Securing Small Chemical Business Funding with the SBIR/STTR Programs

It’s no secret that the world is currently experiencing changes of large magnitude in these unprecedented times.

A novel method for recycling PLA using low-temperature, low-pressure reactions with alcohol or water has recently been developed. PLA is used today in many applications ranging from food packaging to implantable medical devices. Because of its sensitivity to thermal degradation, PLA is difficult to recycle and actually becomes a contaminant in the plastics stream of municipal solid waste. Using the newly discovered process, different grades of PLA can be removed from a stream of commingled plastics and broken down to give high value chemicals. Some of these chemicals, called monomers, can be purified and used as feedstock to synthesize virgin PLA resin, thereby “closing the loop” on the PLA life cycle. This result is achieved by carrying out depolymerization reactions while the PLA is in solution.

Have you ever been at the lab bench mindlessly performing a repetitive task, wondering if a robot would be better placed for the job? Despite many industries having utilised full automation of workflows for decades, the use of robots in chemistry laboratories is a relatively new domain.

The fashion industry is one of the sectors that is a major contributor to pollution in the world. The most critical factor is dependent on the chemicals, their usage and waste. Chemical management is one of the key pillars for sustainability within the fashion and textile companies. Therefore, it is essential to understand the key pillars of a chemical management verification in your supply chain. TÜV SÜD experts will go into the details of the different sections of a chemical management audit verification, focussing on the chemical inventory and wastewater plant and sludges.