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.
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Polypropylene is often referred to as a “commodity resin”, however, is this really the case?
Polypropylene is a versatile thermoplastic that can be processed through a variety of processing techniques. It is utilized in a wide range of applications, including packaging, automotive, infrastructure, appliances, healthcare, and electrical. Its wide use is based upon several key strengths, including:
Good chemical resistance
Good electrical insulation properties
Flexural strength and modulus
Relatively low coefficient of friction
Readily available and relatively inexpensive
The implication of the interchangeability of polypropylene resins does a disservice to the complexity of this material and the plastic industry in general. The properties of polypropylene are highly dependent on molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, crystallinity, type and proportion of comonomer and the tacticity.
Hopefully, at the conclusion of the webinar, attendees will
Gain an understanding of the general properties of polypropylene.
Have more insight into how the molecular structure of polypropylene determines its performance properties.
Have you ever wondered how Kistler defines “Measure, Analyze, Innovate and Optimize”? Learn how Kistler has adapted the everchanging engineering and manufacturing industries in an educational webinar hosted by Dr. Robert Vaculik, Head of Business Unit Plastics and Society of Plastics Engineers: A walk through Kistler’s innovation – from the sensor to data driven decision making in a connected production.
Overview:
Measure — Here we cover sensor technology, connectors installation, sensor placement and different sensor types (direct pressure, indirect pressure, pT sensors, T sensors, measurement pins)
Analyze — Here we cover the principle of process monitoring and cover the main functions of ComoNeo as well as the optinal features
Innovate — Here we cover our machine learning approach using ComoNeo predict, by using sensor signal and prdict the specified quality
Optimize — Here we cover the connectivity of ComoNeo and CDC, as well as the interfaces OPC-UA, which enable the customer to collect data and have access to the data on a worldwide scale
In this webinar, we will explore the advantages of capillary rheometers for extrusion application through specific processing and equipment design examples. While some materials like polyolefins can have straightforward flow behaviors, other more complex materials and compounds involved in the extrusion of film and sheet products can exhibit non-typical flow behaviors for which capillary rheometry is a critical characterization tool. We will review the advantages of capillary rheometry over other rheological characterization techniques, and we will also discuss some of the challenges and limitations of the capillary measurements.
This event is for everyone from fresh out of school to looking for a new role! The day will begin with an interviewing tips presentation hosted by David Peterson and Ashley Gannon from Direct Recruiters. As experts in the interview process, David and Ashley will share best practices for nailing the interview, whether in person or over video conference.
Following the Interview Best Practices, we will be hosting a panel discussion hosted by three experienced SPE members in the Plastics Field. The panelists will cover what they look for during the interview process and provide tips for ways to stand out during the interview.
After the panel, we will open it up to a live Q&A!
Dave New, founder of Obaggo Recycling, will tell the story of his journey to bring a novel plastic bag recycling solution to the mass market. He will discuss the genesis of the idea, the trials and tribulations of prototype development, and the epic search for project support and funding.
A fundamentally entrepreneurial story, Dave will talk about the world of start-up accelerators, b-plan competitions, and how he navigated a vast landscape of stakeholders, cheerleaders, and naysayers.
Alex Jordan, Rodney Joslin, Marcela Linares, April 2021
This event is for everyone from fresh out of school to looking for a new senior role! An expert panel (including someone who hires new graduates, someone who hires seasoned professionals, and an HR specialist in the plastics field) panel will introduce their top 3 tips for making your resume sell the best you!
After a great discussion on what it takes to have a competitive resume in the world of digital filter systems, we will open it up to a live Q&A! Stick around for the second hour to dive deeper with the panelist of your choice and if you are bold enough, to have them work directly on your resume!
This is the second part of a two-part webinar.
This webinar will address behavioral and organizational approaches to industrial energy management. Josh will explain how manufacturing companies can implement energy programs, both through proven best practices and through local and regional utility funding programs.
Thermal analysis is an important group of tests used in the analysis of plastics and other polymeric materials. It consists of a family of well-established techniques that evaluate material properties as they change with temperature, time, and ambient environment under conditions of thermal programming. The results of thermal analysis tests provide qualitative and quantitative information about the material being evaluated. In particular, this information is important to address plastic failures or in characterization of the material composition and physical properties.
The upcoming webinar on thermal analysis will introduce the four primary techniques:
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)
Thermomechancial Analysis (TMA)
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)
The webinar is designed to introduce the techniques to the attendees so that they may get a better understanding of how the techniques can be used to evaluate plastic materials and solve problems. No single thermal analysis technique is best suited universally, but together they provide essential data for the characterization of plastics materials. This presentation will review thermal analysis techniques and their application to plastic problem solving through case studies. The webinar will be a practical treatment of the techniques, and the focus will be on how the techniques can be utilized to better understand polymeric materials.
At the end of this presentation you will:
Gain insight into the different types of thermal analysis techniques
Recognize which technique is best suited to obtain the information you need
Understand how thermal analysis can be used to characterize the composition and properties of plastic
Wasted energy is wasted profit. In these webinars, plastics engineers, plant managers, and financial managers will learn about the typical opportunities to save energy at plastics plants. In the first webinar, Josh Bachman and Pamela BIrkel will share energy savings opportunities that have been uncovered over the years. They will also share case studies of successful projects, many of which were funded by the local utility.
Environmental stress cracking (ESC) is the leading cause of plastic component failure, and a recent study suggests that 25% of plastic part failures are related to ESC. If you deal with plastic components, then “Environmental Stress Cracking of Plastics” will provide you with information that will enhance your understanding of the interaction between chemicals and plastic resins, with the goal of preventing part failure. ESC is a solvent-induced failure mode in which a plastics crack through contact with a chemical agent while under stress.
