Conventional sulphur dyeing of cellulosic woven fabrics, which poses environmental problems, is shown to be modifiable by using safer chemicals. The use of reducing sugars as eco-friendly reductants results in an improvement in the extent of colouration. The extent of improvement is determined by the reductant type, decreasing in the order liquid glucose, thiourea dioxide, glucose, molasses, and by the dye/reductant ratio and the type of woven cellulosic fabric. Raising the dyeing temperature to 80 deg.C for 45 min, increasing NaCl concentration to 30 g/L, and/or minimising the material-to-liquor ratio to 1/10 results in an improvement in the extent of colouration. The efficiency of dye fixation is determined by the nature of the oxidant. Post-softening has positive effects on the softness degree and washing fastness, as well as rubbing fastness properties, especially in the case of use of the cationic softener, regardless of the sulphur dye used. 21 refs.

A summary is presented of presentations given on natural oil-based polyols given at UTECH Europe in March 2006 in Maastricht. Reports are also included on new capacity planned for palm oil-based polyols in Malaysia, Elastogran's castor oil-based polyols, Cargill's soy-based polyols, research into vegetable and seed oil-based polyols in Eastern Europe and work on fish oil polyols in Iceland.

A method for the direct catalytic heterogeneous modification of polysaccharides is presented and exemplified by a combination of organic acid-catalysed esterification and a copper-catalysed Huisgen reaction (click chemistry), which is employed to attach a fluorescent probe to solid cellulose under environmentally friendly conditions. 9 refs.

The processing, manufacture, characterisation, structure-property relationships, health and safety issues and commercial applications of nanocomposites of thermoplastics with various nanoparticles, including layered silicates and organically modified silicates, graphite nanoplatelets, carbon nanotubes and nanofibres, are comprehensively reviewed. The future outlook for polymer-matrix nanocomposites, including biodegradable nanocomposites derived from renewable resources, is also discussed. 350 refs.

Environmental aspects of atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) are reviewed in terms of methods for catalyst removal and recycling, development of active ATRP catalysts for use at low concentrations, the use of environmentally friendly media such as water, supercritical carbon dioxide or ionic liquids as polymerisation solvents, and the application of ATRP to the preparation of advanced materials such as self-plasticised poly(vinyl chloride) and biodegradable polymers. Examples from the literature are cited to illustrate the review. 193 refs.

Over five hundred papers are published following this annual SPE conference. Papers are divided into the following main sessions: automotive, blow moulding, colour and appearance, composites, decorating and assembly, electrical and electronic, engineering properties and structures, extrusion, flexible packaging, injection moulding, marketing and management, medical plastics, mould making and mould design, plastics environmental polymer analysis, polymer modifiers and additives, product design and development, rotational moulding, failure analysis and prevention, thermoplastic elastomers, alloys and blends, joining of plastics and composites, vibration and laser welding, applied rheology, process monitoring and control, plastics educators, radiation processing of polymers, plastic pipe and fittings, nano/micro moulding, thermoforming, thermoplastic materials and foams, thermoset, and vinyl plastics.

The objective of this guide was to produce definitive guidance to designers and specifiers on the design of plastic packaging to facilitate recycling. The guide is divided into the following main sections: aims, general guidelines, and material specific guidelines for containers and film.

This revised Good Practice Guide is intended to help both management and designers/specifiers to take a fresh and systematic look at packaging design with a view to cut cost and its impact on the environment . Packaging materials discussed include plastics, laminates and coating, composite materials, adhesives, paper, steel and aluminium, and glass. The Guide examines a range of tools and techniques to assist the packaging design process, from resource minimisation and recycling and reducing hazardous substances, through to design for final disposal. The Guide is divided into the following sections: background, management perspective, eco-design for packaging designers, supporting information.

Wrap commissioned Recoup to undertake this annual national UK household plastic bottle recycling survey. This is the twelfth such annual survey. The results are based on responses and information from 471 local authorities in the UK. The report is divided into the following chapters: executive summary, introduction and methodology, plastic bottle recycling activity, plastic bottle recycling schemes, collection infrastructure, council expenditure on plastic bottle recycling, bring collection schemes, kerbside collection schemes, perceptions of plastic bottle recycling, planned developments, the potential of plastic bottle recycling, and conclusions.

Nearly two hundred papers are published following this 5 day international conference focusing on the technology of rubber and elastomers in the 21st century. Topics include novel elastomeric materials, filler and additives, natural rubber and its derivatives, rubber goods, new evaluation and testing methods, nanotechnology, recycling and ecology, mechanics and mechanisms of tyres, structure and properties.

Plastic shopping bags are becoming a major environmental concern in many countries around the world. The bags have blocked drains and caused severe floods over the last couple of decades. The environmental implications of PE bags, that take hundreds of years to decompose, are harsh. Negative outcomes include: wasted resources locked away in the millions of plastic bags in landfills; the littering of landscapes and waterways; threats to wildlife; and toxic gas emissions through burning. A number of countries are beginning to take positive measures to tackle this problem, including charging consumers a levy, or banning the bags from the marketplace altogether. The introduction of a plastic bag levy in Ireland is discussed.

