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The latest in research and development of polymeric materials, from the lab to the manufacturing plant, including the ways in which improvements in structure and properties lay the groundwork for the products of tomorrow.

News & Features

LUVOCOM High-Performance Compounds Lower CO2 Emissions from Motor Vehicles

Today it is difficult to imagine modern automobiles without plastics. They are used in interiors, for bumpers and body parts and even in heavy-duty components found under the bonnet. Thanks to their low weight and integrated functions, these materials make a decisive contribution to building vehicles that are increasingly powerful yet also low on consumption.

 
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BASF Announces Price Increase of Styropor and Neopor Expandable Polystyrene in North America

BASF today announced it is increasing prices for all grades of Styropor® and Neopor® expandable polystyrene in North America by $0.05 per pound effective May 15, 2010.  This increase is necessary due to raw material cost increases, particularly benzene and ethylene, principal precursors in the production of EPS.
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TOPAS Advanced Polymers Increases Prices

Effective May 15, 2010, TOPAS Advanced Polymers (TAP) is raising the prices for all grades of its TOPAS® cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). This price increase is necessary due to continuously rising cost of raw materials and other cost increases during recent months. As contracts allow, TAP will increase prices for all COC resins by 0.15 €/kg
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Feature article

Polyolefin Developments: Timely & Economical

Polyolefin Developments: Timely & Economical

PE & PP adjust to a world of tighter budgets and higher expectations.

By Michael Tolinski

 As the lowest-priced family of low-density polymers, polyolefins may find themselves being put into the roles of saviors during the economic recession and recovery. The lightweight resins can be tailored to do a lot—at minimal cost.

So resin producers continue to create new grades with enhanced properties, and compounders are beefing up polyolefins for new applications—while end-users expect the materials to come in more sophisticated compounds and forms. Along with their well-known roles in packaging applications, newly developed PO-based materials have become important in the replacement of aging urban infrastructure, as well as in the engineering of new lightweight vehicles.
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Image of the Month

Thermoplastic Starch Plate

Thermoplastic Starch Plate