polymerguru

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: TYPES OF FIBERS The different fiber types that can be used as reinforcement phases in composite materials. Today we would like to share with you the definitions and examples of the most common fibers used in the industry!  Carbon fibers are long and thin strands of material with about 0.005-0.010 mm in diameter, composed mostly of carbon atoms (more than 90% content). The carbon atoms are bonded together in microscopic crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber. The crystal alignment makes the fiber incredibly strong for its size.  Glass fiber is a non-metallic material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. The base ingredients of glass fibers are forms of silica, mainly sand, limestone, stone ash and borax. It is also considered the oldest, and most familiar, performance fiber.  Aramid (short for “aromatic polyamide”) fibers are synthetic fibers in which the fiber-forming substance is a long-chain synthetic ...

Solvay has announced the introduction of a new high-heat and flame-retardant grade in the company’s Xydar® liquid crystal polymers (LCP) portfolio, which is designed to meet critical safety demands in EV battery components. Retains Insulation Upon Exposure to 400°C for 30 Minutes: The new Xydar® LCP G-330 HH material addresses challenging thermal and insulation requirements and is targeted particularly at battery module plates of EV models operating with higher voltage systems. “As automakers are moving from 400V to 800V on next-generation electric vehicles, new regulations in Europe, China, the United States and other countries are increasing the demand on battery components to withstand temperatures from 300°C to 1000°C for an extended window of up to 15 minutes,” states Brian Baleno, head of marketing, Transportation at Solvay Materials. “Appropriate materials are expected to retain a level of electrical insulation protection that will provide suffi...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Waste Metals Half of all the metals used today have a lifespan of fewer than 10 years. As a society, we use around 61 different metals.However, more than half of them will end in a landfill or in a recycling yard within ten years.This speaks to the enormous amount of wastage that we accrue as a civilization. Billions of tonnes of metals are mined each year, which accounts for 8 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. Now, if we could save the metals that we discard, it could bring down both mining and greenhouse gas emissions. The results are from an industrial ecology group at Yale University. The only notable exception to this list is gold, which continues to be maintained and reused for centuries.Perhaps we should start mandating metal recycling and make it profitable to extract waste metals from landfills. Source:http://ow.ly/7iNj50JmBGh Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com #metals #wastemanagement #landfills #gold #mining #co2emissions

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Earthquake Effect on Spherical Storage Tanks: A major earthquake of magnitude 9 (Richter scale) hits eastern Japan at 14:46, a leak on a LPG pipe is detected at 15 h 35 in a refinery located within a large petrochemical complex in the bay of Tokyo . At 15 h 48, the leak ignites and spreads to the adjacent spherical tanks stocking liquefied butane and butylene. The rapid development of the fire causes the fall of most tanks (broken foot support) and a cascade of BLEVE (BOILING LIQUID EXPANDING VAPOUR EXPLOSIONS). The initial leak of LPG, by crushing of a pipe, resulted from the collapse of an overhanging sphere filled with water for a hydraulic test after the 1st aftershock of the main earthquake. The main earthquake weakened the supporting structure by cracking the crosspieces, and then led to the failure of the support legs during the 1st aftershock of magnitude 7.2 at 3.15 pm. What Went Wrong??? The design of the structure adapted to the seismic risk for ...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Integral Hinge Material Characteristics: I have worked on a number of projects, both material selection and failure analysis, involving an integral hinge. An integral hinge, also known as a living hinge, is a thin flexible web that connects two relatively rigid wall sections. The living hinge is formed when partially oriented plastic is drawn cold and flexed for the first time. Because of its molecular structure and flexural fatigue properties, polypropylene is widely used in integral hinge applications. Well oriented polypropylene webs are considered to have virtually unlimited fold endurance, assuming appropriate part design, resin, and molding conditions are utilized. When reviewing the commercially available polypropylene resins, it is helpful to consider which compositional characteristics maximize the material’s utility for a living hinge application. Typically, fillers and reinforcements compounded into polypropylene will negatively impact the perfor...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Why are Charcoal and Salt Added in the Earth Pit? The combination of salt and charcoal is the perfect mixture which makes the ionic bonding for moisture in the earth pit. When the moisture increases in the soil, it increases the conductivity of the earth or ground conductor to the grounding rod or earth plat buried in the earth pit. That’s why the mixture of charcoal and salt is the best combination to put in the earth pit to maintain the low resistance. An alternate layer of salt and charcoal is used to increase the effective area of the earth which leads to decrease the earth’s resistance. As discussed above, the mixture of salt and charcoal as an alternate layer in the earth pit absorbs the moisture from the soil and surroundings. Additionally, the salt makes a perfect bonding with water, soil and charcoal. Therefore, the combination of charcoal and salt decreases the resistance and increases the conductivity of the earth pit. This way, the fault current...