Philadelphia — Advancements in PET and polypropylene were in focus at Antec 2025, March 4-6 in Philadelphia.
Compounder PolyVisions Inc. has seen increased demand for its DuraPET product line. The material is a polyester copolymer that incorporates thermoplastic rubber and a flame retardant additive made by FRX Inc.
DuraPET first was commercialized in 2017. A grade using sustainable ocean plastic was added in 2024.
Sales engineer Rick Wilson said DuraPET first was developed for food cooking and shipping bags. The material proved too costly for that market, but then found uses in injection molding because of its high chemical resistance, impact resistance and toughness.
DuraPET is PFAS-free and also can be used as a masterbatch concentrate in production of thin films, where Wilson said the material offers "glass-like transparency."
Officials with PolyVisions in Manchester, Pa., previously said DuraPET is a drop-in replacement for polycarbonate, ABS and other engineering-grade materials. They added that DuraPET offers a low-cost entry into green products.
At the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, N.J., the testing of recycled bottled water and beverage brands showed that the Dasani brand came closest to virgin PET resin performance when recycled. Research scientist John Suwardie said the testing was done because new regulations have increased demand for recycled PET. In addition to Dasani, a bottled water brand owned by Coca-Cola Co., researchers tested bottles made for Gatorade, Snapple, Smartwater and Poland Springs.
"We wanted to mix PET from different sources and understand what effect they had," Suwardie said. He added samples were tested with 30 percent, 70 percent and 90 percent recycled content.
During testing, researchers found it was difficult to maintain thermal stability to prevent degradation, Suwardie said.
Université Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, has found applications for PP foam, according to Denis Rodrigue, a professor at the school. Université Laval made cross-linked PP foam parts by rotational molding.
PP foam "has a wide range of applications and excellent overall properties" for the foam market, which Rodrigue said often uses polyurethane as a base material. Like PU, PP foam can be used to reduce weight in many applications.
Rodrigue added automotive, construction and packaging held the biggest opportunities for PP foam, especially in applications where manufacturers are looking to use less polyethylene and polystyrene.