polymerguru

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: DMA I praised the incredible power of Dynamic Rheology to study polymer flow behaviour and the polymer molecular structure. To be totally fair, I have to also acknowledge the equally valuable power of Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA or DMTA). The principle is strictly the same, with an in-phase and out of phase response. The test is however conducted on solid samples (tension, torsion, bending...) and is most useful in a Temperature sweep approach, ideally from cryogenic temperatures up and above Tg. The data produced (in addition to the Tg value) can help assess the damping characteristics of the polymer for NVH aspects for instance. The observation of multiple sub-Tg transitions is of great spectroscopic interest to understand molecular motions and segmental movements. These transitions are the key reason for toughness observed below Tg in many polymers, a performance aspect we rely upon everyday in our plastic parts. Subtle plasticizing or anti-plastici

Plastic pollution could reduce by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies make deep policy and market shifts using existing technologies, according to a new report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The report is released ahead of a second round of negotiations in Paris on a global agreement to beat plastic pollution and outlines the magnitude and nature of the changes required to end plastic pollution and create a circular economy. Three Market Shifts Needed– Reuse, Recycle and Reorient “ The way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate, ” said Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director. “ This UNEP report lays out a roadmap to dramatically reduce these risks through adopting a circular approach that keeps plastics out of ecosystems, out of our bodies and in the economy. If we follow this roadmap, including in negotiations on the plastic pollution deal, we can deliver major economic, social and

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: High strain composites for the space industry!  Leveraging their extensive experience with spacecraft systems and components, Opterus Research and Development design and manufacture deployable booms, hinges, antennas, membrane structures, solar sails, light shades, and more!  In this post you can see some examples of their recent developments:  1) Trussed Collapsible Tubular Mast (T-CTM): Opterus’ most robust boom architecture, the patent pending TCTM features truss class structural performance. Offering the highest stiffness, strength, and precision this highly scalable boom architecture is ideal for large deployable space structures supporting high loads. 2)Collapsible Tubular Mast (CTM): Their most precise boom architecture, the patent pending CTM features a fully enclosed lenticular cross section. This architecture enables shorter boom transition lengths for greater compaction and greater strength and stiffness enabled by the closed cross section. Scala

  Northwestern University researchers work with an international team of collaborators to create acetic acid out of carbon monoxide derived from captured carbon. The innovation, which uses a novel catalyst created in the lab of Professor Ted Sargent, could spur new interest in carbon capture and storage. The need to capture CO2 and transport it for permanent storage or conversion into valued end uses is a national priority recently identified in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to move toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. “Carbon capture is feasible today from a technical point of view, but not yet from an economic point of view,” Sargent said. “By using electrochemistry to convert captured carbon into products with established markets, we provide new pathways to improving these economics, as well as a more sustainable source for the industrial chemicals that we still need.” “Acetic acid in vinegar needs to come from biological sources via fermentation because it’s consum

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Transient Frozen layer thickness When trying to model Injection Molding one has to determine the transient frozen layer thickness.And it is more tricky than most might think. For amorphous polymers the best transition temperature would be available straight from the PvT data and will even include the important pressure dependence. It will however not include any cooling rate dependence and Tg is extremely sensitive to cooling rate, as people observe daily with DSC PvT is essentially measured in a quiescent state close to thermodynamic equilibrium (very slow heat/cool rates). For semi-crystalline materials the problem is worse. We need to capture the crystallization temperature which is pressure dependent also (that can be seen in PvT) but extremely dependent on cooling rate (crystallization kinetics aspects). Furthermore, the strong nucleation effect of shear-stress close to the outer layers will dramatically increase, locally, this transition temperature.

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share: Amorphous Core: What is an amorphous core? How are they beneficial? Amorphous metal cores are a type of material that is commonly used in transformers because they offer several advantages over traditional core materials like silicon steel. One of the main benefits of using amorphous metal cores is their high magnetic permeability, which means they can conduct magnetic fields more efficiently than other materials. This can lead to a more efficient transformer with less power loss. Another advantage of amorphous metal cores is their low coercivity, which means they require less energy to magnetize and demagnetize. This reduces the amount of energy lost as heat during the transformer's operation, leading to improved efficiency. Amorphous metal cores are also highly resistant to magnetization, which means they are less likely to become magnetized over time. This can help to reduce the risk of transformer failure and extend its lifespan. Amorphous metal cor