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m o r e CONTENTS ■ ■ VOLUME 71 NUMBER 5 MAY 2015

From SPE SPI & SPE Announce Joint Membership Option for Students 2 DEPARTMENTS From Pellet to Part in Florida By Michael Tolinski NEW! Resin Market Focus ...... 4 6 NPE & ANTEC® Orlando 2015: Innovations, from 3-D printing to By IHS Chemicals part assembly Industry News ...... 50

Industry Patents ...... 54 COVER STORY By Dr. Roger Corneliussen Reinforced Plastics Move into Non-Traditional Markets By Peggy Malnati Energy-Saving Tip ...... 57 14 Composites are being brought into more medical and By Dr. Robin Kent construction applications Upcoming Industry Events ...... 58 Plastics Testing: Tackling New Challenges By Nancy D. Lamontagne Market Place ...... 60 22 Equipment options and regulations are influencing testing practices Editorial Index ...... 62

Advertiser Index ...... 64 PLANT VISIT Lean & “Green” Compounding By Jennifer Markarian 26 This New Jersey compounder strives for sustainability

About the cover: CONSULTANT’S CORNER “Inflatable arches” are composites-based Cold Runner Design: It’s All About the Details structures aiding in the construction of By David A. Hoffman concrete bridges; learn more in our 30 Common mold features can create flow variations cover story. (Original photo courtesy of

U0 niv . of M a ine.) Effect of Polypropylene Contamination on Weld Strength of Recycled Polyamide 6 Plastics Engineering 34 By Hesam Ghasemi, Philip J. Bates, Amin Mirzadeh, Ying Zhang, and Musa R. Kamal MAY 2015 Contamination can be a big factor when dealing with materials like Composites 2015 waste carpet fiber Reinforced plastics build bridges – and more

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42 w ■ Testing Tackles New w

Realizing the full value of plastics with “the 4 R’s” w Challenges

INSIDE SPI Plastics Machinery Shipments Escalated Sharply in Q4 …and other news about the state of the plastics industry, 46 from SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association www.4spe.org

www.plasticsengineering.org | www.4spe.org | MAY 2015 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 1 COVER STORY

Reinforced Plastics Move into Non-Traditional Markets Composites improve performance, reduce mass and costs, increase design versatility, and extend use life

By Peggy Malnati

Composites are helping speed up bridge construction (see the second section of this article).

14 | Plastics EnginEEring | MaY 2015 | www.4spe.org | www.plasticsengineering.org omposites have a long history of use in industries such as automotive, avi - ation/aerospace, and sporting goods, but their use is now expanding into less-traditional markets like medical, infrastructure, power transmission, and bcuilding & construction, where they are displacing metals, wood and wood prod - ucts, and even concrete. composites are moving into non-traditional segments for a variety of reasons: they improve part performance, reduce mass and costs, increase design flexibility through parts consolidation, reduce or eliminate sec - ondary operations, don’t corrode or rot, extend durability and use life, increase production speeds, and produce more consistent products. some interesting exam - ples of recent applications in non-traditional markets are below.

pressures to 1.4 ata were introduced. now, a new composites-intensive Hyperbaric Oxygen these polymer-coated fabric chambers hyperbaric chamber bridges the gap Therapy Chambers don’t provide the same efficacy as the between costly/high-pressure units and Hyperbaric (above atmospheric pres - higher-pressure rigid systems, but they portable units operating at less than sure) oxygen therapy (HBOt) is best are less costly to purchase and maintain, half the pressures. the Hematocare known for saving divers with “the bends” making them affordable for small clin - system from groupe Médical gaumond (decompression sickness), but it’s also a ics and individuals. they also weigh far (gMg; Montréal, Quebec, canada) took well-documented medical treatment less so are portable/transportable and a decade to develop, and later this year for many chronic and acute conditions can be stowed until needed. will become the first HBOt system to (i.e., altitude sickness, severe anemia, brain abscesses, carbon-monoxide poi - soning, arterial embolism, radiation injuries, and sudden vision or hearing loss). Because HBOt temporarily enables blood to carry more oxygen, it also helps fight infection, reduces inflammation, and speeds healing in cases of crushing injuries, skin/bone infections, skin grafts, and burns. traditionally HBOt sessions were administered in rigid single- or multi- person chambers capable of pressures up to 3 ata (atmosphere absolute, i.e., Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical pressure above normal atmospheric treatment for a variety of chronic and acute pressure). these heavy glass and met - conditions. A new type of composites-intensive al units were permanent installations hyperbaric chamber has a cone-shaped hollow that were costly to install and maintain, chamber that’s filament wound using high- so treatment costs were high and cham - performance aramid fiber impregnated with urethane. Rigid composite end caps (infused with bers were only available at large gel-coated, fiberglass-reinforced epoxy and fitted hospitals or naval/diving and recom - with curved acrylic windows) are held snuggly in place on either end of the flexible pression centers. chamber by pressure alone and provide patient egress. All standard system More recently, single-person, soft- components pack into a tough two-piece HDPE rotomolded case with casters sided portable systems capable of (insets). (Photos courtesy of Groupe Médical Gaumond.)

www.plasticsengineering.org | www.4spe.org | MaY 2015 | Plastics EnginEEring | 15 Reinforced Plastic s ______

A composites-intensive bridge technology developed by the University of Maine is said to provide a better and faster way to replace a wide variety of concrete and other bridges. The composite bridge uses “inflatable arches”―Portland cement-filled resin-infused textile sleeves that provide a permanent form for concrete—creating an exoskeleton that eliminates the need for rebar and protects concrete from water and environmental damage. (Photos courtesy of University of Maine.)

achieve global agency approvals. Work - door- and window-equipped rigid com - Composites for Rapid ing with national research council posite end caps that fit snuggly into the Bridge Replacement canada’s industrial research assistance flexible chamber yet aren’t permanently Program (iraP; Ottawa, Ontario, cana - attached. gMg infuses the parts in gel- With increasingly unpredictable weath - da), cytec industries inc. (Woodland coated, fiberglass-reinforced epoxy. er, natural disasters, and civil unrest Park, new Jersey, Usa), and composites after post-mold trimming, an aluminum plaguing many regions, it’s increasingly atlantic ltd. (lunenburg, nova scotia, support ring is bonded into each end important to be able to replace dam - canada), the team’s goal was to devel - cap followed by insertion of a rubber O- aged or destroyed bridges rapidly. Even op a lightweight chamber capable of ring, a curved acrylic window, and a in settled areas, aging infrastructure on maintaining 3 ata without leaking or final aluminum locking ring. clever bridges that are over their limit and tearing, but still affordable for small design inside the end caps allows beyond their service life means local clinics and individuals. (certification at optional rails to be added to support and regional governments need ways to 3 ata operating pressures means cham - patients entering on stretchers. replace bridges quickly and cost effec - bers are tested at pressures six-times all standard system components pack tively, preferably with materials offering higher, so mechanical requirements are into a tough, two-piece case with casters longer use life. demanding and flame-retardancy stan - that’s rotomolded from unreinforced traditional precast and cast-in-place dards stringent, owing to oxygen’s high-density polyethylene. When the concrete bridges have issues. Precast combustibility.) chamber is deployed, carrying-case halves components are very heavy and costly Years of testing and evaluation led open to form a base that supports the to move, while extensive formwork to development of a filament-wound chamber, while foam blocks prevent it must be built before casting-in-place, cone-shaped hollow chamber produced from rolling. With experience, two people followed by long waits as the concrete by composites atlantic using high-per - can deploy the system in 15 minutes and cures, adding weeks or months to jobs, formance aramid fiber from teijin ltd. repack it in half that time. the system is particularly in cold and wet conditions. (Osaka, Japan) impregnated with cus - warranted for ten years/4,000 cycles and, although fully cured concrete is tom-formulated urethane. with a 125-kg packed weight, is said to be durable—withstanding broad temper - rather than make ill patients enter the lightest, least-expensive HBOt cham - ature fluctuations, high winds, heavy through a double-zippered opening at ber certified to 3 ata working pressures, loads, and abrasion—it can be affected the top, like with most soft-sided units, making it adaptable for home, clinic, or by cold-weather salt deicers used on gMg eases patient access by creating hospital use. roads and bridges (causing concrete

16 | Plastics EnginEEring | MaY 2015 | www.4spe.org | www.plasticsengineering.org ______

spalling and rebar corrosion) and water intrusion (necessitating installation and maintenance of expansion joints to pre - vent freezing water from splitting components). Both situations eventually can compromise bridge integrity. additionally, concrete’s high specific gravity adds significant “dead weight,” reducing a bridge’s true carrying capac - ity. the shear mass of precast components and the high labor require - ments of cast concrete require the use of heavy equipment and large work crews. this increase risks for negative environmental impacts and often requires environmental-impact studies be conducted prior to permitting, slow - ing projects and adding cost. Furthermore, shutting down busy bridges for repair/rebuilding increases traffic delays and commute times, frus - A pultruded 3-D composite technology called Transonite developed by Ebert trates commuters, and can harm local Composites Corp. is used for a wide variety of lightweight panels, providing commerce, all of which mean munici - reinforcement in all three orthogonal directions. A variety of fibers, fabrics, and palities want bridges fixed and back in thermoset or thermoplastic resins can be used, making it easy to tailor performance, cost, and mass to meet application needs. An internal “wave” service as soon as possible. pattern of reinforcement is said to withstand deflection and high shear forces. a composites-intensive bridge tech - (Photo courtesy of Creative Pultrusions, Inc.) nology developed by University of Maine’s advanced structures & com - posites center and commercialized by advanced infrastructure technologies designed sleeves are cut to length and Functionally, inflatable arches provide (both in Orono, Maine, Usa) is said to width, joined to form a tube, and mount - a permanent form for concrete, create provide a better, faster way to replace ed to custom fixtures. tube ends are an exoskeleton that eliminates the need a wide variety of concrete bridges, free - then sealed and sleeves are inflated for rebar, and protect concrete from way underpasses/overpasses, and with air prior to resin impregnation. water intrusion and other environmen - railroad bridges. the project began with cure occurs at room temperature and tal damage. installed costs can be 20% three ambitious goals: replace concrete normal pressures. lower than conventional materials, yet formwork and rebar, use efficient arches are then moved to a job site, these joint- and rebar-free bridges are arched structures, and produce com - positioned, and concrete footings are designed to last at least twice the typical ponents at the worksite. poured. next, holes are cut at the top of 50- to 70-year lifespan of conventional researchers reviewed and rejected each arch and a proprietary grade of bridges. Eliminating expansion joints many design options before deciding Portland cement (which is slightly expan - and rebar means the new technology is to produce formworks using inflatable sive and bonds well to the composite less prone to fatigue, corrosion, and fabric sleeves. Ultimately a proprietary sleeve) is poured into each arch and water infiltration, reducing maintenance fabric blending glass, carbon, and other allowed to cure. then decking (conven - costs and time. smart sensors can be fibers and infused with epoxy-vinyl ester tional or composite) is installed over the installed for active bridge monitoring. a resin (selected for its durability, ductili - arches, sand backfill is used, and a final small bridge can be completely replaced ty, and favorable adhesion to concrete) wear surface (asphalt or polymer con - in as little as one week, versus months was developed. in use, the custom- crete) is applied. with conventional construction.

www.plasticsengineering.org | www.4spe.org | MaY 2015 | Plastics EnginEEring | 17 Reinforced Plastic s ______

