With the explosion of new material options now available, the design engineer has some exciting options for their profile extrusion requirements.
From “Wood Composites”, “Biodegradable Plastics”, “Flame Retardant”, “Green Plastics”, “Nanotechnology”, “Antimicrobial Plastics” to “Thermotropic”, ”Glow-In-The-Dark Plastic Materials”, “Soft Touch TPE’s” plus many others!
I will be discuss some of these exciting material options below;
“Wood Composites” - the use of wood in thermoplastic extrusion is a relatively new technology with extensive market growth over the last decade or so. Wood Composite Profiles are extruded using Wood Plastics Composite (WPC) resins. WPC’s are compounded using 30-60% wood filler in the form of Wood Flour or Wood Fiber both of which are available from recycled sources. These Wood Fillers are combined with plastic resins such as HDPE, Polypropylene, PVC or ABS and are processed by extrusion into a variety of shaped profiles (both hollow and solid) that retain many of the favorable qualities and aesthetics of wood but offer enhanced properties provided by the thermoplastic. “Wood Composite” profiles offer good strength to weight ratio, are durable with good dimensional stability, and are relatively inexpensive. Major Markets for “Wood Composites” include the Building Industry (Decking, Roofing Shingles, and Molding) as well as a growing market for Door/Window Profiles, Mini-Blinds, Furniture and Fencing Applications plus many others….
“Biodegradable Plastics” - Alternative material for applications requiring the properties of traditional plastics but will decompose safely in the natural environment ina relatively short period of time. “BioPlastics” that are derived from renewable raw materials such as Plant Starch, cellulose, soy protein, and lactic acid are biodegradable because micro-organisms consume them as a food source. Other BioPlastics are derived from fermentation products like, Polylactic Acid (PLA), and Biodegradable polyesters, Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), and Polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV) which are synthesized by microbes with the polymer being stored in the Microbes’ cells during growth. just as we humans store fat for future energy consumption, these microbes store polyester which is a polymer that can be used to produce plastic. “Pretty Exciting Stuff” huh!
“Flame Retardant” - Plastic Profiles combine Non-Halogenated Flame Retardants to the Thermoplastic Materials for fire safety applications.
The use of Non-Halogenated flame retardants are used in synergy with smoke suppressant technology to provide an increase to the materials resistance to ignition, reduce the burn rate, reduce the spread of smoke emissions and flames while minimizing the plastic dripping during combustion.
“Green Chemistry for Plastic Profiles” Many material options are now available utilizing Bio-based (Natural) Plastics derived from Soy, Corn and other annually renewable resources. These materials use as a guide the “12 Principles of Green Chemistry” which include: 1) Prevent Waste 2) Design safer chemicals and products 3) Design less hazardous chemical syntheses 4) Use renewable feedstocks 5) Use catalysts, not stoichiometric reagents 6) Avoid chemical derivatives 7) Maximize atom economy 8) Use safer solvents and reaction conditions 9) Increase energy efficiency 10) Design chemicals and products to degrade after use 11) Analyze in real time to prevent pollution 12) Minimize the potential for accidents. This was only a condesed list, the full text is published on the US Environmental Protection Agency Website.
“Antimicrobial Plastic Profiles” with the growing concerns of our daily exposure to pathogens like bacteria, molds, mildew and fungi a growing trend is utilizing Antimicrobial plastics for such major markets as Aerospace, Medical, Food Services, Military, Consumer Goods, Building and Construction, and Office Supplies just to mention a few. These Antimicrobial properties are embodied within the plastic itself so the Antimicrobial benefits can not be washed away with use.
But How Does this work? Antimicrobials are either natural or synthetic materials that kill molds, bacterial and/or fungi. Since Antimicrobial plastic compounds are directly incorporated into the thermoplastic materials, it makes it impossible for allergens, bacteria, molds, and mildew to survive on the surface, yet these compounds have no known effect on humans and some are FDA approved for contact with food. There are a number of Antimicrobial materials available for use in just about any type of extruded plastic profile.
"Kelbright (TM)- Glow In the Dark Plastic Profiles" : these "Glow In the Dark" plastic profiles begin with a "Bright" glow which deminishes over a period of time, generally within 8 to 10 hours or so. These materials wil last at least 8 hours under typical darkness and can be activated by either artificial or natural light in as little as an hour. Plus, the "Bright Glow" performance of these "Glow in the Dark" plastic profiles are UV Stable. These "Glow in the Dark" materials are currently available in two glow colors - Green or Blue.
