SPE Library

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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Recycling

Various topics related to sustainability in plastics, including bio-related, environmental issues, green, recycling, renewal, re-use and sustainability.

GREEN LAMINATE COMPOSITES BASED ON POLYPROPYLENE (PP) AND FLAX FIBER

T.-D. Ngo, M. Nofar, M.-T. Ton-That, M. Sepehr, W. Hu, J. Denault, May 2010

As the demand of green materials and green products are growing, the use of renewable resources and recycle materials are of great attraction. Natural fiber composites have been extensively studied during the last ten years. However, the main focuses were laminate thermoset composites and extrusion/injection composite products. New approach in fabricating thermoplastic composite parts and composite formulation with flax fiber at low cost has been developed to reduce energy consumption and improve the mechanical performance. The laminate composites were prepared by compression moulding. The results demonstrate that the formulation and the fiber treatment play important roles to the performances of the composites.

HIGH WATER BARRIER NANOBIOCOMPOSITES FOR COATING AND LAMINATION APPLICATIONS

A. Fendler , E. Giménez , J. M. Lagaron, May 2010

Polysaccharides and protein biopolymers are of increasing interest for their use as sustainable coating materials.However their main drawback in these applications is their inherent high water-permeability and low water resistance at high relative humidity conditions. In this study two specifically designed commercial fillers of different nature and aspect ratio were successfully incorporated into two polysaccharides: methyl cellulose and chitosan. The morphology study indicated that a good dispersion with intercalation of the fillers was observed in both matrices. The water barrier properties of the nanobiocomposites were found to be enhanced to a significant extent particularly for the higher aspect ratio filler as compared to the pure matrix materials while the biodegradability of the composite materials was maintained.

HOW TO STRUCTURE FUND & FINANCE A CLEAN TECHNOLOGY VENTURE: TRENDS FOR DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN A “GREENING” MARKETPLACE

Eric A. Koester, May 2010

The plastics industry and related markets represents a substantial opportunity for entrepreneurial and intrapreneural activity ƒ?? particularly in the emerging Clean Technology space. Investment into clean technology is one of the fastest growing markets. However the plastics industry is currently lagging in its ability of startup technologies to tap into those funds. In order to increase access to capital the plastics industry must continue to foster innovation through its development of clean technologies companies. These companies will be built on entrepreneurial and scientific talent broad market opportunities and cutting edge technologies. There are many challenges faced by clean technology companies but with the right foresight and planning success can be achieved and new technologies commercialized.This presentation will provide insights into the clean technology marketplace and insights into successful companies within the plastics industry. In addition weƒ??ll explore what new and emerging companies will require in order to tap into investment dollars and advance their technologies.

HYDROXYAPATITE- POLYLACTIDE COMPOSITE FOR BONE REPAIR

Shih-Po Sun , Montgomery T. Shaw , Mei Wei , James Olson, May 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate the interealtions between the design processing and properties of hydroxyapatite-poly(lactide) composites intended?ÿ as biodegradable bone grafts for joining fractured bone tissues.?ÿ Poly(lactide) fibers were employed to increase the axial strength and toughess of the composite.?ÿ The hydroxyapatite nano rods are also aligned in the axial direction during the pultrusion process to increase the low-strain modulus of the composite.?ÿ The resulting composite with a composition of HA: PCL:?ÿ PLA= 3: 34: 63 (vol%) had a tensile modulus of 6.6 GPa.

IMPROVED COLOR MIXING FOR SHEAR AND THERMALLY SENSITIVE PIGMENTS

Alan Stall , Thomas Hicks , Carl Frauenpreis , Vladimir Sinani , Tatyana Samoylova, May 2010

Currently, many small twin-screw extruders cannot directly blend specific blue pre-blended composites with temperature and shear sensitive yellow pigments to produce a uniform green color. This research will show a new mixing method, one employing a singlescrew extruder joined directly to a low temperature, low shear, low pressure extensional flow mixer, to develop a 1-pass, mixing process, which creates a superior homogenous, vibrant color from dissimilar, incompatible materials. The challenge was to achieve adequate distribution and dispersion, without generating enough energy from shear, temperature, and pressure which would degrade the sensitive yellow constituent of this mix and turn it brown when degraded.