The webinar will be presented from a practical viewpoint with actual case studies to illustrate the ESC mechanism and explain plastic performance. Topics covered during this session include:
Introduction to ESC
How plastics fail
Explanation of the ESC failure mechanism
Generalizations related to chemical interaction with plastics
ESC resistance testing used to evaluate plastic/chemical compatibility
Case Illustrations of some common solvent-based failure modes
At the end of this presentation you will:
Have a better understanding how chemicals effect plastic components.
Recognize potential situations where ESC failure could occur in your parts.
Be able to design a chemical resistance program to evaluate plastic/chemical combinations.
This presentation will include important design parameters that should be considered when specifying a plastic for a medical device. It will also recommend resources for aiding you during the selection process. The interrelationships between polymer structure and physical properties will be highlighted as well as polymer classifications. Examples of medical devices will be included toward the end of the presentation demonstrating how this information can be applied to real world applications.
Thermoplastic resins are utilized in many applications because of their unique property set, including their ductile response to applied stress. This ductility is associated with the viscoelastic nature of polymers and is attributed to their unique molecular structure. In spite of that inherent ductility, most plastic components fail through one of the many brittle fracture modes. Experience through conducting thousands of plastic component failure analyses has shown that less than 5% were associated with ductile overload. The remainder represent brittle fractures of normally ductile materials. Thus, within evaluations of plastic component failures, the focus of the investigation frequently turns to identifying the nature of the ductile to brittle transition. This relatively brittle response to stress is evident through the examination and characterization of the fracture surface morphology. There are numerous factors, associated with material, processing, design, and service conditions that influence a ductile-to-brittle transition within plastic materials. These include:
Nothing lasts forever. Great products might not last forever, but they usually last a long time. But no matter how great the product is, there will come a point in time where a thing no longer has any value. It then becomes waste. To be thrown in the trash. And then what?
How do you design a product to account for its expected end of life? Or an unexpected end? How do you evaluate materials based on what happens at their end of life? What tools are there? How to use them? What’s next? For plastics, and for the industry.
The webinar will give a high-level overview of the basic process, concepts, and calculations involved in carrying out Life Cycle Assessments in accordance with the international standard ISO 14044. It will further showcase LCA studies performed for industry to demonstrate the business value that can be derived from such studies in product development and marketing. The target audience includes process engineers, product designers, product managers, sustainability professionals, and anyone interested in ways to quantify the environmental performance of goods and services.
With increasingly complex color palettes and other specifications like flame retardation and recyclability coming into play, plastic color can be challenging to produce. However, with the right tools, processes and basic color understanding at hand, color doesn't have to be a burden in producing plastic product.
During this webinar hosted by SPE, X-Rite Pantone color experts will help you understand the life of a plastic color and how your particular role in that lifecycle can help expedite the product development process, from inspiration and design all the way through final quality control.
Key Learnings include:
Understand how to bridge the gap between color and appearance
Importance of using physical and digital tools
How to choose the right toolset for your role in the supply chain and particular needs
Material selection is one of the fundamental aspects that will determine the success or failure of a product. With so many choices available today regarding plastic materials, it is imperative that anyone involved in product design or material selection understand resin properties and how they will affect end product performance as well as part design and manufacturability. While plastic material selection is a frequent topic of discussion, it is not as simple as it may first appear. A thorough understanding of the short-term and long-term properties of the potential plastic resins is essential. To help make the best plastic resin choice, is also essential to have a basic knowledge of polymer chemistry.
This webinar will address some of the considerations that need to be made when selecting a plastic resin, and outline the challenges and benefits of selecting an appropriate material. The presentation will introduce a method of systematic selection that will optimize the plastics material selection process.
What is FreeForm Injection Molding?
Freeform Injection Molding is a complete reframing of printed injection molding tooling. Instead of aiming for the highest possible number of shots per tool, the technology is focused on delivering the highest possible versatility in terms of materials, and the geometrical freedom in design.
With continued interest in and development of sustainable plastics, it is clear that not everyone is working with the same lexicon. Terms such as 'degradable', 'bio-degradable', 'recyclable', and 'compostable' are subject to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or outright fraudulent claims. This webinar will address how ASTM standards are being used to create a common understanding based on science and testing. We will also address the commonalities and differences among standards, certifications, and regulations. This webinar is part of SPE's ongoing "Sustainability & Plastics" series.
Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) plays an essential role in determination of dispersity and molecular weight of polymers and complex molecules. Calibration is done using polymer solutions such as polystyrene in organic solvents, and uncertainties in preparation of the standard can often carry over to uncertain measurement results.
This webinar from Anton Paar will focus on how you can minimize uncertainty — and expensive errors - with a fast, highly-precise refractive index measurement. After the webinar, you will have a better understanding of how a refractometer can improve your chromatography.
Featured topics in this webinar will include:
GPC calibration process
The role played by dn/dc values
How a refractometer can improve the GPC calibration process
Requirements and the specifications your refractometer must meet
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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Any article that is cited in another manuscript or other work is required to use the correct reference style. Below is an example of the reference style for SPE articles:
Brown, H. L. and Jones, D. H. 2016, May.
"Insert title of paper here in quotes,"
ANTEC 2016 - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA May 23-25, 2016. [On-line].
Society of Plastics Engineers, ISBN: 123-0-1234567-8-9, pp. 000-000.
Available: www.4spe.org.
Note: if there are more than three authors you may use the first author's name and et al. EG Brown, H. L. et al.