Interesting trends in polymer technology at NPE2015 Startup Garage

The NPE2015 Startup Garage has attracted many startup ventures worth checking out as they will present new technologies. This is also the reason why SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, producers of the triennial NPE: The International Plastics Showcase decided to expand this section.

The Startup Garage is a program developed by SPI in partnership with the new-venture tracking firm Startup.Directory to provide startups with prominently located exhibit stations at the NPE, scheduled to take place from March 23-27, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. The original plan was to have only a limited number of startups to be chosen by show management and Startup.Directory, but with 12 companies selected and additional demand from the marketplace, SPI is expanding the Startup Garage space and accepting more applications.

Innovations that will be highlighted in this section include those in bioplastics, recycling, 3D printing, polymerization, resin processing, and antimicrobial polymers. Three of the startups feature developments in the growing field of graphenes—two-dimensional carbon-atom nanostructures that can be used for formulating plastics composites with dramatically enhanced properties.  According to Brad Williams, SPI's director of trade show sales and marketing, “While some of these startups propose new ways to address pressing issues involving renewable resources and waste reduction, others offer enhancements of plastics manufacture and product performance. The quality of the exhibitors so far has led us to extend the call for more.”

For more information on the NPE2015 Startup Garage, visit:  www.npe.org/startup-garage-npe2015