Durable 3-D Composite thanks to process versatility, a wide bilities and capacities. as populations Panel Structures variety of fibers, fabrics, and resins can increase and nations consume more be used, making it easy to tailor per - power, much of the planet’s electrical- a unique pultruded 3-D composite formance, cost, and mass to meet transmission infrastructure is outdated developed by Ebert composites corp. application needs. Performance can be and exceeding its capacity limits. load (chula Vista, califorinia, Usa) and changed by manipulating panel thick - growth aside, utilities in many coun - licensed by creative Pultrusions, inc. ness (13-102 mm), skin thickness tries legally are required to connect to (alum Bank, Pennsylvania, Usa) pro - (1.27-10.2 mm), skin/core ratio, panel increasing amounts of solar and wind vides x, y, and z-axis reinforcement width (15-259 cm), and density of z-axis energy generated by public and private (structural fibers in all three orthogonal fibers (0.08-2.48/cm 2). since it’s a con - sources, which expands and further directions). this increases panel dura - tinuous process, panels can be cut to stresses aging electrical infrastructure. bility by greatly improving peel strength nearly any length greater than 2.5 cm, to meet projected demand and and delamination resistance and boost - yielding large, clean surfaces free of accommodate alternative power gen - ing torsional rigidity. Other benefits seams, which is important in situations eration, electric utilities have three ways include extremely high strength/weight where moisture intrusion is a concern to increase system capacity: ratios, thermal and acoustical insula - and/or aesthetics are important. • build new lines (a costly approach tion, and elimination of corrosion. the angle of z-axis fiber placement is requiring difficult-to-secure public called transonite, the technology another interesting variable. While 90° consent and rights-of-way for land, (now in its third generation) is covered degrees to the skins is most common, and even longer waits for permitting under nine U.s. patents and is produced recent developments permit addition of and construction); on unique equipment via an automated very-high-shear layers of fibers posi - • “reconductoring” (restringing) exist - process (both developed by Ebert) capa - tioned nearly 45° to the z-axis prior to ing lines with conductor of the same ble of supporting high-volume resin impregnation, creating an internal type (which may necessitate strength - manufacturing at low costs. Functioning “wave” pattern that withstands deflec - ening or replacing existing towers like i-beams, z-axis fibers are precut tion and high shear forces. and poles, and still involves waits for rovings (e.g., glass, carbon, aramid, Post-mold trimming is done via water - permitting and construction); or basalt) that are pushed through top jet or diamond tools. Bare panels can be • reconductoring existing lines with and bottom skins with or without a core finished with a variety of surfaces for more efficient conductor (the fastest in place. the “clinched/riveted” rovings interior or exterior use, including carpet, and least costly approach). in one discrete fiber bundle aren’t con - antiskid aggregate, wallpaper, and Overhead transmission lines must nected to fibers in adjacent bundles polyurea. meet many challenging standards, (fibers are not stitched together), yet transonite technology is currently including minimum clearance to the unbroken fibers form regular used for floors and sidewalls on recre - ground, ice and wind loads, and ther - “columns” in the through-thickness ational vehicles and truck trailers and mal-operating limits to prevent damage. direction. cores may be solid or foamed was demonstrated on a small building lines are designed to maintain a safe resins or even balsa wood. in a chinese solar competition. Other distance from the ground at a rated special tooling keeps skins and fiber uses include panels for ballistic protec - electrical load under specific environ - columns from collapsing prior to infu - tion, air-cargo containers, marine uses, mental conditions. line sag and sion/impregnation, which ties fibers, furniture, rails, bridge decks, industrial therefore ground clearance are affect - cores, and skins. additional skin layers mats, and automotive uses. ed by both thermal and mechanical are added to lock rovings into original issues. skins and improve surface finish. Final - When lines are strung over areas with ly, the pultruded sandwich is pulled Composites for Power mountains, bodies of water, or prone to through a heated die to catalyze and Transmission severe weather, higher performance cure the resin, which typically is a ther - in an industry long dominated by met - high-temperature low-sag (Htls) con - moset (unsaturated polyester, vinyl als, uses of composites in high-voltage ductor is typically required instead of ester, or polyurethane) but also can be overhead electrical conductors are conventional aluminum conductor steel- thermoplastic. increasing power-transmission capa - reinforced (acsr) or other alloy-based

