The SPE Library contains thousands of papers, presentations, journal briefs and recorded webinars from the best minds in the Plastics Industry. Spanning almost two decades, this collection of published research and development work in polymer science and plastics technology is a wealth of knowledge and information for anyone involved in plastics.
Michael Heinzer , Myoungbae Lee , Rachel VanHouten , Ozma Lane , James E. McGrath , Donald G. Baird, May 2010
Poly(arylene ether sulfone) block copolymers are studied as candidates for membrane materials in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Highly fluorinated versions are of particular interest as increase hydrophobicity of the fluorinated blocks will induce greater phase separation resulting in improved proton conductivity. This work studies the effect of processing temperature on membrane properties and compares results for highly-fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfones) to results for the sparingly fluorinated copolymer. Proton conductivities are below the expected values, which is likely due to high processing temperatures having detrimental effects on ion clusters in copolymer chain coupled with a lack of ample time for phase separation. Studies of the phase separation kinetics and final film morphologies can help better understand the drying process.
Shailesh Vidhate , Jaycee Chung , Nandika D’Souza, May 2010
In this work conductive nano composite has been
prepared by incorporating multiwall carbon nanotubes
(MWCNT) in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) by melt
blending method. The creep behavior of PVDF
composite is studied by compression test. To study the
time and stress dependent piezoresistive behavior of the
prepared composite mechanical testing was
synchronized with electrical resistance measurement.
Comparison of mechanical creep with the creepdependent
resistance implied that there is a conducting
percolation attributed to the physical contacts between
MWCNT and a mechanical network formed by the
molecular chains of the polymer matrix and the
interaction between the filler and the matrix.
Shailesh Vidhate , Jaycee Chung , Nandika D’Souza, May 2010
In this work conductive nano composite has been prepared by incorporating multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) by melt blending method. The creep behavior of PVDF composite is studied by compression test. To study the time and stress dependent piezoresistive behavior of the prepared composite, mechanical testing was synchronized with electrical resistance measurement. Comparison of mechanical creep with the creepdependent resistance implied that there is a conducting percolation attributed to the physical contacts between MWCNT and a mechanical network formed by the molecular chains of the polymer matrix and the interaction between the filler and the matrix.
Research on biodegradable materials has been
stimulated due to environmental and economic concerns.
The blends of polycaprolactone and a starch based
material were prepared by compounding with a twin-screw
Brabender. DSC TGA and DMTA were used to
characterize the blends and indicated some degree of
interaction between the neat polymers. With respect to the
neat PCL DSC results of the blends revealed peak shift
and depression in either the melting or melt crystallization
point and the glass transition temperatures obtained from
the maxima loss tangent peaks of DMTA were also shifted.
TGA studies showed decreased thermal stability of the
PCL rich phase blends with increasing wt.% starch based
material. Tensile test concluded improved modulus in the
blends in comparison with the neat PCL. (Ref.9)
Jun Tae Kang, Seong Hun Kim, Seung Goo Lee, May 2010
Bamboo fiber may withhold great potential as an alternative to wood, and bamboo can be a raw material to fabricate a composite material and its applicability is being widely investigated. Cellulose fibers can be aligned to the length of the bamboo providing maximum tensile and flexural strengths and rigidity. Increased research in the recent years has considerably contributed to the use of bamboo fibers as a reinforcing material for broader applications. However, it is difficult to obtain polymer/bamboo fiber composite having its excellent mechanical properties, because the bamboo fibers covered with lignin show lack of interfacial adhesion. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the interfacial adhesion by extracting lignin without microstructure disruption and adding silane coupling agents.
In this research the influence of silane coupling agent, composites with pristine bamboo fiber, delignified bamboo fiber, and delignified and silane treated bamboo fiber were newly prepared and investigated, respectively.
The electrical and mechanical properties of Polycarbonate and Polybutylene Terephthalate carbon nanotubes (CNT) nanocomposites were studied with respect to injection molding processing parameters, by means of design of experiments (DOE). Results demonstrated that the injection molding parameters had a significant effect on the properties of polymer/CNT nanocomposites. While the melt temperature had the most significant effect on the resulting volume resistivity, combination of parameters affected the mechanical properties of each polymer/CNT nanocomposite.
Nowadays various technologies are capable of producing hybrid plastics/metal-composites. However they all have disadvantages due to several manufacturing steps and limitations in the achievable complexity of the part geometry. An innovative approach to produce plastics/metal-composites is to combine the injection molding of plastics and the die casting of metals to a new hybrid multi-component process within a single mould and on a single machine. Combining the plastics injection molding and the die casting of low-melting metal alloys plastics parts with integrated electrically conductive tracks can be produced. A selection of promising results concerning this new process is presented.
Nowadays, various technologies are capable of producing hybrid plastics/metal-composites. However, they all have disadvantages due to several manufacturing steps and limitations in the achievable complexity of the part geometry. An innovative approach to produce plastics/metal-composites is to combine the injection molding of plastics and the die casting of metals to a new hybrid multi-component process within a single mould and on a single machine. Combining the plastics injection molding and the die casting of low-melting metal alloys, plastics parts with integrated electrically conductive tracks can be produced. A selection of promising results concerning this new process is presented.
