Plastics Engineering articles from March 2007

Plastics Engineering archives from March 2007

SPE's annual technical conference 2007 & plastics news' plastics encounter.(Editorial)(Society of Plastics Engineers)
March 1, 2007... SPE's ANTEC 2007 and Plastics News' Plastics Encounter is the largest combined U.S. event targeted specifically for plastics-industry professionals. The technical conference and exhibition will take place May 6-11 at the Duke Energy Convention...

Acquisitions.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Gerresheimer Glas AG, Wilden AG)
March 1, 2007... Pharmaceutical packaging group Gerresheimer has acquired Wilden, Europe's market leader for plastic drug delivery systems. For around a year now Dusseldorf-based Gerresheimer has been making targeted acquisitions in the USA, Europe and China....

Business support.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Pera International expands network)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Innovation provider Pera has expanded its network by establishing a Materials Practice based at the UK offices of Polymer Training Ltd (PTL) in Telford. The business will initially concentrate on the development of Technology and Framework...

Contracts.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Intier Automotive Inc., Borough)
March 1, 2007... Borough, the UK chrome plater of plastic, has been awarded a 6m [pounds sterling] contract to supply painted and chrome plated mouldings to Intier Automotive Interiors for the new BMW Mini. The contract, which will run over seven years, comes...

Energy saving.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Sandretto Industrie S.p.A. introduces power saver equipment)
March 1, 2007... Sandretto says it is now supplying significant numbers of its Power Saver equipment. According to the company, the product can be retrofitted to any kind of injection moulding machine in any kind of production situation, and has succeeded in...

Expansion.(GLOBAL NEWS)(LANXESS Corp. expands polyamide production )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Lanxess has expanded polyamide production at its Uerdingen site with the addition of further processing stages to an existing production line. The company says this will increase annual production by around 20,000 tons. Uerdingen produces...

Installations.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Battenfeld Injection Molding Technology, Instaplast Praha)(Hyplast installs film line)(ICO Polymers introduces new color powder)
March 1, 2007... Battenfeld Injection Molding Technology recently celebrated the delivery of its 5,500th Toggle Machine to the Czech company Instaplast Praha. The model involved was a TM 130/750 which will be used to produce sanitary fittings. It brings the...

Internet.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Victrex launches website)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Victrex has launched an 'on-the-go' version of its website designed specifically for PDAs and handheld devices. Victrex.mobi is said to be the first site of its kind for the global materials market. Product information, application data and...

License.(GLOBAL NEWS)(EPPC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Egyptian company EPPC has selected Basell's Spheripol technology for a new 350kt polypropylene plant to be built at Port Said. Start-up is expected in 2009. In the past 20 years, Basell says that its polypropylene technologies have been used in...

Name change.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Tessenderlo Chemie S.A.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Pipes & Fittings, the business unit of Tessenderlo Group, has changed its name in English and French to 'Plastic Pipe Systems' and 'Systemes de Canalisations Plastiques'. Its Dutch name remains unchanged. According to new managing...

New Technology.(Singulus Technologies develops new production line for finishing plastic components)
March 1, 2007... The German companies, Bad Oeynhausen (Balda) and Singulus Technologies, have completed testing of a jointly developed, entirely new production line for finishing plastic components. The programme, that was initiated last year, has resulted in...

Partnership.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Huntsman Corp., NMG)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Huntsman and NMG have created a new, Russia-based joint venture, ZAO Huntsman NMG, to manufacture and sell polyurethane systems to the adhesives, coatings, elastomers and insulation markets in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union....

Research.(GLOBAL NEWS)(in plastic composites)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The UK is on its way to developing structural composite products manufactured using plants. Combine, a new collaborative R&D project aims to develop bio-derived composites with the properties needed for products in sectors such as automotive,...

Krauss-Maffei opens regional office in Bogota.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(appoints Sandra Arevalo )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Sandra Arevalo has been named manager of machinery maker Krauss-Maffei's new regional office in Bogota, Colombia. The office serves the Andean Community--Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia--as well as Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela....

Wittmann Mexico to open production plant in Queretaro.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Wittmann Mexico, a supplier of automation technology and auxiliary equipment, will open a 92,000-square-foot plant in Queretaro, Mexico, in the first half of the year. The facility will have an assembly line, testing center, repair workshop,...

Chileplast to be held with packaging and processor shows.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Chile's biennial plastics exposition takes place May 30 to June 2 at the Espacio Riesco exhibition center in Santiago de Chile. The fifth edition of the expo will for the first time be held with Mundoplast and Chileenvases, packaging and...

