Compounding
From Paper-Mill Sludge to Plastic Decking
Kadant Composites’ self-appointed mission for the past eight years has been to find commercial uses for paper sludge, a soggy mix of short cellulose fibers, calcium carbonate, and clay that is the copious byproduct of paper recycling.
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'Cleaner,' More Efficient Additives for Flexible and Rigid PVC
New vinyl additives designed to be more environmentally friendly while offering improved performance are available from Crompton Corp., Middlebury, Conn.
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Loads of New Additives and Colorants to Debut at K 2004
Several categories of new polymer additives will be unveiled at this year’s largest plastics show—K 2004 in Dusseldorf, Germany, next month.
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Small Is Beautiful
Chris Kasmer, operations manager and co-founder of LTL Color Compounders Inc. in Morrisville, Pa., likes to point to a single green plastic button on the keyboard of his computer when he describes what LTL does: “We color that.” LTL stands for “less than truckload,” and his firm lives up to its name: An entire production run of a particular color may be no more than 50 lb.
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K 2004 News Preview: Compounding
Compounding news at the K Show includes the use of alternative motors to save space and raise output on twin-screw machines.
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'Super-TPVs': The New Challenge to Rubber
Recent commercialization of a cluster of novel thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) families is promising to boost demand for thermoplastic elastomers in new and challenging industrial and consumer product segments.
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Beyond Decking: Wood Composites Branch Out
Extruded decking still drives the embryonic wood-filled plastics market. But injection and compression molded wood composites are coming on strong, and extruded profiles are moving toward more complex millwork shapes.
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Wood-Filled Plastics: They Need the Right Additives for Strength, Good Looks, and Long Life
Wood-plastic composites, or WPCs, are already a 1.3-billion-lb market and are growing at 20% annually.
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Strength and Beauty - New Nylons Bring Both To Under-Hood Parts
Usage of polyamides in U.S. under-hood parts could double in the next decade if nylon 6 and 66 follow European trends toward large panels that not only protect but beautify the engine compartment.
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Solving Gravimetric Blender Problems
Gravimetric blenders offer plastics processors considerable savings.
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