By 2006, China developed capacity of 11 mln tons and is poised to expand the capacity tremendously in the next few years - becoming an exporting hub instead of a significant importer. Although dependence on imports in China has reduced dramatically over the last few years, the country still requires to import 2 mln tons. By 2010, capacity in China will increase by 7 mln tons. To know about the various growing regions, growing applications, diverse feedstock options, etc, read China will become an exporter of PVC by 2010

Individual nano-size building blocks such as nanotubes, nanosheets and nanorods are, as a general rule, ultrastrong. But larger materials made out of bonded nano-size building blocks have been found to be comparatively weak. Scientists have solved this problem that has confounded engineers and scientists for decades. Read in A new polymer from clay and glue is transparent and as strong as steel

Several suppliers have been developing technologies to manufacture biodegradable and compostable packaging, in a bid to meet a market driven by consumer pressure and environmental regulations. A US-based company has developed a technology to produce biodegradable polymers. The technology is based on a catalyst system using building blocks that are readily available and highly manageable. Read in Biodegradable polymers from carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide

Profitability for aromatic producers has witnessed a dramatic improvement in the last five years. This is in contrast to the preceding ten years where returns were extremely poor, primarily resulting out of product over-supply. The recent improvement has been driven by a combination of good market growth accompanied by a particularly low rate of capacity addition. To know how long the good times will last and the factors that will influence change, read Increased profitability of aromatics seen in this decade likely to drop

Significant time and money is invested by medical device manufacturers to ensure that their products meet performance needs and FDA guidelines. Physical ageing is an essential test, critical for documenting expiration dates for combination medical products. This test helps manufacturers decrease the time required for testing prior to device commercialization. Read in Accelerated ageing tests help to meet performance needs of plastic medical devices

Higher throughputs and reduction in scrap generation are becoming prominent features in production of profiles. However, producing plastic profiles faster often causes warping, especially with complex hollow shapes having varying wall thicknesses. Warping also occurs in profiles made from wood plastic composites or foamed profiles. To prevent warpage in profiles, it is important to cool the profile more evenly. Read more in Efficient cooling prevents warpage in profiles at higher throughputs