IMPROVED DESIGN FOR POLYMER DISTRIBUTION IN FLAT FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION DIES

Rajen Patel, Antonios K. Doufas, Rajesh Paradkar, Ed Knickerbocker, May 2010

A design methodology has been developed for creating an improved flow passage in a flat die that distributes polymer extrudate across the width under a condition of uniform shear rate. This type of flow passage will spread any and all molten polymer materials uniformly regardless of the power law exponent value. This also results in a uniform residence time inside the die which allows for reduced changeover time and material waste. The new method achieves these results in a more compact fashion with reduced wetted area expanding the applications to wider widths than previous constant shear designs.

IMPROVEMENT OF IMPACT PROPERTIES OF RECYCLED POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) (PET)INJECTION MOLDINGS RECYCLED POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) (PET)INJECTION MOLDINGS IMPROVEMENT OF IMPACT PROPERTIES OF R

N. Kunimune , S. Tamada , T. Nagasawa , Y. Makata , Y.W.Leong , H. Hamada, May 2010

Recycling PET is emerging issue for protecting the earth environments and using petrochemical products effectively. R-PET has been used in the form of film fibers and sheet. In the industries R-PET injection moldings are demanded however there are still some problems in injection molding pellet making and properties of products. The most important problem is low impact strength. In this paper we found effective modifier of R-PET to increase impact strength. The effects of modifier contents on not only impact strength but static strength and rigidity were discussed.

IMPROVEMENT OF IMPACT PROPERTIES OF RECYCLED POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) (PET)INJECTION MOLDINGS

N. Kunimune , S. Tamada , T. Nagasawa , Y. Makata , Y.W.Leong , H. Hamada, May 2010

Recycling PET is emerging issue for protecting the earth environments and using petrochemical products effectively. R-PET has been used in the form of film, fibers, and sheet. In the industries R-PET injection moldings are demanded, however there are still some problems in injection molding, pellet making and properties of products. The most important problem is low impact strength. In this paper we found effective modifier of R-PET to increase impact strength. The effects of modifier contents on not only impact strength but static strength and rigidity were discussed.

IMPROVEMENT OF INTRINSIC VISCOSITY OF RECYCLED PET BY RADIO FREQUENCY HEATING

Maxime Ricbourg, Jean-Pierre Habas, Pascal Pignolet, May 2010

The improvement of Intrinsic Viscosity of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)(R-PET) pellets by an industrial radio frequency(RF) heating is described. RPET pellets are made from post-consumer PET bottles, degraded by hydrolysis during distribution process. Hence, intrinsic viscosity(IV) or molecular weight of RPET exhibits significant lower compared to virgin PET, caused from cleavages of chains. This study indicates thermal recycling method of solid phase polymerization to improve the IV values, namely molecular weight of RPET pellets.

IMPROVEMENT OF INTRINSIC VISCOSITY OF RECYCLED PET BY RADIO FREQUENCY HEATING

Minoru Ogasahara , Manabu Shidou , Shigeru Nagata , Hiroyuki Hamada , Leong Yew Wei, May 2010

The improvement of Intrinsic Viscosity of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)(R-PET) pellets by an industrial radio frequency(RF) heating is described. RPET pellets are made from post-consumer PET bottles degraded by hydrolysis during distribution process. Hence intrinsic viscosity(IV) or molecular weight of RPET exhibits significant lower compared to virgin PET caused from cleavages of chains. This study evaluates the feasibility of RF Heat Treatment to improve the intrinsic viscosity of the material.

