polymerguru

Toyota's new hybrid vehicle(Prius alpha), features automotive interiors made of DuPont™ Sorona® EP polymer, a high-performance, renewably sourced thermoplastic resin. Sorona® EP was selected for this precisely engineered, functional component for its heat resistance, durability and ability to maintain great appearance. Developed in close collaboration with DuPont Kabushiki Kaisha (DKK), Toyota Motor Corporation, Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd. and Howa Plastics Co., Ltd., the parts made from Sorona® EP polymers are used on the instrument-panel air-conditioning system outlet and contribute to the advanced interior design while also reducing the environmental footprint. Tadayuki Koyama DuPont Performance Polymers (DPP) Account Manager for Toyota, credited the global DPP team's research and development collaborations, as well as support from technical, supply chain and operations for success in achieving the commercialization of this first automotive application of...

Engineers have developed a device platform that combines electronic components for sensing, medical diagnostics, communications and human-machine interfaces, all on an ultrathin skin-like patch that mounts directly onto the skin with the ease, flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo. Led by John A. Rogers, the Lee J. Flory-Founder Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois, the researchers described their novel skin-mounted electronics. The circuit bends, wrinkles and stretches with the mechanical properties of skin. The researchers demonstrated their concept through a diverse array of electronic components mounted on a thin, rubbery substrate, including sensors, LEDs, transistors, radio frequency capacitors, wireless antennas, and conductive coils and solar cells for power. "We threw everything in our bag of tricks onto that platform, and then added a few other new ideas on top of those, to show that we could make it work," said Rogers, a Pro...

RPC Bramlage, specializing in injection molding process, has introduced a thin wall (0.4mm) multilayer polypropylene ( PP ) pack which exhibit shelf life of between one to two years for food products. With simultaneous injection of skin and center layers, the barrier technology thus achieved gives critical control of the EVOH barrier layer to oxygen and water vapor. The company claims that this technology is a low-cost alternative to glass and tin formats. These food packs can be sterilized, pasteurized and heat-sealed to keep product fresh for a longer time. The packs come in various sizes and design and feature exceptional excellent clarity for in-mould labeling for maximum shelf appeal.

Permabond ET5401 has been developed to bond a wide variety of engineering materials, such as composites, thermoplastics, metals and ceramic materials. Permabond believes this product will be ideal for the composites bonding industry, the transportation market and automotive industries. Traditionally, standard two-component epoxy adhesives (resin and hardener) can only resist temperatures of up to around 80°C before they soften, resulting in joint failure, reports Permabond . The new Permabond ET5401 epoxy adhesive can successfully survive 140°C continuously, and maintain its performance characteristics. The adhesive can be exposed to temperatures higher than this (such as those experienced in a paint stoving oven) for short periods, providing the adhesive is not overly stressed, Permabond notes. Permabond ET5401 is a toughened product which is ideal for bonding dissimilar materials (such as metal to composite) where differential thermal expansion and contraction could ...

While expansion work of San Diego International Airport, Insituform’s iPlus® cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) technology, using Vipel® 102NA resin from AOC, helped reducing time and cost of the overall process. The airport put a terminal over a 96-inch diameter concrete sewer pipeline, but the 25ft underground pipe was not designed for the structural loads that were most likely to emerge as part of the new project. The critical part was to maintain the wall thickness of the new liner under 1.26 inches such that the upgraded pipe’s flow rate could handle present and forthcoming projected volumes. To give appropriate strength to the liners, slip-lining could have added nearly 12-in while the conventional CIPP, an additional 2.07-in. As an alternative, Insituform Technologies® installed a customized 518-m long fiber-reinforced iPlus® Composite liner, which comprised of carbon fibers. The pipes thus made are strong enough to withstand the new structural loads while keeping wa...

Anyone who's had a baby knows how fast diapers can pile up. Battelle scientists have developed a chemistry to make diapers and other absorbent products friendlier to the environment with the aim of making them cost competitive. The next step is to commercialize this new, green innovation a thoughtful idea that uses soybean meal to replace a third of the petroleum products currently found in such items. Diapers and other materials that absorb liquids are effective because of hydrogels, which are known to scientists as superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) petroleum-based acrylic acid materials that can absorb hundreds of times their weights in liquid. For several years, scientists at Battelle have been hard at work creating this soy-based replacement technology with funding provided by the United Soybean Board (USB) and the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC). Battelle's association with these organizations has led to other recent breakthroughs in soy research, such as flexib...