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In its return for the first time in six years this past May, NPE2024 was excellent in terms of plastics manufacturing technology on display, including new materials. Also significant: The [...]

Heading toward the end of the third quarter, prices of nearly all volume resins appeared to be flat and there was potential for downward movement through the fourth quarter. This [...]

This year's long-awaited NPE2024 did not disappoint in the realm of new developments in additives. Not surprisingly, sustainability ruled but so do performance attributes of replacements that claim to be [...]

Prices for all the volume resins were on an upward trajectory as first quarter's end approached. Price escalation of key raw materials/feedstocks was the driving factor in most cases, though [...]

Prices of the five commodity resins appeared to be heading downward by the start of fourth quarter. PP and PET prices dropped in September, while PE, PS and PVC prices [...]

Prices of PE, PP and PVC moved up in July, while those of PS and PET rolled over, but there was potential for flat pricing for all through August and [...]

A combination of improved and/or steady demand, overall lower production rates (with the exception of PE), higher feedstock costs in some cases, along with concerns of an active hurricane season, [...]

April brought on an unexpected resin price increase for PE as well as price increases for the four volume resins--ABS, PC, and nylons 6 and 66, which were primarily based [...]

Published 2/7/2023 After at least five months of declining prices, a reset on all five major commodity resins is generally expected for this first quarter, with tabs likely to be [...]

Nearly all of the new additives highlighted at the big show are aimed at enhancing recyclability of commodity resins and some volume engineering resins such as nylon and PC. A [...]

Barring any major production or logistical disruptions, prices of PE, PS and PVC were largely expected to be stable through the second quarter, with those of PET likely to move [...]

Going into the first month of second quarter, prices of at least three if not four of the five commodity resins had a likelihood of rolling over, despite price increase [...]

'From a materials perspective, sustainable solutions are the name of the game,' says Susan Jackson, head of communications and sustainability, BASF Performance Materials NA. In addition to seeing more recycled [...]

Heading toward the second quarter, the trajectory of prices for all volume resins looked to be flat-to-down. This was despite upward movement of PP and PS prices, attributed solely to [...]

With plastics recycling now a global growth market, compatibilizing resins and additives are increasingly being used to address challenges in using mixed resins for applications ranging from packaging and consumer [...]

For SD Polymers, a rapidly expanding recycler and compounder, investing in technology and finding and training people who are 'passionate' about recycling are keys to meeting current industry challenges such [...]

Prices of the five commodity resins were all heading up this month to some degree and certainly not because of demand/supply fundamentals. Initially, industry sources largely expected a rollover of [...]

Prices of the five commodity resins were heading into 2024 at a lower point, but typical moves to reverse the overall downward trend of the fourth quarter were underway. This [...]

Prices of volume resins were all heading downward by year's end, and projections for at least the first month of first quarter 2024 are generally for flat or lower pricing, [...]

Heading into January, prices of all the major volume resins continued to slump, with the exception of PE, which appeared to have stabilized in the late fourth quarter, owing largely [...]

Once again, prices of the five commodity resins going into the last two months of the year appeared to be on a different trajectory. Prices of PE and PVC were [...]

Prices of the five commodity resins going into November were a mixed bag, owing to factors such as supply/demand issues, seemingly temporary spikes in some feedstocks due primarily to unplanned [...]

Foaming of polypropylene has been gaining significant traction over the last several years, starting with extruded PP foam and joined increasingly by injection and blow molded applications. Leading markets are [...]

#technologyinaction #processorsedge Until recently, Productive Plastics machined jigs out of wood, purchased fixtures from injection molders, or estimated clamp spacing without such manufacturing aids. But in the past year, the [...]

A halt in the pricing plunge for PE, PP, and PS appeared to be shaping up going into November, owing primarily to suppliers reducing their swollen inventories by throttling back [...]

Published 11/1/2022 This downward trajectory is expected to continue, primarily due to slowed demand, lower feedstock costs and adequate-to-ample supplies. #resinpricing Going into the fourth quarter, the descent of PE, [...]

