Materials

Most Resin Prices Flat or Lower

Prices of three of the four commodity resins appear to be trending flat-to-down; ditto for three of the four “commodity” engineering resins.

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polyolefins

PP Prices Spike, Others Rise, Too

Prices of four commodity thermoplastics rose in late January and early February, and new increases were announced for this month in PP, PE, and PVC.

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Dimensional Stability after Molding—Part 3

Any process that involves melting and re-solidifying a polymer involves a compromise between achieving the perfect structure and producing a part that can be sold at a price that the market is willing to pay.

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Commodity Resins

Commodity Resin Prices Shoot Up

Unplanned disruptions in polymer feedstock production in December, to be followed by a number of planned cracker outages slated for the first four months of this year, helped drive up monomer and resin prices, especially of PP, but also including PE, PS, and PVC.

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Resin Prices Are on the Way Up

Higher prices are projected for PE, PP, PS, and PVC in this first quarter, driven by tighter availability and/or higher costs of feedstocks.

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Commodity Resins

Softer Resin Prices Expected

Softer prices can be expected for all four commodity thermoplastics as the year ends, a trend that may continue in the first quarter of 2013, for some resins, at least.

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Materials

Is It Glass Filled or Glass Reinforced?

Here is how to tell the difference.

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PP, PS, PVC Prices Up, But Not for Long

A soft landing is expected for the four commodity thermoplastics as the year comes to an end.

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PET Processing

PBT & PET Polyester: Part 2 The Performance Factor

All things being equal, PET will outperform PBT mechanically and thermally. But the processor must dry the material properly and must understand the importance of mold temperature in achieving a degree of crystallinity that allows the natural advantages of the polymer to be realized.

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polyolefins

Resin Prices Go Up, Down and Sideways

Tight resin inventories and upward pressure from feedstocks were two factors pushing prices of PE, PP, and PVC higher last month.

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Blending & Dosing
Process Cooling