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A Chinese research team has reportedly turned cheap copper into a new material that is nearly identical to gold, according to a study recently published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed journal. The authors of the study said that this discovery could substantially reduce the utilization of expensive, rare metals in factories.

Further from the reports, Professor Sun Jian of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Liaoning, along with his colleagues, shot a jet of electrically charged, hot argon gas at a copper target. Copper atoms were blasted off the target by fast-moving ionized particles, with atoms cooling down and condensing on the surface of a collecting device to produce a thin layer of sand.

Chinese researchers find way to turn copper into a gold-like material

Apparently, every grain of the sand had a thousandth of the size of a bacterium, or a diameter of only a few nanometers. The material was placed by the researchers into a reaction chamber which was used for turning coal to alcohol, a difficult and sophisticated chemical process which only precious metals could handle efficiently.

Posted on the academy’s website recently, Sun and collaborators said in a statement that the copper nano particles had achieved catalytic performance that was very similar to that of silver or gold. Sun further mentioned the results have proved that metal copper could be transformed from low value material to a more valuable one after processing.

According to the researchers, this process could provide a significant boost for industries in China and prove to be lucrative. This technique developed by Sun and his team is able to inject a huge amount of energy into copper atoms and make the electrons more stable and denser.

Furthermore, researchers said that this newly developed material has the ability to resist high temperatures, erosion and oxidization. Allegedly, the new material created at Sun’s lab cannot be utilized for making fake gold pennies, as the material’s density remains the same as that of ordinary copper.

Read More @ http://allchemresearch.com/chinese-researchers-find-way-turn-copper-gold-like-material

The British government has reportedly introduced a novel strategy under which the charges for single-use plastic carrier bags will be doubled from the year 2020 onwards in a bid to curb plastic waste. The scheme may most likely be extended to all the shops throughout Britain.

Reportedly, the money raised from the imposed charges shall be employed for charitable causes instead of government coffers.

The Germany-based BASF Automotive Solutions is currently in the news for having announced its decision to develop near-infrared, dark and reflective automotive paint colors in a bid to improve LiDAR detection and enhance the detecting function of autonomous cars.

Apparently, autonomous or self-driving cars depend on constantly streaming data & information from LiDAR readings as well as other different detection technologies for safe navigation on the roads. LiDAR uses radiation at various wavelengths within the NIR (Near Infrared Region) of the electromagnetic spectrum – wavelengths that are absorbed by many dark paint colors, which are now offered by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Reportedly, BASF intends to leverage coatings detectable by LiDAR, prepared with functional pigments to help curb NIR absorption and better LiDAR mapping performance.

Sources with the knowledge of the matter stated that the existing versions of the LiDAR believably face difficulty in differentiating between dark colors as they absorb more of the LiDAR’s pulses rather than reflecting, making them difficult to notice. For instance, a black shirt absorbs more heat on a sunny day than a white shirt.

Speaking on the matter, Paul Czornij, Head of Design at Coatings Division of BASF, said that Centripetal blue, developed by BASF, which is a blue-black color with medium and coarse sparkle, incorporates functional pigments into car paint. He added that the company presented this color to design teams of the OEMs for addressing the challenges of NIR reflectivity as higher level-autonomous vehicles hit the road.

As per a report, BASF also integrates a LiDAR-reflective layer in the coating system in order to augment NIR reflection. The NIR radiation, with its LIDAR-detectable coating, can now travel through a dark-colored basecoat layer. Another subsequent LIDAR-reflective coating will serve as a mirror that reflects NIR radiation back to the origin point for distance calculation and environment-mapping.

Reportedly, BASF designed a dark pigment keeping in mind the LiDAR detectability, which is also included in its portfolio of Automotive Color Trends 2018-19.

Read More – http://packingmaterials.org/basf-lidar-detection-enhancement-develops-dark-auto-paint/

The move aims to cut excessive cost and use of plastic bottles and materials in offices and programs held by the BBMP

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), an administrative body responsible for civic amenities and infrastructural assets in Greater Bangalore, has recently issued an order banning single-use plastic bottles and disposables in all its offices and at BBMP programs. Apparently, the order will be implemented with immediate effect.

Bali, the Indonesian island that has become a major tourist destination, recently announced that it will be banning all single-use plastics such as straws, shopping bags and Styrofoam in an effort to reduce the marine plastics waste that has been plaguing the island.

