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Heading into June, the pricing trajectory for volume commodity resins was once again mixed. While prices of PE, PP, PVC were trending downward, prices of PS and PET were moving [...]

In the last couple of years, a developing global supply/demand squeeze in nylon 66 has led some engineering thermoplastic suppliers, compounders and distributors to be on the ready to address [...]

Developments in Industry 4.0, multi-layer preform molding, automation, LSR processing, and PP were among the major newsbreakers at May's show. And one film processor finalized purchases of 13 new lines. [...]

A variety of new developments in materials, additives, and processing were dominant themes at SPE's International Polyolefins 2018 conference, held in Houston in late February. There were over 700 attendees [...]

In addition to combining utilities that you might expect to be co-located, like blending and feeding or drying and conveying, auxiliaries debuting at NPE2018 combine elements that heretofore have not [...]

Specialty formulations that zero in on target applications and offer more efficient processing, and in many cases sustainability, are key themes in the wide range of new materials and additives [...]

Spanning nine categories, the winners of the SPE Automotive Division's 2018 Blue Ribbon Automotive Innovative Awards (which this editor helped judge) represent a number of 'firsts' in metal replacement and [...]

A unique clamshell-type packaging design first patented seven years ago by thermoformer Jamestown Plastics in Brocton, N.Y., has gained significant ground in a broad range of packaging applications. These range [...]

There is no doubt that a good understanding of the properties and processing behavior of a variety of resins and compounds will advance a custom processor's business and bolster customers' [...]

Volume resin prices, all of which eroded during much of the third quarter, were generally projected to be flat in the fourth quarter, except perhaps for downward pricing of PET [...]

The first quarter came to a close with prices of nearly all volume resins--including engineering types--trending flat to lower. The exceptions were PVC and PS: PVC prices rose a bit [...]

Recent graduates of plastics education programs appear to be closing a longstanding gap in processors' contributions to materials selection for applications. In the last few decades, as the demands on [...]

Prices of nearly all volume resins were flat or lower in December, with PP and PE showing the most dramatic declines going into the new year. Even the exception in [...]

A shifting market preference for extrudable PET (EPET) versus PETG copolyester in order to make extrusion blow molded (EBM) clear bottles that can be recycled with the standard PET stream [...]

Going into the fourth quarter, prices of PE, PP, and PS were retreating, raising the potential for significant price corrections following a year and a half of substantial price hikes. [...]

Heading into the fourth quarter, a combination of lower prices for some key feedstocks and improvements in both feedstock and resin availability heralded a flat-to-lower pricing trend for PE, PP, [...]

Tight monomer and/or resin supplies and, in some cases, higher feedstock costs, resulted in higher prices by the end of the first quarter for PE, PS, PVC, ABS, PET, PC, [...]

As we head into the new year, the course of high-volume resin prices was up, down, and undecided. Supply/demand fundamentals are key to the projected downward trend for PE, PS, [...]

Feedstock and/or resin supply constraints due largely to unplanned production disruptions added to the general resin tightness, particularly for PP and PE. Along with spiking feedstock costs, this tightness was [...]

The resin pricing trend in the third quarter appears to be shaping up differently among the five-large volume commodity resins. Continued high demand and tight supply will keep prices for [...]

The K 2016 show will present quite a range of higher-performing engineered plastics, including nylons, PC, polyolefins, thermoplastic composites, and 3D-printing materials, as well as additives. Prominent applications include transportation, [...]

Phthalate ester plasticizers that long have dominated the flexible PVC market have some serious non-phthalate competition, including some newer alternatives. The phthalates' strong market hold is losing steam--primarily in Europe, [...]

Rapid expansion of LED technology has spurred development of new formulations for a wide range of lighting components. Here are examples of activity in this fast-moving field. Lighting manufacturers and [...]

The article focuses on the latest developments in additives showcased at NPE2024, emphasizing sustainability alongside enhanced performance characteristics in replacements aimed primarily at polyolefins used in food packaging. It highlights included non-PFAS processing aids, barrier enhancers, oxygen scavengers, and nucleating agents, as well as biobased colorants, lubricants, and carbon blacks.

Dips in PP and PET tabs proved temporary, as supply/ demand imbalances elevate prices and restrict supplies of all five commodity resins. PS hikes are especially brutal. A combination of [...]

