Last month, doctors switched out a cancer-stricken windpipe of a patient with a polymer-based organ made in a lab. The operation was a landmark achievement in regenerative medicine. Gautam Naik at The Wall Street Journal reported that the patient no longer has cancer and is expected to have a normal life expectancy. Naik wrote: The [...]
Cancer Patient Saved by Windpipe Made From Polymer and Other Materials
July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Sweet Scent of Plastic Garbage Bags
June 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Producers of plastic garbage bags are aiming to make trash day less stinky. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, Glad Products Co., Hefty, and other manufacturers are tweaking the plastic of garbage bags so they protect people from odorous assaults from the contents of the bags. Retail and consumer trends reporter Sarah Nassauer says that [...]
What’s in a Tennis Ball Besides Rubber?
May 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A polymer-and-rubber buff would love to know what gives tennis balls their bounce. But according to a The Wall Street Journal article, manufacturers aren’t telling. Organizers of the French Open this year (May 17 to June 5)Â have switched from the Dunlop brand of tennis balls to the Babolat ones. Players like Novak Djokovic, the men’s [...]
China’s Energy Crisis Affects Plastics Manufacturing
May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
An energy crisis has hit central China, which is affecting its plastics manufacturing. The crisis has been exacerbated by a drought that is reducing hydroelectricity capacity. An Associated Press article reports that the energy crisis in the industrial regions west of Shanghai is the worst in years. The China Electricity Council, an industry group, estimates [...]
Johnson & Johnson to Buy Medical Device Company Synthes
April 21, 2011 By 1 Comment
The rumors began over the weekend and are growing stronger. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is in discussion to acquire Synthes, a Swiss medical device manufacturer. If the deal crystallizes, J&JÂ could boost its revenue and profit in the short term and gain a strong foothold in the growing market for orthopedic surgery products. It will also [...]
Polymer Plugs Japanese Reactor Leak
April 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Over the weekend, workers at the ill-fated Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station attempted to plug a leak in the reactor with a polymer mix, but initially failed. According to reports in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, Japanese officials found that radioactive water was leaking directly from the nuclear plant, ruined by the March [...]