IMPROVEMENT OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AN ALL RENEWABLE BASED WOOD-RESIN COMPOSITE

Rahul M. Rasal, Douglas E. Hirt, May 2010

Impregnation of linseed epoxy resin into softwood creates an all-renewable composite. This composite is intended to be a substitute for expensive hardwoods used in applications such as decking and flooring. Initial epoxy impregnation was conducted within a custom vacuum-pressure chamber with positive results. The impregnation process begins with an initial vacuum treatment to remove the air inside the wood, followed by the use of pressure to drive the resin into the wood under certain temperature conditions. This process was improved by optimizing vacuum-pressure levels and temperature, as well as the use of a high temperature curing agent. In this way, superior impregnation depths were obtained. The final result was a composite material with better mechanical properties than both the resin and the softwood themselves. Specifically, the impregnated samples showed Youngƒ??s modulus over three times higher than those of unimpregnated wood samples, in both tension and compression. Furthermore, the hardness of the wood increased significantly; depending on impregnation depth, hardness reached and surpassed 4500 lbf, the estimated value of Lignum Vitae, the hardest wood available. Secondary testing focused on automation of the initial process in order to facilitate optimized impregnation on an industrial scale. A custom multi-chambered impregnation machine was designed to perform a continuous impregnation.

IMPROVING THE EXFOLIATION OF LAYERED SILICATE IN A POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) MATRIX USING SUPER CRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE

Joseph Samaniuk , David Litchfield , Donald Baird, May 2010

A novel technique for improving the exfoliation of organically modified layered silicate (OMLS) in a PET matrix using super critical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is compared to traditional direct melt blending. The process relies on the rapid expansion of a sc-CO2/OMLS mixture into the second stage of a single screw extruder where it is subsequently melt blended with the PET matrix. The simple environmentally benign process results in a more highly exfoliated system than direct melt compounding.X-ray diffraction analysis and mechanical testing are used to reveal improved clay exfoliation and the resulting mechanical properties.

IN SITU PRODUCTION OF SLIGHTLY BRANCHED POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) BY SOLID-STATE SHEAR PULVERIZATION: A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO IMPROVED RECYCLABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Cynthia Pierre , John M. Torkelson, May 2010

Using solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) to process poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) without addition of chemical agents, we demonstrate that linear PET can be transformed into lightly branched PET, with resulting improvements in physical and mechanical properties. Rheological characterization demonstrates an increase in the melt viscosity of the pulverized PET while intrinsic viscosity characterization yields data consistent with no increase in linear chain length. These results indicate that branching occurs in situ during SSSP via mechanochemistry involving the production of polymeric radicals that result from low levels of chain scission accompanying SSSP. A hypothetical mechanism for this mechanochemical transformation is discussed. The lightly branched PET resulting from SSSP yields a dramatic increase in the crystallization rate of the PET, improving its processability. The ability to increase the melt viscosity of PET by SSSP may contribute to sustainable engineering of PET; a long-standing issue with recycling PET for high-value applications is the fact that melt processingof PET results in reduction of molecular weight and thereby melt viscosity, making the recycled material often unusable for the original application for which it was made.

INFLUENCE OF RECYCLED ABS ADDED TO VIRGIN POLYMERS ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Venkatesha. N, Claes. Lindberg, Stefan. Johannesson, Derek Buckmaster, May 2010

Reuse of recycled polymers is steadily increasing. In this study, blends of varying proportions of ABS recycled resins (0~50%), obtained from the gate and runner materials of products, was added to virgin resin to investigate the effect of various compositions of virgin ABS and recycled polymers on the physical properties of the final blend. The results show that there is no obvious effect of recycled ABS percentage (by weight) on the tensile strength, elongation at yield, flexural strength, and flexural modulus. However, hardness, glass transition temperature, MFI, and heat conductivity of recycled ABS increase with as the percentage (by weight) of recycled material increases. The impact strength was also found to vary with the recycled ABS loading.

INNOVATIVE PVD TECHNOLOGY SUSTAINABLE METALLIZATION PROCESSING WITH ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES FOR PLASTIC SURFACES

Dr. Ruediger Schaefer , Carlos Ribeiro, May 2010

The continuing trend toward metallic surfaces on plastics has motivated hartec to further develop PVD metallization by magnetron sputtering.Specifically, the combination of PVD + Topcoat (paint) appears to be a viable alternative to electroplated surfaces and real metals. Ecologically, the PVD process is sustainable, 100% non-toxic and emission free.PVD metallization offers a wide range of applications with advanced functionalities: Daynight design realized by laser-etching; optically and electromagnetically translucent coatings for 'hidden' displays and sensor technology; flexible substrates like TPU or TPE, for example used for safety components like airbag emblems in the automotive industry etc.

