Title: State-of-the-Biobased Plastics Industry: Overview 2018

Biography:

Dr. Yash Khanna has been in the Plastics Industry for over 40 years with affiliations at Honeywell, Rayonier, Imerys, and Applied Minerals; majority of his career being at the Corporate R&D of  Honeywell, formerly AlliedSignal in Morristown, NJ. While at Honeywell, Yash gained a diversified experience ranging from Fundamental Research to Product Development to Technology Marketing in North America & Europe. Currently, he is the Chief Technology Officer at KHG fiteBac Technology responsible for launching its Antimicrobial products in the Polymers & Plastics materials for healthcare applications.

Dr. Khanna’s career is credited with over 120 research publications, 25 US Patents and numerous technology & business awards. Yash received his PhD / MS degrees in Polymer Science & Engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, New York.

Abstract

While most major corporations around the world have escalated their efforts in recent years on improving the Environmental Impact & Sustainability via several routes, some BREAK-THROUGH concepts have only lately emerged. For example, (1) CONVERTING land & forest WASTES into chemicals; the latter besides numerous uses serve as Building-Blocks for plastics and (2) REDUCING-CAPTURING-CONVERTING  the harmful greenhouse gases (CO₂ and CH₄) into chemicals. These revolutionary concepts are expected to take environment/sustainability efforts to new heights.

This presentation will begin with a review of the historic emergence of the biobased plastics industry starting with an era of “Waste Management via Biodegradation” followed by a period of  very high petroleum prices and proliferation of technology pipeline to develop traditional & new DURABLE polymers, and now again through times of lower petroleum pricing / shale gas revolution. In spite of turbulent events, reasons for steady-growth of this industry forecasted to be 34Blbs/year by 2020, will be highlighted. Emphasis of the presentation will be on how the field of Polymers & Chemicals is being rejuvenated via Non-Fossil Raw-Materials that are (1) Biobased-Sustainable or (2) Air-Land-Ocean Pollutants”; thereby leading to preservation of petroleum resources, reduction of air-land-ocean pollution, and utilization of free/undesirable raw materials.