Polymer Nanocomposites Promise Cost Reduction in Automotive Parts

    EXTON, Pa., May 17 Innovative uses for polymer
nanocomposites in automotive along with other markets will be featured at the
upcoming Nanocomposites 2001: Path to Commercialization conference hosted by
Principia Partners.  The event will be held at the Marriott Inner Harbor in
Baltimore, MD on June 4-5, 2001, and is sponsored by several companies
including Applied Sciences, Coop Chemical and Unicoop.
    The high activity in developing commercial applications for polymer
nanocomposites by automakers and their suppliers is beginning to pay off.
General Motors Research will address the automaker's technical activities in
injection molding of polyolefin-based nanocomposites compared to a talc-filled
TPO.  General Motors Research and Development and Basell Polyolefins have
jointly developed a family of polyolefin-based nanocomposites for use in the
injection molding of body-side claddings.  In addition to mass savings, the
nanocomposite material is proving to have a much wider processing window than
a conventional talc-filled TPO, allowing Tier 1 molders the opportunity to
process away problems rather than initiating a tooling change.  This
nanocomposite application is expected to become commercial on an upcoming car
model in 2001.
    Another groundbreaking technology has been developed by InMat LLC through
its aqueous, non-hazardous, layered silicate -- clay nanocomposite coating.
The nanocomposite structure of the coating formulation provides a unique
combination of barrier properties and flexibility.  Using butyl rubber as the
matrix, and a very high aspect ratio vermiculite filler, flexible coatings
with gas permeabilities 30 to 50 times lower than butyl rubber have been
produced, and have been shown to be undamaged by significant strain.
    This technology is being produced commercially under the trade name
AIR D-FENSE(TM), and is commercially used in the sporting goods industry.  It
has additional applications in any pneumatic rubber product, since one can get
the barrier properties of a mm thick butyl rubber sheet in a thin (20-30
micron) coating.  The largest target market is automobile and truck tires,
which currently use over $1 billion of butyl rubber to help maintain a
constant air pressure.
    Over two dozen companies will present their views and perspectives at the
Nanocomposites 2001: Path to Commercialization conference hosted by Principia
Partners.  This conference will bring together technology developers and
business leaders for 2 days of in-depth discussion of cutting-edge
developments.  The event is an excellent opportunity for networking -- meeting
established industry contacts and making new ones -- and for gaining a fresh
perspective on the factors impacting advances in this new technology.
    Principia Partners is an international business consulting firm serving
the plastics, packaging, metals, and related chemicals industries.  For more
information about the conference, please visit Principia Partners' web site at
http://www.principiaconsulting.com.

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