polymerguru

DSM Composite Resins has announced Atlac® 5200 FC, its new vinyl ester resin, fully compliant with European regulations and manufactured using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for food and drinking water applications. Now, the GMP predicate is deployed for 9 different types of resins throughout 3 European locations. The high standard set, beginning in Xinghou plant, China, is now also available on various products in Europe. Atlac® 5200 FC was launched in April 2011 especially for application in the manufacture of composite components such as storage tanks, vessels, pipes and auxiliary equipment that comes into direct contact with European regulations on food and drinking water. Commenting on the deployments to date, Wilfrid Gambade, Director, DSM Composite Resins, said: "The strong interest generated by Atlac® 5200 FC since its launch is wholly consistent with our strategy to invest in new technologies that deliver value for our clients in terms of superior perfo...

SANITIZED AG has made available its performance apparel technology to the Levi’s® brand “Commuter” series, keeping in mind the specific needs of the urban commuter cyclist. Sanitized™ hygiene function is a textile finish in fabrics that protects from odors and bring long-lasting comfort to the wearer. Built around the 511™ Skinny Jean and the Levi’s® Trucker Jacket, the collection features fabric that provides increase mobility and durability while commuting. The denim fabrics benefit from the Sanitized™ T20-19 hygienic finish for textiles; non-denim fabrics contain the Sanitized® Silver hygienic protection for textiles which is based on silver salt (scientifically recognized as having natural antimicrobial properties). Sanitized™ products prevents growth of bacteria and hinders unpleasant odors. Additionally, the Sanitized™ products carry bluesign® approval and the Oeko-Tex 100 registration (class I-IV).

The use of composite materials for military helmets and other armouring solutions differs in many respects from traditional structural composite applications. For optimum ballistic protection, the laminate has to be “suitably weak” in structural terms. This is achieved by optimizing materials and lay-up to allow absorbing the energy introduced by the projectile through delamination, failure of the fibre-matrix bond, and fibre breakage. Due to the three-dimensional shape of helmets, it is an extremely challenging task to optimise the laminate lay-up in a way that the ballistic performance is achieved all over the helmet area, whilst keeping the helmet weight at a minimum. In helmet production, numerically-controlled automatic cutting of each reinforcement ply is used to achieve high precision and quality. After pressing and water-jet cutting to the right shape, the helmets are sealed with an integrally manufactured edge in order to minimise moisture pick-up of the laminate.  ...

PepsiCo Beverages Canada has announced the introduction of the 7UP EcoGreen™ bottle, Canada's and North America's first soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic. The development of the 7UP EcoGreen bottle is a significant achievement for PepsiCo and a breakthrough for the Canadian beverage sector because the company has identified a way to couple existing technology with the best sources of recycled PET plastic and best-in-class processing techniques to produce a 100 percent recycled PET, food-grade bottle that meets all regulatory requirements and is of the highest quality. Creating a bottle made from 100 percent recycled plastic for soft drinks is more challenging than creating a bottle for non-carbonated beverages because of the stress on materials from carbonation pressure. By introducing the 7UP EcoGreen bottle in Canada, PepsiCo Beverages Canada will reduce the amount of virgin plastic used by approximately six million pounds ove...

A UCL scientist and his team designed and built the synthetic windpipe 'scaffold' used in an operation in Sweden announced by the Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet. The windpipe (trachea) implanted in this patient was developed using nanocomposite materials which were developed and patented by Professor Alexander Seifalian (UCL Division of Surgery & Interventional Science), whose labs are based at the Royal Free Hospital. Together with Professor Paolo Macchiarini at Karolinska, who also holds an Honorary appointment at UCL, Professor Seifalian designed and developed the trachea scaffold using a material known as a novel nanocomposite polymer. Professor Seifalian has worked closely with UCL Business (UCLB), responsible for technology development and commercial transactions at UCL, to patent these materials and develop their use in medical devices. As well as being used for tissue scaffolds, the materials have other potential uses such as ...

In response to growing market demand for superior performing pipes in harsh and demanding environments, Victrex Polymer Solutions, one of the leaders in high performance polyaryletherketones, has launched its VICTREX Pipes™ product family. Developed to replace the corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs) used to make pipes and piping systems for extraction and transportation in the oil and gas industries, VICTREX Pipes offer an opportunity to replace CRAs in pipes and piping systems by lining pipes manufactured in other metals. VICTREX Pipes represent the latest in a long line of material and technical innovation from Victrex. "The launch of VICTREX Pipes is the culmination of six years of intensive research, development, market assessment and customer liaison. VICTREX Pipes can also deliver performance solutions in a broad range of applications beyond the original lined pipes for oil and gas, from industrial to aerospace to electrical sheathing and conduit," said ...

