Resin cost

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. 

Fig. 1. Engineering resins cost vs annual volume (11) (HDT, °C) A, polyetheretherketone (288) B, polyamideimide (>270) C, polyarylether sulfone (170- >200) D, polyimide (190) E, amorphous nylons (124) F, poly(phenylene sulfide) (>260) G, polyarylates (170) H, crystalline nylons (90—220) I, polycarbonate (130) J, midrange poly(phenylene oxide) alloy (107—150) K, polyphthalate esters (180—260) and L, acetal resins (110—140).

A hard carbon with high capacity can be made from epoxy novolac resin [12]. The epoxy resins used cost about US 2.50 per pound and give pyrolysis yields between 20 and 30%. However, it is well known that phenolic (or phenol-formaldehyde) resins can be pyrolyzed to give hard carbons with a yield of over 50% [42]. In addition, these resins cost about USSl.OO per pound. Phenolic resins therefore offer significant cost advantages over epoxy resins, so we... 

By far the preponderance of the 3400 kt of current worldwide phenolic resin production is in the form of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) reaction products. Phenol and formaldehyde are currently two of the most available monomers on earth. About 6000 kt of phenol and 10,000 kt of formaldehyde (100% basis) were produced in 1998 [55,56]. The organic raw materials for synthesis of phenol and formaldehyde are cumene (derived from benzene and propylene) and methanol, respectively. These materials are, in turn, obtained from petroleum and natural gas at relatively low cost ([57], pp. 10-26 [58], pp. 1-30). Cost is one of the most important advantages of phenolics in most applications. It is critical to the acceptance of phenolics for wood panel manufacture. With the exception of urea-formaldehyde resins, PF resins are the lowest cost thermosetting resins available. In addition to its synthesis from low cost monomers, phenolic resin costs are often further reduced by extension with fillers such as clays, chalk, rags, wood flours, nutshell flours, grain flours, starches, lignins, tannins, and various other low eost materials. Often these fillers and extenders improve the performance of the phenolic for a particular use while reducing cost. 

While the DSR01 ion-exchange system appears to be reasonably efficient, resin cost with that system is a major maintenance cost item. The BDS system uses up to 95%... 

For polymerizing monomers into commodity resins, cost of irradiation would have to be reduced to the cost of catalyst in order to compete economically with the present commercial polymerization processes. For engrafting monomers to finished articles, the cost can be higher, especially when solvents are eliminated. 

Relative resin cost lowest low higher higher... 

Thermoplastics may be further subdivided into two broad categories on the basis of their cost and suitable end uses. Commodity plastics are typified by high volume production, good properties, and low resin cost. The four major commodity plastics are polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride), and polystyrene. Their adequate properties and low cost have led to the extensive use of these plastics in packaging applications where they are very competitive with paper, steel, and glass. They are also used for some less demanding applications as components of durable goods (Table 22.1). 

Such alternative methods of glue spreading can reduce glue consumption by 20% or more and are suitable for mechanical layup systems. Resin costs are contained further by adding fillers and extenders that both bulk and contribute to adhesion. They modify many resin characteristics such as viscosity and cure rate, and can contribute up to 50% of the resin volume. 

Technical considerations, resin cost, and resin availability have and are dictating low emitting UF systems as the primary substitute for standard UF adhesives. Relatively small quantities of hardwood plywood have been made with polyvinyl acetate and phenol formaldehyde, the two most likely substitutes. Cost is a primary disadvantage of PVA types and certain use parameters and the dark color of phenol limit that adhesive to certain hardwood plywood factories and for certain applications. 

Polyurethane (PU). Automotive polyurethanes can be measured from a reaction of isocyanates and alcohol. Many automotive foams use toluene diisocyanate (TDI). The demand for polyurethane is projected to reach 7.4 billion in resin cost in 2009. This represents an increase of 3.2% from 2008. The total demand is expected to be 2.8 billion lb in 2009, up by 4.5% [10], The price varies greatly, depending on the type of polyurethane used. 

Fillers and reinforcements. Fillers are inert materials used primarily to reduce the resin cost but also to improve the polymer processability. Typical fillers include clay, talc, silica, fly ash, mica, sand, glass beads, graphite and carbon black. 

Tetrabromophthalic anhydride. Flame retardant in production of unsaturated polyester resins and rigid PU polyols co-hardener for epoxy resins cost efficient additive for latex emulsions derivatives used as flame retardants in diverse applications (wire coating, and wool, etc.). Crystals mp = 279-281 insoluble in H2O. Ethyl Corp. Great Lakes Firm Chem. 

Because of the relatively higher resin costs, process improvement evaluations are replacing unit or batch cost considerations. Many of the new coatings and adhesives provide downstream benefits, which, when factored into the overall cost of manufacturing, equal or reduce cost as compared to traditional coating technologies. 

A wide variety of additives is used with both TS and TP to adjust the handling and processing properties, achieve a specific property, or, simply, to add bulk and reduce cost without impairing the properties of the resin. Cost-reduction is not always the end-result. Apart firom reinforcement (see Chapter 2), additives for both TS and TP are generally in the form of particles or liquids, or combinations of the two. Generally, the particles influence the mechanical properties, while the... 

LIMITATIONS mLLDPEs without the long-chain branching are relatively difficult to process because of narrower MWD. Other limitations include poor stretchabUity, no significant advantage in film tear properties, and higher resin cost when compared to conventional Ziegler LLDPE. 

Furan resins cost approximately 30-50% more than polyester resins and do not have as good of an impact resistance as the polyesters. They find application as piping, tanks, and special equipment such as scrubbing columns. Refer to Reference [2] for more information regarding furan piping systems. 

Despite their growth in demand, there is no doubt that radical price changes of POs cause uncertainty about the market and complicate the long-term planning of PO makers, converters, and end users. However, POs will likely remain significantly lower in cost per volume of resin than other commodity resins, as they currently are. And, as mentioned later in this book, some inexpensive additions of additives can be used to help offset resin cost increases when they arise in the future [1-13, 2-23]. 

Thinner packaging Enviromnental concerns for reducing packaging waste, as well as the industry s interest in reducing raw resin costs in... 

Problem To compensate for the penalties of higher resin costs, producers of biaxiaily oriented PP (BOPP) film seek productivity improvements in their melt-processmg and converting operations. 

There is somewhat of a contradiction of discussing fillers and fibers in the same chapter. Fibers and many fillers can increase properties in very specific, desired ways yet the most common inexpensive fillers, such as calcium carbonate, are mostly used to displace the resin needed in a product to keep resin costs low (literally "filling out" or extending the volume of a product). In the first decade of the twenty-first century, when double-digit percentage increases in resin prices have been common, perhaps this use of fillers has become even more important. 

How can low-cost fillers be used effectively as extending or functional fillers to cut resin costs or improve properties ... 

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