Wayan Koster, Governor of Bali has been reported to announce the ban and express confidence that the policy would be able to cut Bali’s plastic waste by 70% within a year. He was quoted by reliable sources to say that the new policy is aimed at suppliers, producers, distributors and business actors and even individuals for the suppression of single-use plastics. Apparently, administrative sanctions, such as denial for business permit extension, would be imposed for non-compliance with the ban.

According to experts, 80% of the trash that is spoiling the beaches of Bali originates from the island itself. Informal workers in Bali carry trash from villages and hotels and dump them in the rivers which eventually carry out the waste in to the sea.

Jakarta, the Indonesian capital city, also plans to follow a similar gubernatorial regulation that will ban single-use plastic bags.

Isnawa Adji, head of Jakarta Environmental Agency has been reported to refer to a survey by the Indonesia Plastic Bags Diet Movement and say that 90% of Jakarta residents are in agreement for efforts to reduce plastic use. Mr. Isnawa said that limiting the use of drinking straws would be one of the most effective ways of reducing single-use plastics waste. He added that before imposing the ban, the Jakarta Environmental Agency will consult stakeholders and residents for their input.

According to sources, the customs and excise directorate general of the Finance Ministry is also considering the imposition of a tax for the use of plastic bags from 2019 to control their use. The new policy in Bali will be having a six-month grace period from the signing date of December 21, 2018.

Read More – http://packingmaterials.org/bali-ban-single-use-plastic-reduce-marine-plastic-waste/

Fressko, the manufacturer of a wide range of flasks and infusers headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, recently launched the Camino coffee cup, which is the newest addition to the company’s product line.

Hayley Culley, the Marketing Director for Fressko, was quoted saying that the company is excited about the inclusion of the reusable coffee cup, Camino, in its product line. Fressko intends to introduce the novel, environment-friendly, high-quality reusable coffee cup to people who include coffee into their daily on-the-go routines. The company is keen on receiving consumer feedback to expand the product all over the country, added Culley.

 

Whole Foods Market, a US-based supermarket chain and a subsidiary of e-commerce giant Amazon, has recently made it to the headlines for being ranked worst in a study of chemicals used in packaging at the popular U.S. grocery chains.

The company allegedly contains cancer-linked chemicals in its packaging. The study was reportedly conducted by regulators including Toxic-free Future, Safer Chemicals, and Healthy Families. Sources with knowledge of the matter stated that high amounts of fluorine were found in a test, in about five of the seventeen items of the Amazon-owned grocer, where four of them were hot-food bar and salad containers.

Whole Foods, which has always been hailed for its quality products, responded to the matter by saying that it is already looking for safer biodegradable packaging and has also removed the questionable coated-paper products.

The recent study elaborated the concerns around the cancer-linked chemicals. It said the chemicals might integrate into the food held by the containers, causing harm to the immune system or promoting cancer cells in body.

According to the company officials, the supermarket company is actively working with suppliers to bring out new compostable containers options to cut down its environmental concerns. But new concerns related to the presence of PFAS (per- & polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the packaging of its bakery products and prepared foods, have led the company to remove all those products. The harmful chemical substances are highly drawing consumer attention and are also a target of the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) renewed scrutiny, cite familiar sources.

It has also been reported that the company Fold-Pak, which makes the containers known as ‘Bio-Plus Terra II’ for Whole Foods, was using a certain product of Cascades Sonoco Inc. Since the allegations on Whole Foods, Cascades has started to work on removing PFAS from its product.

Reportedly, the study is intended towards pushing the grocery stores to make a shift to safer alternatives. In 2017, it was found in a similar study that several fast-food chains also indulged in the use of these chemicals.

Read More – http://packingmaterials.org/whole-foods-market-ranked-worst-cancer-related-packaging-chemicals/

Flex Films, which is the film manufacturing arm of Uflex, India’s largest flexible packaging company, recently announced that it has won the patent for its entire range of Formable Films. The range of formable films include layers of BOPET utilized in the Alu Alu blister packaging in the U.S. market.

The patent has been issued for a period of 20 years to the U.S.-based Flex Films Incorporated and is expected to lend a competitive edge to the company’s opponents in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. Through the patent the company has earned the exclusive rights of manufacturing and selling the special BOPET film in Europe, U.S. and India.

Experst opine that the innovation in the Alu Alu blister laminate structure and in the overall pharma packaging industry, BOPET has come to potentially replace carcinogenic PVC. PVC has been infamous for releasing poisonous gases like dioxin and hydrochloric acid when recycled or reprocessed. BOPET developed by Flex Film has been found to deliver considerable savings on carbon footprint and energy as the polyester film can be recycled and reprocessed without any poisonous side effects and is entirely environment-friendly.

