Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Comparison of three types of polypropylene

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Polypropylene (PP) is the thermoplastic resin with the lowest density and can be classified into homopolymer polypropylene (PP-H) and copolymer polypropylene. Among them, copolymer polypropylene is further divided into block (impact-resistant) copolymer polypropylene (PP-B) and random (random) copolymer polypropylene (PP-R). With so many types of PP materials, what are the differences between them? Today, let's take a look at various PP together here.

PP-H has relatively good strength and corrosion resistance, but it has poor impact resistance, toughness, dimensional stability and is prone to aging. It can be used for packing straps, bottle blowing, brushes, ropes, storage boxes, packaging paper films, etc.

PP-B has relatively good impact resistance, but its transparency and gloss are relatively low, and its resistance to moisture absorption and acid and alkali corrosion is also poor. Used for bumpers, thin-walled products, baby strollers, sports equipment, suitcases, etc.

PP-R has excellent comprehensive performance, featuring high strength, great rigidity, good heat resistance, good dimensional stability, excellent low-temperature toughness (good flexibility), good transparency and good gloss. It is used for pipes, shrink films, high-transparency containers, disposable syringes, packaging paper films, etc.

Comparison of three types of polypropylene：

Tensile yield strength:PP-H>PP-B>PP-R

Rigidity:PP-H>PP-B>PP-R

impact strength:PP-B>PP-R>PP-H

Transparency:PP-R>PP-H>PP-B

low-temperature toughness:PP-B>PP-R>PP-H

source : Jason Zheng

#Polypropylene #Homopolymer #Copolymer

New Solution Platform for Conductive and Reinforced 3D Printing Materials

We are pleased to launch our updated solution platform for advanced conductive, ESD-safe, and reinforced polymers for industrial 3D printing.

As additive manufacturing continues to move beyond prototyping, industrial users increasingly require materials that combine structural strength with controlled electrical performance. With this new platform, we bring together our portfolio of graphene-enhanced FDM filaments and SLS powders engineered specifically for functional additive manufacturing.

High-Temperature ESD Filament for Industrial Electronics

One of the key additions to the platform is our #AROSPPSESD — a high-temperature ESD filament developed for electronics manufacturing and harsh operating conditions.

With thermal stability up to 250 °C and inherent flame resistance, PPS enables electrostatic discharge protection where conventional ESD materials fall short. Typical applications include electronics fixtures, curing tools, soldering supports, and components operating close to heat sources.

This material addresses a clear gap in the market for high-temperature ESD filament suitable for industrial 3D printing.

Electrically Conductive PVDF for Functional Components

We also showcase #AROSPVDF Conductive, delivering printed-part conductivity in the range of 10–20 S/m. This enables integrated resistive heating elements, electrically active housings, and lightweight conductive structures — not just static control.

For applications requiring flexibility combined with static protection, AROS PVDF ESD provides controlled surface resistivity while maintaining impact resistance and chemical durability.

Reinforced Filaments for Structural Performance

Our reinforced material portfolio includes AROS ASA Reinforced and #AROSPPS Reinforced — engineered to enhance tensile strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability while maintaining reliable printability.

These materials are developed for structural components where load-bearing performance and industrial durability are critical.

ESD-Safe SLS Powder for Functional Production

The solution platform also includes AROS PA11 and #PA12ESDSLSpowders. Using our graphene-based surface coating technology, the powders provide controlled conductivity without free-flowing additives, improving powder handling and process stability.

This enables electrostatic discharge-safe selective laser sintering for industrial production environments.

Enabling Functional Additive Manufacturing

With this new solution platform, we reinforce our focus on enabling functional additive manufacturing — materials engineered not just for printability, but for real-world performance.

We look forward to supporting industrial customers with advanced conductive and reinforced #3Dprinting materials designed for demanding applications.

source : Graphmatech

Colgate-Palmolive backs ‘game-changing’ new tech for lightweight HDPE bottles

Colgate-Palmolive, #Polyplastics and PTI have unveiled an innovative new method for producing #HDPEbottles that is reported to offer 25% weight and cycle time reductions.

This new technique adopts a common PET bottle technique – injection stretch blow moulding (ISBM) – to create thin, hot-fillable HDPE containers.

The companies report that the incorporation of a second component in the HDPE - a Polyplastics ethylene copolymer known as TOPAS COC – “greatly enlarges the processing window for HDPE rendering ISBM practical and efficient while delivering a recyclable container.”

According to the project partners, the drawbacks of the current most common HDPE bottle production method, extrusion blow moulding (EBM) are long cycle times and excess container weight at the base of the product.

TOPAS COC is already being used in combination with polyethylene (PE) in the packaging industry to enhance the existing properties of materials, and in medical applications in instances where high purity is required.

Colgate Palmolive says that it is exploring the use of COC “to enable cost-effective, high-performance packaging that meets increasing regulatory requirements for lighter weight”. The consumer products giant reports that “results to date are encouraging and the company plans to continue moving toward commercialization.

source : Packaging Europe

New technology could use sunlight to break down ‘forever chemicals’

An international team of scientists led by the University of Bath has developed a new catalyst – a substance that speeds up chemical reactions – that uses sunlight to break down so-called ‘#foreverchemicals’ prevalent in the environment and known to accumulate in the human body with unknown long-term health effects.

They hope this technology could in the future be scaled up and used to detect or remove these persistent chemicals from the environment.

Published today in the journal RSC Advances, the authors report a prototype, easy-to-make carbon-based catalyst which could be used to break down #polyfluoroalkylsubstances (PFAS), a group of water-repellent and incredible stable chemicals used in products ranging from non-stick saucepans to make-up.

