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.
Various topics related to sustainability in plastics, including bio-related, environmental issues, green, recycling, renewal, re-use and sustainability.
Julius Vogel , Dr. David Grewell , Rob Anex, May 2010
This work studied bio-plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) and protein based plastics form corn and compared to petroleum based plastics such polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene in terms of their ecological as well as economical performance from a 'Cradle to Grave' perspective. This study included energy input, emissions output of green house gases and costs from their life cycle steps of raw material acquisition to the final product disposal. It was found that products manufactured from bio-based feedstocks were relatively higher in cost, they resulted in less green house gas emissions.
Nora Catalina Restrepo Zapata, Juan Manuel Vélez Restrepo, May 2010
Melt compounded polymer blends such as PP/HDPE blends from post consumer waste have often been reported to exhibit poor mechanical properties. This work reports on the potential improvement in performance of PP/HDPE blends using polypropylene copolymers as compatibilizers. The properties of the PP/HDPE blends in general progressively varied from that of 100% HDPE to 100% PP. Analysis showed some improvements in mechanical performance of the blends with the addition of PP copolymers, but DMTA results suggest no improvement in compatibility.
Due to the recent interest on citrates as a biodegradable plasticizer for Polylactic acid PLA, several PLA blends that were plasticized with tributyl citrate TBC were prepared in a co-rotating twin screw extruder. A range of 12.4 to 22.5% by weight was considered for the plasticizer content. The thermal, rheological and mechanical properties were correlated with the plasticizer content and compared with pure Polylactic acid. Additionally, the change of these properties as a function of postproduction time was studied and correlated with the plasticizer permanence.
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.
Carol M. Casarino , Barry A. Morris , Susanne R. Veith, May 2010
Life cycle analysis (LCA) is an accepted methodology to determine the environmental impact of a certain material or package at different stages in its product life. In some cases, however, LCAs can be complex and expensive to carry out. DuPont is looking at ways to internally estimate the LCA of its products by using a modular approach: building estimates of nonrenewable energy and green house gas emissions by summing proprietary information on our ingredients and unit operations. The output of this tool will be used to target our internal improvement efforts and potentially help our value chain partners make better multilayer flexible packaging design choices.
Carol M. Casarino , Barry A. Morris , Susanne R. Veith, May 2010
Life cycle analysis (LCA) is an accepted
methodology to determine the environmental impact of a
certain material or package at different stages in its
product life. In some cases however LCAs can be
complex and expensive to carry out. DuPont is looking at
ways to internally estimate the LCA of its products by
using a modular approach: building estimates of
nonrenewable energy and green house gas emissions by
summing proprietary information on our ingredients and
unit operations. The output of this tool will be used to
target our internal improvement efforts and potentially
help our value chain partners make better multilayer
flexible packaging design choices.
Halogenated additives have long been used toenhance the flame-retardant properties of plastics.Recently, after many years of growing concern over theenvironmental and human impact of the disposal ofcertain halogen-containing products and theirincompatibility with recycling operations, leading globalelectronics manufacturers have begun moving to eliminateor sharply reduce the use of certain halogen-containingingredients in their products. DuPont is meeting the needsof these and other environmentally consciousmanufacturers with a growing range of engineeringpolymer grades using non-halogenated flame retardantsystems. This paper shows that they can fulfilldemanding requirements for strength, toughness, hightemperature resistance and processing efficiency.
Divya Kosuri, Sunny M. Ogbomo, Nandika A. D’Souza, May 2010
Polycarbonates find applications in food
industries due to their clarity and ductility.
Sometimes failure of a polycarbonate part
occurs. In food blender jars molded from
polycarbonate, cracks were observed in the
sealed joint only a few days after assembly. The
root cause was investigated via microscopy,
FTIR and GC-MS analyses. It was determined
the cracks initiated and radially propagated from
the bottom raised lip of the part. The root cause
was a combination of a high stress in the lip
region due to molding and design, and
environmental chemical compounds, i.e., esters
from a melt nut used in the assembly. The
failure was typical environmental stress
cracking (ESC) problem.
