polymerguru

3M is introducing the newest member of its high-strength hollow glass bubbles product line that will change the way the industry uses lightweight fillers. This new product will enable customers to do more with their resin systems. 3M™ Glass Bubbles iM16K are a high-strength injection molding grade for  polypropylene  and  polyamide  systems. They enable manufacturers to produce optimized resin formulations for lower-density filled plastics - without compromising strength or other physical properties. Now, manufacturers can do more beyond reducing weight. With a density of just 0.46 g/cc, resin systems optimized with iM16K can reduce weight by 15 percent or more in  polypropylene -filled systems, and 18 percent or more in nylon  glass fiber  systems, while maintaining optimized physical properties. Manufacturers can see productivity gains when using resin systems filled with high strength glass bubbles, such as iM16K. Because iM16K is hollow, like all 3M glass bubbles, there is less f

At JEC Europe, Booth #U17, SABIC's Innovative Plastics business is spotlighting a variety of lightweight, high-performance composites and other advanced materials that are making important contributions to its customers' sustainability initiatives across major global industries. In particular, the outstanding weight-out and non-halogenated flame retardance provided by SABIC's high-performance  Ultem ™  polyetherimide  ( PEI ) materials are increasing their appeal as environmentally responsible solutions. Customers are choosing  Ultem  materials for a broad range of applications - not just in aerospace, where they have achieved notable successes, but also in automotive, rail, oil & gas and building & construction. Ultem carbon-fiber-filled resin, structural foam, and textile fiber can slash part weight by up to 50 percent to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. These innovative materials also provide exceptional, inherent flame-smoke-toxicity (FST) perf

Cereplast, Inc. ,a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, sustainable  bioplastics,  completed a third party Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report that assessed the environmental impacts of a number of conventional and renewable plastics from cradle to factory gate (from raw material extraction to the production of the plastic product), and determined that Cereplast Hybrid 101 is superior to all conventional plastics evaluated in terms of overall environmental impact. The study was performed by Sustainmetrics and compared Cereplast Hybrid 101 bioplastic to four different conventional plastics including Low Density Polyethylene  ( LDPE ),  Polyethylene Terephthalate  ( PET ),  High Impact Polystyrene  ( HIPS ) and  Polypropylene  ( PP ). The LCA is currently undergoing third party peer review, which will be completed within the next two weeks. The goal of the study was to assess the environmental impacts from cradle to factory gate through an LCA method that quantifies the environ

SABIC's Innovative Plastics business' world-class expertise and technology were further evidenced with the company's announcement that Intermestic Inc., a specialty retailer of eyewear and accessories, has chosen tough, lightweight Ultem™ polyetherimide  ( PEI ) resin for the frames of its new line of Zoff SMART eyeglasses. The tailored, aerospace-grade Ultem resin material solution helps meet Japanese consumer demands for fresh, new eyewear styles with exceptional long-term performance and feather-light comfort; by allowing Intermestic to eliminate titanium and aluminum from the material selection process. The Ultem resin also provides exceptional flexibility, flame retardance, and resistance to chemicals, heat and ultraviolet (UV) light, as well as greatly expanded design freedom, which enabled Intermestic to create stylish, eye-catching frames for sophisticated consumer appeal. The success of the new Zoff SMART eyeglass line showcases how SABIC is continuously improv

Building and evaluating a section of new monorail test track in Kingston is providing a unique learning opportunity for Queen's civil engineering students through collaborative research with Bombardier Transportation's System Division in Kingston. "This project represents a significant step forward," says structural engineering professor and Canada Research Chair Amir Fam. "It provides a unique opportunity for testing Queen's technologies and designs in collaboration with a major industry leader." Dr. Fam, Mark Green and graduate student Nik Wootton are part of a team using cutting edge structural engineering technologies on two of the support beams for the 1.5 kilometre long test track. They are using  glass-fiber- reinforced polymer bars to reinforce one concrete beam. The beam is 11 meters long and weighs 30 tons. "This initiative is symbolic of the opportunities for Queen's and Bombardier to work together toward building a long term relatio

Solvay Specialty Polymers announced recently that a second generation of Solef® PVDF Foam is now available for the Aircraft market. New Solef® 82050 is the only fully moldable PVDF foam able to pass the key Aircraft Fire, Smoke and Toxicity Tests (FAR and AITM), which certify complete resistance to flame, total heat release, low toxicity on combustion products and reduced optical smoke density. Thanks to the development of the base polymer matrix, new Solef® PVDF Bead Foam displays increased mechanical properties and higher temperature rating compared to the first generation of Solef® 80 000 Series e-PVDF. In addition to this, the innovative material allows a significant weight reduction, up to a 50% density decrease over the existing product, which is already sixteen times lighter than Solef® PVDF resin. The new product is offered as foamed molded items, which will be simultaneously introduced at the upcoming Aircraft Interiors Show in Hamburg, Germany and the JEC in Paris, France th

The new Opel Astra OPC, a sport coupe, which was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show at the beginning of March 2012, has a seat  pan made from a thermoplastic laminate with continuous fiber reinforcement (organo sheet). This is the world's first auto seat  pan  based on this technology manufactured for a production vehicle. The plastics used are  polyamide  specialties from BASF's Ultramid® product range. The seat  pan  is 45% lighter than its predecessor. Thermoplastic laminates with continuous fiber reinforcement, also called composites, are plastic-impregnated fabrics that are processed into laminates. They serve as the reinforcement in plastic parts that must be especially lightweight yet still exhibit exceptional performance. BASF developed two special Ultramid grades for the Opel Astra OPC seat  pan : an unreinforced grade acts as the material in which the  glass fiber fabric is embedded, an impact-modified, short  glass fiber- reinforced Ultramid is used as over molding m