Environment polymer industry

The current European legislative framework relating to the environment is reviewed and a discussion is presented on the effect of this legislation on the ability of the polymer industry, particularly the coatings industry, to meet new requirements. It is concluded that the polymer industry will either have to invest in partnerships with raw material suppliers to obtain novel raw materials or in new process technology and that future developments will probably be incremental, with the emphasis on niche markets. 11 refs. 

Abstract The increasing economic importance of the polymer industry is responsible for a growing interest in the prediction of the lifetime of polymers. Although the influence of molecular parameters on the fatigue resistance in polymers has been intensively addressed, little work has been devoted to the same topic in stress cracking environments. Because of the complexity of the topic, we have studied different cases of mechanical... 

Polymer industry uses fossil fuels, but not at a disproportionate level The incineration of PVC has been claimed to result in the release of HCl into the environment contributing to acidification. But this is considered a negligible contribution to acidification. 

The development of the synthetic polymer industry has been related more to the economic advantages that the materials bring rather than their environmental benefit, yet these economic considerations have led to plastics making a significant beneficial impact on the environment. For example ... 

The polymer industry has brought great benefits to modern society, although the disadvantages appeared when polymer-based products were discarded at the end of their useful life and in particular when they appear as litter in the environment. In this way, it becomes very important to study the ageing and degradation of these polymers. 

Polymerization processes have adopted a character of continuous multiproduct plants, in response to the current demand for polymers. Precisely, the variability observed in the polymer market demand, in terms of product quality specifications, calls upon frequent grade transition policies on the polymerization plants, with legitimate consequences on process economics, due to the regular necessary disturbances from steady-state operating conditions. Therefore, the issue of how to operate such process as continuous multiproduct plants, in a global polymer industry environment with intense competitive pressures, emerges nastily. 

The problem of gel and particulate formation is observed in many different sectors of the polymer industry and will be one of the main issues to be addressed for the ACOMP system s successful, reliable operation in the industrial environment. An important key to solving this problem will be to... 

Industry s growing attention to green chemistry is an indicator that its benefits to people, the environment and business are being recognized. It is possible to balance green chemistry and successful new developments, and, perhaps more important, to recognize that a sustainable polymer industry is eventually inevitable with the limited supply of fossil feedstocks. Some of the newer developments in the degradable plastics area are already based on renewable resources. 

Catalysis has become increasingly important in application oriented organic synthesis especially in pharmaceutical and polymer industries. Catalysis is the key to chemical transformations that facilitates cost-effective and environment friendly manufactiuing processes. 

Thin films have become ubiquitous in the polymer industry. Fueled by the microelectronics industry and its need for miniature parts, polymer applications have become more demanding. Polymers in these environments have been tested and modeled in laboratories around the world from universities to automobile companies, research surrounding thin films is quickly growing. ... 

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