polymerguru

The new Ford 3.5L and 3.7L engine  manifold  uses a cross-over  coolant  component made of DuPont™ Zytel® HTN  PPA  resin instead of brazed  metal , shaving one pound to improve  fuel economy . Behind the scenes, the running change illustrates the trend toward using  high performance  thermoplastic where it is essential. And it shows how collaboration in the value chain continues to drive cost and weight saving by developing and investing in innovative techniques to help the industry meet new fuel and emissions regulations. The team from  Illinois Tool Works , Inc. (ITW) in Ohio arrived at DuPont's Innovation Center in Troy to brainstorm how to integrate a crossover coolant component into a V6 engine manifold that is made of traditional nylon polymer. The crossover coolant component is a hollow port that allows engine coolant to bypass the manifold as it circulates through the engine. Traditional  nylon 6  polymer doesn't withstand long-term exposure  to heat and long- life

The Environmental Protection Agency has honored the University of Delaware's Richard Wool with its Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for his extensive work developing bio-based materials to support the green energy infrastructure. Wool was recognized during a presentation at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Now in its 18th year, the EPA awards program recognizes the design of safer and more sustainable chemicals, processes and products. Awards are conferred annually in five categories: Academic, Small Business, Greener Synthetic Pathways, Greener Reaction Conditions and Designing Greener Chemicals. Wool, UD professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and director of the Affordable Composites from Renewable Resources (ACRES) program, is among the world leaders in developing safer chemical substances from renewable resources through processes that require less water and energy, and produce less hazardous waste compared to petroleum-based processes. The

Air Sentry, among the leading manufacturers of contamination control products, looked to Eastman Tritan™ copolyester to help create a new standard for its line of desiccant breathers. The company, based in Rockwall, Texas, selected Tritan, a new-generation copolyester, for its toughness and chemical resistance, and because it is free of bisphenol A (BPA). Guardian, Air Sentry's newest line of desiccant breathers, is the company's first product line to be made with Eastman Tritan™ copolyester. The devices are cylindrical with a clear, extruded tube made with Tritan at the center. The product is designed to replace the original equipment manufacturer breather cap or air filter on gear boxes, hydraulic fluid reservoirs, bulk storage tanks, oil drums, transformers and other fluid reservoirs. Downtime reduced; new applications realized: Moisture breaks down the properties of lubricants and fuels creating equipment wear as harmful as wear from debris. According to Air Sentry,

With a level of purity approaching 99 percent, SEPURAN® Green high performance polymers from Evonik Industries make biogas processing much more efficient. For this achievement, the company has now received the 2013 German Innovation Prize for Climate and the Environment in the "Environmentally friendly technologies" category. The prize is awarded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federation of German Industry (BDI). Dr. Dahai Yu, responsible for the Specialty Materials Segment in the Executive Board: "Innovations are a major contribution towards overcoming the challenges of the future. This also includes securing energy supplies practically from economical, ecological, and social aspects. With SEPURAN® Green, Evonik shows what the chemical industry can do to make this happen." Biogas, which consists mainly of the gases CO 2  and methane, is regarded as an environmentally friendly form of energy. B

Toyota Boshoku Corporation, among the premier manufacturers of automotive interior systems, and Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., contributing to present and future businesses of Toyota Group companies through technological innovations, announce that they have developed an original technique to realize a bio-based plastic alloy with top-class impact strength. The bio-based plastic alloy (bio-alloy) is made from  polyamide 11  ( PA11 ), a 100% bio-based resin originating from plants and synthesized by castor oil *1  extracted from Ricinus Communis (castor bean plant) as a raw material, and  polypropylene  ( PP ) derived from petroleum-based resin. The performance of this high impact bio-alloy surpasses  polycarbonate  alloys. The impact strength of the bio-alloy was achieved by controlling the phase structure of  PP  and  PA11  at the nano level through a "salami structure *2 " mixture (dispersion) resulting in the world's first "salami in co-continuous phase

With 50 million tons of waste produced worldwide every year, electronics (smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.) are now a serious problem for the environment. To reduce the impact of the so called e-waste, a new contribution has arrived in the form of the revolutionary  bioplastics  designed by bio-on: this polymer (100% naturally biodegradable in water and soil) can be used as a substrate for electrical circuits. When combined with suitable nanofillers, it can act as an electricity conductor, with extraordinary, as yet unexplored potential. "In this way it's possible to build electronic devices with a reduced environmental impact - Marco Astorri, CEO and co-founder of bio-on, explained during Maker Faire Rome — but the use of  bioplastics  will not be restricted to smartphones and tablets. We can extend it to highly advanced technological sectors, thanks to the multiple features of our bioplastics, their outstanding technical performance and excellent biocompatibility.

BMW has started series production of the BMW i3 urban vehicle, which features a passenger cell made from carbon  fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). BMW says this is the first time that CFRP has been used in high volume automotive production. The i3 is being assembled at BMW’s plant in Leipzig, Germany, where some €400 million has been invested in new structures and machinery for the production of BMW i models and 800 new jobs have been created.      The production network for BMW i also sees key components manufactured at BMW Group plants and joint venture facilities at Moses Lake in the USA and Wackersdorf, Landshut and Dingolfing in Germany.      The company has invested a total of around €600 million in the BMW i production network and generated over 1500 jobs. Deliveries of the BMW i3 to customers in Germany and other European countries will begin in November, with the car’s launch in the USA, China and other markets to follow in early 2014.      “Today represents a mile