While polypropylene encompasses a widely diverse range of properties and uses, two themes characterize the new generation of higher-performing PP resins and compounds. One is competitive inroads against not only [...]

Prices of PE and PP, which have seen historic highs in the last couple of years, are ending this year lower as supply appears to have outpaced demand. In contrast, [...]

Expect HDPE with post-consumer recycle (PCR) and post-industrial recycle (PIR) content to become dominant in future caps and closures for foods and beverages as well as for non-food packaging. This [...]

Heading into the fourth quarter, the prognosis for volume resin prices was all over the map, depending on which resin you look at: Downward for PE, PP and PS, all [...]

Heading into May, the price trajectory for commodity resins was projected to be largely downward, with PP expected to face a double-digit correction, plus more modest declines for other volume [...]

Factors include slowed demand, more than ample supplier inventories, and lower feedstock costs. #resinpricing Falling prices of all five volume commodity resins was the trend going into the second half [...]

Material suppliers have been stepping up with resins and additives for the 'circular economy,' ranging from mechanically or chemically recycled to biobased content. #sustainabilitv The theme of the 'Circular Economy' [...]

#resinpricing Once again, prices of the five major commodity resins are a mixed bag. Both PE and PP prices are on a downward trend, due to slowed demand and higher [...]

#closeupontechnology #kshow Here is a brief preview of the type of new material technologies you can expect to see showcased at K 2022. Based on advance word from five key [...]

#closeupontechnoloay #polyolefins A new series of hexene-based LLDPE film resins recently unveiled by ExxonMobil boasts 'industryleading combinations of stiffness and toughness' while being easy to process. Produced with a proprietary [...]

#closeupontechnology What appears to be a breakthrough methodology that can quickly and accurately quantify the recycled content of a plastic product is being developed by a team from U.K.'s Manchester [...]

Sustainability and the circular economy are both a challenge and an opportunity for flexible packaging producers. Recyclable pouches based on all-PE multilayer structures, utilizing new resins and perhaps techniques like [...]

The 'Circular Economy' will be the dominant theme at the K 2019 show, Oct. 16-23, in Dusseldorf, Germany. Leading suppliers of materials and additives have all upped their focus on [...]

OEMs in industries such as electrical/electronics, automotive, lighting, medical devices, and industrial machinery have been hot for thermally conductive thermoplastics for several years now, as they seek new solutions for [...]

Spanning nine categories, including one newly added for Additive Manufacturing, the Society of Plastics Engineers Automotive Division's 2018 Blue Ribbon Automotive Innovation Awards (which this editor helped judge) represented a [...]

By far the lowest-cost global producer, the North American polyethylene resin industry has been booming for the last few years, with a new supply of commodity grades brought on stream [...]

Published 3/1/2022 | 7 MINUTE READ Ray Products' pressure-forming expertise was recognized in the 2021 SPE Thermoforming Gold Award for its multi-part medical cart made with thermoplastics to replace cast [...]

Once deployed mainly by resin companies and large compounders, real-time, near-infrared (NIR) measurement devices are increasingly finding homes in the labs of smaller compounders, as well as processors and recyclers. [...]

As the third quarter was coming to an end, prices of nearly all volume resins were higher or heading that way. But flat or even lower prices are seen ahead. [...]

Moving toward the third quarter, prices of volume commodity resins generally appeared to have bottomed out, though there was potential for some further downward movement for PS, nylon 6 and [...]

Within the last couple of years, biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPE) has emerged as a major potential contender in packaging designed for recyclability. As is the case with the longer-running trend [...]

Prices of all five major commodity thermoplastics have been dropping throughout the second quarter. Despite strong demand for packaging and medical products, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with [...]

'We are really good in helping our customers find solutions, both in terms of new product development and for existing products that need upgrading. We are a 'can-do' thermoformer with [...]

Prices of all volume commodity resins heading into April were expected to be mainly flat and in some cases lower. Factors for this softness include well-supplied markets, sluggish demand, lower [...]