NatureWorks LLC has announced that as part of a major capital investment at its Blair, Nebraska, Ingeo™ lactide and biopolymer manufacturing facility, the company will be the world's first to offer in commercial quantities a high-purity, polymer-grade lactide rich in the stereoisomer meso-lactide. Identified as Ingeo M700 lactide, the new material can be used as an intermediate for copolymers, amorphous oligomers and polymers, grafted substrates, resin additives/modifiers, adhesives, coatings, elastomers, surfactants, thermosets, and solvents. Until now, several niche-focused producers have attempted to address the functionality requested by the market with what are described chemically as racemic lactides. "Compared to these, the high-purity Ingeo M700 will be lower in cost, easier to process, and an overall better alternative to high-priced racemic lactide, as well as L and D-lactides, in a host of industrial applications," said Dr. Manuel Natal, Global S...

Fish farming plays a key role in providing a sustainable source of protein to the earth's ever-growing population. Increasing international demand for all types of sea food is driving the aquaculture industry to develop more economic and extensive operations. (Aquaculture encompasses not only fish farming but also farming for shrimps, oyster, seaweed and other species.) This places huge demands on equipment, manpower and materials as well as the environment. Greek aquaculture company Andromeda aims to become the leader in its field in the Mediterranean. It is using nets and cages with Dyneema® ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene ( UHMWPE ) fiber to sustain healthy growth and above-average profitability. Greece is a key country in aquaculture in the Mediterranean and Andromeda is one of the country's top five aquaculture companies. Andromeda started using netting made from Dyneema® more than five years ago (2005). Today it has over 80 nets with Dyneema® installe...

Applied Nanotech Holdings, Inc., has announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant, in the amount of $149,426, from the US Department of Energy to develop ultra lightweight hydrogen fuel tanks using carbon nanotube reinforcement. This grant was awarded for a 9-month program with an overall objective to significantly improve the mechanical properties of the carbon fiber/epoxy material used to construct the hydrogen fuel tanks using carbon nanotube reinforcement. The primary goal is to reduce the weight of the tanks by 20 to 30 percent. A weight reduction of this magnitude will not only significantly lower the hydrogen fuel tank costs but also increase the vehicle's fuel efficiency. The International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles reported that sales of composite pressure vessels are expected to reach $250 million by 2013, and upwards of $560 million by the end of the decade; the adoption of nanotechnology enhanced resins in high pressure hydrogen storage ...

SABIC Innovative Plastics has announced that its versatile, high-performance Ultem* polyetherimide ( PEI ) fiber has found an important new application in high-end work wear and protective clothing. Japan Wool Textile Company, a division of NIKKE Group, is now blending Ultem fiber with wool and other materials to produce yarn, fabrics and garments that offer a unique combination of comfort and protection, including permanent, non-halogenated flame retardance (FR) and excellent ultraviolet (UV) resistance. Unlike traditional aramid materials, Ultem fiber can be easily and cost-effectively colored in a wide range of shades using conventional polyester dyeing processes, enabling Japan Wool Textile Company to enhance the aesthetic appeal of its new line. SABIC Innovative Plastics continues to penetrate and grow new market segments and expand the range of applications for its globally proven Ultem resin technology to give customers innovative new options for product differentia...

NJIT Research Professor Mike Jaffe's recent book chapter about sugar-based chemicals is topping the American Chemical Society (ACS) book series' must-read list. "Sugar-Based Chemicals for Environmentally Sustainable Applications" appeared in the most recent ACS Symposium Series and is racking up kudos. Co-authors were Xianhong Feng, a Doctoral Student and Research Professors A. J. East and W. Hammond, all at NJIT. The popularity stems from the topic, an overview of isosorbide and its potential role creating polymers and small molecules. The chapter features new and better ways to replace the dreaded bisphenol A (BPA) in manufacturing processes. In 2009, Jaffe's team was awarded a patent for a chemical derived from sugar. The new material uses a corn byproduct, isosorbide, to create a derivative that can be used to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in epoxy resins. Such resins are used in a number of adhesives and coatings of consumer products, including tho...

Converters operating in the healthcare market can utilize Bormed™ HE9601-PH high-density polyethylene ( HDPE ) for high-speed injection-molding applications, such as syringe plungers, caps and closures. This high melt flow rate (MFR=31 which is 2.5-times better than other available options) polymer from Borealis and Borouge gives packaging productivity improvements in medical, pharmaceutical and diagnostic streams. High flow of HDPE also allows carrying the injection molding process, even for complex designs, easily at relatively lower pressure and temperature, thus giving cost and energy saving advantage to the OEMs. Bormed HE9601-PH is characterized by high stiffness, chemical resistance, barrier performance and impermeability to water vapor, thus making it ideal for use in highly demanding medical and healthcare applications. Bormed HE9601-PH conforms to European and US Pharmacopeia and is registered with Drug Master File.