Niching

As the demand for rubber increased so did the chemical industry s efforts to prepare a synthetic sub stitute One of the first elastomers (a synthetic poly mer that possesses elasticity) to find a commercial niche was neoprene discovered by chemists at Du Pont in 1931 Neoprene is produced by free radical polymerization of 2 chloro 1 3 butadiene and has the greatest variety of applications of any elastomer Some uses include electrical insulation conveyer belts hoses and weather balloons... 

An organozmc compound that occupies a special niche m organic synthesis is lodo methyhinc iodide (ICH2ZnI) It is prepared by the reaction of zinc-copper couple [Zn(Cu) zinc that has had its surface activated with a little copper] with diiodomethane m diethyl ether... 

The first 6 m nylon 66 stands for the number of carbons m the diamine the second for the number of carbons m the dicarboxylic acid Nylon 66 was an im mediate success and fostered the development of a large number of related polyamides many of which have also found their niche in the marketplace... 

Table 6 shows the sales estimates for principal film and sheet products for the year 1990 (14). Low density polyethylene films dominate the market in volume, followed by polystyrene and the vinyls. High density polyethylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), and polypropylene are close in market share and complete the primary products. A number of specialty resins are used to produce 25,000—100,000 t of film or sheet, and then there are a large number of high priced, high performance materials that serve niche markets. The original clear film product, ceUophane, has faUen to about 25,000 t in the United States, with only one domestic producer. Table 7 Hsts some of the principal film and sheet material manufacturers in the United States.

Hybrid probe—immunoassays are expected to find a specific niche in clinical analysis, especially as a means to adapt probe assays to existing immunoanaly2ers which are locked into a specific enzyme or fluorescence detection technology. Commercialization of the first of these assays is expected by the year 2000. 

Fiber-Optic Probes. Fiber-optic probes provide remote sampling capabilities to Raman instmmentation, are stable, and give reproducible signals. Their historical niche has been in environmental monitoring. More recently these probes have been used in chemical process control and related areas such as incoming materials inspection. 

Servo Gauge. Servo gauges are high accuracy, electromechanical devices that are used on inventory control appHcations where accountabiUty is mandated for custody transfer of Hquids. The large, million barrel, bulk terminal vessels are where these devices originally found a niche. 

As the nonwoven fabrics industry has matured and technology has become pubHcly available, emphasis in the various sectors of the industry has changed. In the 1990s, some portions of the nonwovens industry are technology driven, whereas others are market driven. A number of firms are proprietary technology based, and others are turn-key plant operations. Some corporations are commodity roU-goods producers, and others are more oriented to niche market, high value-added products. Many nonwoven produces continue the quest for new markets and more opportunities to compete with textiles, paper, and plastics. 

J. E. Sinor, "Niche Market Assessment for a SmaU Western Oil Shale Project," Final Report, DE-FC-86MC11076, U.S. Dept, of Energy, Washington, D.C., 1979. 

Attempts have been made to use cold-set adhesives in the cormgating operation, such as poly(vinyl acetate) and modified, precooked starch formulations, but these have not achieved any appreciable degree of commercial acceptance (20). The use of a polyethylene film appHed to the inside surface of the linerboard facing, which serves as a hot-melt cormgator adhesive, has achieved some commercial usage. However, its use is limited to the small, specialty product niche of fast-food hamburger cartons (see Olefin polymers, polyethylene). 

Thermosetting-encapsulation compounds, based on epoxy resins (qv) or, in some niche appHcations, organosiHcon polymers, are widely used to encase electronic devices. Polyurethanes, polyimides, and polyesters are used to encase modules and hybrids intended for use under low temperature, low humidity conditions. Modified polyimides have the advantages of thermal and moisture stabiHty, low coefficients of thermal expansion, and high material purity. Thermoplastics are rarely used for PEMs, because they are low in purity, requHe unacceptably high temperature and pressure processing conditions. 

There are signs that the use of environmentally degradable polymers and plastics is expanding. As the market begias to become aware of the availabihty of these new materials, it is expected that they will move iato niche opportunities. When this occurs, production will iacrease, and costs, the biggest barrier to acceptance, should begia to come down. Some of the polymers ia production at some scale larger than laboratory are shown ia Table 5. 

In the United States, up to about 4 x 10 Btu/yr of biofuels ate consumed for electricity generation, raising process heat, and domestic heat. Eurthermore, much of the energy needs of many nations are met by biofuels, including wood and wood waste, spent pulping fiquors, bagasse, and municipal waste. Some use is also made of dried com cobs, rice hulls, and a wide variety of agricultural wastes used in niche appfications. 

Thermoelectric devices represent niche markets, but as economic and environmental conditions continue to change, they appear poised to advance into more common use. Thermoelectric power generators are in use in many areas, including sateUites, deep-space probes, remote-area weather stations, undersea navigational devices, military and remote-area communications, and cathodic protection. 

The NAOs found their niche slowly in the 1980s gradually replacing asbestos-based materials and some of the semimetallic front disk pads on U.S. vehicles. 

Phenolics are consumed at roughly half the volume of PVC, and all other plastics are consumed in low volume quantities, mosdy in single apphcation niches, unlike workhorse resins such as PVC, phenoHc, urea—melamine, and polyurethane. More expensive engineering resins have a very limited role in the building materials sector except where specific value-added properties for a premium are justified. Except for the potential role of recycled engineering plastics in certain appHcations, the competitive nature of this market and the emphasis placed on end use economics indicates that commodity plastics will continue to dominate in consumption. The apphcation content of each resin type is noted in Table 2. Comparative prices can be seen in Table 5. The most dynamic growth among important sector resins has been seen with phenoHc, acryUc, polyurethane, LLDPE/LDPE, PVC, and polystyrene. 

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