Carbon black pigments have been standard for black parts. However, these pigments block the signal of NIR optical sorting ...

The surface temperature of the root of the screw is an important factor for solids conveying, melting and the conveying of molten resin in a single-screw extruder. Only the solids conveying section of ...

Bio-Fed, a branch of Akro-Plastic, launched a specialized compound for coffee capsules, M-Vera GP1065. The biocompound is designed to protect aroma and extend shelf life through enhanced barrier ...

November is a time for giving thanks, and this month PT’s readers were grateful to read about a new catalyst technology, ...

A fundamental principle of viscoelastic behavior is the equivalence of time and temperature in determining the behavior of a material. Since all polymers are viscoelastic in nature, this principle ...

Wood-plastic composite (WPC) products were first widely marketed in the early 1990s as weather-resistant decking. The product concept has evolved rapidly into railing, fencing, trim, automotive parts, ...

Viscosity for non-Newtonian polymers is a combination of increasing temperature and shear rate, as described by the following relationship: where viscosity (η) equals consistency index (m) times the ...

James Johnson, Senior VP, Application & Technology, Processing Technologies International LLC There is a fine line between what constitutes thin- and thicker-gauge sheet. As a general rule, heavy cast ...

Polyethylene has been around as a commercial material for a little over 70 years. It was one of the early developments in synthetic thermoplastics. Given its long history, it could be assumed that we ...

Melt flow rate testing can be characterized as the Rodney Dangerfield of material test methods—it gets no respect. People from all parts of the industry downplay the value of the test or denigrate its ...

Biodegradable polymers like PHA are expected to replace most single-use petroleum polymers over the next five years. However, these polymers often require special additives and fillers to meet product ...

Pearlescence, haze, rocker bottoms, and top-load failure are common ills that can afflict PET bottles. Cures for all of these are readily available. An article in the December 2014 issue (Blow Molding ...