Stilbene-based optical brightening agents (OBAs) are used widely in the manufacture of coated and uncoated white paper and board with with around 125,000 tons being produced in countries such as China, Europe, India, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
Chemically, this type of OBAs is based on a diamino-stilbene structure (abbreviated to DAST or DASDA) which derives from toluene through various intermediates.…
BASF has declared Force Majeure due to technical problems with its ethylene oxide (EO) production.
The statement from BASF is as follows:
‘BASF’s European production sites for ethylene oxide have experienced significant technical problems leading to a Force Majeure declaration on ethylene oxide on May 19, 2015. Due to the ethylene oxide (EO) shortage BASF has subsequently to declare Force Majeure…
If you fall in line with all the advice and pressure to comply with the environmental, legal and confidentiality guidelines, it is often the case that your e mail footer is far longer than your concise e mail.
Those demands to save tress – most of which are grown as a sustainable crop – and those please do not print statements need to be challenged. It is worth considering what is being demanded…
Looks like a good opportunity for SMEs to get involved and contribute to the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – they are looking for seven small and medium sized businesses to join the Management Boards of the Employer Ownership Pilot.
Click here for details.
For more details regarding the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, please click here.
The European Patent Office (EPO) has ruled in favour of Archroma (Clariant) regarding an opposition filed by Blankophor against a patent filed for a mixed salt of an optical brightening agent. The patent in dispute is EP 2 260 145 B1 and the Archroma press release provide interesting detail: click here.
It is clear from the comments credited to Dr Bernd Hauschel that Blankophor are not happy with…
Kimberly-Clark [KC] Professional has launched a range of products based on ‘rapidly renewable’ plant fibres such as wheat straw and bamboo. The range of ‘GreenHarvest’ products will be used in Kleenex and Scott brand towel and tissue products.
KC Professional is the first major towel and tissue manufacturer in North America to introduce products made with 20 percent plant fibre in place of tree…
As we approach the time of the Chelsea Flower Show the exhibitors are starting to get their show flowers and gardens into top shape for the judges and public. Just before the show, the exhibits are looked over and attention given detail, especially by those experts responsible for the fine pruning, and giving what was referred to on BBC Radio 2 the other day as the ‘Chelsea Snip’.
Why not take a…
WWF Study: Over 80% of future deforestation by 2030 confined to just 11
A recent WWF study forecasts that 11 places in the world will account for over 80% of deforestation by 2030 - 10 of the places are in the tropics.
Concentrating #dachshund
The Social Progress Index – an alternative way to look at the best places to live
There is a growing number of indexes which compare the different places we live in the world and rank them using various criteria – the the Economist’s Big Mac Index, the Legatum Prosperity Index and there are others if one only compares the suspect GDP figures issued by countries throughout the world.
TED is often a good place to go for ideas on most things, and they too have published an…
