Blending costly

Reformulating to reduce HAP solvents frequently means that solvent blend costs increase. The newer blends are generally not be as effective. For example, many coatings were usually formulated using ketones as the active solvents with aromatic hydrocarbons as diluents. This combination produced the most cost-effective formulations. However, when MEK, MIBK, toluene, and xylene became HAP compounds, less-effective solvents had to be used for reformulation. Esters are the most common ketone replacements, and aUphatic diluents would replace the aromatic hydrocarbons. In this situation, more strong solvent is required compared to the ketone/aromatic formulation and costs increase. The combination of reduced VOC emissions and composition constraints in the form of HAP restrictions have compHcated the formulator s task. 

The cost of capital is the rate of return investors require to induce them to invest in a company with a given level of risk. The weighted average cost of capital is the blended cost of the fro s debt and equity capital (285,409). 

For many applications, the most effective blends have been based on ketones and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents currently restricted as hazardous air pollutant (FIAP) products. Since new solvent systems will have smaller amounts of HAP, the blend cost is likely to rise. Methyl n-amyl ketone (MNAK) and n-butyl propionate (BuProp) are attractive from the point of view of the environment and their physical properties [68]. 

Fig. 5. Schematic representation of blend cost calculation, assuming the ingredient cost 1 and 2, and compounding cost 0.1 (aU per 1 kg). See Eq 1.

PPO/PPE blends cost around 4.05-4.50 per kg in December 2002. PPO/PPE prices tend to be more stable than most other engineering plastics. However, producers managed to push through price increases of about 5.0% in 2000. 

PPO/PPE blends cost two to three times more than higher end polyolefins for bumper systems. While the price of PPO blends is likely to come down gradually as production increases, high cost may deter some potential customers. 

Cork [61789-98-8] is an effective low cost charring ablator. In order to reduce moisture absorption and related poor performance, cork particles are often blended in a silicone or phenoHc resin. The result is a uniform ablative material in a sheet form that is easy to apply. 

PET is based on petroleum and the price of polyester fiber fluctuates with the price of -xylene and ethylene raw materials as well as with the energy costs for production. With the abiUty to interchange with other fibers, especially cotton iu cotton blends, the price of polyester is affected by the price and avadabihty of cotton as well as the supply and demand of polyester. 

Since the early 1980s, the viscose-based staple fibers have, like the cuprammonium and viscose filament yams in the 1970s, ceased to be commodities. They have been repositioned from the low cost textile fibers that were used in a myriad of appUcations regardless of suitabUity, to premium priced fashion fibers dehvering comfort, texture, and attractive colors in ways hard to achieve with other synthetics. They are stiU widely used in blends with polyester and cotton to add value, where in the 1980s they would have been added to reduce costs. 

Decabromododiphenyl Oxide—Polyacrylate Finish. This finish, effective on both polyester and nylon fabrics, is one of the most effective finishes available (ca 1993) for cotton—polyester blends (131). Relatively high cost and difficulty in appUcation may have prevented more widespread use. 

There are two principal PVC resins for producing vinyl foams suspension resin and dispersion resin. The suspension resin is prepared by suspension polymerization with a relatively large particle size in the 30—250 p.m range and the dispersion resin is prepared by emulsion polymerization with a fine particle size in the 0.2—2 p.m range (245). The latter is used in the manufacture of vinyl plastisols which can be fused without the appHcation of pressure. In addition, plastisol blending resins, which are fine particle size suspension resins, can be used as a partial replacement for the dispersion resin in a plastisol system to reduce the resin costs. 

For substrates of WORM and EOD(PCR) disks the industry in the future wants polymers that have a markedly improved resistance to heat softening compared to BPA-PC and, if possible, a lower water absorption and lower birefringence, but otherwise maintain the good characteristics in toughness, production, and cost (194). This goal is being approached in different ways further modification of BPA-PC, newly developed polymers, improvement of the processing characteristics of uv-curable cross-linked polymers, and development of special copolymers and polymer blends, eg,... 

Table 9 compares the most important properties of substrate materials based on BPA-PC, PMMA, and CPO (three different products) (216,217). The future will prove if the current disadvantages of CPO against BPA-PC regarding warp, processibiUty (melt viscosity), and especially cost can be alleviated. CycHc polyolefins (CPO) and, especially cycloolefin copolymers (COC) (218) and blends of cycloolefin copolymers with suitable engineering plastics have the potential to be interesting materials for substrate disks for optical data storage. 

The alcohols, proprietary denatured ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, are commonly used for E-type inks. Many E-type inks benefit from the addition of small amounts of ethyl acetate, MEK, or normal propyl acetate to the solvent blends. Aromatic hydrocarbon solvents are used for M-type inks. Polystyrene resins are used to reduce the cost of top lacquers. T-type inks are also reduced with aromatic hydrocarbons. Acryflc resins are used to achieve specific properties for V-type inks. Vehicles containing vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate copolymer resins make up the vinyl ink category. Ketones are commonly used solvents for these inks. 

In the calendering method, a PVC compound which contains plasticizers (qv) (60—120 phr), pigments (qv) (0—10 phr), fillers (qv) (20—60 phr), stabilizers (10—30 phr), and other additives, is kneaded with calender roUs at 150—200°C, followed by extmsion between clearance-adjusted roUs for bonding onto the substrate. This method is employed for products with thick PVC layers, ie, of 0.05—0.75 mm thickness. The main plasticizer used is di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP). For filler to reduce cost, calcium carbonate is mainly used. A woven or knit fabric made of cotton, rayon, nylon, polyester, and their blend fiber is used as substrate. For foamed vinyl-coated fabrics, the bonded materials are heated in an oven to decompose the foam-blowing... 

When energy alternatives are available, a compromise between cost and quaHty is often realized. Blending of coals can be used to achieve more desirable quaHties. For example, lignite from the former Yugoslavia has been blended with, and even substituted for, the highly caking Rasa coal used for coke production in the iron (qv) and steel (qv) industries. 

The cost of rare-earth phosphors in fluorescent lamps is often reduced by double coating the lamps. The rare-earth phosphor blend is coated over a base layer of the inexpensive halophosphate phosphor (Fig. 9). In this configuration it absorbs a disproportionate amount of the uv discharge. For example, about 70% of the uv is absorbed in the inner coating with only one layer of triphosphor particles on the inside. 

Ice Crea.m, Ice cream is a frozen food dessert prepared from a mixture of dairy iugredients (16—35%), sweeteners (13—20%), stabilizers, emulsifiers, flavoriug, and fmits and nuts (qv). Ice cream has 10—20% milk fat and 8—15% nonfat solids with 38.3% (36—43%) total soHds. These iugredients can be varied, but the dairy ingredient soHds must total 20%. The dairy iugredients are milk or cream, and milk fat suppHed by milk, cream butter, or butter oil, as well as SNF suppHed by condensed whole or nonfat milk or dry milk. The quantities of these products are specified by standards. The milk fat provides the characteristic texture and body iu ice cream. Sweeteners are a blend of cane or beet sugar and com symp soHds. The quantity of these vary depending on the sweetness desired and the cost. 

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