polymerguru

For the reflector used in an automotive interior lighting application, the international automotive supplier Delphi has recently started to employ a high-performance plastic from BASF. After being injection molded, the complex and highly detailed part is metalized by means of physical vapor deposition (PVD), a process with demanding requirements for the plastic. The relatively new Ultrason E 2010 MR is a polyether sulfone ( PESU ) characterized by its good mold release properties. The reflector is manufactured by Goletz GmbH, located in Kierspe (Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia). For this small and complicated part, ease of demolding is especially important, since it could otherwise be removed from the injection mold only with difficulty or possibly even not at all. BASF has succeeded in combining a variety of properties in this material: it offers not only excellent mold release characteristics, but as a high-temperature material it also easily withstands a continuous s...

One of the most intriguing working relationships in the search for renewable biomass feedstocks is the partnership of Gevo, a renewable chemicals company in Colorado, USA, and LANXESS, who intends to open up alternative resources for the production of butyl rubber. Together, scientists from LANXESS and Gevo are now making good progress in producing isobutene a key raw material for butyl rubber from renewable resources. Traditionally, isobutene has been produced in steam crackers, which require various petrochemical-based materials for feedstock. But the LANXESS-Gevo partnership is now pioneering a unique method that may hold the key to the sustainable production of isobutene. Researchers at LANXESS have now created a breakthrough dehydration process that converts isobutanol into isobutene. In this process, water is removed from the isobutanol. The result is biologically obtained isobutene. The dehydration process has not only proven to be successful in the laboratory, but ...

Bayer MaterialScience LLC's Hygard® BL80 Shock-Wave Sentinel is certified with a Developmental Testing and Evaluation Designation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act. The DHS certification recognizes Hygard® BL80 a blast-resistant transparent structural shield for buildings as a promising anti-terrorism technology. Additionally, the certification limits a building owner's legal liability for installing and utilizing the technology.  DHS performed a thorough review of Bayer 's Hygard® BL80 innovative design, product development, performance testing, and quality management systems. "The DHS sets a high threshold to qualify for this certification, both for the new solution's potential contribution to U.S. security, and confidence in Bayer's ability to effectively deliver the new technology," said Mike Gallagher, Leader, Public Sector Busi...

Efforts to build larger wind turbines able to capture more energy from the air are stymied by the weight of blades. A Case Western Reserve University researcher has built a prototype blade that is substantially lighter and eight times tougher and more durable than currently used blade materials. Marcio Loos, a Post-doctoral Researcher in the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, works with colleagues at Case Western Reserve, and investigators from Bayer MaterialScience in Pittsburgh, and Molded Fiber Glass Co. in Ashtabula, Ohio, comparing the properties of new materials with the current standards used in blade manufacturing. On his own, Loos went to the lab on weekends and built the world's first polyurethane blade reinforced with carbon nanotubes. He wanted to be sure the composite that was scoring best on preliminary tests could be molded into the right shape and maintains properties. Using a small commercial blade as a template, he manufactured a ...

ORTHOCON, Inc., a privately-held therapeutic device company, has announced the signing of an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Bezwada Biomedical to develop and commercialize Bezwada's technology for bone applications. Bezwada Biomedical is an innovation-driven company with proprietary technology platforms comprised of bioabsorbable and biocompatible polyurethanes and polyamides derived from hydrolysable isocyanates. This technology can be utilized to create absorbable surgical devices for a variety of applications including structural support, fixation, and drug delivery, with the potential to address significant limitations of existing therapeutic modalities. John J. Pacifico, President and Chief Executive Officer of ORTHOCON, commented, "This strategic partnership is another important milestone for ORTHOCON as it significantly enhances the company's technological capabilities and product pipeline." He added, "Bezwada Biomedical has inven...

Everyone is talking about electric drives, and the scientists from Fraunhofer are also working on them. Engineers have replaced a battery box for lithium-ion batteries with a lightweight component. Not only does the housing save weight and sustain no damage in an accident for the first time ever, it can also be mass-produced. If an electric car wants to be environmentally friendly it must weigh as little as possible, because when the light turns green every additional pound/kilogram must be accelerated with considerable energy expenditure. And the lighter the electric vehicle, the longer it can be on the road without having to be plugged back into a power outlet. To advance the symbiosis between electromobility and lightweight construction, engineers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal, Germany, are developing manufacturing concepts that have one goal they want to gradually replace individual components in the vehicle with lightweight ones...

Gurit, one of the leading manufacturers of carbon composite body panels for the automotive industry has secured Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance approval for ISO / TS 16949:2009. ISO / TS 16949 is an ISO technical specification, which aligns existing American, German, French and Italian automotive quality systems standards within the global automotive industry, with the aim of eliminating the need for multiple certifications to satisfy customer requirements. ISO / TS 16949 details the management system requirements for the design/development, production, installation and servicing of automotive-related products. The new accreditation now identifies Gurit as well-structured, stable, and credible world-class automotive tier 1 supplier, aligned to OEM processes. By achieving this accreditation, it proves that Gurit has a strong management system, dedicated to continuous improvement, and highlights Gurit's serious intent to the on-going automotive business. Kees Rei...