The plastics sector is a large and growing industry sector. However, many companies find the pressure of competing extremely difficult because of: fluctuating raw material prices; rising energy prices; waste management problems; and legislation encouraging increased recycling and reuse. Thus, modern technology is slowly oriented towards reducing waste at source through waste minimisation and alternative design and process techniques. This will vastly reduce the need to recycle and dispose of waste. Plastics technologies are continually being developed to produce products in more efficient, less polluting and less costly ways. 16 refs.

In 1998, Edward Douglas Miller launched the Remarkable pencil made from waste plastic cups and won an award for International Invention of the Year. The following year, Remarkable was awarded the licence to produce official Millennium Dome and Year 2000 merchandise, and won another three awards including Recycled Product of the Year at the National Recycling Awards. In 2001, the company launched a retail range that included pencil cases and mouse mats made from recycled tyres. These were sold by more than 150 independent retailers as well as Sainsbury and Tesco. The company has grown rapidly since then, supplying big UK companies, councils and selling abroad.

An analysis by Greenpeace of the chemicals contained in the components of five types of laptop computers has revealed toxic flame retardants and other harmful chemicals in some of them. The findings highlight the challenges facing environmental regulators as they attempt to police the eradication of harmful chemicals from electronic goods. The analysts found that among the five computers, the Hewlett-Packard laptop had some of the highest levels of a number of chemicals, including decaBDE, a flame retardant that the company claims to have removed from its product line some years ago. Greenpeace stresses that its analysis is not a reflection on any of the manufacturers' entire product lines, and none of them has broken any law.

The analysis of additives in polymers is an essential part of the production process. Recent advances in X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy have provided polymer and plastics manufacturers with better process control, higher cost efficiency and a much clearer overview of their environmental impact. The data presented clearly demonstrates that the new PANalytical XRF spectrometer, Axios-Poly, with ADPOL calibration standards delivers the accurate and repeatable measurement that is required in the industry today. The combination offers a highly effective method of measuring sub-ppm levels for a wide range of important elements.

Environmentally benign nanocomposites were synthesised using cellulose acetate (CA) bioplastic, citrate based plasticiser and organically modified clay nanofillers to eventually substitute the existing petroleum-based polypropylene/thermoplastic olefins (PP/TPO) based composites in automotive applications. Method of processing, amount of clay, and processing conditions were thoroughly investigated to make exfoliated and/or intercalated clay/CA nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the existence of intercalated clay dispersed throughout the CA matrix. The intercalated reinforcements resulted in enhancements of the composite tensile strength, tensile modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and heat deflection temperature (HDT). The composite tensile strength of CA increased approximately 38% after incorporating 5wt% clay. The tensile modulus was also enhanced as much as 33%. The HDT of CA plastics slightly increased as a result of reinforcing with the clay nanofiller. A slight reduction in CTE value was observed after addition of 5% clay. A moderate interfacial region resulting from curve fitting of experimental tensile modulus data vs. three-phase model suggested a moderate adhesion between clay and CA matrix. Our future research direction is to utilize an appropriate compatibiliser to enhance the miscibility between the clay and the matrix so as to improve adhesion and thus enhance mechanical and thermal properties. 21 refs. Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd

Present-day industry takes an interest in environment friendly materials, due to economic and ecological reasons. The use of natural materials in composite parts fits well into this picture: plant fibres that reinforce polymer matrices can replace glass fibres in many cases, although applications are often limited to non-structural parts. The poor interface in a non-treated natural fibre reinforced composite prevents the parts to be used to their full capacity. Consequently, this study concentrates on a simple but effective fibre treatment (i.e. alkalisation) that will enable a better adhesion between flax fibres and epoxy matrix. Parameters such as time and concentration are being optimised, in order to develop a continuous process for the treatment and resin impregnation of unidirectional flax fibre epoxy composites. This paper shows a clear improvement of the mechanical properties of the resulting material: e.g. a mild treatment in a 4% NaOH solution for 45s will increase the transverse composite strength up to 30%. 21 refs. Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd

This article reviews recent advances in polymer blends and composites from renewable resources, and introduces a number of potential applications for this material class. In order to overcome disadvantages such as poor mechanical properties of polymers from renewable resources, or to offset the high price of synthetic biodegradable polymers, various blends and composites have been developed over the last decade. The progress of blends from three kinds of polymers from renewable resources-(1) natural polymers, such as starch, protein and cellulose; (2) synthetic polymers from natural monomers, such as polylactic acid; and (3) polymers from microbial fermentation, such as polyhydroxybutyrate-are described with an emphasis on potential applications. The hydrophilic character of natural polymers has contributed to the successful development of environmentally friendly composites, as most natural fibres and nanoclays are also hydrophilic in nature. Compatibilisers and the technology of reactive extrusion are used to improve the interfacial adhesion between natural and synthetic polymers. 151 refs. Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd