Materials Know How
Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials, Part 27: Liquid-Crystal Polymers
Liquid-crystal polymers debuted in the mid-1980s, but the history of the chemistry associated with this class of materials actually starts a century earlier.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials, Part 26: High-Performance Thermoplastics
The majority of the polymers that today we rely on for outstanding performance — such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone and PPS — were introduced in the period between 1965 and 1985. Here’s how they entered your toolbox of engineering of materials.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials, Part 25: Silicones
The long road to the development of silicone resulted in a chemistry that is remarkably versatile.
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The Importance of Melt & Mold Temperature
Molders should realize how significantly process conditions can influence the final properties of the part.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials: Silicones
More properly known as siloxanes, silicones are a class of materials where no carbon is present in the polymer backbone.
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How Do You Like Your Acetal: Homopolymer or Copolymer?
Acetal materials have been a commercial option for more than 50 years.
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PBT and PET Polyester: The Difference Crystallinity Makes
To properly understand the differences in performance between PET and PBT we need to compare apples to apples—the semi-crystalline forms of each polymer.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials: Polyphenylene Oxide Blends
PPO was a promising new high-performance thermoplastic, but it could be made useful only by mixing it with a humble commodity resin.
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The Strain Rate Effect
The rate of loading for a plastic material is a key component of how we perceive its performance.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials: Polyphenylene Oxide
Behind the scenes of the discovery of PPO.
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