Moreover, BOPET film is compatible with a wide range of inks which helps in the easy legibility of drug information on blister packs, a problem often faced with aluminum foil packaging. PrintWeek quoted Pramod Sirsamkar, President, Technical & New Product Development of Uflex to say that the company is pleased to add to its intellectual property protection strength with the patent in question. He added that Uflex’s research and development team has worked consistently in inventing the new special polyester film that has been successful in changing the landscape of medical packaging since its launch last year.

The new packaging has also reduced dependency on PVC and BOPA films used in the manufacturing of Alu Alu laminate blister pack. The patent is expected to be a game changer in pharmaceutical packaging business and will likely become an asset not only to Uflex but to the broader pharmaceutical industry too, Sirsamkar said.

Read more – http://packingmaterials.org/flex-films-wins-patent-bopet-film-used-alu-alu-blister-pack/

The Government of UK has reportedly announced that it plans to impose a new 15p tax on sandwich packaging as part of its ongoing effort to cut down upon plastic waste.

Reports cite, the tax could be levied as early as the end of the week by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of United Kingdom, Michael Gove.

According to a report by The Sun, the Environment Secretary intends to recover the cost sandwich packaging that cannot be recycled because the cardboard used in the packaging and the plastic window are glued together. This particular type of package is one of the least recyclable plastic products sold by supermarkets as well as high-street shops in Britain.

Sandwich making companies across the United Kingdom reportedly using such poorly designed packages for their sandwiches would be required to pay the 15p tax once it has been passed.

The CEO of the Recycling Association, Simon Ellin stated that manufacturers as well as retailers of such products utilize packaging that are designed in an extremely unaesthetic manner. Ellin further added that the upcoming move would result in a 10p to 15p increase on the price of the sandwiches, which on an average cost around £2.14 apiece.

Reportedly, approximately 4 billion sandwiches are sold across the United Kingdom on a yearly basis with the industry in the UK employing about 300,000 individuals.

Moreover, the waste strategy developed by the Environment Secretary, which intends to tackle the issue of 222 million tons of waste produced on a yearly basis, would also be targeting the massive amount of packaging created by delivery services as well as online retailers such as Deliveroo and Amazon.

According to reports, the strategy also includes a provision to double plastic bag tax to about 10p as well as imposing £400 spot fines on households that are illegally dumping plastic waste.

Source – http://packingmaterials.org/uk-impose-sandwich-packaging-reduce-plastic-waste/

PPG, a major supplier of paints, coating, and specialty materials, has reportedly launched a new high-performance coating named the PPG SIGMASHIELD 880 for the U.S. and Canadian offshore markets. As per trusted sources, the ultra-durable coating meant for vessels and rigs offers one coat and direct-to-metal protection along with quick curing at extremely high moisture levels, including underwater immersions.

The product provides superior abrasion, seawater, impact and corrosion resistance along with advanced cathodic disbondment protection and exceptional resistance to chemical splashes and spills, claim sources. Its shorter dry-to-touch implies that assets’ return to services can be accelerated, while the coating continues to cure upon water immersion.

Al Kaminsky, Marine Manager, Protective and Marine Coatings at PPG, U.S. & Canada said that currently existing offshore marine and energy assets, be it oil or gas rigs, wind farms or vessels, need a high level of corrosion protection when subjected to extreme operating environments.

Kaminsky further mentioned that PPG SIGMASHIELD 880, the surface-tolerant epoxy exhibits PPG’s commitment to enable users to manage applications & maintenance costs..

Reportedly, PPG announced the creation of a new marine sales team in the U.S. and Canada that will focus on offering their expertise and advice throughout the complete range of PPG marine coatings. Scott Doering, Director of Sales, Protective and Marine Coatings at PPG U.S, stated that this focused commercial marine group will cater to shipyards across the U.S. & Canada by providing in-person support as well as owner support.

Doering further added that the company will continue developing industry-leading solutions that offer application efficiencies and enhance product performances, minimizing downtime and owner costs while ensuring protection across full range of fixed and floating marine assets.

In a bid to enhance its high-performance coatings product portfolio, PPG lately declared the launch of its new PPG NOVAGUARD 810 ER coating, which happens to be the company’s first product aimed at USA and Canada’s tug and barge tank lining market, claimed sources.

Read More @ http://packingmaterials.org/ppg-launches-high-performance-sigmasheild-880-coating-us-canada/