Compounding

Researchers in China and Wisconsin have collaborated on research showing that a compound of commonly used medical plastics can be injection molded into shape memory polymers.

The new blends have the advantage of better shaping ability.

Increasing polymer production in Brazil and a growing automotive market there have prompted Japanese plastic additives supplier Adeka Corp. (Tokyo) to establish a sales and marketing office in Sao Paulo. Adeka supplies antioxidants, light stabilizers, lubricants and nucleating agents among other additive products.

In a sign of the times, two different papers at ANTEC last month explored the potential of improving manufacturing processes for plastic scaffolds used in tissue engineering—the synthetic production of new human organs.

One paper looked at use of injection molding microcellular foam, or MuCell, and the other looked at thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) because of its value in producing highly porous scaffolds with interconnected structures.

A five-year slump in glass fiber pricing may soon be coming to an end. The industry built up global capacity just in advance of the Great Recession that began in 2008. As a result, prices dropped and have failed to match gains made in thermoset resins or competing materials such as steel and aluminum.

Sporting a new name but offering an old pedigree, Addivant (Middlebury, CT), the former antioxidant and UV stabilizer business of Chemtura, is looking to shake up the polymer additives sector.

Custom compounder and resin suppler A. Schulman Inc. (Akron, OH) has opened a new plastics masterbatch manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, India to supply India's growing flexible packaging, appliance, and consumer products markets.

2012 was a capital year for North American plastics capital equipment, with orders for injection molding machines, blown-film lines, auxiliary equipment, thermoforming equipment, and hot runners all up compared to 2011. Even for single-screw extruders, where annual orders were down, albeit less than 2% (13 units), the full-year dollar value was up a gaudy 38% compared to 2011. The only market truly off in 2012 was the blowmolding segment. There, the total number of new of blowmolding machines ordered in 2012 was 67 units, down 18 from 2011, with the full-year dollar value off 34%.

Decreasing catheter size, bioresorbables and the increasing specialization of medical care are triggering changes in the plastics compounding business.

Foster Corp. CEO Larry Foster discusses these and other trends in the conclusion of an interview with Plastics Today that began yesterday.

Q. Larry, what do you see as the biggest trends in medical compounding?

The late 1980s and 1990s represented a major transition period for medical plastics. Major resin producers were scared off by litigation issues following failures of silicone implants. At the same time, markets such as catheters were just emerging and needed development partners.

A new generation of entrepreneurs emerged to fill the gap.

Lightweighting, high-performance underhood components, and structural and impact-resistance applications are among the trends in the automotive sector that have prompted a Japanese-invested compounder in Michigan to implement a multimillion dollar investment in new capacity.