New barrier materials for small fuel tanks, tooling developments for large, flat, and odd-shaped industrial parts, new all-electric machines for large containers, and gravimetric extrusion control for bottles are some of the topics discussed at the recent SPE Blow Molding Div. annual conference in Pittsburgh.

Just as eco-friendliness was a major theme in materials news at the big show in April, so it was with additives.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: At the MD&M West medical show in Anaheim, Calif., last month, DuPont Performance Polymers, Wilmington, Del., showed off two new applications for its Delrin acetal.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Two renewably sourced engineering resins from DuPont Performance Polymers, Wilmington, Del., were featured at the 2011 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards in November.

Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Fowlerville, Mich., developed the Tenac-C ZSeries low-emission acetal copolymer for the seat-adjuster comfort mat in the lumbar support (pictured) for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The first commercial automotive application for Sorona EP biobased PTT polyester from DuPont Performance Polymers, Wilmington, Del., is in the interior of the Toyota Prius (alpha) hybrid car made in Japan.

Last fall’s K 2010 fair in Germany drew dozens of materials suppliers to show off hundreds of new products, aimed especially at packaging,medical, automotive, and electrical/electronics.

The footprint of thermoplastic materials suppliers at this year’s NPE is going to be fainter than usual.

A new class of semi-aromatic, high-temperature nylons is being introduced to the U.S. by Kuraray America in N.Y.C.

If you’re thinking about adding bioplastics to your portfolio of processing capabilities, it’s best to first find out what separates them from traditional synthetic polymers and how their differences will affect you.

Two suppliers have come out with a new type of flexible, translucent, semicrystalline nylon based 100% on renewable sebacic acid from castor oil.

In December, about a dozen representatives of European chemical companies gathered in Aachen, Germany, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a quiet revolution in plastics.

Photovoltaic markets are growing explosively, and so are opportunities for specialty film producers. Solar cell and module production, which was forecasted to grow at 50% a year for the next few years before the recession hit, is now expecting slightly more healthy 30% annual growth, according to DuPont, a major supplier of photovoltaic film materials. Solar cell and module manufacturers are expanding, and large numbers of new companies are entering the field.

A new acetal from DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., combines high impact and mechanical performance with high flow (7 MFR), which improves weld-line strength.

The dramatic global downshifting in automotive manufacturing hasn’t put the brakes on plastics innovation, if recently announced developments are any indication.

Cycle-time reduction of 30% is claimed for a new high-flow PBT from DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del.

Three previously announced families of renewably sourced polymers for packaging and engineered products are now commercially available from DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del.

This first of two articles on directions in TPE development focuses on styrenic, copolyester, polyamide, and TP urethane elastomers. The following article covers olefinics—TPOs, TPVs, and POEs.

Major chemical companies are investing big bucks in new plants and technologies to produce plastics from annually renewable sources, not from petrochemicals.

Custom backlighting with color-converting plastics and robotic extrusion of door seals won two categories of the 37th Innovation Awards presented in November by the SPE Automotive Div.

New soft and heat-resistant elastomers from DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., include three new grades of ETPV engineering thermoplastic vulcanizates and a new grade of Hytrel polyester elastomer.

A new acetal from DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., is formulated with a proprietary metallic filler for molding chain-link food-processing conveyors.

Strong demand for smaller and thinner electrical components that must withstand higher temperatures is pushing the envelope for suppliers of liquid crystal polymers (LCPs). This trend has prompted development of a new range of ultra-high-heat materials that boast high flow for thinner walls and faster cycle times in lead-free, surface-mount connectors.LCPs’ predominant market is still connectors, but suppliers of these premium-priced resins are looking to diversify into electronic packaging, automotive lighting, and consumer goods like cookware.

The major thrust in new materials at K is engineering thermoplastics for automotive, appliance, medical, and electrical/electronic parts.

DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., has created a new Center of Excellence for coextruded pipe and tubing at its European Technical Center in Geneva, Switzerland.

At the K 2007 show in Dusseldorf in October, DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., will be highlighting a number of recent developments including several high-heat resins for electrical/electronic applications.Corrosion-free Zytel HTN PPAs are for electrical circuits and connectors in high-temperature automotive environments.

Six new acetal grades introduced at the NPE show in Chicago are claimed to provide lower volatile emissions, improved weathering, and reduced friction and wear.

