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At SpecialChem, we want to offer our community a space where its members could share their opinion on hot topics related to chemicals or materials and therefore learn from one another. That’s what the opinions spaces are made for!

Ongoing Opinion Space

March, 2010 - What is your experience with Reactive Extrusion?

Significant process optimizations are foreseen with the Reactive Extrusion technology. Cleaner and shorter polymerization steps, added-value and functionalized polymers, easier blending are some of the most interesting outcomes of using Reactive Extrusion. And studies are still going on to identify further benefits. What is your own experience in using Reactive Extrusion? Are all these benefits true? Did you identify any side-effects or technical challenges ones should take care of to take all the good from reactive Extrusion, and only the good?

0 contribution to this Opinion Space

Past Opinion Space

February, 2010 - What did the electrically active solutions bring to you?

Inherently behaving as electrical insulators, polymers can be compounded with different fillers to increase their electrical conductivity. From the low level, mainly for safety and aesthetical reasons, up to high levels for specific applications, modifying the electrical conductivity of polymers opens up many new and creative applications. What is your experience in this field? What successes or challenges did you see when increasing the electrical conductivity of polymers? What fillers did you use?

4 contributions to this Opinion Space

January, 2010 - What was the most innovative polymer additive family last year?

2009 is over, so let's take a step back and review what has signifcantly changed in the world of polymer additives. In your opinion, what was the most innovative polymer additives family last year?

10 contributions to this Opinion Space

December, 2009 - Of all the latest innovations in mineral fillers, which one has benefited you the most?

Perceived as a good way to reduce resin consumption for many years mineral fillers are now much more sophisticated. Not only through special surface treatments but also through manufacturing processes, mineral fillers are evolving more than ever before. Among these latest mineral filler generations what are the key differences and improvements you benefited from?

6 contributions to this Opinion Space

November, 2009 - Is there still room for improvements among the halogen-free FR?

No major breaking-through halogen-free flame retardants have been reported on the market these past years. We started to talk about nanotechnologies, but will they really fuel tomorrow's halogen-free FR pipeline? Is there room for innovations from halogen-free FR systems?

7 contributions to this Opinion Space

October, 2009 - What do you think of the Life Cycle Assessment of Polymers?

Life Cycle Assessment of polymers (LCA) is more than ever studied and reported. This increasingly popular method allows assessing a part of the environmental impact a material has. Although this method seems to give a holistic assessment some limits are reported. What do you think of the LCA method? Do you rely on the LCA of polymers to select materials?

3 contributions to this Opinion Space

September, 2009 - How do you think the future of self-healing materials will be?

Announces from research groups have been made these last months on self-healing materials. Promising a huge extension of final parts durability these materials have the possibility to self-repair structural cracks or surface scratches. Already said to be the material of the future in the aerospace and aircraft industry many possible applications are cited. However, do you think they will indeed compete with current polymeric systems in the future? Do you think they will indeed bring cost efficient, long lasting solutions to demanding parts?

8 contributions to this Opinion Space

August, 2009 - What are the latest advances you have detected in slip agents?

Slip agents are mainly used in extrusion processes, and improve both manufactured goods quality and manufacturing process efficiency. Widely used in polymer packaging they help to improve competitiveness of processes when high series are needed. More than ever it is the right time to understand what innovations are made on slip agents. What are the next generations of slip agents you have heard of? What new benefits will they bring? What technical advances have you detected on slip agents? Let's share your experience with the SpecialChem community, and see your peers' feedbacks as well...

2 contributions to this Opinion Space

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