18 | Plastics EnginEEring | MaY 2015 | www.4spe.org | www.plasticsengineering.org ______

products. conductors using lighter, another composite product features pultruded thermoplastic-composite stronger core materials with broader aluminum metal-matrix composites core combines carbon fiber-reinforced thermal performance can transmit (MMcs, aluminum oxide fibers in a high- polyphenylene sulfide (PPs) with a poly - more power during both normal and purity aluminum matrix). the etheretherketone (PEEK) capping layer contingency operations while main - multi-strand MMc products use tradi - for very-high resistance to chemicals, taining required line clearance. tional fittings but also have a higher heat, galvanic corrosion, and abrasion. recent developments in high- bend radius than traditional acsr con - the new conductor carries approxi - strength, low-sag lightweight composite ductor. they are rated for high mately twice the current as conventional cores to replace stranded steel cores operating temperatures (to 240°c). ascr conductor and provides a high have changed how transmission lines However, their high cost means they continuous-use (180°c) and even high - are designed. carbon fiber-reinforced are typically used for only the most er emergency-use (225°c) rating, epoxy cores typically use a single (mono - restrictive installation environments. helping utilities maximize energy lithic) rod rather than multiple strands given the limitations of current Htls throughput. the installation-friendly traditionally used with steel cores to composite conductors, southwire com - conductor provides greater flexibility eliminate a single point of failure. Mono - pany, llc (carrollton, georgia, Usa, one and bending radius than monolithic lithic cores require a larger bending of the world’s largest wire and cable thermoset and MMc composites and radius than traditional stranded cores producers), and celanese corp. (Dal - works with conventional fittings, reduc - and must be handled carefully by las, texas, Usa) have jointly developed ing crew training time and increasing trained technicians using special con - a new type of Htls product called c7™ familiarity. a multi-strand core means nectors and terminations. Overhead conductor . the multi-strand greater reliability and redundancy dur -

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K4G BLENDERBLENDER SYSTEM BENEFITS > Compact, modular design > Include a varietyariety of feeders > Central coollectionllection hopper with pre-cut feedingg ports > Integrateedd support options for refill systems > Pivoting feeedereder supports for easy access > Patenteedd SFT weighing technology

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www.plasticsengineering.org | www.4spe.org | MaY 2015 | Plastics EnginEEring | 19 Reinforced Plastic s ______

ing installation and long-term use com - composite Panel systems, llc (Eagle is porous and a poor thermal insula - pared with monolithic-core conductor. river, Wisconsin, Usa) with support tor, moisture and cold can easily pass the new product combines high per - from panel fabricator Fiber-tech indus - through walls, making below-ground formance, excellent value, and the tries, inc. (spokane, Washington, Usa) spaces damp and cool (the perfect toughness and durability to deliver at and resin supplier ashland Perform - breeding ground for mold and mildew) least a 40-year service-life expectancy, ance Materials (a commercial unit of unless further improvements are made. helping utilities increase capacity without ashland inc., Dublin, Ohio, Usa) is set to composites, in contrast, can be engi - the cost of installing new infrastructure. overturn the century-old trend of using neered for both high tensile and By reducing power losses, transmission poured concrete to form vertical foun - compressive strength, plus are inher - is more efficient, and utilities deliver dation walls on residential homes, at ently moisture and corrosion resistant, more billable power to customers while comparable costs, faster installation, making them interesting materials for avoiding infrastructure upgrades, which and far-better performance. foundation walls. since composites are also benefit power consumers and concrete has very-high compression naturally thermally insulating and that reduce environmental impact of the strength but poor tensile strength, property can be improved via polymer power-transmission grid. which is why it’s so often reinforced foams, composite foundation walls can with rebar. in the case of below-grade be insulating, helping transform cold, foundation walls, concrete’s brittleness damp, smelly basements into warm, Composite Foundation tends to make it crack under the con - dry spaces and creating an airtight tran - Walls for Homes stant pressure of soil backfill within a sition between the foundation and a new composite-based foundation- few years of installation, leading to leaky upper floors. wall system introduced last year by basements. Further, because concrete the Epitome foundation-wall system

Composites are helping electrical utilities increase system capacity without the time and cost of building new conductor lines. Southwire Co. and Celanese have jointly developed a new type of high performance high-temperature low-sag conductor called the C7™ Overhead Conductor. The multi-strand thermoplastic-composite core combines carbon fiber-reinforced PPS with a PEEK capping layer, providing very-high resistance to chemicals, heat, galvanic corrosion, and abrasion. (Image courtesy of Southwire Co., LLC.)

