Processes
The Future of Vinyl Siding Fighting Back with Foam, Fiber Composites, and Even Paint!
Under attack from fiber cement, PVC siding makers are exploring different technologies to shore up their future.
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Auto Glazing: Film, Coinjection & Coating Technologies Advance
Hard-surfacing options for molded plastic glazing now include plasma instead of wet coatings鈥揳nd replacing coatings altogether with in-mold film lamination or multi-layer coinjection.
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Dual-Cure PUR Coatings Boost Performance Of In-Mold Decorating Films
A new version of in-mold decorating technology, developed initially for exterior auto body components, uses dual-cure coating technology to provide a paint film that is both stretchable for good thermoformability and also provides the high gloss and durability of conventional paints.
Read MoreHexion to Buy Huntsman Corp.
Huntsman Corp., Salt Lake City, has agreed to a defi nitive merger agreement with Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, an Apollo Management, L.P. portfolio company and a global leader in thermoset resins, including vinyl esters, unsaturated polyesters, and epoxies.
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Nanocomposites: Less Hype, More Hard Work On Commercial Viability
Nano-fillers for enhancing thermoplastics and thermosets continue to make headway in commercial applications, although at a slower pace than had been anticipated.
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Thermoforming: Ready for In-Mold Labeling?
After several fits and starts over the last decade, thermoforming IML appears ready for prime time, thanks to improvements in output and labeling technology. For now, the action is mostly in European packaging.
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Rigid Packaging Goes Lighter, Thinner With Microcellular Foam
Molding higher volumes of a rigid thin-wall part typically means going to a larger press for increased injection and clamping capacity.
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Adhesion Promotion: Now Plasma-Treat the Resin, Not the Molded Part
A new approach to plasma treating applies the treatment to resin pellets or powder in order to achieve enhanced adhesion of paints, glues, or foamed-in-place urethanes to the molded part.
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Solve Ultrasonic Horn Problems With Finite-Element Analysis
Computer modeling with 3D finite-element analysis (FEA) is used in the plastics industry because it can identify stresses, predict performance, and analyze part failures that can often be missed by traditional 2D modeling methods.
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