April 2008

Frank Padula
Memorial Golf Outing
April 21, 2008

Timber Creek Golf Course
4554 F.M. 2351
Friendswood, TX 77546
281-993-1140

Registration deadline is Friday, April 18, 2008.

http://spe-stx.org/GolfOuting.cfm

President’s Message

Greetings!

The Polyolefins Conference was held in conjunction with the FlexPackCon in February. There were many positive comments about the colocation of the two events, and the expanded technical programming beyond the traditional Polyolefins Conference agenda. The combination resulted in about 30% more technical content, focused in an area key to area resin producers. Indeed, it facilitated interaction all along the supply chain from additives and resins to converters, to brand-owners.

In the plenary session, Gary Adams, President, CMAI, talked about the emergence of Asia and the Middle East as suppliers and consumers of plastics. He noted that the industry is late in the up-cycle during which resin producers have enjoyed strong margins. Major investments in regions with lower feedstock costs will require producers to review their strategies and tactics. While high crude prices have somewhat impacted demand, growth is still strong outside North America.

Mr. Adams said that while the expansions seem daunting, the overall trend is more measured expansion:

Generally, basic chemicals and plastics earnings in the US have mapped to earnings globally. However, in the future, lower feedstock costs elsewhere will challenge US producers to remain competitive. Another key factor will be integration of feedstock with resin production, where integrated suppliers will be able to maintain more attractive combined margins. In summary, until a significant portion of the current capacity increase is absorbed (2012?), profitability for US producers will be strongly challenged.

Addressing recent technology developments in catalysts and processes, Ken Sinclair, Principal, STA Research, noted that metallocene catalysts for polypropylene have been improved with respect to cost and performance, which should enable signficant expansion in usage. He also discussed catalyst developments for single-reactor bimodal HDPE. This technology should support the introduction of improved pipe grades and expanded available capacity for these easier-processing/tough polymers. Mr. Sinclair anticipated growth of metallocene-catalyzed polyethylene to be 16.6 % per year from 2006 to 2011, compared to just under 10% for Ziegler- and Chrome-catalyzed products. He finished his presentation with a recap of developments in slurry loop reactors, most recently leading to “fat loop” reactors which have the potential to compete with the capacity of the world's largest gas-phase reactors. Mr. Sinclair characterized these “fat loops’ as a step-change beyond the evolutionary development of process technology, based on counter-intuitive changes.

Mr. Ram Singhal, Vice President, Flexible Packaging Association, presented an overview of that industry.

Retail food accounts for the largest segment, and much of the FlexPackCon addressed those applications. While retail food is the largest segment, it is still onlyl 21% of the total packaging spend, highlighting a continued opportunity. Mr. Singhal identified the Trends and Drivers to be

Consumer spending ‘slow down’
Volatility in material costs & availability (North America will become net importer of ethylene by 2012*)
Further Industry Consolidation
Globalization
Environmental Regulation
Innovation
Continued focus on Sustainable Packaging

Focusing on the needs of the brand owner, Mr. Singhal identified the following opportunities:

Global Corporations Need Global Partners
      Lead innovation
      Maintain competitive advantage
Simplicity
      15000 film Packaging Specifications
      Films covering Multiple Applications
Fit for Use Films
      Easy to qualify / meet consumer requirements
Renewable Resources
      Industry to Accelerate Progress
Meaningful and Affordable Innovation
Structural Cost Savings
      Film Standardization across Multiple Products
      Lower Cost Barrier Layers
      Layer Removal
Better Product Compatibility
      Enhanced Product Resistance / Predictability
Better Aesthetics
      Ongoing Aesthetic Improvements
      Sensory Improvements
Ergonomics
      Easy Open / Reclose / Dispensing
Sustainability

In the next issue of the newsletter, we'll summarize other key learnings from the conferences.

See you at the April golf outing?

