ARTICLES

  • Long Fiber Thermoplastics (LFTs) are finding increased use as metal substitutes in a number of structural and semi-structural applications. Global demand for LFTs grows in tandem with the developments in the automotive industry. Although LFTs is more expensive than competitive materials, its use is growing in applications where weight savings, fuel savings, and other high-performance benefits are critical. Europe represents the largest market worldwide. Asia-Pacific is forecast to emerge as the fastest growing market led by strong growth in China and India. LFTs are used for manufacturing door modules, front-end modules, instrument panels, and underbody shields, among others. Non-automotive applications for LFT include industrial, and general goods, among others. Read more in Automotive applications drive the global long fiber thermoplastics market
  • With the chemicals market being susceptible to the volatility in crude oil prices, market players increasingly feel the need to make a paradigm shift from petrochemical feedstock to renewable feedstock. This move would lead to economic benefits and address growing concerns over greenhouse gas emissions. Joint development of technologies by leading European producers to produce acrylic acid from renewable raw materials has been successfully demonstrated by the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) in pilot scale. Another leading German player started operations at a pilot plant for Omega-amino-lauric acid (ALS). Read more in Quest for commercial production of sustainable, high-performance plastics continues
  • Labels play a crucial role in the building of brand identity in an intensely competitive consumer product marketplace. While paper will continue to account for the majority of label stock through 2017, plastics will continue to expand their share at paper's expense. Plastic will account for more than one-quarter of label shipments in 2015. The growing use of plastic materials is based on the aesthetic and performance advantages of these labels, as well as the rising utilization of plastic packaging. A key advantage of film labels is their transparency, light weighting and down guaging. Read more in Growing use of plastics aids to prop label demand to US$19 billion in 2017
  • A team of engineers has taken a step toward handy electronics by creating the first fully stretchable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) Stretchable electronics could lead to developments in video displays that can be rolled up, or electronic sheets that can be draped and therefore find application in development of robotic skin and embedded medical devices. Another research team has developed the first polymer organic light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) that can be stretched while lit. This could find applications in police tape at a traffic accident that glows among others. Read more in First polymer LED that stays lit up when stretched and scrunched, first fully stretchable OLED
  • To boost performance, research groups have tried creating new plastic materials that enhance the flow of electricity through the solar cell. Over the years, many designed stiffer polymers with the goal of making highly organized crystals, but the charge mobility remained relatively. A research team concluded that what is needed is to design something with small, disordered crystals packed close together and connected by polymer chains. Electrons will move superfast through the crystals, ignoring the rest of the plastic material, which is amorphous and poorly conducting. Read more in Disorder can improve the performance of plastic solar cells
  • Fluorescent tetrapod nanocrystals could light the way to the future design of stronger polymer nanocomposites. The tetrapods are incredibly strong, orders of magnitude stronger than typical polymers, ultimately they can make for stronger interfaces that can self-report impending fracture. They could aid development in diverse fields – in a more biologically-relevant environment in order to study the effects of chemicals and drugs on the metastasis of cancer cells, to make smart polymer nanocomposites that can sense when they have cracks or are about to fracture and can strengthen themselves in response. Read more in Flourescent Tetrapod quantum dots could lead to developments in stronger polymer nanocomposites