INVESTIGATION OF POLYCAPROLACTONE/STARCH BASED MATERIAL MELT PROCESSED BLENDS

Koffi L. Dagnon , Nandika A. D’Souza, May 2010

Research on biodegradable materials has been stimulated due to environmental and economic concerns. The blends of polycaprolactone and a starch based material were prepared by compounding with a twin-screw Brabender. DSC TGA and DMTA were used to characterize the blends and indicated some degree of interaction between the neat polymers. With respect to the neat PCL DSC results of the blends revealed peak shift and depression in either the melting or melt crystallization point and the glass transition temperatures obtained from the maxima loss tangent peaks of DMTA were also shifted. TGA studies showed decreased thermal stability of the PCL rich phase blends with increasing wt.% starch based material. Tensile test concluded improved modulus in the blends in comparison with the neat PCL. (Ref.9)

INVESTIGATION OF PROCESSABILITY OF ZEIN BASED PLASTICS AND COMPOSITES

Gowrishankar Srinivasan , David Grewell, May 2010

The current market viability of petroleum based plastics is strong, but may drop in the future due to international oil crisis accompanied by issues associated with disposal. This has already led to a thrust to develop bio-renewable and biodegradable plastics. One of the emerging contenders are plant based protein polymers such as soy protein and zein (corn protein).The paper reports on the extrusion, molding and mechanical performance of zein based plastics and natural fiber composites. Different formulations of zein plastics with plasticizers and crosslinking agents were extruded and both injection and compression molded. Samples exhibited strengths of up to 12.7 MPa and a crosshead displacement extension value of 61% for different formulations respectively. In addition zein formulations were compounded with coconut and corn-cob fibers in various filler levels via extrusion. The injection molded composite samples had strengths upto 20 MPa.

INVESTIGATION OF PROCESSABILITY OF ZEIN BASED PLASTICS AND COMPOSITES

Gowrishankar Srinivasan , David Grewell, May 2010

The current market viability of petroleum based plastics is strong but may drop in the future due to international oil crisis accompanied by issues associated with disposal. This has already led to a thrust to develop bio-renewable and biodegradable plastics. One of the emerging contenders are plant based protein polymers such as soy protein and zein (corn protein).The paper reports on the extrusion molding and mechanical performance of zein based plastics and natural fiber composites. Different formulations of zein plastics with plasticizers and crosslinking agents were extruded and both injection and compression molded. Samples exhibited strengths of up to 12.7 MPa and a crosshead displacement extension value of 61% for different formulations respectively. In addition zein formulations were compounded with coconut and corn-cob fibers in various filler levels via extrusion. The injection molded composite samples had strengths upto 20 MPa.

IONOMERS WITH ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIVE SELF-REGULATED BREATHABILITY AND THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR HOUSE AND ROOF LINERS

Yushan Hu, Debbie Chiu, Jose M. Rego, Hongyu Chen, Benjamin Poon, May 2010

Environmentally responsive self-regulated gas transmission is achieved by smart vapor barrier (SVB) ionomers. Their moisture transmission changes reversibly from barrier to transmitter as the environmental relative humidity changes. This provides a means to regulate the moisture content within enclosed structures, such as buildings, and enables effective dissipation of moisture to mitigate problems from moisture condensation. It also provides an effective draft barrier to minimize heat transfer for energy conservation. WUFI (W??rme Und Feuchte Instation??r) modeling, methodology pioneered by the Frauhofer Institute, can be used to calculate the coupled heat and moisture transfer in building components containing smart vapor barrier membrane.

MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE AND FRACTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF INJECTION MOLDED R-PET/PE-E-GMA BLENDS

Norman E. Fowler, May 2010

The effect of the amount of reactive additive and screw speed during extrusion on the morphological characteristics and mechanical performance of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (RPET) has been investigated. With the increase of E-GMA additive content, a gradual increment in Izod impact strength of the RPET/E-GMA blends was initially recorded. Subsequent increments in E-GMA content to above 13.5 wt% led to a drastic enhancement in the toughness of the blends. Meanwhile, the density of the blends decreased with increasing amount of additive E-GMA. The toughness and density of the blends were found to be dependent on screw speed during the extrusion. In addition, ductile and microporous structures could be observed from the Izod impact fracture surfaces.