Continued strong demand and supply constraints in feedstocks and/or resins drove prices of PE, PS and PVC sharply up again, with prices of PET also higher. That supply/demand scenario applies [...]

Four relatively new polymer modifiers have multiple functions in virgin and/or recycled resins. One is an unusual catalyst for compatibilizing multi-polymer blends and post-consumer recycle (PCR) mixtures and has promise [...]

Industry 4.0--the internet of things--is bringing a new level of connectivity to auxiliary equipment. Here's a rundown of developments there, along with other news in auxiliaries from the show. Across [...]

New materials and additives were plentiful at NPE2015, with new developments aimed at just about all the major industry sectors--packaging, consumer goods, construction, medical, electronics, and automotive. These developments address [...]

Commodity resins like polyolefins and PET have been in the forefront of biobased and recycled-content news over the last five to 10 years, but some engineering thermoplastics have been catching [...]

These are key trends in the many kinds of auxiliary equipment displayed at this month's show. You'll also see equipment designed to be virtually 'foolproof.' Modular designs, updated controls, and [...]

New advances in a broad range of materials and additives will figure more prominently at NPE2015 than in previous years. Based on news that was available to us preshow, you [...]

Recycling and reuse of plastics scrap, as well as the reduction of plastics wastes, is one of top priorities of SPI and its industry partners. This is exemplified at NPE2015 [...]

Prices of PE and PP moved up in double-digits, while those of PS, PVC and PET were also on an upward trajectory, in the first six weeks of this year. [...]

Going into 2021, prices of the five volume commodity resins seem set to continue their upward march, at least for now. Driving this trajectory were higher feedstock costs, supplies tightened [...]

Prices of nearly all volume resins appeared to be on the way up, with pricing leverage largely held by resin suppliers, at least for the short term. Major drivers of [...]

The R&D team of Ontario-based Tier 1 automotive interiors company CpK has developed a patent-pending additive, Forti-VI, that reportedly can kill 99.9999% of SARS-CoV-2 virus on material surfaces in less [...]

With the industry still reeling from a devastating season of hurricanes, the fifth annual Global Plastics Summit (GPS 2017) drew more than 350 attendees from over 20 countries. Held in [...]

Even by the second week in September, following the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the full impact on availability of key feedstocks and some resins was still a question mark. Play-by-play [...]

Trends, guidance on material selection, and advances in new materials were addressed at the recent Silicone Elastomers and Thermoplastic Elastomers Summit U.S. 2017. Organized by the U.K.'s Smithers Rapra, it [...]

A combination of significant price decreases in key feedstocks and more balanced supply and demand overall brought down prices of PE, PP, PS, PET, and ABS. While PVC and nylon [...]

Considering the various factors that contribute to upward pricing of individual resins, it is highly unusual to see all commodity resin prices move up at the same time, and in [...]

As had been expected by industry pros, 2016 appeared in early December to be ending with prices of PE and PP dropping, while PS, PVC, PC, and nylon 66 were [...]

The article reports that the 52nd annual Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Division's Blue Ribbon Automotive Innovation Awards celebrated various "firsts" in eight categories, including Electric & Autonomous Vehicle Systems, Aftermarket & Limited Edition/Specialty Vehicles, and Sustainability, showcasing innovations predominantly led by thermoplastics and thermoplastic composites.

Prices of the five large-volume commodity resins were generally on an upward trajectory through at least the end of the third quarter, owing to a combination of factors including planned [...]

The trajectory of prices of the five volume commodity resins was upward through September; but starting last month, a reversal was underway for most of these resins, possibly excepting PE [...]

Prices increased for each of the major five volume resins, though there was a possibility that they would plateau this month for PP, PS and PET. A key factor behind [...]

Prices of four of the five major commodity resins were in various stages of an upward trajectory going into the third quarter. PET was the exception, with tabs mostly flat [...]

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic looms large over the entire plastics manufacturing chain, with high resin inventories, dropping demand, and record-low global prices of materials and feedstocks. Commodity resin [...]

Prices of nearly all volume resins were largely expected to bottom out by the end of 2019, and flat pricing was generally projected for the start of this new decade. [...]