LG says the monomer can be used to make a biodegradable plastic it calls polylactate 3-hydroxypropionate as well as acrylic acid for superabsorbent polymers, adhesives, and coatings. Lonza will expand its microbial development labs in Visp, Switzerland, by 50%. New assets for microbe-derived protein development are expected to be operating by year-end.
November 24, 2021
—Companies tiptoe back to biobased acrylic acid “New technology and concerns about sustainability drive renewed interest” Companies large and small are showing renewed interest in biobased acrylic acid as technological advances and growing consumer concern about sustainability make the product more economically viable.
by Matt Blois | November 21, 2021
In May, it completed the $1.4 billion acquisition of Arkema’s acrylic resin business, which it hopes will pair well with its businesses in high-end styrenics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. In September, Trinseo bought the acrylic-sheet maker Aristech Acrylics. It is also selling its synthetic rubber business to Polish competitor Synthos.
by Alexander H. Tullo | November 18, 2021
Lucite element cubes Luciteria Science captures elements in acrylic cubes. Grab a favorite, like iodine for $115, or collect them all. Baking a cake tea towel Printed with all the chemistry you need to whip up something scrumptious, this tea towel costs about $24 from the Chemist Tree. Catalyst spiral notebook Write or doodle in this adorable notebook for about $18 from Flaming Imp.
by Bethany Halford | November 07, 2021
The researchers also evaluated commercial formulations of acrylic paint. They used industry standard accelerated testing conditions to simulate prolonged weathering of exterior painted surfaces. The results, which the team quantified with a spectrophotometer, show that after 4,500 h of exposure to test conditions, colorful paints modified with the cerium additive retained their colors up to three times as well as control paints lacking the additive.
by Mitch Jacoby | October 28, 2021
For example, molybdenum is employed in acrylonitrile and acrylic acid production. Vanadium-based catalysts are used in maleic anhydride production. For the Edhox process, the partners had to keep the catalyst stable against phase changes that would deactivate it. Much of the development work went into the catalyst’s crystalline structure.
by Alexander H. Tullo | October 24, 2021
Another area of investment for Mitsubishi is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), an acrylic plastic sold under names such as Plexiglas and Lucite. Mitsubishi owns Lucite International, a maker of PMMA, and is the world’s top producer of PMMA’s monomer, methyl methacrylate. Global demand for PMMA amounts to 3.7 million metric tons (t) annually, according to Mitsubishi.
by Katsumori Matsuoka, special to C&EN | October 17, 2021
Ruan’s team used barium sulfate nanoparticles, which are highly reflective, to make the white acrylic paint. The reflective ability of a BaSO4 nanoparticle depends on its size: each size scatters a different part of the light spectrum. The researchers used a variety of particle sizes, allowing the paint to reflect a broad spectral range of light.
by Cheryl Hogue | October 17, 2021