20 | Plastics EnginEEring | MaY 2015 | www.4spe.org | www.plasticsengineering.org ______

consists of foam-cored fiberglass pan - els using ashland’s Modar fire-retardant, non-halogenated modified (thermoset) acrylic polymer and produced in a pro - prietary process. Panels are 18 cm thick, 7.4 m long, and 2.8 m tall and carry an r-16.5 insulation value. thermal insu - lation (provided by urethane foam) and vapor barrier are integral to the panels, allowing them to last the life of the foun - dation. Pultruded flanges attached to panel ends facilitate attachment to adja - cent panels. Panels also feature integrally molded nominally sized studs (41 cm on center) and stud cavities, which act as pilasters and make it easy for contractors to install mechanicals A new foundation-wall system of foam-cored fiberglass panels replaces poured concrete or additional insulation (boosting r-val - to create warmer, drier, more energy-efficient foundations that reportedly are ues to 30+). structurally dependable for the life of the home. On a standard-size dwelling, Unlike poured-concrete foundation foundation walls can be erected in less than two hours by crews with standard trade walls, which can take up to two weeks to skills and minimal training. The wall system is said to be cost competitive anywhere cure depending on weather, the new concrete foundations are installed. (Photo courtesy of Composite Panel Systems, LLC.) system’s custom-fabricated panels arrive in a single delivery ready to install. On a standard-size dwelling, founda - tion walls can be erected in less than for the life of the home. the sanitizable tional accreditation service (ias), a sub - two hours by crews with standard trade panels are highly fire retardant (having sidiary of the international code council skills and minimal training. this not only passed demanding U.s. national Fire (icc), which grants Epitome foundation gives builders more control (reducing Protection association 286 room corner walls national code compliance for res - weather and subcontractor constraints) burn testing), so no thermal barriers idential foundations. the technology but also means contractors can install like gypsum drywall are needed before also won several awards for industry- more homes per season with the same occupancy. this lets homeowners finish changing technology at the composites crew, and that a given home can be basements at their convenience. since and advanced Materials Exposition made weather-tight much faster. panels are 18-cm deep, not 31-cm deep (caMX) last fall. the structurally robust composite like most insulated, stud-framed cast panels are designed to withstand six- foundation walls, the system actually times greater pressures than a standard offers more usable living space inside Acknowledgements sand backfill load, and each 7.4 m pan - the basement―adding an average of information in this article was largely el can withstand 272 tonnes of down 9.3 m 2 (roughly the size of a small bed - drawn from interviews with claude gau - force, resulting in a maximum allow - room). Finally, panel construction and mond, groupe Médical gaumond, and able house load of 13,245 kg/linear installation use fewer natural resources claude Baril, composites atlantic ltd.; meter. Usable on any soil suitable for and less energy for a smaller carbon Habib Dagher, University of Maine- backfilling, this wall system is said to footprint than concrete. Orono; ted Harris and Dustin troutman, be cost-competitive anywhere concrete the new panel system has met strict creative Pultrusions, inc., and David W. foundations are installed. guidelines for in-plant quality and has Johnson, Ebert composites corp.; consumers benefit too with warmer, successfully completed rigorous test - Michael ruby, celanese corp., and Mark drier, more energy-efficient founda - ing and building code requirements set lancaster, southwire company, llc; tions that are structurally dependable by nta inc., accredited by the interna - and thom Johnson, ashland, inc.

www.plasticsengineering.org | www.4spe.org | MaY 2015 | Plastics EnginEEring | 21