From PPs for frozen-food packaging to nylons and alloys that withstand the heat of circuit-board soldering or automotive paint ovens, NPE 2006 was rich in news of commodity and engineering resins and TPEs.

The question John Winzeler keeps asking is, “How do you take the next step?” In the last two decades, he has transformed the Chicago metal-stamping company he inherited from his father into a high-tech specialty molding business focused only on plastic gears.

DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., is perhaps the first supplier to introduce engineering resins and TPEs based on renewable resources.

Recent news testifies to growing momentum for biopolymers derived from corn by bacterial fermentation: --As reported on p. 22, DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del., is developing engineering thermoplastics and TPEs derived in part from fermented corn sugar. --Mazda Motor Corp., Tokyo, and a Japanese consortium of other companies, universities, and research institutes developed a heat-resistant plastic consisting of 88% corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and 12% petroleum-derived materials.

Fewer thermoplastic materials suppliers will make the trip to Chicago this year.

DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del., is working with LRM Industries, LLC of Orlando, Fla., to develop LRM’s Thermoplastic Flowforming (TPF) process for molding long-fiber thermoplastic composites.

DuPont Engineering Polymers, Wilmington, Del., has introduced 12 new grades of TPE and engineering resins for non-implantable devices and diagnostic or pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment.

Dye sublimation, a dye-transfer process that got its start in the 1960s for use in textiles, has advanced in recent years to provide wear-resistant, full-color surface decoration of flat objects like mouse pads and tiles.

Commercial applications in hollow-part molding with water—or water and gas—are starting to accelerate. They are driven by recent enhancements of process technology, equipment, and materials.

3D molded interconnect devices were supposed to be the 1980s' breakthrough for plastics in electronics—but they flopped. New processes that make market entry faster, simpler, and less costly have recharged MIDs' prospects.

Top awards in the parts competition at the Society of the Plastics Industry's Structural Plastics Div. annual conference are reserved for new or unique materials or processing approaches.

 Higher flow, higher heat, higher barrier, higher clarity, higher stiffness, lower durometer, lower smoke, lower odor—materials exhibits at the recent K 2004 show in Dusseldorf were stretching the bounds of processing and performance properties in all directions.

Quite a few new polyolefins are being featured at this year’s show, with a particular emphasis on specialty PP and PE materials.

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.

Wood-plastic composites, or WPCs, are already a 1.3-billion-lb market and are growing at 20% annually.

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.

There’s more to TP polyesters than you think. You may know PET, PBT, and PETG—but what about PCT, PCTG, PCTA, and PTT? If you’re not sure what they are, how their properties compare, and who sells them, we have the answers—and lots of new developments to report.

Paintless in-mold film decorating and carbon-fiber composites are making inroads in appearance and structural parts. Blow molding is finding new interior applications. And long-fiber thermoplastics are cutting weight and cost on the inside and outside of new passenger vehicles.

NPE 2000 saw the debut of many new nylons, ranging from 6 and 66 types that are tougher, easier to process, and lower in density to a brand-new class of branched nylons with outstanding physical and rheological properties and a long-carbon-fiber grade that combines high electrical shielding with flame retardance.Also new at the show were extrusion-grade and reinforced PPS, new PPS alloys, and new sources of high-heat, reinforced polyphthalamide, PEEK, and syndiotactic polystyrene compounds.

Expect to see numerous entries in automotive engineering thermoplastics at NPE, including a totally new amorphous thermoplastic that is said to provide a breakthrough in color and gloss retention outdoors without painting. Besides exterior body panels, new automotive materials for under-hood, interior, structural, and mechanical parts like gears will also be plentiful.

Plastics are making new inroads in valve covers and air-intake manifolds on U.S.-built vehicles.

Although this continent has been slow to follow Europe’s example, market forces in North America are finally shifting in favor of three-dimensional blow molding.

New materials at NPE 2003 target automotive, appliance, and packaging sectors. Engineering thermoplasticsdominate the news, but there were also severalnew TPEs and a few polypropylene introductions.

Expect to see numerous entries in automotive engineering thermoplastics at NPE, including a totally new amorphous thermoplastic that is said to provide a breakthrough in color and gloss retention outdoors without painting. Besides exterior body panels, new automotive materials for under-hood, interior, structural, and mechanical parts like gears will also be plentiful.