polymerguru

The Biofore  Concept Car , a unique, futuristic street-legal vehicle demonstrating the use of renewable biomaterials in the automotive industry, will premiere at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show, March 6-16, 2014. The car is designed and built by next generation of talent from Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and showcases the versatile use of UPM's innovative biomaterials. Various parts and components traditionally made from plastic are made from  UPM Formi  biocomposite  and UPM Grada thermoformable wood material. These materials will significantly improve the overall environmental performance of the  car , without compromising quality or safety. The concept car will also be fuelled by UPM BioVerno wood-based renewable diesel. UPM Raflatac label materials will be used to mark  spare parts  as well as in the  interior and exterior  design of the car. Dating  back to March 2010, initial idea of the Biofore Concept Car originated from UPM's will

Celanese  Corporation, the  global technology  and specialty materials company, celebrated 50 years of the Celcon®/  Hostaform ®  acetal copolymer  ( POM ) product line by  expanding  its S series of impact modified  POM  to include two new extreme toughened XT  grades  for applications that require exceptional impact strength and flexibility in demanding environments. Hostaform  XT 20 and XT 90, which complement and expand the existing Hostaform S series, are designed to compete in application areas previously reserved for highly modified impact modified acetal copolymers and homopolymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes and impact modified  polyamide  ( PA ) resins. "Hostaform S and XT grades can outperform all impact modified POMs available today," said Mervyn Cox, global Hostaform POM  product marketing manager  - Celanese. "They can help designers push the boundaries in a broad range of fastener, buckle, dampening gear and housing applications that are used in a

At ISPO 2014, Arkema  presented  its latest Pebax® Rnew grade : Pebax® RNew 80R53, a grade that goes beyond the limits of  thermoplastic elastomers . This new rigid bio-based Pebax® opens up the scope of  ski  boot design combining  light weight , astonishing responsiveness to skiers’ movements, and creativity in decoration. ISPO Munich held from January 26 to 29, is the European  trade fair  for winter and outdoor sports that offers a showcase for the latest trends in ski equipment. Pebax® Rnew 80R53 is 50% more rigid than existing Pebax®  grades , already well-known for several years as reference materials for both alpine touring  and cross-country  ski boots . It retains the key Pebax® characteristics and environmental qualities that appeal to sportsmen and women: produced from renewable raw materials with more than 90% bio-based content, lightweight, renowned long-term UV resistance and offering great creativity for novel designs, it maintains perfect quality and performanc

The Plastics  Industry   Trade Association  and the  American National Standards  Institute (ANSI) announced the publication of two recently revised and approved American National Standards on plastics machinery safety. ANSI/SPI B151.20 - 2013 Safety Requirements for Plastics Sheet Production Machinery, and ANSI/SPI B151.27 - 2013 Safety Requirements for the Integration of Robots with Injection Molding Machines, both of which address detailed safety requirements for the specific machine or group of machines. Both  standards  represent significant and substantive changes from the previous editions and both are considered Type-C standards according to the ISO Type A-B-C standard level structure. ISO Type A standards (basis standards) provide basic concepts, principles for design, and general aspects that can be applied to  machinery . ISO Type B (generic safety standards) addresses one or more safety aspects or one or more types of safeguards that can be used across a range of machin

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polyesters  produced  and stored intracellularly by  bacteria  as  energy and  carbon   storage material . In the last decade globally various organizations including CSIR-CSMCRI are actively engaged in R&D activities on different aspects of PHA. Owing to the diversity in PHA structural properties and amenability to produce in sufficient quantity various applications have been sought e.g. in packaging films, disposable items, biocompatible implants, bone replacements, blood vessel replacements, scaffold material in tissue, engineering of heart valve, etc. Further, due to biodegradability and biocompatible nature of PHAs they have been recognized by FDA (Chen etal 2009) for the above listed uses. Global bioplastic packaging demand alone has been projected to reach 884,000  tons  by 2020. According to a  new study  by Pira International, a new breed of  bioplastics  will be major drivers as packaging  market demand  gradually shift

TPX®  polymethylpentene  is a lightweight,  transparent ,  semi -crystalline material with  outstanding   resistance  to both  steam sterilization  and a wide range of chemicals. Unlike some polymeric materials that discolor or embrittle after just a few cycles in an autoclave, TPX® remains transparent and strong. Items made with this exceptional polymer can be reused many times, promoting reuse rather than recycling and contributing to greater sustainability. Characteristics of TPX® include: Low density Resistance to steam and  chemicals Does not absorb water Visible  light transmission  ~92-94% Low  refractive  index Nonstick properties The numerous benefits of TPX® make it ideal for use in  food containers , sterilization cases,  laboratory equipment , LED molds, etc. TPX® also has excellent UV transmission characteristics, making it useful in UV  sterilization equipment . TPX® is available in  film , sheet, rod and granule form from  Goodfellow , one among the le

An  Iranian   researcher  from University of Tehran used multi-scaled modeling and investigated the effect of non-straight form of  carbon nanotubes  on nanocomposite properties at the final material scale. The researcher  assumed  the non-straight form of carbon nanotube as a random parameter in his  modeling , and he took into account all possible formations during the process of producing the nanocomposite object. Results of the research can be used in different industries such as aerospace,  automobile manufacturing , transportation, and energy because all these industries enjoy the advantages of polymeric composites. The aim of this research was to estimate the  mechanical properties  of a nanocomposite containing multi-walled carbon nanotube. In this part of the research, the focus was on the effect of non-straight form of the nanotube in resin bed. The purpose was to study the amount of effect of non-straight form of carbon nanotube in resin media on the mechanical p