Alan I. Kasner , Patrick J. Murray , Barbara A. Harris, May 2010
PAI (Torlon) is used in aerospace applications requiring excellent mechanical properties at high temperature, fluid resistance, and thermal stability. PAI is a delayed cure thermoset that reaches its ultimate properties and maximum Tg only with an extended postcure. This work examined the correlation of Tg and properties of four injection molded lots of PAI. Testing consisted of impact strength measurement, tensile and flexural strength and modulus testing at various temperatures and after different environmental conditioning. CTE in three orthogonal directions were measured and creep testing was run on samples after different environmental exposures, including long-term aging in turbine oil.
I. Nishi, S. Matsubara, Y. W. Leong, H. Hamada, A. Goto, May 2010
Recent advances have rendered bio-based and biodegradable PHB (poly hydroxybutanoic acid) copolymers suitable for many extrusion applications. The high molecular weight and narrow distribution of melt relaxation times of these polymers can sometimes cause sharkskin melt fracture to occur during extrusion. This may be a limiting factor for their wide-spread applicability. This presentation will discuss the characterization of sharkskin melt fracture of these polymers using capillary rheometry including the identification, for the first time, a critical criterion for their occurrence.
Wolfgang Abele , Yukihito Ozaki , Takeshi Chiba , Kazunori Saegusa, May 2010
Kaneka Corporation has developed a silicone based flame retardant for Polycarbonate, Kane Ace MR-01. MR- 01 realizes non-bromine and non-phosphorus flame retardant PC compound and increases low-temperature impact strength. Kaneka's renowned graft polymerization technology makes it possible to disperse the cross-linked silicone particle into Polycarbonate matrix. MR-01 achieves V-0 in UL-94 protocol at 1.2 mm thickness (Kaneka's evaluation data) with a small amount of PTFE. MR-01 also has excellent thermal stability, which provides with superior impact strength retention after heat aging, and maintains the flame retardancy after recycling process.
Rajendra K. Krishnaswamy , Jason Baird , John P. Christiano, May 2010
The complex time and temperature dependent melt rheology of Poly (Hydroxy Butanoic Acid) or PHB copolymers is an important consideration for their extrusion. In this effort, we report the influence of temperature profile and screw design on the process stability, melt temperature, melt pressure, output rate and molecular weight retention using highly-instrumented commercial-scale extruders with smooth-bore feed sections. One important outcome of this investigation is screw design guidelines for the extrusion of PHB copolymers.
N. Venkatesha , Claes Lindberg , Stefan Johannesson , Derek Buckmaster, May 2010
Traditionally body panels of Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) are built in Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) or metal. OEMs are looking for fuel-efficient, lightweight and greener technology solutions.The specific gravity of Engineering Thermoplastic (ETP) is much lower and offers significant weight reduction opportunity over SMC/metal. This paper presents limitations of SMC, key challenges in terms of aesthetics and high flow length to thickness ratio in processing HCV body panels with ETP.Show how these are solved through novel thickness distribution, feed system and process design.It is highly essential to design with plastic friendly concepts and to build the tool for balanced filling, no aesthetic defects, minimum pressure and tonnage. Predictive engineering is the best tool to use at the design phase to achieve first time right.
N. Venkatesha , Claes Lindberg , Stefan Johannesson , Derek Buckmaster, May 2010
Traditionally body panels of Heavy Commercial
Vehicles (HCV) are built in Sheet Molding Compound
(SMC) or metal. OEMs are looking for fuel-efficient
lightweight and greener technology solutions.
The specific gravity of Engineering Thermoplastic
(ETP) is much lower and offers significant weight
reduction opportunity over SMC/metal.
This paper presents limitations of SMC key
challenges in terms of aesthetics and high flow length to
thickness ratio in processing HCV body panels with ETP.
Show how these are solved through novel thickness
distribution feed system and process design.
It is highly essential to design with plastic friendly
concepts and to build the tool for balanced filling no
aesthetic defects minimum pressure and tonnage.
Predictive engineering is the best tool to use at the design
phase to achieve first time right.
