Lilli Manolis Sherman Contributing Editor
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K 2001: A Big Show for Additives
Plastics additives don't normally get star billing at trade shows, but this month's K 2001 exhibition (Oct. 23 to Nov. 1) in Dusseldorf, Germany, is different.
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RIM & Urethanes (K 2001 Preview)
New equipment at the K show will include a lab line for RIM-molded auto-interior skins, recirculating spray mixheads designed for open-pour RIM, and upgrades for making SRIM structural composites with a long-fiber injection system. Also to be featured are new automotive PUR foams for noise abatement, a glass-reinforced RIM system for interior soft-touch applications, amine catalysts for producing low-VOC automotive foams, and an overhead conveyor system for PUR mold carriers.
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Polymers as Additives
A pinch of one resin can teach another one new tricks. Take a look at the promising results with four novel property enhancers for thermoplastics and thermosets.
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Plastics That Conduct Heat
Helping electronics, lighting, and car engines keep cool are some new roles for hermoplastics that are formulated to replace metal or ceramic.
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Metallocene PP & PE Weld Strongly to Each Other
Multilayer film applications such as packaging and diapers are just two areas that could benefit from spot welding (instead of gluing) polyethylene to polypropylene. Normally these two resins show poor adhesion to each other. But two years of research at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and at ExxonMobil Chemical in Houston show that metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins can weld to each other with bond strengths much greater than are possible with conventional Ziegler-Natta catalyzed polyolefins.
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Rapid Prototyping: Pretty Soon, You Won't Be Able To Get Along Without It
Bigger, faster, more accurate machines and more durable materials threaten to make "RP" indispensable for product and tool development. Molders also find RP models aid accurate price quoting. Next up: ‘rapid manufacturing' of production parts.
Read MoreWhat's New in Printing & Decorating
New systems to process mixed plastic waste and to upgrade it with fiberglass or wood flour were prominent at last June’s show in Chicago. Single-shaft rotary grinders made a strong showing as newer alternatives to conventional granulators and shredders.
Read MoreGet the Right Additives for mLLDPE Film
Since the advent of metallocene-catalyzed plastomer and LLDPE film resins, improving processability while retaining their inherently high physical and optical properties has been an industry target.
Read MoreRIM & Urethanes
Improved designs of high- and low-pressure metering systems will be displayed at NPE 2000. Look also for new CO2 blending systems and an upgraded pentane mixing system.
Read MoreStretch Tio2
With prices going up and up, and supplies getting snugger, it's time to re-examine the available extender pigments that can make TiO2 go further.
Read MoreNanocomposites--A Little Goes A Long Way
From auto parts to barrier packaging, the race is on to commercialize nano-clay thermoplastic composites. Just a pinch of these infinitesimally small particles can dramatically raise mechanical, thermal, barrier, and flame-retardant properties.
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