Since PFAS are very chemically stable, they don’t degrade naturally and they’ve been shown to accumulate in the body, water systems, food chain and the wider environment. It’s not fully known what long-term effects they have on human health and the environment, but some studies have linked them to an increased risk of cancer.

Scientists from the #UniversityofBath worked with colleagues from the University of São Paulo (Brazil), University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and Swansea University (Wales) to develop a photocatalyst based on carbon nitrite combined with a rigid microporous polymer.

The polymer helps bind PFAS to the catalyst, which uses light to break it down into carbon dioxide and fluoride, a chemical found in some toothpastes.

First author of the paper, Dr Fernanda C. O. L. Martins, worked on the project during a 6-month placement at the University of Bath as part of her PhD studies at the University of São Paulo.

She said: “PFAS are used in many different products, from waterproof clothing to lipstick, but they accumulate in the body and in the environment over time, with toxic effects.

“Our project has combined an easy-to-make carbon-based catalyst with a polymer called PIM-1 to make PFAS breakdown more efficient, especially at neutral pH, which would be naturally found in the environment.”

As well as using it to break down PFAS, the technology could also be used in a sensor for forever chemicals, by detecting the fluoride that is given off. Whilst it is currently at the prototype stage, and the research team is now looking for industrial partners to scale up and optimise the technology.

Professor Frank Marken, from the University of Bath’s Department of Chemistry and Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change (ISCC), led the project. He said: “Currently it’s very difficult to detect PFAS, requiring expensive equipment in a specialist lab.

“We hope that our technology could in the future be used in a simple portable sensor that can be used outside the lab, for example to detect where there are higher levels of PFAS in the environment.

source : University of Bath

Stretchy Plastic with Tiny Fibers Can Conduct Electricity

 Researchers at Penn State, led by chemical engineering professor Enrique Gomez, have developed a stretchy plastic that can conduct electricity, which may help power future implantable medical devices such as longer-lasting pacemakers and glucose monitors.

The material, called PEDOT:PSS, is commonly used in soft robotics and touchscreens. Scientists discovered that adding specific salts and water allows the plastic to form tiny whisker-like fibers that significantly improve its electrical conductivity.

Unlike conventional electronics that use electron flow through metals, the human body uses ionic currents. PEDOT:PSS is unique because it can conduct electrons while also interacting with the body’s ionic signals, making it ideal for bioelectronic devices.

To understand how the material works, researchers used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), a powerful imaging technique that allows scientists to study materials at extremely high resolution. They froze tiny samples of the material at –180°C and analyzed how different salt additives affected its structure.

The study revealed that salt additives increase the number of conductive fibers inside the plastic, improving its conductivity. Water also plays a key role by softening the material and making it more stretchable. Lithium salts further enhance this effect by increasing water absorption.

Importantly, the plastic maintains stable electrical conductivity even when it becomes soft and stretchy, making it suitable for devices that interact with biological tissues.

The researchers plan to continue studying how salts influence fiber formation in the material. A better understanding could lead to improved biomedical technologies such as pacemakers, skin sensors, and electromyography devices used to monitor nerve and muscle activity.

source : The Penn State University

Advanced composites enable the revival of rigid airships in LTA Research's 400-foot-long Pathfinder 1.

In May 2025, #LTAResearch began flight testing its Pathfinder 1 airship at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, marking the return of rigid airships after more than 80 years. The geodesic framework comprises nearly 10,000 hollow carbon fiber tubes connected by 3,000 precision-welded titanium hubs, creating the skeleton for what is currently the world’s largest flying aircraft.

Kilwell Fibrelab manufactured the tubes using a roll-wrapping process with Toray aerospace-grade carbon fiber prepreg, including both spread tow plain weave intermediate modulus and unidirectional high modulus materials. The two standardized tube configurations underwent a high-temperature cure cycle, and the manufacturing facility implemented a comprehensive data tracking system to meet aviation standards.

The CFRP tubes provide critical weight savings while delivering the compressive strength needed for the airship’s 13 mainframes. This material selection allows the rigid structure to support the propulsion, navigation and safety systems of the modern airship, validating the composite-intensive design approach for lighter-than-air vehicles.

Read more about the airship in CW’s “Next-generation airship design enabled by modern composites.” https://lnkd.in/eFERQUHA

source : #CompositesWorld

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : What if you could run industrial AFP experiments without industrial-scale infrastructure?

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

What if you could run industrial AFP experiments without industrial-scale infrastructure?

Layway LabAFP: Laser-Assisted Thermoplastic AFP for Research & Development

Layway LabAFP is a compact laser-assisted thermoplastic Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) system engineered specifically for research, development, and education.

Designed as an open-architecture platform, LabAFP provides full access to process parameters, enabling controlled experimentation, material validation, and AFP process optimization at laboratory scale.

Key capabilities include laser-assisted in-situ consolidation, open parameter control (temperature, speed, compaction), high repeatability and process stability, and compatibility with thermoplastic UD tapes such as PA, PPS, LM-PAEK, PEEK, PEKK, and PEI. The system is delivered in a plug-and-play, lab-friendly configuration.

LabAFP enables AFP process and parameter development, evaluation of new thermoplastic composite materials, small-scale preform manufacturing, research on post-processing routes (VBO, autoclave, hybrid workflows), as well as education and training in automated composite manufacturing.

By bridging academic research and industrial AFP workflows, Layway LabAFP supports rapid innovation in thermoplastic composite technologies.

source : Layway