Saturday, January 23, 2010

Recommanded books

1)Fluorinated Ionomers
by Walther Grot
William Andrew © 2008 (253 pages) Citation
ISBN:9780815515418
Authored by the inventor of the first commercial product known as Nafion (DuPont), this book emphasizes the practical aspects of working with fluorinated ionomers, and helps readers with the preparation, fabrication, use and study of these products.

2) Thermoplastics and Thermoplastic Composites: Technical Information for Plastics Users
by Michel Biron
Butterworth-Heinemann © 2007 (919 pages) Citation
ISBN:9781856174787
Illustrated with figures, tables and graphs, this book offers detailed accounts of thermoplastics, including economic and technological elements, and provides a quick and pragmatic approach to selecting thermoplastics for the non-specialist plastics user.

3)Fluoroelastomers Handbook: The Definitive User's Guide and Databook
by Albert L. Moore
William Andrew © 2006 (377 pages) Citation
ISBN:9780815515173
Describing the nature of fluoroelastomers, properties of various compositions, developmental history, and major uses, this book is a comprehensive reference on fluoroelastomer chemistry, processing technology, and applications.

3)Adhesion to Fluoropolymers
by Derek M. Brewis and Ralf H. Dahm
Smithers Rapra © 2006 (136 pages) Citation
ISBN:9781859575246
Of interest to those who already use fluoropolymers and those who are considering using them, this book is mainly concerned with the wide variety of methods available to pretreat fluoropolymers.

4)Polymer Reference Book
by T. R. Crompton
Smithers Rapra © 2006 (726 pages) Citation
ISBN:9781859575260
Covering all aspects of the techniques used in the examination of polymers, this book describes the types of techniques now available to the polymer chemist and technician, and discusses their capabilities, limitations and applications

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

PET Polyethylene terephthalate

Widely used thermoplastic material eg beverage bottles, and food trays for microwave.
PET are made from ethylene glycol and either terephthalic acid or dimethyl ester of terephthalic acid .
Most uses for PET requires the material molecular structure to be oriented. Orientation of PET will significantly increased the tensile strength and reduces gas permeability and water vapor transimission.
PET is processed by blow moulding and sheet extrusion
typical trade name:
-Cleartuf, Traytuf (goodyear tire and co)
-melinar( ICI america)
-Tenite, Kodapak(eastman )
-selar( du pont)

crisper, a synthetic paper of Toyobo of sanyo is pearlescent PET film having excellent printability and good wear and UV resistance
Spectar PETG, of eastman chemical products is an extruable copolyester for thick (0.5'') sheet. Impact strength is superior to acrylic
Rynite CR, of Du pont contain non metallic conductive ingredients for superior electrical and thermal conductivity, heat dissipation and electronmagnetic shielding.

Surface Preparation of adherends

Thermoplastics includes: polyolefins, liner polyester, fluropolymers.
Methods used to improve the bonding characteristic includes:


  • oxidation by means of chemical or flame treatment ( former is more commonly used)
  • electrical discharge to leave a more reactive surface
  • ionised inert gas , whick strengthen the surface by crosslinking and leaves it more reactive (read more on activated gas surface treatment of polymer
  • metal ion treatment

Ethylene chlorotrifluorethylene copolymer (E-CTFE) (HALAR-allied corporation)


This fluropolymer has excellent chemical resistance , its surface is difficult to prepare due to its high surface tension and non polar condition.
-wipe with acetone
-treat with sodium naphthalene(commercially avaliable) complex for 15min at room temperature
when used with sodium naphthalene , should be kept tightly stopped glass container to exclude air and moisture
-remove from solution with tongs
-wash with acetone to remove excess organic material
-wash with distilled water to remove last trace of metallic saltsfrom the treated surfaces
-dry in an air circulation oven 37c +/- 3c for 1hour

EVA, Ethylene vinyl acetate
SIRA methods
-degrease in methanol
-prime with epoxy adhesive
-fuse into the surface by heating for 30mins at 100C

The basic building for polyethylene are H and C atoms, these carbon are combined to form ethylene monomer, C2H2, in polymerisation process, the double bond C=C are broken , under the right condition these bonds rebond to form with other
FEP, Fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer
supplied by du pont company as Teflon FEP, it is a thermoplastic and is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene. FEP can be heat sealed , heat bonded, laminated and combined with many materials. can be used as a hot melt adhesive
surface preparation is the same as E-CTFE.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

3M Expands Scotchshield Manufacturing

3M Expands Scotchshield Manufacturing
Minnesota, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
3M announced completion of expanded manufacturing capacity for 3M Scotchshield Film, a solar film used in the manufacturing of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules. Built in response to accelerating customer demand, the expansion, located in Singapore, is dedicated solely to manufacturing Scotchshield.

3M's Renewable Energy Division is composed of two key business units: Energy Generation and Energy Management.

“3M draws upon decades of experience producing similar materials for other industries and applies this heritage to our line of renewable energy products,” said Scott Norquist, manager of Energy Generation for the 3M Renewable Energy Division. “This manufacturing expansion confirms 3M’s commitment to providing tried and true technologies for renewable energy and demonstrates our ability to swiftly respond to the shifting marketplace and customer demands.”

3M’s Renewable Energy Division is composed of two key business units: Energy Generation and Energy Management. These focus areas encompass new and existing technologies for solar and wind energy, geothermal and biofuel products that all draw upon 3M’s deep background in cost-saving advanced materials technologies, the company said.
3M Expands Scotchshield Manufacturing
3M Renewable Energy