Cost Efficiency - The Expert's View

May 12, 2008 - Transparent propylene polymer films and laminates by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The invention relates to an interlayer film made of a composition comprising at least one low crystallinity PP polymer, at least one internal adhesion enhancer, and/or at least one clarity enhancer. A process for producing an interlayer...
May 04, 2008 - Local thermo-oxidative degradation in injection molding by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A loss in part properties and service life is caused by thermal, mechanical, and thermo-oxidative stress during processing of thermoplastic materials. Process related thermal and mechanical stresses are inevitable. However, processing...
May 04, 2008 - Manufacture of flexible and impact-resistant laminates. by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A flexible, impact-resistant laminate comprises a first layer of a flexible material and a second, impact-resistant layer. The impact-resistant layer comprises an impact-resistant material interposed between regions of a closed-cell foam...
May 04, 2008 - Multi-color fiber-plastic composites and systems and methods for their fabrication by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This invention relates to methods and systems for forming composite extrudates including at least a base polymer, a plurality of fibers dispersed in the base polymer, and one or more colorants forming a visible, multi-color pattern, e.g.,...
May 04, 2008 - Scuff and scratch resistant multilayer structures by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The invention relates to scuff and scratch resistant multilayer structures for use in building and advertising applications comprising a metal layer and a polymeric layer made of a polymeric material, the polymeric material including at...
Apr 29, 2008 - Development of microwave foaming method for phenolic insulation foams by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Many types of foams are used for thermal insulation in building, frozen food industries and LNG containment systems. Low thermal conductivity, low density, and low flammability are required for thermal insulation. Among many foams,...
Apr 29, 2008 - Morphology and flame-retardancy properties of ternary high-impact polystyrene/elastomer/polystyrene-encapsulated magnesium hydroxide composites by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The effects of elastomer type on the morphology, flammability, and mechanical properties of HIPS encapsulated magnesium hydroxide (MH) were investigated. The ternary composites were characterized by cone calorimetry, mechanical testing,...
Apr 29, 2008 - Quality changes in yogurt during storage in different packaging materials by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The influence of packaging polymers (PP or PS) on the sensory and physicochemical characteristics of flavoured stirred yogurts with either 0% or 4%-fat content was investigated during the 28 days of storage at 4 degC. Regardless of the...
Apr 20, 2008 - Flame resistant natural fiber-filled thermoplastics with improved properties by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This invention relates to flame retardant systems including brominated flame retardants and chlorinated flame retardants with synergists and char formers for use in wood-filled resins in combination with compatibilizers to enhance...
Apr 20, 2008 - Method of manufacturing a colored composite leather by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A method of manufacture of a colored composite leather is disclosed. The composite leather comprises a transparent layer, a colored thin film, a foam layer, and a fabric layer. The method comprises the steps of forming a transparent layer...
Apr 13, 2008 - Processes for extruding stabilized alkenyl aromatic polymer foams by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A process for extruding a thermoplastic polymer foam comprises (a) providing a foamable composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer, a blowing agent that includes water, a brominated flame retardant, and a stabilizer in an extrusion die...
Apr 13, 2008 - Thermoplastic composites with improved thermal and mechanical properties by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A moldable composite sheet having improved thermal and mechanical property characteristics. A porous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin comprising discontinuous mineral reinforcing fibers, and skin layer materials possesses improved...
Apr 06, 2008 - Determination of different morphological structures in PC/ABS open spiral injection moldings by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The internal structure of injection molded polymer blends are complex and greatly affect the mechanical properties. In this work, the microstructure development was observed for a PC/ABS blend (60/40 wt% blend ratio) that was injection...
Apr 06, 2008 - Flame retardant extruded polystyrene foam compostions by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Extruded PS foam compositions having flame retardant properties and methods of making such foams, and products are described. The extruded compositions having flame retardant compositions can be generally characterized as having a MW of at...
Apr 06, 2008 - High concentration pelletized additive concentrates for polymer stabilization, masterbatches and preparation of masterbatches of polymer additives by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

