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News Release from: Faraday Plastics
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 19 February 2003
Good start to plastics seminar series
Over 30 delegates attended the Faraday Plastics seminar on CO2 technology at the Warwick Manufacturing Group on 5th February.
Over 30 delegates attended the Faraday Plastics seminar on CO2 technology at the Warwick Manufacturing Group on 5th February 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 Engineeringtalk on 28 Sep 2004 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: "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; and "Extrusion of solid uPVC CO2 as a processing aid", by Nick Brooks, Faraday Plastics and Emyr Peregrine, Rapra Technology.
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Recent Faraday Plastics research has accumulated a convincing range of reasons and uses for the new carbon dioxide technology.
CO2 can be used as a cheap and effective blowing agent to create foamed products (extruded and injection moulded).
CO2 is more environmentally friendly that other chemical blowing agents such as CFC and HCFCs etc.
Foaming using CO2 is potentially cheaper than using chemical blowing agents.
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).
CO2 can be used to create solid (ie non-foamed) products if the processing conditions are controlled.
In addition, CO2 acts to plasticise polymer melts that enables either: processing temperatures to be reduced (either for processing of thermally sensitive polymers or energy reductions) or viscosity to be reduced, allowing for more effective filling of moulds.
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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