Polymeric Materials

Automotive Composites

Posted: January 4, 2012

in

*From the September 2011 issue of Plastics Engineering

By Jennifer Markarian

The driving force for using plastics composites in automotive applications is the ability to reduce weight by replacing metal. As government mandates for fuel efficiency become increasingly strict, automakers ask the question again, “What else can we replace?”, and composites are proving their capability in more applications. As composites show they can replace metal to not only save weight, but also to increase design freedom and save production costs, the industry is seeing more commercial activity using existing composite technologies as well as new developments taking composites to the next level.

Read more

CRYSTALLIZATION OF PET MASTERBATCHES

Posted: February 3, 2012

in

IR Batch, more than just a perfect crystallizer.

At NPE 2012, KREYENBORG Plant Technology, Muenster, Germany will display its latest addition to their well known IRD technology, the IR Batch, which uses very efficient short wave Infrared radiation instead of hot air as a heat source.
Read more

Dow Corning uses Malvern Viscotek GPC to provide customers with in-depth polymer structure data

Posted: January 27, 2012

in

The installation of a multi-detection Viscotek TDAmax gel permeation chromatography (GPC) system from Malvern Instruments is enabling Dow Corning Europe S.A. in Belgium to meet customer demand for increasingly comprehensive polymer structure data. In addition, Dow Corning experts are saving resources by applying rapid, cost-effective GPC methods to pre-select the most promising new polymer candidates, significantly reducing the number of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations required wherever possible.
Read more

Thin Film Experts VCF Films Sponsors Speaker

Posted: January 6, 2012

in

VCF Films (VCF) a leading manufacturer of thin polymer films and coatings for a variety of industries, today announced that they will be sponsoring a presentation by web-coating expert Dr. Edward Cohen, at the 2012 Flexible Electronics and Displays Conference and Exhibition (2012 Flex), being held February 6-9 in Phoenix, Arizona. 2012 Flex is presented by the FlexTech Alliance.
Read more

SABIC’s New Lexan* EXL Copolymer Boosts Design Freedom For Next-Generation Miniaturized Photovoltaic Systems

Posted: December 16, 2011

in

SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced a new, high-performance Lexan* EXL copolymer resin that addresses the fast-moving trend toward miniaturization of photovoltaic (PV) connectors and junction boxes. The enhanced electrical and flame-retardant performance of the new Lexan EXL resin grade enables designers to miniaturize the entire system by creating thin-wall parts, moving conductors closer together and integrating junction box systems – helping to drive down solar energy costs and increase efficiency. New Lexan EXL resin helps customers strengthen their competitive footing by contributing significantly to the benefits of PV systems and further accelerating the move to solar energy.
Read more

Stork Materials Technology Changes Name to Element

Posted: December 7, 2011

in

Stork Materials Technology has officially changed its name to Element Materials Technology. In this final step venturing away from the Stork Group, Element becomes an independent world-class materials technology company in its own right with over 180 years of experience.
Read more

SABIC Unveils Two New Lexan* PC Films for Secure ID Cards to Guard Against Identity Theft, Damage, and Premature Replacement

Posted: November 18, 2011

in

Here at the CARTES & IDentification show, Booth 4N062, SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today introduced two new breakthrough Lexan* polycarbonate (PC) film technologies for identification (ID) cards that help simplify integration of additional security features needed to combat identity theft and counterfeiting. New Lexan SDCX co-extruded film and Lexan SC92E flexible hard-coated film provide solutions to the challenges of constructing ID cards and security documents with more and thinner layers and complex manufacturing. Several years after SABIC’s successful introduction of the Lexan Secure ID film portfolio, this expansion of its security product offerings with Lexan SDCX and SC92E high-performance films clearly demonstrates the company’s commitment to identity protection technologies that benefit smartcard manufacturers and consumers alike.
Read more

Crystal-clear DuPont™ Surlyn skin film enables automated assembly of scratch-susceptible components, saves raw material and process energy

Posted: November 17, 2011

in

DuPont™ Surlyn^®, a highly-transparent packaging polymer, and specially-modified skin packaging equipment form the basis of a new energy-, cost- and material-saving film technology that can be used for the efficient protection of susceptible, three-dimensional component surfaces. The process is the result of joint development work between the machinery producer Zappe Verpackungsmaschinen (Witten, Germany), the film producer jura-plast (Reichenschwand, Germany) and DuPont.
Read more

SOLVAY DEVELOPS ON-SITE FLUORINE GAS PRODUCTION UNITS TO DRAMATICALLY DECREASE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE PHOTOVOLTAIC AND SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY

Posted: September 7, 2011

in

Solvay announced today that it is going to test a new on-site electronic grade fluorine gas (F2) production unit at its industrial site in Onsan, Korea. After testing, the unit will be installed at a customer site. This production equipment with a capacity of 100 metric tons electronic grade F2 gas per year makes it possible to produce this rather limited quantity in cost-effective way. And as the device is modular, it is easy to increase capacity if needed.
Read more

Dow Performance Monomers Increases Capacity of Glycidyl Methacrylate Used in Specialty Coatings and Resins