This message contains images. If you don't see images, click here to view. Click here to advertise in this news brief.   Mobile version   RSS   Subscribe   Unsubscribe   Archive   Media Kit |  SPE Plastics Industry Resource :    Home   Membership   Technical Resources   Events   Technical Groups   Online Store Jan. 30, 2013   Medical plastics: Turning to the humble gecko Plastics News    Share    Polymers for use in the medical industry are most commonly processed in all the usual ways: injection molding, extrusion, blow molding. But beyond the realms of standard medical devices, some curious and alien techniques come into effect. These are being used in order to create intricate and detailed surfaces that have very specific medical effects. For example, scientists in the United States have created microscopic polyurethane structures that mimic the way that a gecko's foot sticks to a surface. More Submit an RFP  SPE HIGHLIGHTS Influence of rare-earth thermal stabilizers on polyvinyl chloride SPE Plastics Research Online    Share    PVC is one of the five most-commonly used thermoplastics. It has superior mechanical and physical properties, high chemical and abrasion resistance, and is widely used in durable applications. However, low thermal stability is its main limitation. Consequently, suitable amounts of stabilizers must be added to restrict the degradation of PVC during thermal processing. More Optimizing the performance of silica/polyvinyl chloride composites SPE Plastics Research Online    Share    PVC-based materials are commonly used today in a variety of applications, such as window frames, pipes and electric cables. In the past few years, considerable effort has been devoted to further improving the mechanical performance of PVC by incorporating fillers such as layered clay and other inorganic particles, and trying to strike an optimal balance between the properties of the resulting composite. More  CALENDAR OF EVENTS Date Event More Information Feb. 24-27 SPE International Polyolefins Conference Register Feb. 25-27 SPE Thermoset Conference 2013 Register March 3-6 Plastics News Executive Forum Register March 6-7 SPE Additives and Color Europe 2013 Conference Register March 13-15 Plastics in Medical Devices 2013 Register March 19-21 Green Polymer Chemistry 2013 Information March 20-23 SPE GPEC Conference Register April 22-24 SPE ANTEC 2013 Register July 4-5 SPE Eurotec 2013 Register Sept. 16-18 Plastics Caps & Closures 2013 Register   Get a Free Surface Treating Basics Guide Learn how to improve the bonding of inks, coatings, & adhesives with in-line surface treatment. This practical guide compares plasma & flame technologies, offers operational tips & uncovers common misconceptions. Gain insight from plastics, automotive, medical, & packaging applications. Discover adhesion & productivity benefits of in-line surface treatment. Get more info.  PLASTICS INDUSTRY NEWS Green matter: Can algae live up to their promise? Plastics Today    Share    There's apparently no end to the sheer inventiveness displayed by researchers and the industry when it comes to putting the "bio" into biopolymers. Orange peel, peat, tannery waste, sewerage sludge, insect cuticle — you name it, if it's biological in origin, you can be sure that somebody, somewhere has tried turning it into a biogases polymer. Right now, it's algae that are once again grabbing the headlines. More CLEAN PLAST™ PURGE FAST! Don’t just purge to purge, PURGE TO CLEAN using the original CLEAN PLAST™ purging compound. See the difference a CLEAN PLAST™ PURGE will make. MORE New Dual Durometer Vacuum Cups EMI’s new ShorTec™ vacuum cups offer excellent quality and features like the popular brand name dual durometer cups, but at a lower price. MORE Cooking up natural plastics Euronews    Share    It's time for a bit of cooking at a research institute in Brindisi, Southern Italy. The recipe is simple: a splashing of natural textiles, a good dose of partially-bio resin and a pinch of bio-additives and enzymes. Stir well and place your mixture in an oven for a few hours. It is, in fact, a new composite structure born out of renewable materials. And it is these scientists' dream that this new ecomaterial will soon replace plastic composites. More Biodegradable plastic made from sugar Polymer Solutions    Share    What could be sweeter than a new food packaging plastic that is biodegradable, keeps food protected better, is stronger than other recyclable plastic — and is made from sugar? The new plastic, a monomer glycolic acid called PGA, is made from renewable cane sugar. Its production and use may signal a significant shift toward bio-based products and away from our dependence on plastics made from petroleum. More Tessy changes the way they do business since using SIGMASOFT! SIGMASOFT offers more than flow analysis! Process oriented injection molding simulation! Pole Position! Webinars show what SIGMASOFT has to offer! A magnetic quantum ratchet made of graphene turns AC to DC Ars Technica    Share    Researchers have fabricated a magnetic quantum ratchet out of graphene, a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. When they exposed the modified graphene to an alternating electric current and a strong magnetic field, its electrons preferentially moved in one direction, setting up a directed current. So the modified graphene acted as an AC/DC converter. Although it's not practically useful, the behavior may tell us more about the rules that govern graphene-like materials. More Engineers report research milestone in flexible composites University of Delaware    Share    Researchers recently reported success in fabricating flexible composites based on carbon nanotube fibers. Both light and strong, CNTs are known as a revolutionary material with excellent mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. Continuous CNT fibers are one-dimensional assemblies