Mixing & Blending

Plastics Engineering spoke with Roberto Nunez, Director of Market Development at Baerlocher USA, about the company’s role in plastics recycling.

Surface hardening is a vital process in mold manufacturing. It enhances mold durability by increasing surface hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength.

Researchers from New Zealand developed a method to transform commercial-grade silicone into a repairable vitrimer by incorporating elemental sulfur.

Plastic modification involves selecting the right additives to enhance the polymer’s properties, such as mechanical strength, surface quality, or processability.

Emulsion polymerization is a useful and cost-effective process that allows for easy creation of several commercially important polymers.

Supramolecular polymers offer high-quality properties and low-viscosity melts. These features enable advanced applications such as self-healing materials and adaptive coatings.

The rubber industry employs ammonia to preserve latex by preventing bacterial growth and stabilizing particles. However, ammonia poses significant health risks, including severe skin burns, eye damage, and respiratory issues.

The German company WACKER has adopted the mass balance approach, which enables the simultaneous processing of fossil-based and renewable raw materials to produce silicone rubber.

Hybrid polymer composites with new blends of unsaturated polyesters and hybrid epoxy resins could enhance performance in various industries, including aerospace and automotive.

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) present a promising solution for diverting waste generated by the pulp and paper industry from landfills.