Sincerely,

Donna S. Davis
SPE – South Texas Section President 2007-2008

Education Corner

Over 100 persons attended the Educational Tutorial "Fundamentals of Flexible Packaging" presented by
Professor Duncan Darby Sunday afternoon at the 2008 International PolyOlefins Conference February 24.
Chairing the session was Ms. Lan Nguyen from Heritage Bag Company.

Plastics Information: Check it Out

Since the Houston Public Library on McKinney St is essentially closed for remodeling, you cannot go there to browse for books on plastics/polymers. However, go to their catalog at www.hpl.lib.tx.us and arrange to pick up books at a branch library.

The Fondren Library at Rice University has the most complete collection of books on plastics and polymers. This is also a prime resource for patent and trademark information, as well as other US Government documents. You cannot check out books there unless you join Fondren Library [$50], but you can arrange for books to be sent to your library by inter-library loan. Use their catalog at www.rice.edu/fondren/.

The next best place to browse is at the MD Anderson Library at the University of Houston central campus. South Texas Section has donated many plastics books to this library. If you plan ahead, you can get a TexShare library card from a library where you are a member, which will allow you to check out books from any U of H library. Their catalog is at www.library.uh.edu/.

Bulletin Board

Upcoming Topical Conferences (TopCons)

6th European Thermoforming Conference
April 3-5, 2008
Maritim Hotel Berlin
Berlin, Germany

JEC Composites Show
April 1-3, 2008
Paris, France

Material Selection and Datasheet Interpretation
e-Live® Presentation
April 2, 2008
11:00 am EST

Fundamentals of Thermoforming Training Course
SPE European Thermoforming Division
April 3, 2008
Berlin, Germany

6th European Thermoforming Conference
SPE European Thermoforming Division
April 4-5, 2008
Berlin, Germany

Profiting by Using Chinese Mold Shops
e-Live® Presentation
April 9, 2008
11:00 am EST

Polymer Rheology & Extrusion Short Course
April 10-11, 2008
Holiday Inn Hotel
Brussels, Belgium

Hollow Parts Conference
April 13-16, 2008
Shanghai, China

Effects of Long-Chain Branching, Concentration of Supercritical CO2, and Pressure on the Viscosity of Linear and Branched Polypropylenes
ANTEC 2008 Preview -Thermoplastic Materials & Foams
e-Live® Presentation
April 16, 2008
11:00 am EST

An Introduction to In-Mold Labeling (IML)
e-Live® Presentation
April 17, 2008
11:00 am EST

AutoEPCON
April 22, 2008
Sterling Inn
Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA

High-Melt-Strength Polyolefin Elastomers Enable Improved Processibility
ANTEC 2008 Preview -Thermoplastic Elastomers
e-Live® Presentation
April 23, 2008
11:00 am EST

Plastics for the Industry exhibition
April 23-24, 2008
Kortrijk, Belgium

May 2008

Plastics Encounter @ ANTEC™ 2008
May 4-8, 2008
Midwest Express Center
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Plasticizers in Caulks and Sealants
e-Live® Presentation
May 15, 2008
11:00 am EST

June 2008

International Exhibition BW-Show 2008 Bottling and Bottled Waters
June 3-6, 2008
Location: Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre
Moscow, RUSSIA

The 3rd International Trade Fair Piping Systems for Municipal Infrastructure: Construction, Diagnostics, Repair and Operation
June 3-6, 2008
International Exhibition Centre Crocus Expo
Moscow, RUSSIA

BioPlastics - New Generation Polymer Materials for Reducing Carbon Footprint, and Improving Environmental Performance
e-Live® Presentation
June 4, 2008
11:00 am EST

Direct versus Indirect Cooling - Which Is Better?
e-Live® Presentation
June 5, 2008
11:00 am EST

Decorating & Assembly TopCon
June 9-11, 2008
Marriott Conference Center
Ypsilanti, Michigan USA

Material Handling and Conveying 101 - Maximizing Resin Savings and Efficiency
e-Live® Presentation
June 26, 2008
11:00 am EST