Sigdopack of Chile boosts BOPP capacity with plant in Argentina.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(biaxially oriented polypropylene)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Sigdopack of Santiago, Chile, is building a 172,000-square-foot plant for producing biaxially oriented polypropylene film in Campana, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The US$50 million facility is slated to start up in July. Its...

Plastics industry in Mexico posted solid growth in 2006.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Mexico's plastics industry grew 6.5% in 2006, generated sales of US$20 billion, and employed 180,000. According to figures in the annual report from Anipac, the national plastics industry association, imports accounted for 56% of resin...

Novatec taps Otero for Latin America.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Jorge Otero)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Jorge Otero has been named vice president of sales for Latin America by Novatec, a U.S.-based manufacturer of auxiliary equipment. Otero has 28 years of sales experience with auxiliary equipment, including 16 years with Conair Group.

U.S. building markets may prove lucrative for Chilean plastics.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The U.S. construction market offers opportunities to exporters of plastic goods and wood-fiber composites in Chile. In an analysis prepared by Corfo, Chile's economic development agency, and U.S.-based consultant Intrix Corp. LLC, strong demand...

Recycling rates, revenue surge in Brazil.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Mechanical recycling of plastics in Brazil increased almost 28% between 2003 and 2005, to 460,000 tons from 360,000 tons. The consumption of recycled plastics products rose to 20% from 16% during that period and revenue among recycling plants...

Huge PP plant eyed for Parana in Brazil.(LATIN AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(polypropylene)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Plans are in the works to build a 200,000-ton/yr polypropylene plant in the Brazilian state of Parana. The plant would be operated by Suzano Petroquimica, the largest PP producer in Brazil. Joao Pinheiro Nogueira Batista, co-president of Suzano...

In packaging market, flexible continues to gain on rigid.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A new Frost & Sullivan study, U.S. Plastics in Flexible Food Packaging Markets, finds that flexible food packaging has gained preference among end-users in the United States, owing to high value for cost and greater convenience. In addition,...

Ciba acquires CAD software firm.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Ciba Specialty Chemicals Holding Inc., ColorViz SAS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Expanding its color services, Ciba Specialty Chemicals announces, it has acquired ColorViz SAS, a French start-up company with whom Ciba has cooperated since 2005. ColorViz software enables designers to visualize products in 3-D using different...

Chemtura announces divestments.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Chemtura, Lion Copolymer LLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Based in Middlebury, Connecticut, USA, Chemtura announces that it has signed an asset purchase agreement to sell its EPDM business; all Rubber Chemicals businesses associated with Geismar, Louisiana, USA; and Flexzone antioxidants worldwide to...

Dow expands MDI production.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)
March 1, 2007... The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Michigan, USA) reports that it plans to expand production at its MDI facility in Freeport, Texas, USA, by 50% over the next 36 months. In September 2006, Dow also announced plans to expand MDI production at its...

Plastic-bottle recycling surpasses two billion lbs, survey finds.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Plastic-bottle recycling by consumers in the U.S. increased by 187 million lbs in 2005, to reach a record high of more than 2.1 billion lbs, according to the 16th annual Post-Consumer Plastics Bottle Recycling Report, jointly released by the...

ARM opens student design competition.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)
March 1, 2007... The Association of Rotational Molders (ARM) International (Oak Brook, Illinois, USA) announces its annual forum for students worldwide to design and enter into competition their prototypes of products made by the rotational molding process. The...

Plextronics receives $750K to develop solar cells.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Plextronics of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, has announced that it has received $750,000 in funding from the Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) of Central Eastern Pennsylvania to further develop its Plexcore PV technology for organic solar cells....

Rotomolding in Pennsylvania gets a boost from SPE.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Society of Plastics Engineers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Plastics Manufacturing Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA) has acquired a Datapaq Rotomolding Telemetry System for its Rotational Molding Center of Excellence. The purchase was funded equally by...

Milliken opens lab in Belgium.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Milliken Chemical Co.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... To support a growing European customer base for its Alphasan silver inorganic antimicrobial technology, says Milliken Chemical Europe, it has invested in a new Microbiology Laboratory. Located in Gent, Belgium, the lab will provide in-house...

PolyOne promotes its products in Brazil.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... PolyOne Corp., based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, reports that it has expanded its Engineered Materials specialty-compound product offering in Brazil and other parts of South America through an arrangement with Plasticos Novacor. The Sao Paulo...

