June 2007

Dow Biocides Introduces IPBC to Product Portfolio for Metalworking Fluids

Dow Biocides, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, added the broad spectrum IPBC (3-Iodopropynylbutylcarbamate) molecule to its metalworking fluids product portfolio. A fungicide for metal cutting, rolling and lubricating fluids, IPBC is a non-metallic, non-formaldehyde releasing biocide that is easy to formulate and can be used in metalworking fluid concentrates as well as in diluted formulations.

The formulated products containing IPBC will be named Bioban I Antimicrobials, fungicide solutions that are compatible with waterborne and solvent-based metalworking fluid formulations. Initially introduced in the US, the products will become available globally as registrations allow. Bioban I-40 and Bioban I-20 antimicrobials contain 40 percent and 20 percent of IPBC respectively, and are both suited for synthetic, semi-synthetic and soluble metalworking fluid formulations.  They can also be used as tank-side additives.

“IPBC is an extremely effective fungicide for cutting, cooling and lubricating fluid concentrates and the Bioban I Antimicrobials are an excellent complement to our existing metalworking fluids product portfolio,” said Nanette Hermsen, global marketing manager, Dow Biocides. “With the addition of IPBC, we are able to offer our customers a more complete range of solutions for combating a wide variety of fungal and bacterial organisms known to cause contamination and reduce fluid life.”

The new CNT compounds are available in multiple resin systems including polycarbonate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

“RTP Company’s compounding expertise is providing a new generation of CNT compounds with excellent properties,” said Ned Bryant, senior product development engineer at RTP Company. “In addition, the emergence of additional CNT suppliers has favorably affected the cost of materials and, thus, opened up new opportunities for these unique CNT compounds.”

CNT compounds are a key element of RTP Company’s conductive products. They deliver improved electrical conductivity, eliminate residual voltage (hot spots) and are well suited for applications requiring strict liquid particle count (LPC) standards for cleanliness. CNT compounds also provide significant processing benefits including the elimination of isotropic affects, moldability comparable to neat resins and wide processing latitude.

The 1/5 horsepower (150 Watt) motor drives a stainless steel blade that quickly pulverizes materials such as bone, ceramics, frozen tissue, minerals and pharmaceuticals. Softer samples such as frozen tissue or wood can be processed by adding dry ice to the grinding chamber during processing.

The grinding chamber assembly is removable to allow complete sample recovery and cleaning. Additional accessory chambers are available to further reduce cross contamination. A satellite-faced hardened blade is available for users pulverizing very hard material. The two-position rocker switch allows pulse or continuous operation to match with sample requirements. 

Safety features include electronic switching to prevent operation until all parts are completely assembled to the base and the indicator light illuminates. A resetable circuit breaker protects the mill if the sample jams the blade. Non-skid feet prevent movement of the mill during use and won’t mar benchtops.

Micropipes, common crystalline defects in SiC, decrease the number of usable electronic devices produced per wafer as well as affect performance parameters of each device produced. Until now, these defects have been present in nearly all SiC wafers manufactured and sold by commercial substrate vendors. Through previous research and development efforts at Cree, partially funded by the US Army and DARPA, the density of these defects has been dramatically reduced. Cree’s current accomplishment demonstrates that it is possible to eliminate these defects in large-area wafers as well.

“Cree’s achievement of a 100-mm ZMP substrate further demonstrates our materials technology expertise. We expect that ZMP technology can significantly improve device yields, expand the range of products that can be designed and produced, and enable manufacturing at higher-volume levels than had been possible before,” states Cengiz Balkas, Ph.D., Cree vice president and general manager for materials.

SiC is a high-performance semiconductor material used in the production of a broad range of power, light and communications components including power-switching devices, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and RF power transistors for wireless communication.

“Our customers were asking for a lower-cost Windows-based Materials Testing System that has the ability to view a real-time XY curve, perform basic calculations, store test data to disk and export to common spreadsheet programs. To fill that need, ADMET now offers WinCOM Live as an option with its standalone controllers,” said Richard Gedney, ADMET founder and president. “We also found that many test labs were comfortable modifying LabVIEW Virtual Instruments as a means of customizing testing software to meet their needs. Experienced programmers can also purchase WinCOM Live as a virtual instrument for customization.”

WinCOM Live communicates with ADMET’s digital controllers via an RS232 serial port. Future versions will have the ability to upload test procedures to/from the eP and Precise Digital Controllers. This will simplify testing for users when they need to quickly and frequently switch between multiple test procedures.

ADMET’s optional WinCOM Live interface for its Precise Digital Controller and eP Digital Controller units includes a run-time license for the software.