August 2008

Extrusion of Engineering Plastics Seminar
August 18-20, 2008
Hilton Mystic
Mystic, Connecticut USA

September 2008

FOAMS™ 2008
September 9-11, 2008
Charlotte, North Carolina USA

MERGEFORMATINET
CAD RECTEC® - Coloring into the Next Decade
September 21-23, 2008
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Dearborn, Michigan USA

Thermoforming Conference® 2008
September 20-23, 2008
Minneapolis Convention Center & Hilton Hotel
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA

International Meeting on Radiation Processing
Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel
Sept. 21-25, 2008
London, England

Kunststoffen 2008 exhibition
September 24-25, 2008
Veldhoven, Netherlands

Automotive TPO Conference
October 5-8, 2008
Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA

MERGEFORMATINET
Annual Blow Molding Conference
October 7-9, 2008
Chevron Phillips Chemical Technical Center and Bartlesville Community Center
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA

Engineering Properties & Structure Division TopCon
October 13-14, 2008
Holiday Inn Select
Wimington, Deleware USA

MERGEFORMATINET
Vinyltec - Vinyl Raw Material Overview and Update
October 13-15, 2008
Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare
Rosemont, Illinois USA

SPE 2008 New Technology Symposium
November 4-5, 2008
Renaissance Philadelphia Hotel Airport
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Euromold exhibition
December 3-6, 2008
Frankfurt, Germany

MERGEFORMATINET
Modern Toolmaking Conference
SPE Rapid Design, Engineering & Mold Making SIG
December 4, 2008
Frankfurt, Germany

6th European Additives & Colors Conference
SPE Additives & Colors Europe Division
March 11-12, 2009
Antwerp, Belgium

MERGEFORMATINET
ANTEC™ 2009
April 24-30, 2009
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, Texas USA

MERGEFORMATINET
SPE EUROTEC™
September 28-October 3, 2009
Barcelona, Spain

CAD RECTEC® - Color on my Mind
October 11-13, 2009
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Savannah, Georgia USA

ANTEC™ 2010
May 16-20, 2010
Orlando Marriott World Center
Orlando, Florida USA

Electrifying Polymers

by Peter Mapleston

The convergence of polymer and electronic engineering is spawning new products and a new lexicon, including words such as polytronics and mechatronics, and acronyms like OLED and MID. Potentially worth billions of dollars, the sector seems set for exponential expansion across many markets.

Not so long ago, any discussion about plastics in electronics didn’t get much beyond epoxy resins for circuit boards. But times have changed. Today, the talk is about flexible displays and sensory walls, almost completely made from polymer technology, including the electronics. And on a slightly less mindboggling scale, the market for what sometimes is called 3D circuit boards, but which in fact is injectionmoulded interconnect devices, is growing sharply.

Polymerbased electronics, or polytronics, are likely to form the basis for a completely new range of applications across a broad set of markets including electronic consumer goods, automotive, aerospace, energy, retailing, food packaging, imaging, health care, and fashion.

UK consultant IDTechEx forecasts that polytronics will be a $30billion industry by 2015, and could reach as much as $250 billion by 2025.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institut is one of many research institutes across Europe working on polytronics. The Institut’s Gerhard Klink says early applications are taking aim at the market for extremely cost-effective, ubiquitous electronics, inaccessible for traditional silicon-based electronics because of the costs of assembly and interconnection. “The fabrication processes for polymer electronics must therefore be developed in the direction of high production volumes, extremely low fabrication costs, and largely free-of-assembly steps,” he says.

P-OLED test cells made by Cambridge Display Technology.

Organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs (flat, thin, luminous construction elements made of organic semiconductor materials), form an important part of polytronic technology. They are likely to find use not only as substitutes for conventional LEDs in lighting systems, but also in completely new types of displays. They are often based on polymers, and are also referred to as P-OLED or PLED (other OLED versions rely on nonpolymeric organic chemistry). Benefits include brighter, clearer displays; simpler construction offering the potential for cheaper, more robust display modules; and ultra-fast response times.