Applications in the automotive, medical and
electronics industries continue to drive
improvements in polymer performance. Specifically,
greater UV resistance, greater chemical resistance,
higher service temperature, and processing stability
are becoming more essential for consumer product
components. Styrene-ethylenebutylene-styrene
(SEBS) copolymer rubbers, SEBS/polypropylene
blends, TPEs and polypropylenes are emerging as
high performance materials integral to handles,
grips, elastic components, oil gels for
telecommunications, medical parts, automotive
gaskets and hoses. TPEs in particular are being
employed to replace plasticized low durometer PVC
due to safety concerns as a component material for
medical devices. The bond strengths of these
polymers with specially formulated adhesives with
and without atmospheric plasma surface
modification were investigated. The results of bond
strength improvement tests are presented.
Layered silicates used as nano filler are suitable for
improving the mechanical properties of polymers. As an
alternative to melt compounding an in-situ polymerisation
process for the production of PA6-nanocompounds is
investigated. During the in-situ process the layered
silicates are dispersed in the monomer caprolactam
leading to an intercalation process. The following anionic
activated polymerisation process itself takes place in corotating
twin screw extruder.
The production of a polyamide compound containing
0 2 and 4 wt.-% nano-scaled silicates was successful. The
in-situ produced compounds were injection moulded and
their mechanical properties were analysed.
Layered silicates used as nano filler are suitable for improving the mechanical properties of polymers. As an alternative to melt compounding, an in-situ polymerisation process for the production of PA6-nanocompounds is investigated. During the in-situ process, the layered silicates are dispersed in the monomer caprolactam, leading to an intercalation process. The following anionic activated polymerisation process itself takes place in corotating twin screw extruder. The production of a polyamide compound containing 0, 2 and 4 wt.-% nano-scaled silicates was successful. The in-situ produced compounds were injection moulded and their mechanical properties were analysed.
Silicon solar cells lose 0.45% of power for every 1oC increase in temperature. If solar modules could dissipate heat more efficiently, the operating cell temperature would be lowered, increasing the module power output. In this paper, we present findings in using encapsulants with improved thermal conductivity to increase the heat transfer from solar cells into the environment. The outdoor performance of solar modules built with the improved encapsulant shows that 1-2% power gain can be achieved compared with the standard encapsulant. Further, modules with the improved encapsulant are anticipated to have better long-term reliability as compared with the standard encapsulant.
Biotechnology, information and medical industries have a high growth potential. A key technology for those industries is the replication of micro- and nanostructures. Precise micro- and nanostructured parts with functional surfaces can be produced economically by injection moulding. The whole process chain (thermal mould condition, moulding, demoulding) must be analysed carefully. To enable the precise production of such structures a new technique for variothermal injection moulding was developed at the IKV. An innovative laser heating unit was designed and built. The laser unit was implemented into an injection mould. Using this technique selective parts of the cavity could be heated with high temperature gradients of up to 300K/s. Preliminary measurements were done to correlate the laser power and the temperature change on the mould surface. A pyrometer and a laser control unit were implemented to realise a precise temperature profile on the mould surface without a temperature overshoot.
The effect of the degree of substitution (DS) of carboxymethylated starch (CMS) as green corrosion inhibitor of carbon steel on 200 mgL-1 NaCl solution was investigated. Physical/chemical structure of CMS was studied by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C-NMR). DS of this bio-polymer was determined by back-titration. Its inhibitive properties were evaluated using polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. CMS acts as corrosion inhibitor and the protection level is highly dependent on the degree of substitution. The formation of a chelate between carboxylate groups and ferrous cations allows the inhibition mechanism of CMS to be explained.
Melt blowing is an extrusion process that produces nonwoven webs with fine fibers that are approximately 1 to 10 microns in diameter and find applications in filtration, sound and liquid absorbency and thermal insulation. We have introduced multiple layers within each microfiber and shown that novel web properties can be obtained. The number of layers within each micro fiber was varied from 2 to 27, although layers as high as a thousand can be achieved. We have shown that synergistic mechanical properties can be obtained in a controlled manner. The processing-structure-property behavior of multilayer melt blown webs will be discussed.
Processing undried polycondensates as PET or PA using a melt degassing single screw extruder is a real alternative to the conventional energy- time- and cost-consuming pre-drying process. Due to the industrial demand of processing recycled and low priced materials the moisture content or/and the resin mixture can substantially vary from batch to batch. This leads to a deviant molecular weight degradation and an unsteady final product quality. The paper presents an approach to compensate these variations in the feedstock in a closed-loop control. It is based on the direct influence of the degassing pressure on the moisture evaporation of the melt. The product quality is estimated online in the extrusion process e.g. via melt viscosity and is controlled by the degassing pressure in the extruder.
