Selected Projects
SodaStream – dishwasher durable bottle
Concentrated work with SodaStream culminated in a bottle made of smart polyesters which combines not only the transparency properties of the polyester and its mechanical durability under cyclic pressure conditions, but also high temperature durability – so that it can be washed in a dishwasher. This property is not found in off-the-shelf products on the market. The development process entailed materials science and required collaboration with a leading raw materials company to manufacture the suitable formulation. The material which was developed is unique and cannot be used by the company’s competitors.
Twine – digital printing on polyester embroidery threads
The Israeli startup company Twine, in collaboration with the Israel Plastics and Rubber Center, developed an online digital polyester thread dyeing system on an embroidery machine. The process is rapid and green, and provides an innovative alternative to traditional methods. Anna Dotan, who managed the project, recounts: “The task appeared very challenging in the beginning, but the company insisted, and today, from a company of two people who approached us, there are already 40 employees. The product has large potential and replaces the standard dyeing process which uses hundreds of colors of threads that are dyed in washing processes with various chemicals”.
Elbit Systems – Flexible pellet capsules made of biopolymer for an aerial firefighting system
A new technology was developed at the Israel Plastics and Rubber Center in a joint and highly challenging project with Elbit Systems, based on a unique biopolymer material formula. The technology was used to manufacture, from a flexible sheet and in a continuous process, pellet capsules that seal small doses of water. The pellets are used as an active component of an innovative and advanced aerial firefighting system that was developed by Elbit Systems and is already commercial.
Pachmas – barrier properties for containers without an adhesive layer
The Israeli company, Pachmas Packaging Ltd, is part of the international Greif Group. The Israel Plastics and Rubber Center developed containers for the company which have barrier properties for gas and fuel vapors. When producing these containers EVOH and HDPE are usually combined to provide a barrier, and are usually tied together with an adhesive layer. The uniqueness of these containers is that they do not contain the adhesive layer. The new technology, called TLL (Tie-Layer-Less) is cheaper and easier to manufacture. It is patent protected and is already commercially successful.
