the environment thus it has no issues of filling the soil. Bio-plastics are also the ideal plastics because they have no harmful effects to the body due to chemicals present in the synthetic plastics. With these facts in place, an individual must decide which plastics to use/avoid depending on activity on hand.

http://www.articlesbase.com

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