P-OLEDs are made from conductive polymers like polyphenylene vinylene (PPV), which emits yellowgreen light when sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. Doped derivatives emit other colours. PPV is a rigid-rod polymer, and is understood to be the only one of this type that has been successfully processed into a highly ordered crystalline thin film. Rigid-rod polymers are normally extremely difficult to melt-process.

One of the global leaders in POLED technology is Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), a spinoff from Cambridge University, where original work was carried out in the late 1980s. CDT, now owned by Sumitomo Chemical, is already producing P-OLED displays for a number of products such as mobile phones. Sony has begun selling an 11-inch P-OLED colour TV, and Toshiba has demonstrated a 21-inch model, although it has not been commercialised. These are thinner than LCD TVs and use less energy. But, for now at least, they cost a lot more.

The Readius handheld device from Polymer Vision has an all-plastic, foldaway 5-inch screen.

Flexible Displays
Another Cambridge University spinoff, Plastic Logic, will be the first to commercialise the technology in flexible active-matrix displays. Later this year it will open a commercial manufacturing facility targeted at display modules for ‘take anywhere, read anywhere’ electronic-reader products.

The company can fabricate activematrix backplanes on plastic substrates, which, when combined with an ‘electronic-paper’ frontplane material, will be used to create display modules that are thin, light, and robust. “This will enable a digital reading experience that is much closer to paper than any other technology,” the company claims.

While Plastic Logic’s displays are bendable, versions from Philips spinoff company Polymer Vision can actually be rolled up. In January, it introduced the Readius, a handheld device that combines a 5-inch rollable display with 3G high-speed data connectivity. The company says its mission is to put rollable displays into every mobile device.

Later this year, Italian mobilephone operator Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) will launch the Librofonino, based on the Readius. It will function as a phone as well as a reader. And Polymer Vision is discussing similar projects with numerous other mobilephone operators around the world. At the moment, the displays are monochrome and do not handle video. Polymer Vision marketing and sales VP Thomas van der Zijden says phones with 8- or 9-inch displays offering full-colour video capability should be a reality inside five years.

Books may have only one page when electronic readers like this prototype from Plastic Logic make it to market.

In the future, the polytronics sector is likely to be a major employer around the world. So it is not surprising that governments are taking an interest in fostering the technology on their home turfs. In the UK, for example, a government-sponsored Plastic Electronics Technology Centre (PETeC), scheduled to start up this summer, will cater to development and commercialisation of printed electronic devices and flexible functional materials. It is targeting multinationals and start-ups.

Its customers will be able to test design concepts and novel materials for a variety of products, including thin-film transistors (TFT) for flexible displays such as e-paper, organic photovoltaic cells (OPV), and solidstate- lighting (SSL) applications. Concepts in the pipeline include the fabrication of large-area, roll-to-roll photovoltaic cells on thin plastic substrates using affordable processing technologies.

MID Technology

Latest car environment-conditioning systems use MID sensors from Hella that detect incident sunlight.

Meanwhile, technology for combining electronic circuitry into plastics injection mouldings is on something of a roll. Until now, moulded-interconnect- device (MID) technology has failed to live up to expectations, with real market growth consistently falling short of forecasts. This is partly because initial expectations were unrealistically high (talk in the early days of entire car instrument panels of huge MIDs), but also because potential employers of the technology could not understand how to use it. MID is at the interface between mechanical and electronic engineering, and ‘mechatronic’ engineering does not appear on many university syllabi.

LED headlights that rely on circuitry produced using MID technology are an option for the new Audi R8.

An MID is injection moulded with integrated conductors, combining mechanical and electronic functions. The automotive industry, witnessing a huge increase of electronic devices, provides enormous potential for the technology. According to the Research Association for Molded Interconnect Devices (3-D MID e.V.), the MID market currently shows an annual growth rate of 20%/yr—in the automotive industry it could be as high as 60%. In Germany alone, the market may rise to over 56 million this year, compared to under 11 million in 2004. Driving forces are the trend for miniaturisation and higher functional integration, together with shorter product lifecycles and shorter timeto- market requirements.