Agustín Torres, Joel Bohórquez, Willian Noriega, May 2010
New ionomers have been developed to afford exceptional soft feel, high flexibility, and good scratch resistance. The thermoplastic characteristics enable ease of melt processing, good adhesion to various substrates, HF weldability, and deep draw thermal forming. The new ionomer is optically clear and glossy, and can be colored and printed. It has good compatibility with various pigments and additives for enhanced esthetic effects and outdoor weatherability. The soft feel and scratch resistance, coupled with the versatile processibility, make the new ionomers well-suited for protective and decorative applications. It contains no intentionally added halogen and can be recycled or incinerated to serve as an environmentally friendly alternative to flexible PVC or a lower cost alternative to flexible TPU.
Audrey Durin, Rudy Valette, Bruno Vergnes, Thierry Coupez, Chantal David, May 2010
Solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) can lead to in situ mechanochemistry and enhanced dispersion relative to melt-state processes. SSSP of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) results in low levels of branching and enhanced dispersion of heterogeneous nuclei, leading to increased melt viscosity and crystallizability, providing a solution to the problem of recycling PET for high-value applications. (PET undergoes molecular weight reduction during melt processing.) Adding 1 wt% microcrystalline cellulose to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) via SSSP can lead to major enhancements in crystallizability and materials with increased heat distortion temperature relative to neat PLA.
When it comes to resin drying, energy consumption is quickly becoming a key factor in the decision making process for one technology over another. However, drying energy consumption has several elements and key factors that affect the overall energy use of a dryer. It is a combination of heat-up energy and sustainable drying energy that are the elements that will, in the end, affect how much it costs to dry your resin on an annual basis.A uniform industry test standard would define the air capacity, basic load and kWh/unit of material. An industry test standard would allow users to plug in there given material, throughput and local energy rate, to calculate the true annual energy cost.
Adriana Knapkova, Libor Friedel, Bruce Dehning2, Jiri G. Drobny, May 2010
From sterilization to use, medical device packaging must provide a microbial barrier for the devices they protect. Reliability of this packaging is of the utmost importance since packaging materials must endure folding, rubbing, and a host of other mechanical and environmental stresses that can challenge the barriersƒ?? integrity. Pouches consist of flashspun high-density polyethylene (FS-HDPE) sheeting and laminates films composed of polyolefins and nylons. Case studies regarding sterile pouch failures that occurred at various stages of qualification testing and solutions for mitigating failures are presented. Common failure modes and mechanisms are discussed in detail.
Gediminas Markevicius , Joshua D. Stoll , Vivak M. Malhotra , Charles E. Miller , Francois B. Botha, May 2010
Typically wood-plastic composites are manufactured from HDPE and wood byproducts. However to mitigate the concerns associated with the environment and costs attempts were made to develop structural composite materials from calcium sulfite hydrate (hannebachite) natural fibers and recycled HDPE. The hannebachite crystallites are produced during the scrubbing of coal combustion flue gases and have no commercial value. The structural thermal and mechanical behaviors of the composites as well as of raw materials were determined by SEM DSC DMA and flexural measurements. Our results suggest that it may be feasible to develop wood substitute composites without the use of wood or its byproducts. Flexural strength as high as 30 MPa was obtained.
Gediminas Markevicius , Joshua D. Stoll , Vivak M. Malhotra , Charles E. Miller , Francois B. Botha, May 2010
Typically wood-plastic composites are manufactured from HDPE and wood byproducts. However, to mitigate the concerns associated with the environment and costs, attempts were made to develop structural composite materials from calcium sulfite hydrate (hannebachite), natural fibers, and recycled HDPE. The hannebachite crystallites are produced during the scrubbing of coal combustion flue gases and have no commercial value. The structural, thermal, and mechanical behaviors of the composites, as well as of raw materials, were determined by SEM, DSC, DMA, and flexural measurements. Our results suggest that it may be feasible to develop wood substitute composites without the use of wood or its byproducts. Flexural strength as high as 30 MPa was obtained.
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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