Product category:
Moulding materials
News Release from: Faraday Plastics | Subject: Plastics seminar on CO2 technology
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 February 2003
CO2 aid delivers plastics processing
savings
Over thirty delegates attended a seminar describing and discussing a convincing range of reasons and uses for carbon dioxide technology in plastics extrus
Over thirty delegates attended the Faraday Plastics seminar on CO2 technology at the Warwick Manufacturing Group on February 5 Faraday Plastics, the Government-sponsored body for UK plastics R and D, unveiled a plethora of cost-saving and performance-enhancing benefits and illustrations all attained through CO2 assisted plastics processing
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 3 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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A number of delegates are now pursuing commercial opportunities of the technology.
Faraday Plastics director, Richard Simpson says that "we are delighted with the number of serious enquires received from industry.
Our patent activity shows that we mean business in this area and I would advise any polymer processor worth their salt to check this technology out." The formal presentations included: Scene setter and introduction to Faraday Plastics by Richard Simpson of Faraday Plastics; Extrusion of Thermoplastic foams using direct injection of liquid CO2 by Jonathan Paragreen of Bradford University; Development and scale-up of injection moulding with CO2 assist by Gordon Smith, of the Warwick Manufacturing Group; Extrusion of solid uPVC CO2 as a processing aid, by Nick Brooks, Faraday Plastics and Emyr Peregrine, Rapra Technology Recent Faraday Plastics research has accumulated a convincing range of reasons and uses for the new carbon dioxide technology.
Further reading
UK plastics-related research review published
Faraday Plastics has published the first full-scale review of plastics-related research in the UK funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council.
UK polymeric-based research is 'alive and well'
A recent survey of current UK polymer (plastics and rubber) research funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council found more than 300 projects identified across UK universities.
These advantages include: a.
CO2 can be used as a cheap and effective blowing agent to create foamed products (extruded and injection moulded).
b.
CO2 is more environmentally friendly that other chemical blowing agents such as CFC and HCFCs etc.
c.
Foaming using CO2 is potentially cheaper than using chemical blowing agents.
d.
CO2 can be used as a processing aid over a wide range of temperatures and is not limited by temperature stability (as chemical blowing agents are).
e.
CO2 can be used to create solid (i.e non-foamed) products if the processing conditions are controlled.
f.
In addition CO2 acts to plasticise polymer melts that enables either: a.
Processing temperatures to be reduced (either for processing of thermally sensitive polymers or energy reductions).
Previous results have shown that the degradation during processing can be reduced by using CO2 as a processing aid and reducing the processing temperature.
b.
Viscosity to be reduced allowing for more effective filling of moulds.
g.
CO2 has been shown to be compatible with a wide range of thermoplastics including PEEK, PPS, SMA, PC, (Modified) PPO, PP, PS, PE and Acetal.
Faraday Plastics advises that the audience most likely to benefit from these innovations includes injection moulders and thermoplastic extruders - especially those who are processing uPVC and mixed recyclates.
The seminar is the first in a number of Faraday Plastics technology transfer events throughout 2003.
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