Latest Polymer Stories

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers Technical Paper, Display Stimulate New Ideas Wilmington, DE (Vocus/PRWEB) January 26, 2011 The many ways bio-based materials can enhance performance and meet consumer demand for environmentally responsible products are explored in a talk by Carol Casarino, Ph.D., global technology manager, DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, at the inaugural Bioplastics "Reshaping of an Industry" Conference, Feb. 1-3 at Caesars Palace in Las...

Duke University bioengineers have developed a new method for rapidly producing an almost unlimited variety of man-made DNA sequences.These novel sequences of recombinant DNA are used to produce repetitive proteins to create new types of drugs and bioengineered tissues. Current methods for producing these DNA sequences are slow or not robust, the researchers said, which has hindered the development of these increasingly important new classes of protein-based polymers.Researchers have already...

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have coaxed polymers to braid themselves into wispy nanoscale ropes that approach the structural complexity of biological materials.Their work is the latest development in the push to develop self-assembling nanoscale materials that mimic the intricacy and functionality of nature's handiwork, but which are rugged enough to withstand harsh conditions such as heat and dryness.Although still early...

CLEVELAND, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PolyOne Corporation (NYSE: POL), a premier provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, intends to release its fourth quarter earnings on Thursday, February 3, 2011 and host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Teleconference: Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 9 a.m. ET Dial-in number: Domestic: 866-543-6403 International: 617-213-8896 Pass code:...

To rebuild damaged parts of a human body from scratch is a dream that has long fired human imagination, from Mary Shelley's Doctor Frankenstein to modern day surgeons. Now, a team of European scientists has made a promising contribution to reconstructive surgery thanks to an original multidisciplinary approach matching cutting-edge medicine to the latest developments in nanotechnology.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 322,000 deaths globally per year are linked to...

Many futurists envision a world in which polymer membranes with molecular-sized channels are used to capture carbon, produce solar-based fuels, or desalinate sea water, among many other functions. This will require methods by which such membranes can be readily fabricated in bulk quantities. A technique representing a significant first step down that road has now been successfully demonstrated.Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley...

New research published today, shows how light can be used to control the electrical properties of graphene, paving the way for graphene-based optoelectronic devices and highly sensitive sensors.This year's Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded for research into graphene, recognising its potential for many applications in modern life, from high-speed electronics to touchscreen technology. The UK's National Physical Laboratory, along with a team of international scientists, have further developed...

Novel nanostructure pattern never seen in a plastic materialProfessor Frank S. Bates and his research team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis have discovered an unusual type of soft material that was conceived of over 50 years ago, but has never before been found in a plastic--although it has been seen in stainless steel and other metal alloys.Bates' group, which is funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Materials Research, specializes in creating a particular...

HOUSTON, Jan. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kraton Polymers LLC (together with its direct and indirect subsidiaries, "Kraton"), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers or "SBCs," announces a general price increase in North America of 110 USD/t, or 5 cpp for Kraton SBS, and OE SBS polymers and compounds. Subject to the terms of any applicable contracts, these price increases will take effect February 1, 2011. About Kraton Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc.(NYSE: KRA), through its...

Everyone has heard that carbon dioxide is responsible for global warming. But the gas also has some positive characteristics. Researchers are now impregnating plastics with compressed CO2 in a process that could lead to new applications ranging from colored contact lenses to bacteria-resistant door handles.CO2 is more than just a waste product. In fact, it has a variety of uses: the chemical industry makes use of this colorless gas to produce urea, methanol and salicylic acid. Urea is a...