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  Today's KNOWLEDGE Share University of Birmingham researchers unveil new rapid polymer nanostructure production process Researchers at the University of Birmingham have unveiled a new method for the rapid, scalable preparation of uniform nanostructures directly from block polymers. The Dove and O’Reilly groups have led the project with the new method found to reduce processing times from a week to a few minutes, while also ensuring the high-throughput production of precision polymer nanomaterials. Published in Nature Synthesis, the researchers’ findings outline a rapid seed preparation technique that supersaturates polymer solutions in a flow system. The process works by facilitating uniform seed micelle formation and enables the integration of seed preparation and living crystallisation-driven self-assembly (CDSA). As a result, users can achieve end-to-end production of nanostructures in as little as three minutes, an improvement on existin...

PCBL Chemical Ltd has signed a technology transfer agreement with Chinese company Ningxia Jinhua Chemical Co. to produce Acetylene black in India. Acetylene black is a high-end conductive grade chemical with applications in high voltage power cables, Li Ion batteries, EV charging, Semiconductor packaging and conductive plastics, paints & coatings applications. PCBL plans to set up its 1st Acetylene Black plant in India to meet the fast-growing demand of Indian Battery industry and export to the global battery, semiconductor and conductive markets, thereby aligning with market needs to build more resilient supply chains for critical conductive materials. Over the last few years, PCBL has significantly expanded its specialty portfolio. It has launched over 50 grades under Bleumina brand for engineered plastics, Nutone for inks, paints and coating applications and Energia for conductive applications like conductive polymers, electrostatic discharge, wires and cables and battery. The a...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share Additive Manufacturing of Adaptive Architected Structures for Enhanced Protective Equipment Our research study on "Additive Manufacturing of Adaptive Architected Structures for Enhanced Protective Equipment" is published in European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids. This study focuses on the development of #architected gradient structures with #auxetic properties to enhance mechanical performance and impact resistance. By integrating advanced design methodologies with #additive_manufacturing , we aim to create customizable and adaptive protective components. The research explores #3DPrinted structures with tailored mechanical properties, optimizing them for streamlined manufacturing and improved wearability. The findings contribute significantly to the advancement of lightweight, high-performance #protective equipment, offering innovative solutions for various applications. The results indicate that the selected design has the potential for use...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff-Nobel Prize 1901 Stereochemistry Methane was known to consist of four atoms of hydrogen and one of carbon. It had also been determined that it was a symmetrical compound, meaning that in chemical reactions, other chemicals did not discriminate as to which hydrogen atom they would react to. Van 't Hoff quickly concluded that the only spatial arrangement consistent with this finding was one where the carbon atom lay at the center of a regular tetrahedron (a four-sided figure with equilateral triangles as sides) with each of the other four molecules at a corner of the tetrahedron. This was the first peek that scientists had ventured to take into the three-dimensional structure of molecules. Van 't Hoff claimed as the inspiration for his discovery, Johannes Wislicenus's studies on lactic acid, in which he declares that differences in some chemical properties may be attributable to structural differences in their mole...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share  Dielectric Constant vs. Shielding: The hidden physics behind EMI protection! In the race to develop the next generation of EMI shielding materials, we often focus on conductivity as the key factor. But what happens when a material has poor conductivity yet a high dielectric constant (εr)?  📡 The Impact on Shielding: ⚡ Low Conductivity → Weak Reflection Metals shield via reflection, but if a material lacks conductivity, it won’t create a strong impedance mismatch. Instead of bouncing waves back, it lets them pass through! 🔥 High Dielectric Constant → Potential Absorption A high εr means the material stores more electric field energy. If it also has high dielectric loss (tan δ), this stored energy is converted into heat—enhancing absorption-based shielding (like radar-absorbing materials). 🛠 Optimizing for EMI Shielding: ✅ Add non-metal conductive fillers (Graphene Nanoplatelets, CBs, CNTs) to improve reflection & absorption. ✅ Use foamed or la...

NatureWorks has expanded its Ingeo biopolymer product line with the launch of the Ingeo Extend platform, enhancing the material’s performance and application range. According to the company, its Ingeo Extend platform is a new advancement in its biopolymer portfolio designed to accelerate biodegradation and disintegration while enhancing productivity for commercial-scale applications of biobased Ingeo PLA. The new Ingeo Extend grades offer up to eight times faster compostability than existing PLA formulations and can be blended with other Ingeo PLA grades to improve biodegradation and disintegration rates. PLA polymer The first grade in the platform, Ingeo Extend 4950D, is a PLA polymer engineered to boost the production efficiency of biaxially oriented polylactic acid (BOPLA) films while lowering manufacturing costs. It enables a stretch ratio of up to seven times in the transverse direction and can be used with other Ingeo PLA grades to optimize film production on equipment typically ...

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share The Future of Carbon Fiber: Manufacturers including Hexcel continue to innovate and build product portfolios based on carbon fiber production. Carbon fibers are now available across the full range of performance from standard modulus fibers (33 Msi), intermediate modulus fibers (42 Msi) and high modulus fibers (>50 Msi), with a range of tensile strengths from 500 ksi to > 1000 ksi. Carbon fibers are also available in a range of tow sizes (the number of filaments in the yarn bundle), ranging from 1K filaments to 320K filaments. Composite parts producers now have a wide range of carbon fiber performance and product forms from which to choose. Advanced composite part manufacturing has matured in recent years, moving from hand layup of carbon prepregs to a number of automated and rapid production processes. The cost of manufacturing carbon fibers has declined over the years as the development of cost-effective manufacturing techniques for carbon composites...