of CNTs that show potential to retain the superb properties of individual CNTs on a macroscopic scale. They belong to a new class of nanostructured materials with potential applications in electronics, sensing and conducting wires. More Nanotubes can harm beneficial soil microbes Purdue University via Futurity    Share    Some carbon nanotubes used for strengthening plastics may have an adverse effect on soil microbiology. Specifically, these raw, nonfunctionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes were shown to damage the active microbes in low-organic soil. Ron Turco, a professor of agronomy at Purdue University, says many of the bacteria affected could be involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling, which are critical processes to ensure a fully functional soil. More NEW SYNTACTIC FOAM MACHINING TOOLS Reduced machining time and improved plug surface finish/performance may be obtained simply by using cutting tools designed to machine syntactic foam. CMT Materials, Inc. guidelines list and describe these tools, plus provide specific feed/speed rates for optimized machining in any machining center. Call 508-226-3901 or visit www.cmtmaterials.com. iQ Series Servo Ultrasonic Press System Dukane's patented iQ Advanced Servo Welder is the next step in the evolution of ultrasonic welding technology. Combining the efficiency and reliability of a 100% digitally controlled Multi-Core iQ Series power supply with the precision of an advanced servo press, the Dukane Advanced iQ Servo Welder delivers unprecedented repeatability, accuracy and reliability to your ultrasonic bonding process. MORE Zeus Inc. Zeus Inc. provides Double Containment tubing in long continuous lengths, a wide array of standard and custom sizes, and options for material combination. Our Double Containment tubing exceeds the stringent requirements of the SEMI F57 specification and is a material of choice in semiconductor, critical fluid, and other industries. Study explores the potential benefits, threats of nanotechnology research R&D    Share    Every day scientists learn more about how the world works at the smallest scales. While this knowledge has the potential to help others, it's possible that the same discoveries can also be used in ways that cause widespread harm. A new article in Nanomedicine tackles this complex "dual-use" aspect of nanotechnology research. More 3-D printed plastic hits Paris fashion week European Plastics News    Share    Dutch designer Iris van Herpen sent models down the runway at Paris Fashion Week wearing outfits made out of thermoplastic polyurethane. One model wore a skirt and cape printed by using Stratasys' Objet Connex multimaterial 3-D printing technology. This technology allowed the designer, working in collaboration with Neri Oxman from MIT, to incorporate hard and soft materials in the design. More Versalis, Yulex in biorubber project in Europe Platts    Share    Versalis, owned by Italian energy group Eni, said it has teamed up with U.S.-based Yulex for a biorubber production project in Europe. The project will cover the entire manufacturing chain from crop science to biorubber extraction to the construction of a biomass power station. Versalis said the biorubber will be used for various applications, initially focusing on consumer and medical specialty markets, then expanding into the tire industry later on. More Engineered Thermoplastic Composites Complēt® is a "complete" product portfolio of thermoplastic composite materials, where the customers' requirements define the pellet composition. For thermoplastic polymers and continuous reinforcing fibers, Complēt offers the total LFT portfolio. MORE MECO® Seals, produce more profit. MECO shaft seals are used worldwide in material processing applications. MECO can reduce wasted energy, materials, and environmental impact. Available fully split. Hands-on support available. MORE China, US manufacturing jumps while Europe sees hopeful signs Reuters    Share    Manufacturing in China and the United States grew this month at the fastest pace in about two years while data suggesting German growth picked up boosted hopes for a swifter euro zone recovery. The business surveys provided tentative signs that the world economy may be gaining traction after a sluggish 2012. Crucially, there were hopeful signals coming from the United States and China, the world's top economies. More Is manufacturing 'cool' again? Project Syndicate    Share    Once upon a time, ambitious young people with a knack for math and science went to work in manufacturing. They designed planes, computers and furniture, figured out how to lay out an assembly line, helped to make new cars faster and refrigerators more efficient, pushed the limits of computer chips and invented new medicines. But, as the role of manufacturing diminished in advanced economies, the brightest talents tended to gravitate to finance and other service fields that were growing rapidly — and paying well. More Pillar Technologies Pillar Technologies leads the industry in new product development for the packaging, converting and plastic film-printing marketplace. As a division of ITW, our company has access to literally hundreds of products manufactured by over 600 business units within the family. MORE Precision in Plastic from AXYZ For high volume production and superior cut quality, nothing beats an AXYZ CNC router, used by plastic fabricators throughout the world. Call: 905 634 4940 MORE     SPE Industry Update Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469.420.2601 Download media kit Ronnie Richard, Senior Content Editor, 469.420.2682    Contribute news This edition of the SPE Industry Update was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here -- it's free! Recent issues Jan. 30, 2013 Jan. 28, 2013 Jan. 23, 2013 Jan. 16, 2013 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063