High concentration pelletized additive or polymer stabilization agent or blends are used in various polymerization processes to enhance stability. Heat stabilizers such as blends of Irganox are featured, as well as their LLDPE pelletized...
Apr 06, 2008 - Polymer blend composition and articles thereof by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A polymer blend composition having improved physical properties comprises (i) 70% to 95% by weight of a blend of SMA and HIPS and (ii) from 30% to 5% by weight of an acrylic copolymer, e.g., a rubber modified SMMA copolymer which acts as a...
Apr 06, 2008 - Study on Fiber Weight Fraction Effect on Tensile Modulus of Polystyrene (PS) Composites Reinforced with Short Glass Fiber (SGF) Based on Their Fiber Orientation by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The tensile modulus of injection molded SGF/PS composites is investigated. The experimental and simulation results show, increasing of tensile modulus of these composites, is inconsistent with increasing of fiber content in high fiber wt....
Mar 30, 2008 - Co-moulding polymers in injection stretch blow moulding and plastic articles produced thereby by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A dual-texture article, such as pre-form hollow parison for forming bottles, comprises at least two same or different polymers having same or different melt flow rates that cause co-molding/over-molding of the polymers upon injection...
Mar 30, 2008 - Flame retardancy mechanisms in halogen-free PC/ABS blends by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

For applications such as in electronical engineering and transportation the fire behavior of PC/ABS blends is a key property and the halogen-free flame retardancy is a key challenge. In the last decades aryl phosphates, such as tri-Ph...
Mar 30, 2008 - Long chain branched polypropylene: Synthesis, characterization, and applications by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

PP has poor melt strength and poor ability to be processed to make blown films because it is a linear polymer. This paper discusses an effective route to prepare LCBPP with well-defined molecular structure, via a combination of metallocene...
Mar 30, 2008 - Monovinylidene aromatic polymers containing nonfunctionalized, nonmineral oil by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

GPPS and HIPS are plasticized with a nonfunctionalized, nonmineral oil, e.g., a vegetable oil such as canola oil, cottonseed oil or the like. The mixture of monovinylidene aromatic polymer and oil is typically and preferably free of any...
Mar 30, 2008 - Natural fiber reinforced polymer/clay aerogels by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Aerogels are the lightest and lowest density solids known, typically comprised of ca. 98% air and 2% solid material. Na-Montmorillonite clay aerogels are highly cost effective materials when compared to their silica counterparts and have...
Mar 30, 2008 - Novel bioplastics and biocomposites from agricultural oils and coproducts by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

Iowa State University researchers have developed very simple procedures for the synthesis of industrially promising biopolymers ranging from elastomers to hard composites by the cationic, free radical, thermal, and ring opening metathesis...
Mar 30, 2008 - Polystyrene bag with polyethylene zipper by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A PS bag has a PE zipper and the bag is constructed by choosing a PS material having additives and a blended PE material that is sufficiently compatible with the PS material so that the zipper is weldable to the bag.
Mar 23, 2008 - Development of measurement techniques to characterize the optical properties of transparent films with application in in-mould decoration by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

This paper details the development of appropriate techniques for quantifying and comparing the optical properties of transparent polymer films used in in-mold decoration (IMD) and the effects of heat and strain on these properties. ...
Mar 23, 2008 - Flame retardancy mechanisms of aryl phosphates in combination with boehmite in bisphenol A polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The influence of nano-dispersed AlOOH combined with bisphenol A bis(di-Ph phosphate) (BDP) + PTFE to make fire retardant PC/ABS has been investigated. Possible flame retardancy mechanisms are revealed. TGA and TGA-FTIR) are used to study...
Mar 23, 2008 - Laminate for laser marking by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The present invention relates to a laminate for laser marking, comprising: a layer with a multicolor developing laser marking thermoplastic polymer composition capable of producing markings having two or more different color tones by...
Mar 23, 2008 - Selection criteria for recycled polyolefins from urban wastes by using TG analysis by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

The thermal behavior of a mixture of recycled polyolefins (PE/PP mix), variously colored recycled polyolefins, recycled polyolefin blends and recycled polyolefin/PET blends was analyzed by thermal analysis (TGA/DSC). Atmospheres of...
Mar 16, 2008 - High performance ballistic composites having improved flexibility and method of making the same by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

A composite material which has excellent ballistic performance and has improved flexibility. Surprisingly, it has been found that a combination of poly(alpha-olefin) fiber and matrix resin provides these desirable product features. The...
Mar 16, 2008 - Rubber - clay nanocomposites: from nanostructures to properties by Duane B. Priddy (R&D Highlight)

In this contribution are discussed rubber-clay nanocomposites composed of a diene rubber and layered clays. Synthetic and natural poly-1,4-cis-isoprene and styrene/butadiene copolymers are used as the rubbers and a montmorillonite, either...