Reinforced plastics businesses

The business climate of the 1990s is different from the past. Factors such as increased competition, a global marketplace, rapid technical shifts, and greatly compressed product life cycles constantly open new opportunities for plastics in general and reinforced plastics in particular. Reinforced plastics have become widely accepted for particular appHcations because they offer a combination of design, performance, and economic benefits to the user. These materials have had a proven record of success since the 1940s. 

An interesting novel RP development that differs fi-om what has been occurring involves special nanotechnology used to reinforce plastics. The Business Communications Co., Inc., Norwalk, CT reported that total worldwide sales during 2003 of plastic nanocomposites were 90.8 million with about 78% thermoplastic and 22% thermoset. By 2008 sales should reach 211 million with about 90% thermoplastic and 10% thermoset. 

Babu MS, Bakshi S, Srikant G et al (2004) Thermoplastic Composites - Technology and business opportunities. In Proceedings of the international conference exhibition on reinforced plastics (ICERP 2004), Chennai, India, 12-14 Feb 2004, pp 226-237... 

In May 2005 Dow sold its Lumation LEP business to the Japanese Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited which is already engaged in this market activity and which will use its acquisition to broaden its product range. In December 2005 Dow, via its wholly-owned Union Carbide Corporation subsidiary sold its 50% holding in UOP LLC, a leading international process technology company, to Honeywell Specialty Materials whose interests include electronic materials. Other Dow disposals include the 92 million sale, to Ashland Composite Polymers, of the DERAKANE epoxy vinyl ester business whose products are used in fibre reinforced plastics and whose annual resin sales were around 70 million. 

Other DuPont purchases include the acquisition of parts of Eastman Chemical Company s high-performance crystalline plastics business by DuPont Engineering Polymers. However, the acquisition, which added Titan ECP, Thermx PCT and Thermx EG reinforced PET resins to DuPont s product portfolio, was confined to technology rights and other business intellectual property. No transfer of physical assets or employees was involved. 

For over 40 years Reinforced Plastics has been reporting on developments in the reinforced plastics indust. With top management contacts in all the major materials and equipment companies and the most influential fabricators/moulders and end users. Reinforced Plastics magazine is the place to look for authoritative business news, topical feature articles and the facts behind the issues affecting your industry. 

The process of IM is used for reinforced TPs (RTPs) however, it is principally used for (URTPs) and some TSs. IM machines (IMMs) represent over half of all the primary plastic fabricating machines in the world processing all types of plastics and plastic compounds representing just a USA multibillion-dollar business. Figure 5.29 is a simplified version of IM machine (IMM) where plastic flows from hopper, through plasticator (screw-barrel), to mold cavity. 

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