BASF Catalysts has completed a significant debottlenecking project that has increased capacity by 25% at its production of polypropylene catalysts in Tarragona, Spain. The expansion that was completed as projected in Q3-2008, has already come on line. The plant produces custom catalysts for BASF's partner, Novolen Technology GmbH, and BASF's own proprietary polyolefin catalysts.
Self-healing coatings that self repair, prevent corrosion of the underlying substrate
Self-healing coatings that automatically repair themselves and prevent corrosion of the underlying substrate has been developed at the University of Illinois. The making of this special self repairing coating involves encapsulating a catalyst into the spheres less than 100 microns in diameter (a micron is 1 millionth of a meter). Likewise a healing agent is also encapsulated into similarly sized microcapsules. The microcapsules are then dispersed within the coating material and applied into the substrate. When the exterior of a material or object is scratched, some of the capsules spills out the contents to react in aid to repair the damaged region. The catalyst along with the healing agent work to undo the damage within a few minutes or hours depending on the environmental conditions.
The dual capsule healing system offers a general approach to self-healing coatings that operates across a broad spectrum of coating chemistries. The microcapsule motif also provides a delivery mechanism for corrosion inhibitors, antimicrobial agents, and other functional chemicals.
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