Norplex-Micarta builds in Asia.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Based in Postville, Iowa, USA, Norplex-Micarta announces that it is building a new office in Shanghai, China. In addition to the company's existing Shenzhen office, the new location will help it support local customers in the growing Asian...

DuPont plans R&D center in India.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., research and development)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware, USA) plans to invest over $22.5 million to construct its first R&D center in India. To be located in Hyderabad, the new DuPont Knowledge Center is expected to be fully operational in early 2008. It will focus on...

ExxonMobil introduces new FEA database.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(ExxonMobil Chemical, finite element method)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... ExxonMobil Chemical (Houston, Texas, USA) has introduced a new finite-element-analysis (FEA) database for its Santoprene specialty products for semi-dynamic applications. In addition, the existing database for static applications has been...

Dow enters Russia.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Dow Chemical Co. )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Michigan, USA) has announced the start-up of its first production facility in Russia. Located at Kryukovo, outside Moscow, the plant will produce Styrofoam brand polystyrene (XPS) insulation boards for the Dow...

In memoriam.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... SPE mourns the loss of Roger Tamsen, an active Milwaukee Section member, who passed away Dec. 23, 2006. The Section has bestowed several awards on Mr. Tamsen for his contributions to the Society and for his guidance of students in the field of...

Lustran Polymers names distributors in U.S.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Lustran Polymers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Lustran Polymers business unit of Lanxess Corp. has announced that Ashland Distribution (a division of Ashland, Inc.) and PolyOne Corp. (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) will serve as the sole national (U.S.) distributors for the company's Lustran ABS...

ICO Polymers to distribute Aardvark rotomolding powders.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Aardvark Polymers )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Based in Houston, Texas, USA, ICO Polymers North America announces an international distribution agreement with Aardvark Polymers (Asbury, New Jersey, USA), developer of Aartel acetal and Aarlon nylon 6 and 6/6 high-performance rotational...

ITEC changes its name.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(ITEC Environmental Group)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The San Francisco-based recycling company ITEC Environmental Group is changing its name to ECO2 Plastics, Inc. To become effective by this month, the new name is expected to reflect the company's mission "to change the way plastic is recycled...

TPE Solutions distributes Preseal lines in North America.(NORTH AMERICA: GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... TPE Solutions, Inc., of Shirley, Massachusetts, USA, has announced that it has become the official North American distributor for the patented lines of Preseal (products of Premix Oy of Finland), described as "the only highly conductive...

REACH: what is the impact on Europe? In June new regulations governing chemical usage will come into force in Europe. Viewed as the most intrusive piece of legislation yet to hit the European chemicals supply chain, what impact will REACH have on industry and in particular plastics?(Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals )
March 1, 2007... There are soon to be major changes in the way that chemicals are used and controlled in Europe with the introduction of the REACH regulations. REACH, which stands for Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals, will introduce new...

ANTEC[TM] 2007 & plastics encounter @ ANTEC: invite you to Cincinnati in May.(Annual Technical Conference)
March 1, 2007... The year's largest event in the U.S. specifically for plastics professionals takes place in May, when the Society of Plastics Engineers joins forces with Plastics News to co-locate ANTEC[TM] 2007 and the Plastics Encounter @ ANTEC trade...

Plastics encounter @ ANTEC 2007: annual technical conference Cincinnati, OH May 6-11.(PLASTICS ENCOUNTER @ ANTEC 2007)
March 1, 2007... WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE LARGEST INDUSTRY EVENT IN THE U.S. THIS YEAR PLASTICS ENCOUNTER @ ANTEC Anyone involved with plastics will benefit from attending Plastics Encounter @ ANTEC. As the single largest technical conference in the...

Biopolymers an nanotechnology: enhance products in diverse markets.(COVER STORY: LATIN AMERICA)
March 1, 2007... Latin America is becoming a major center of research in biopolymers and nanotechnology. Fueled by work in academia and industry, researchers are capitalizing on the region's scientific expertise, natural resources, and growing consumer demand...

The feel good factor: how a finished product, actually feels to a customer can have a marked influence on its perceived value and purchasing decisions. Dr Martin Rides from the UK's National Physical Laboratory outlines his research into 'the science of touch' and its potential to aid product design.(EUROPE)
March 1, 2007... Have you ever considered why you choose to buy certain products over others? Factors such as appearance and touch, linked to intangible perceived qualities, play an important role in purchasing decisions. Persuading consumers to buy your...