Processing undried polycondensates as PET or PA using a melt degassing single screw extruder is a real alternative to the conventional energy-, time- and cost-consuming pre-drying process. Due to the industrial demand of processing recycled and low priced materials, the moisture content or/and the resin mixture can substantially vary from batch to batch. This leads to a deviant molecular weight degradation and an unsteady final product quality. The paper presents an approach to compensate these variations in the feedstock in a closed-loop control. It is based on the direct influence of the degassing pressure on the moisture evaporation of the melt. The product quality is estimated online in the extrusion process, e.g. via melt viscosity, and is controlled by the degassing pressure in the extruder.
Walter Michaeli , Ina Michaelis , Joachim Grosse , Matthias von Walter , Erich Wintermantel , Nina Laar, May 2010
The overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) is defined as a symptom complex which is characterized with frequent urination, urinary incontinence and a strong, sudden urge to urinate even when the bladder is not full. About 10% of the total population have OAB and it occurs in every age group. Apart from the medical, oral therapy, the so called intravesical instillation is used as well. In order to minimise the numerous side effects of the oral therapy like dry mouth, dizziness or depressions a biodegradable, active agent carrying implant for the intravesical therapy of the OAB was aspired. After a project period of two years a biodegradable, active agent carrying polymer implant could be developed.
Liu Bin, Liu Qinghui, Feng Yanhong, Qu Jinping, May 2010
New non-fluoro process aid additives
performance to improve flow properties of
polycarbonate (PC) and polypropylene (PP) are
discussed. The new formulations provide
increased output and reduce torque during
processing of the polymers by improving the
flow properties while maintaining stability as
indicated by measurement of melt flow index. It
was found that in the case of their use in PC, the
effect is achieved without causing hydrolysis of
the polymer. The new additives are effective at
very low addition levels (0.05%) and one of the
formulations can be used for clear PC or FDA
applications.
Liu Bin , Liu Qinghui , Feng Yanhong , Qu Jinping, May 2010
A new injection molding for metal powder green part was put forward in detail in this paper. Vibration force field generated by electromagnetic field in the whole process of plasticization, injection and packing, implementing dynamical plasticization metering, injection and packing was introduced. An in-depth experiment study on the effect of vibration force field on metal powder 316L/binder under steady and dynamic injection conditions was carried out with an experiment equipment and dynamic injection machine. Experimental results show that the filling pressure will be reduced when the vibration is introduced, the flow of melts becomes more uniform and the distribution of different components is also more uniform in the green parts during the dynamic injection molding. The mixing dispersion and distribution effect are better and the density is also larger than the green part's with traditional injection molding. The existing of vibration can effectively promote not only the microcosmic structure and also quality of metal powder green part.
Kim McLoughlin Senior Research Engineer, Global Materials Science Braskem
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Kim drives technology programs at Braskem to develop advanced polyolefins with improved recyclability and sustainability. As Principal Investigator on a REMADE-funded collaboration, Kim leads a diverse industry-academic team that is developing a process to recycle elastomers as secondary feedstock. Kim has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Cornell. She is an inventor on more than 25 patents and applications for novel polyolefin technologies. Kim is on the Board of Directors of SPE’s Thermoplastic Materials & Foams Division, where she has served as Education Chair and Councilor.
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Gamini has a BS and PhD from Purdue University in Materials Engineering and Sustainability. He joined Penn State as a Post Doctorate Scholar in 2020 prior to his professorship appointment. He works closely with PA plastics manufacturers to implement sustainability programs in their plants.
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Tom Giovannetti holds a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Tulsa and for the last 26 years has worked for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. Tom started his plastics career by designing various injection molded products for the chemical industry including explosion proof plugs and receptacles, panel boards and detonation arrestors for 24 inch pipelines. Tom also holds a patent for design of a polyphenylene sulfide sleeve in a nylon coolant cross-over of an air intake manifold and is a Certified Plastic Technologist through the Society of Plastic Engineers. Tom serves on the Oklahoma Section Board as Councilor, is also the past president of the local Oklahoma SPE Section, and as well serves on the SPE Injection Molding Division board.
Joseph Lawrence, Ph.D. Senior Director and Research Professor University of Toledo
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Dr. Joseph Lawrence is a Research Professor and Senior Director of the Polymer Institute and the Center for Materials and Sensor Characterization at the University of Toledo. He is a Chemical Engineer by training and after working in the process industry, he has been engaged in polymers and composites research for 18+ years. In the Polymer Institute he leads research on renewably sourced polymers, plastics recycling, and additive manufacturing. He is also the lead investigator of the Polyesters and Barrier Materials Research Consortium funded by industry. Dr. Lawrence has advised 20 graduate students, mentored 8 staff scientists and several undergraduate students. He is a peer reviewer in several journals, has authored 30+ peer-reviewed publications and serves on the board of the Injection Molding Division of SPE.
Matt Hammernik Northeast Account Manager Hasco America
A Resin Supplier’s Perspective on Partnerships for the Circular Economy
About the Speaker
Matt Hammernik serves as Hasco America’s Northeast Area Account Manager covering the states Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. He started with Hasco America at the beginning of March 2022. Matt started in the Injection Mold Industry roughly 10 years ago as an estimator quoting injection mold base steel, components and machining. He advanced into outside sales and has been serving molders, mold builders and mold makers for about 7 years.
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How to reference articles from the SPE Library:
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