Ultra-long polymers are used widely in high-performance applications including energy-efficient lubricants, working fluids for energy production and performance plastics. Yet they also are often degraded by extreme flows and mechanical processes that break chemical bonds along the “spine” of the polymer chain. Motor oil in your car is a good example, explains Matthew Helgeson, an […]

A wearable sensor printed on microbial nanocellulose, a natural polymer, has been created in Brazil by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in São Carlos in collaboration with colleagues at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Araraquara, the University of Araraquara (UNIARA), the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), and the Brazilian National Nanotechnology Laboratory […]

PolymPart: The bismuth trioxide compound is lightweight, effective at shielding against ionizing radiation such as gamma rays, and can be manufactured quickly. Those qualities make it a promising material for use in applications such as space exploration, medical imaging, and radiation therapy. “Traditional radiation shielding materials, like lead, are often expensive, heavy, and toxic to […]

In a bid to reduce engine weight and lower manufacturing and assembly costs, the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT has designed a camshaft module made from fiber-reinforced thermoset polymers. Currently available as a technology demonstrator, the lightweight camshaft module between ICT and the MAHLE Group, along with associated partners Daimler, SBHPP/Vyncolit and Georges Pernoud. […]

Ionic liquids have emerged as a novel class of chemical compound for the development of advanced materials with outstanding potential applications. Although ionic liquids were discovered as early as 1914, it was only in the last two decades that they have received their due attention, as it was recognized that the physicochemical properties could be […]

PolymPart: Polymer prices in Asia are coming under further pressure because of a lack of resin demand as the region grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) prices have steadily declined since the coronavirus outbreak worsened in January, and the search for a bottom continues. Spot prices of linear low-density PE (LLDPE) […]

PolymPart: Protons (subatomic particles) can be transferred from the anode to the cathode through the ionomer membrane in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC). Scientists can extend proton pathways by impregnating the ionomer (type of polymer) into the electrodes to achieve improved proton transfer efficiency. Since the impregnated ionomer can mechanically bind catalysts within the electrode, […]

PolymPart: Clariant recently launched its medical polymer compounds which is known to be resistant to hydrolytic degradation. Clariant Plastics & Coatings Healthcare Polymer Solutions has worked with a leading medical device manufacturer to complete development and testing of new polymer materials specially formulated to resist degradation caused by exposure to high humidity and temperature. The […]

Polympart: Evonik has developed a bioresorbable polymer which can be processed on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing equipment. RESOMER PrintPowder The company believes the material, being marketed as RESOMER PrintPowder, is the first of its kind and has been designed to enable the 3D printing of complex bioresorbable medical devices. RESOMER is a 30-year-old brand consisting of more than a dozen […]

PolymPart: Acute respiratory distress syndrome requires immediate action. In an emergency situation like this, patients are often ventilated using a heart-lung machine. This involves circulating the blood outside the body, adding oxygen and removing carbon dioxide via membranes. A team of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP has developed a new […]