Some of the most important functions of MID assemblies are switches, mobile-phone antennae, housings, electromagnetic shielding, sensors, and connectors. Cost savings up to 40% are achievable.

Future Lighting
One recent MID application is highpower LEDs (the conventional types). With circuitry mounted directly within the plastic, they demand the use of polymers that can withstand constant temperatures of over 160°C.

Philips LED made with the help of MID technology using Ticona’s Vectra LCP.

The LED market is growing fast; one study estimates its value at $20 billion by 2117, four times what it was in 2005. LEDs are already widely used in auto brake lights, and the technology has now advanced to where it can be used for the entire front, rear, and interior lighting systems. A special version of Audi’s new R8 sports car is the first to incorporate LED headlamps.

Sensors are another MID growth market. Hella, in Lippstadt, Germany, has adopted Ticona’s Vectra liquid crystal plastic (LCP) for the core mechanical component in its new generation of sunlight and ambient light sensors for car environmentconditioning systems. The MID element is made using two-component injection moulding, with one of the LCP grades being metallizable.

There are several other ways to manufacture MID components, the most important involving the use of hot embossing and, more recently, laser-direct structuring (LDS).

German automotive component and systems supplier Kromberg & Schubert developed this innovative 3D circuit board for motorbikes. The MID assembly integrates 14 switches, several connectors, and other electronic devices. Different versions and fine circuit paths are structured directly by a laser beam.

Recent growth in MID technology has been boosted by adoption of LDS, which has considerably lowered the bar for entry into the field: no special tooling is necessary to make MID parts since the parts are modified in a separate process. Many companies have sprung up across Europe to offer LDS services, using technology developed by German company LPKF.

LDS uses fewer process steps than rival technologies. It requires the use of compounds containing a nonconductive metal complex that decomposes under infrared laser light to produce copper.

Product specialist Reinhard Stransky at BASF notes that there are only three key steps in the process: conventional injection moulding, laser structuring, and immediately after this, simplified electroless metallization.

“The LPKF-LDS process fundamentally provides great freedom of geometric design and allows high-precision structures having line widths of less than 200 micrometers,” he says. “A major advantage is that, in contrast with most other processes, flexibility when altering circuit layouts is very high.” A new LPKF laser system increases the mass production throughput of MID. Up to four laser scanners structure the components simultaneously from different angles. Machining the component in three dimensions in this way eliminates nonproductive time for workpiece repositioning.

Several suppliers of engineering thermoplastics, including BASF, Lanxess, and Ticona, have developed grades specifically for production of LDS-MID parts. BASF’s Ultramid T 4381 LDS, for example, is a hightemperature nylon 6/6T reinforced with 10% glass fibres and approximately 25% mineral fillers.

Book Bag

	Member $230.00 Nonmember $191.00 Selection of Polymeric Materials
	Member $168.00 Nonmember $201.00 Polymer Reaction Engineering
	Member $237.00 Nonmember $286.00 Handbook of Material Weathering
	Member $126.00 Nonmember $151.00 Polyolefin Blends