Cutting-edge plastics machining: there's an art to trimming, milling, and finishing plastics.(NORTH AMERICA)
March 1, 2007... Because plastics flow and are formable at low temperatures, plastics manufacturing relies more on near-net-shape processes than on subtractive material-removal processes so commonly used with metals. But plastic parts are trimmed or machined...

Plastic timepiece.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,167,420 (January 23, 2007), "Timepiece Including Base Plate Formed of Resin and Wheel Train," Morinobu Endo, Tetsuo Uchiyama, Akio Yamaguchi, Yasuo Kondo, Hiroshi Aoyama, Koichiro Jujo, Kazutoshi Takeda, Masato Takenaka, Shigeo...

Polymeric motors.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,166,953 (January 23, 2007), "Electroactive-Polymer Rotary-Clutch Motors," Jon Heim, Ronald E. Pelrine, Roy D. Kornbluh, and Joseph Stephen Eckerle (Redwood City, California, USA). Electric motors are generally heavy, bulky,...

Lightweight Armor.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,163,731 (January 16, 2007), "Lightweight Armor Against Firearm Projectiles," Yehoshua Yeshurun, Yechezkel Ashuach, Zvi Rosenberg, and Moshe Rozenfeld (Rafael Armament Development Authority, Ltd., Haifa, Israel). A widespread...

Breathable film.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,163,967 (January 16, 2007), "Method of Increasing the Gas Transmission Rate of a Film," Michael D. Grah and Marvin R. Havens (Cryovac, Inc., Duncan, South Carolina, USA). Perishable products are often packaged with an inert...

Toughened biodegradable materials.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,160,977 (January 9, 2007), "Polymer Blends With Improved Notched Impact Strength," Wesley Raymond Hale and Candace Michele Tanner (Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, Tennessee, USA). Biodegradable materials are often difficult...

pH-sensitive materials.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,160,971 (January 9, 2007), "pH-Sensitive Methacrylic Copolymers and the Production Thereof," Surya K. Mallapragada, Brian C. Anderson, Paul D. Bloom, and Valerie V. Sheares Ashby (Iowa State University Research Foundation, Ames,...

Absorbed Peroxides.(industry PATENTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,160,958 (January 9, 2007), "Method of Increasing the Absorption Rate of Peroxides Into Polymer Particles," Peter R. Dluzneski (GEO Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Lafayette, Indiana, USA). Peroxide compounds are commonly used to...

Miniature Fuel Cells.(industry PATENTS)
March 1, 2007... U.S. Patent 7,160,637 (January 9, 2007), "Implantable, Miniaturized Microbial Fuel Cell," Mu Chiao, Liwei Lin, and Kien-Bang Lam (The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, California, USA). Miniature fuel cells operating on...

Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP)(Society of Petroleum Engineers)
March 1, 2007... One of the strongest supporters of SPE in Europe was recently honoured by the society. Peter Farren, who for many years has been president of the UK section as well as chair and past chair of SPE Europe, was given the Honorary Service Member...

SPE in Europe.(EUROPE)(Society of Petroleum Engineers )(Directory)
March 1, 2007... SPE Europe Yetty Pauwels +32 3 541 77 55 spe.europe@skynet.be www.speeurope.org SPE Europe Board Chairman Bernhard Peters +49 2392 960966 peters.neuenrade@t-online.de SPE Executive Committee...

Integrated welder.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... An all-in-one, super-rigid ultrasonic welding press with a built-in microprocessor from Sonics & Materials eliminates the need for a separate power supply and features a single-piece, rigid, cast-aluminum machine base and column hub. The...

Dies for multilayer pipes.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik has developed a multilayer die for the production of plastic pipe. The design of the side-fed die allows processing of materials with high residence time and high temperatures, even at low mass-flow rates, which...

Cast-film takeoff with orientation capability.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Wayne Machine has introduced a medium-sized Yellow Jacket Cast Film Takeoff System featuring orientation capability that is accomplished with a high-precision speed-ratio follower drive linked to the main chill-roll drive. The closed-loop AC...

Robots with muscles.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Adept Technology describes its new Viper s1700 robot, an addition to the Viper six-axis articulated robot family, as being capable of lifting and positioning loads of up to 20 kg (44.1 lbs) with a reach of 1717 mm (67.6 inches). Its speed and...

Pressure transducer.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Model 512 Industrial OEM Pressure Transducer from Setra Systems utilizes proven CVD (chemical vapor deposition) strain-gauge technology. Designed with a thicker diaphragm to withstand pressure spikes, shock, and vibration caused by the harsh...