For many UV resins, polymerization can only be achieved by exposure to UV light. A significant advantage of using these products is that they provide time for assembling components and for making adjustments. Polymerization occurs rapidly after exposure to an intensified UV source.

Since natural sunlight radiates UV rays, the resin has to be protected. Some UV resins are also anaerobic and are sensitive to metal contact, not sufficient to polymerize but enough to gel.

The Model DV509-UV-LF is a diaphragm action valve that has been designed for UV resins. The wetted chamber is compatible for low to medium viscosity UV materials. The valve is high cycling, rated at 200 cycles a minute and its lightweight compact design makes it especially suitable for automated systems.

A diaphragm seal is attached to a solenoid that opens upon receiving an air signal from a valve controller. The diaphragm flexes to allow fluid to exit for the duration that the seal is opened. A return spring snaps the diaphragm shut after the air signal is removed.

As this CD explains, 5 percent of fixtures and displays incorporate plastic sheet goods. However, a display made from Vivak, a high quality specialty copolyester resin, demonstrates greater thermoforming capabilities, design options and impact strength than many traditional materials. This CD is full of helpful information as well as color photos and illustrations, and offers industry professionals the opportunity to learn more about this superior material’s versatility, uses and advantages.

This CD includes a description of the wide market available for in-store and point-of-purchase displays, describing attributes of materials used in both applications. The CD also describes how raw materials from Sheffield Plastics are converted into displays, following up with a section describing how knowledge of Vivak’s qualities that could help decision-makers determine future in-store displays. This background both informs and enlightens industry professionals about the possibilities of Vivak Sheet in manufacturing.

Vivak, a thermoplastic sheet in the PETG family of plastics, is easy to fabricate, form and finish. It also offers higher impact strength and durability than acrylic. Vivak’s high impact strength reduces manufacturing and packaging costs while allowing for down gauging for cost effectiveness. It also offers a level of chemical resistance suited for harsh industrial environments. It is resistant to many common cleaners, offers excellent optics, and is FDA compliant for use in food partitions or containers.

Purdue researchers demonstrate their method for producing hydrogen by adding water to an alloy of aluminum and gallium. The hydrogen could then be used to run an internal combustion engine. The reaction was discovered by Jerry Woodall, center, a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering. Charles Allen, holding test tube, and Jeffrey Ziebarth, both doctoral students in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, are working with Woodall to perfect the process. (Purdue News Service photo/David Umberger)

A Purdue University engineer has developed a method that uses an aluminum alloy to extract hydrogen from water for running fuel cells or internal combustion engines, and the technique could be used to replace gasoline.
The method makes it unnecessary to store or transport hydrogen, which have been two major challenges in creating a hydrogen economy, said Jerry Woodall, a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue who invented the process.
“The hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it,” Woodall said.

The technology could be used to drive small internal combustion engines in various applications, including portable emergency generators, lawn mowers and chain saws. The process could, in theory, also be used to replace gasoline for cars and trucks, Woodall said.

Hydrogen is generated spontaneously when water is added to pellets of the alloy, which is made of aluminum and a metal called gallium. The researchers have shown how hydrogen is produced when water is added to a small tank containing the pellets. Hydrogen produced in such a system could be fed directly to an engine, such as those on lawn mowers.

“When water is added to the pellets, the aluminum in the solid alloy reacts because it has a strong attraction to the oxygen in the water,” Woodall said.
This reaction splits the oxygen and hydrogen contained in water, releasing hydrogen in the process.

The gallium is critical to the process because it hinders the formation of a skin normally created on aluminum's surface after oxidation. This skin usually prevents oxygen from reacting with aluminum, acting as a barrier. Preventing the skin's formation allows the reaction to continue until all of the aluminum is used.

Woodall discovered that liquid alloys of aluminum and gallium spontaneously produce hydrogen if mixed with water while he was working as a researcher in the semiconductor industry in 1967. The research, which focused on developing new semiconductors for computers and electronics, led to advances in optical-fiber communications and light-emitting diodes.

“I was cleaning a crucible containing liquid alloys of gallium and aluminum,” Woodall said. “When I added water to this alloy, talk about a discovery, there was a violent poof. I went to my office and worked out the reaction in a couple of hours to figure out what had happened. When aluminum atoms in the liquid alloy come into contact with water, they react, splitting the water and producing hydrogen and aluminum oxide.”

The concept could eliminate major hurdles related to developing a hydrogen economy. Replacing gasoline with hydrogen for transportation purposes would require the production of huge quantities of hydrogen, and the hydrogen gas would then have to be transported to filling stations. Transporting hydrogen is expensive because it is a “non-ideal gas,” meaning storage tanks contain less hydrogen than other gases.

June 19-21 Western Manufacturing Technology Show, Edmonton, Alberta Canada, www.sme.org