Latest Polymer Stories

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Plastics offers SUSTARIN® C (Acetal), a general-purpose copolymer acetal that is porosity-free, manufactured by ROCHLING Engineering Plastics. The technology used in Modern Plastics' manufacturing process ensures that every sheet and rod are free of centerline or core porosity. SUSTARIN® C is easily machined with excellent dimensional stability for close tolerance parts. A low coefficient of friction and excellent wear properties,...

Research aims to make medical devices safer by preventing biofilmsBacteria have a natural ability to attach themselves to surfaces, both natural and synthetic. Once attached, they often work cooperatively to form biofilms, thin layers of bacterial colonies that can coat the surface of a medical device and introduce the risk of infection. As a result, orthopedic implants, catheters, and even contact lenses can become vehicles for infection.Antibacterial materials on the surface can reduce the...

When the storm winds blow, wind turbines have to show what they can stand up to. The wind blows hard against mills with the force of tons as the tips of the blades plow through the air at more than 200 kilometers per hour. But natural forces not only tear at wind turbines; machine components made of plastic or airplane wings must with stand substantial loads as well.These days, we normally use sensors to measure whether these components are strained beyond capacity, and it requires a lot of...

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Although the market for synthetic latex polymers in Europe is expected to grow at a modest CAGR of 0.9% through 2014, it continued to demonstrate a declining trend in 2009 due to significant contraction in major end-use markets. The total market was estimated at 2.5 million dry tonnes in 2009, according to latest report Synthetic Latex Polymers 2009-2010 Global Series: Business Analysis and Opportunities from worldwide consulting and research firm...

HOUSTON, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK) announced today that, pursuant to a long term contract right held by Westlake, it has purchased a 50% equity interest in Cypress Interstate Pipeline, LLC from Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP) for an undisclosed price. The 104 mile Cypress Pipeline supplies natural gas liquid feedstocks to Westlake's Lake Charles, Louisiana petrochemical complex for the production of ethylene and ethylene derivatives...

Polymer-based photovoltaic cells have some real advantages compared to the currently used semiconductor-based cells. They are easy to make and the materials are cheap. The challenge is to figure out how to make efficient cells while keeping the manufacturing cost low.One approach uses a light-absorbing polymer along with a derivative of a sixty-carbon fullerene molecule, commonly known as a buckyball. For maximum efficiency, the two materials must be present in thin layers near opposite...

Conductive polymers are plastic materials with high electrical conductivity that promise to revolutionize a wide range of products including TV displays, solar cells, and biomedical sensors. A team of McGill University researchers have now reported how to visualize and study the process of energy transport along one single conductive polymer molecule at a time, a key step towards bringing these exciting new applications to market. "We may easily study energy transport in a cable as thick...

BATON ROUGE, La., Sept. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of curative solutions, announced today it has commercialized ETHACURE® 90, a new polymer chain extender that greatly improves the processing capability of polyurea and polyurethane spray elastomer coating systems used in applications such as truck bed liners, concrete and steel coatings, potable water systems and industrial coatings. Final review by...

BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- DSM Biomedical, a global leader in biomedical materials science, and its Berkeley based operation, DSM PTG, today announced the company has extended its partnership with Spinelab Ltd., a privately held company specialized in developing a dynamic stabilization system for the spine. Spinelab's Elaspine(TM) Implant System, a pedicle-screw based posterior motion preservation system for the degenerative lumbar spine, uses Bionate(®) PCU, which is a...

HONOLULU, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- After rigorous testing performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), the innovative decontamination product, DeconGel®, has met requirements for safe transport to the U.S. Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico for disposal of transuranic waste (TRU). To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/cellularbioengineering/40561/ (Photo:...