Polymer resin applications, general

Vinyls Vinyl chloride co-polymer resins were developed in the USA in the late 1930s. They have better weather and slightly more chemical resistance than chlorinated rubber paints. They are generally resistant to crude oil but application is more critical. For example, they are particularly sensitive to moisture present on a surface during painting and this can lead to adhesion failure. They are also more prone to solvent entrapment than chlorinated rubber paints. 

Natural resins are generally described as solid or semisolid amorphous, fusible, organic substances that are formed in plant secretions. They are usually transparent or translucent yellow-to-brown colored, and are soluble in organic solvents but not in water. The principal uses for natural resins are in varnishes, printing inks, adhesives, paper size, and polymer compositions. The term natural resins includes tree and plant exudates, fossil resins, mined resins, and shellac. They often have been altered from their original state during isolation and processing. For some applications, the resins have been chemically modified to increase their industrial utility. 

Spent resins are generally compatible with the polymer matrix material. Generally, the polymer and the resin do not interact chemically. The immobilization of spent ion-exchange resins in polymers is a common application all over the world. Epoxy resins, polyesters, polyethylene, polystyrene and copolymers, polyurethane, phenol-formaldehyde, and polystyrene are among the polymers used (IAEA, 1988). Inorganic materials are generally not immobilized using polymers because they are more acceptable to other immobilization matrices such as cement. 

Macroporous resins are generally highly (>5%, typically 20-25%) crosslinked polystyrene microbeads [9,10,21]. The term macroporous refers to their inner skeleton, which is made of a permanent porous structure even in the dry state (cf Scheme Ic). Historically, functionalised macroporous resins have mainly been used for ion exchange and separation. Nowadays, many new applications, especially in the field of polymer-supported reagents [31, 32] and catalysts [5,7], have been developed. 

As mentioned earlier, for some applications it is possible to use recycled plastics that contain a mixture of different types of resins. Since different plastic resins are generally not compatible with each other, such mixtures tend to contain small regions of individual types of polymers within a matrix of another polymer. Adhesion between these regions can be poor, resulting in a substantial decrease in performance. Two general approaches have been taken to producing usable materials from such mixtures. 

MAJOR APPLICATIONS General-purpose molding and extrusion polymer for high-performance applications, especially as resin for carbon fiber composites. Examples include chemical resistant tubing and electrical insulation, automotive bearings, pump and valve construction for corrosive applications, and compressor valve plates. 

The electrical properties of a polymer, such as dielectric constant, dielectric strength and resistivity are the parameters that are used to determine their electrical applications. Polyester resins exhibit generally moderate insulating characteristics with low resistivity and high dielectric constant and power factor owing to the polar nature of the ester group. However, these characteristics are influenced by the conditions of the applications. 

Adhesives are polymers in this general class of materials used in many applications, from the back of postage stamps to demanding military applications cementing metal joints in military aircraft with polymers such as epoxy resins. The interfaces of such materials must be characterized to determine the strength of the adhesive bonds and the relation of properties such as peel strength with morphology. Adhesion science has been described in the literature (e.g., [517, 519-523]. 

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