polymerguru

A team of researchers have developed a bio-composite material using date palm fiber biomass . The new material can be used to produce sustainable, lightweight and low-cost applications in the automotive and marine industries . (non-structural parts, such as car bumpers and door linings). The team involved researchers from: The University of Portsmouth  The University of Cambridge  INRA (Institut national de la recherche agronomique, a French public research institute dedicated to agricultural science)   University of Britanny, South Unlike synthetic composites reinforced by glass and carbon fibers, the date palm fiber polycaprolactone (PCL) bio-composite is completely: Biodegradable,  Renewable,  Sustainable and  Recyclable Bio-Composite with Enhanced Mechanical Properties In a study, published in the journal Industrial Crops and Products, the researchers tested the mechanical properties of the bio-composite. They found that the date palm fiber PCL had incre

Boron nitride nanotubes sure do like to stick together. If they weren’t so useful, they could stay stuck and nobody would care. But because they are useful, Rice University chemists have determined that surfactants — the basic compounds in soap — offer the best and easiest way to keep boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) from clumping. That could lead to expanded use in protective shields, as thermal and mechanical reinforcement for composite materials and in biomedical applications like delivering drugs to cells. BNNTs with “Super Cool Properties” The research led by Rice chemist Angel Martí appears this month in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Nanoscale Advances. BNNTs are like their better-known cousins, carbon nanotubes, because both are hydrophobic – that is, they avoid water if at all possible. So in a solution, the nanotubes will seek each other out and stick together to minimize their exposure to water. But unlike carbon nanotubes, which can be eithe

The development of future technologies that are not based on mineral oil and can be used for producing chemicals and plastics is one of the major tasks in modern materials science and a key challenge that needs to be addressed if sustainable industrial production is to have a future. Synthetic Polyester from Plant Oil Feedstock  A range of theoretical concepts and laboratory processes must be devised and tested to resolve challenges and problems arising in connection with the natural materials before potential applications for materials obtained from renewable resources can be probed. One such concept has just been described by Professor Stefan Mecking in a current study on obtaining polyester from castor oil entitled “Synthetic Polyester from Plant Oil Feedstock by Functionalizing Polymerization” in the journal “Angewandte Chemie”. With his colleague Dr Ye Liu, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and the first author of the study, Stefan Mecking presents a

Graphene nanotubes are becoming a mainstream conductive additive. This technology is helping to create new business opportunities in various industries, including the PVC plastisol market. Successful market products with graphene nanotubes include ventilation ducting and fiberglass mesh for mining applications, anti-static textiles, and treadmill belts. With their unique properties, graphene nanotubes push PVC plastisol performance higher, to fully satisfy market demand for 105 – 109 Ω/sq resistivity, to preserve a permanent and stable form even after harsh working conditions, to maintain abrasion resistance, and to demonstrate flexibility in the colouring of final products. This all is possible with just 0.25–2 wt.% of graphene nanotube concentrate, recently developed by OCSiAl.   New technology is able to eliminate the common friction points in the usage of conventional anti-static additives, such as carbon black or ammonium compounds. Application of carbon blac

Perma-Liner Industries, the manufacturer and supplier of trenchless pipeline rehabilitation equipment and materials in North America, is introducing a eco-friendly resin called Perma-Liner vinyl hybrid resin. The newest resin in the company’s robust catalog is the only vinyl hybrid that was designed with zero styrene, extremely low VOC’s and is a hybrid vinyl ester with high-rigid polymer backbone. “Our newest resin, the Vinyl Hybrid, has an array of benefits that are attractive to those looking for reduced labor costs, fast cure times and more,” said Rishi Vasudeva, business excellence manager at Perma-Liner. “This Resin is formulated with zero styrene – a potentially harmful substance per OSHA – allows it to be used in areas that would previously need to be evacuated due to the presence of styrene, such as schools, hospitals, churches, office buildings and more.” The vinyl Hybrid resin has a standard pot life of more than eight hours and uses an

Scientists have discovered a novel method to synthesize furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) in a high yield from a glucose derivative of non-food plant cellulose, paving the way for replacing petroleum-derived terephthalic acid with biomaterials in plastic bottle applications. Decreasing Burden on the Environment with Renewable Resources   The chemical industry is under pressure to establish energy-efficient chemical procedures that do not generate by-products, and using renewable resources wherever possible. Scientists believe that if resources from non-food plants can be used without putting a burden on the environment, it will help sustain existing social systems. It has been reported that various useful polymers can be synthesized from 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), the biomaterial used in this study. A high yield of FDCA can be obtained when HMF is oxidized in a diluted solution under 2 weight percentage (wt%) with various supported metal catalysts. Howev

Hexagon Composites has received a special permit from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) for the highest pressure gas transport systems ever. The permit authorizes the manufacture, marking, sale and use of Hexagon’s 500 and 950 bar cylinders for over-the-road transport modules in the United States, for hydrogen and other gases. “The DOT permit is a milestone for the hydrogen refueling market where higher pressures are sought to move more hydrogen per trailer trip, which in turn reduces the overall price of hydrogen fuel at the pump,” said Hartmut Fehrenbach, Vice President of Hydrogen Distribution of Hexagon. “This represents a key step to accelerate the ongoing adoption of fuel cell vehicles and transformation to a zero-emission and domestically sourced energy landscape.” Hexagon is the first manufacturer to receive U.S. DOT special permit (SP20391) for 950 bar (13,775 psig). Being able to move 950 bar pressure vessel systems over the