Handheld adhesive dispenser.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Consisting of a manual or pneumatic dispensing gun, a cartridge, and a static mixer, the handheld two-component MixPac System from ConProTec is designed to work as an integrated, high-performance system. With the MixPac System, says the...

Custom screw design.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... American Maplan Corp. custom-designs screws that address specific needs for the market, including designs that promote rate improvement, melt stability, and homogeneity. These benefits pave the way for significant improvements in output rate...

On the level.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Machine tools, roll and web lines, press and printing equipment, and other production systems run more smoothly when they are well aligned. The new Pinpoint Microgage 2D measures flatness of rolls, moving machinery stages, gantry systems,...

Precision holes in thermosets.(NORTH AMERICA: MACHINERY)
March 1, 2007... Traditional methods of cutting precision holes in thermoset plastics have often involved the use of technology similar to that used for creating holes in metal products, even though the physical properties of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) are...

FR nylon compounds for electronic parts.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Chem Polymer Corp., a Teknor Apex subsidiary operating plants in the UK and the U.S., has introduced four nylon compounds that meet UL flame-retardance (FR) and other regulatory requirements while providing key properties for injection-molded...

LCP grades for lead-free soldering.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Ticona (Florence, Kentucky, USA; Kelsterbach, Germany) has developed a new grade of Vectra liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that extends the operating temperature and flowability of its LCP resins for use in demanding connector and lead-free...

High-flow PBT resins for lighter auto parts.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... GE Plastics has launched the Valox Super High-Flow family of glass- and mineral-filled polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resins for producing thin-walled, highly detailed automotive parts at lower injection pressures without sacrificing...

High-heat crystal polystyrene with advanced formulation.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, has designed a new high-heat crystal polystyrene resin for foam sheet extrusion, oriented polystyrene, and blown-film applications. CX5229 improves flow characteristics...

Rubber-clad metal parts convert to nylon.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Based in the Netherlands, DSM Engineering Plastics reports that its Stanyl polyamide 4,6 (PA46) is finding increasing use in assemblies that have traditionally been made of rubber-clad metal. Typical applications include automotive strut...

Castor seed--based PA finds commercial acceptance.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Arkema (Paris, France) reports that its castor seed--derived polymer, Rilsan PA (polyamide) 11, has been approved by several automotive contractors for biodiesel fuel lines in Europe and Brazil. To accommodate the growing use of biofuels, which...

Elastomer expands application range.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Traditionally used in the wire and cable industry, the Lanxess specialty elastomer Levapren has been finding new applications as a cost-effective alternative to acrylic elastomers (ACM) in many automotive products. For example, in seals,...

New gelcoat formulations meet ANSI standards.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Ashland Composite Polymers (Dublin, Ohio, USA), a business group of Ashland's Performance Materials division, has introduced new ANSI (American National Standards Institute)-compliant gelcoat formulations. For fabricators of cultured marble and...

Film + TPO imparts chrome-like finish.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Soliant LLC of Lancaster, South Carolina, USA, reports that its Fluorex Bright Film can now be combined with TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin), facilitating a Class A finish on plastic parts for cars and trucks as well as for marine,...

Rubber powder in pellet form.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Based in Naples, Florida, USA, Lehigh Technologies LLC announces that its PolyDyne rubber powder is now available to plastics molders, compounders, and other processors in concentrated pellet form for easier handling. Serving as an engineered...

Extrusion-grade TPEs.(MATERIALS)
March 1, 2007... Advanced Polymer Alloys (APA), a division of Ferro Corp., debuted its extrusion-grade DuraGrip TPE 6300 series Melt-Processible Elastomer (MPE) at Plastec West 2007 (Feb. 13-15) in Anaheim, California, USA. Offering a low-gloss finish, improved...

Industry events.(EUROPE)
March 1, 2007... MARCH 6-8, PEPP 07 Site: Zurich, Switzerland www.mbspolymer.com 12-15, Plastic Industry Show Site: Moscow, Russia, www.biztradeshows.com 14-15, 5th European Additives and Colours Conference Site: Luxembourg www.speeurope.org ...

Industry Events.(NORTH AMERICA)
March 1, 2007... * SPE CONFERENCES Mar. 29-30. SPE's Designing for Processors and Processing for Designers. Site: Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Quebec, Canada. Sponsored by Quebec Section, Injection Molding Division, and Product Design...