Winning “Wonders of Plastics” Essay

Plastics: Making Summer Fun and Safe

by Shruti Revankar

Spring is almost here and summer is not far behind. With schools closed, and long summer days on hand, we’ll all venture outside to enjoy the wonderful weather and the much needed break. Sports and leisure activities like swimming, skateboarding, bicycling, camping, gardening, and barbeques, are all synonymous with summer. Although they were always fun, they have now become a lot safer; Thanks to plastics, the first truly man-made material which has revolutionized every spectrum of our lives. Because of its light weight, styling versatility, and cost effective we have taken to plastics in a big way. Today plastic is everywhere, some quite visible as in packaging, automotives, construction, medical fields, while others as in our day-to-day needs, quite overlooked.
       As we turn to water for enjoyment and relief from the hot summer days, plastic has proven time and time again how indispensable its presence is; whether it be at the beach or in your backyard. Lifejackets made from lightweight durable plastics have saved countless lives by keeping swimmers heads above the surface, providing buoyancy and assisting thermal protection. The water goggles that are made from shatter resistance plastic polycarbonate lenses are scratch resistant and have high optical clarity. The PVC plastic strips, neoprene lens casings and seals help prevent water from entering your eyes. Also the diving boards are designed to prevent divers from slipping or losing their balance. The polyurethane epoxy paint covering helps to create non-skid surface for diving protecting. Bicycling, riding scooters, rollerblading, skating, and skateboarding are yet another pastime. While enjoying these sports, wearing helmets and other guard gears cannot be over-emphasized. Today’s lightweight helmets combine comfort, style, and protection. Safety equipments like helmets, knee-pads and wrist guards can help reduce injury by as much as 85 percent because they can withstand the pressure and lessen the impact of fall and collision. Mouth guards help protect your teeth and your tongue and it also helps reduce concussion risks.
       With 70 million Americans boating each year to escape the blistering heat of summer, plastics play prominent role in this international pastime. Its rot resistance, cost effective, high strength, lightweight and safety enhancing synthetic material has made plastic increasingly popular. Almost all clothing for sailing is polyester or nylon with closures of Velcro or zipper of acetal resin. Without the use of plastics, modern sailing wouldn’t be as practical as it is.
       How about a camping trip? Whether you plan to go hiking or tent, your outdoor adventure will be much easier and comfortable, when the gears, backpacks, and containers are light, durable, and waterproof.  No other material can do it better than plastics. Nylon backpacks, Ziploc bags, plastic containers, sleeping bags, tents, and not to forget the garbage bag to collect all the accumulated garbage to dispose it off at the proper place.
      Gardening has become a big business with 68 million households spending an estimated $26 billion every year on gardening and related products. It may be hard for gardening enthusiasts to imagine plastics and nature going hand in hand. Recycled plastics play a role in a variety of gardening and landscaping accessories including patio furniture made from milk jugs, terracotta-look flower pots from plastic pallet wrap, garden hoses from water bottles and recycled plastic landscape timbers from detergent bottles. They withstand weight, damage from animals, insects, and environmental impact better than wood.
      Summer isn’t summer without barbeques and picnics. With the outdoor temperature shooting high, it is crucial to keep all food cool and uncontaminated. Rushing to a hospital because of food poisoning isn’t anybody’s idea of good fun. Lightweight and durable plastic coolers filled with ice keeps food chilled longer. In addition, marinated food can be stored separate in airtight containers or resealable bags to prevent any leakage. This sure makes family get-togethers less anxious.
      Its time we look at plastics in a whole new way. It has not only helped solve our problems but has given shape to our desires. The last 100 years has bestowed on us the wonders that we could only imagine. I can’t wait for another hundred wonder filled years.       

Bibliography
American Plastics Council 01 Feb. 2008 <http://americanplasticscouncil.org/>
Science Buzz 01 Feb.2008 <http://dev.smm.org/buzz/blog/happy_100th_birthday_plastic>.

Engineering Endowed Scholarship Dinner

2007-2008 SPE Henry Kahn Scholarship Recipient Sumanth Banda Graduate Student at Texas A&M with Marty Husti, Don Witenhafer, and Andy Chatterjee

2007-2008 SPE Dale Walker Scholarship Recipients Nancy Pinto and Luke Osterhus Undergraduate Students at Texas A&M along with South Texas Section Members Andy Chattejee, Marty Husti, and Don Witenhafer

Nancy Pinto with South Texas Section Members and Dale Walker Family at the Texas A&M Engineering Endowed Scholarship Dinner on October 25, 2007