FPD Highlights - May 2007
SPI Activities in Support of FPD
IMPACT OF REACH on the polymer industry - The Occupational Health and Environmental Issues Committee (OHEIC) hosted Dr. Herbert Estreicher of Keller and Heckman LLP for a presentation on "The Effect of REACH on Polymer Materials," an overview for manufacturers, importers and downstream users of substances affected by the European Union's (EU's) Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. Attendees were provided with an overview of the major elements of the regulation and important steps that industry can take internally, with suppliers and with EU customers to be ready. While polymers are not subject to registration, they may be subject to restriction and authorization, and could be required to be registered at some time in the future. Monomers must be registered if they meet certain conditions. More information...
TRAINING ON MATERIALS HANDLING- The SPI and OSHA Alliance is developing a course to help plastics processors recognize hazards and describe methods to prevent injuries associated with manual and mechanical handling of materials. Need training? Have suggestions? More information...
CHINAPLAS 2007: SPI is Gung-Ho for Guangzhou! - ChinaPlas2007, the 21st International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries, will be held May 21-24, 2007, at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center. SPI is a co-sponsor of the USA Pavilion and is exploring a variety of programs for SPI members participating in the show. Potential activities include pre-arranged meetings with Chinese companies and US government trade specialists serving in China. As we prepare for ChinaPlas, we would like your input. If you are planning to attend the show, please let us know what activities you would like SPI to organize and/or help you with. We stand ready to assist SPI members attending the show and promote the business interests of SPI members in China. For more information, contact Gennie Ross, 202/974-5219.
FPD Activities
FALL 2007 CONFERENCE is planned for The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept. 23-25, 2007. The Conference Chairmen are Tim Grattan, Daikin, and Dave Ely, Chromatics Inc. Confirmed presentations to date include "Trade Secret Protection," "Trends in Enterprise Software", and "Bar Coding/Warehouse IT." Please visit the conference website for additional details.
FPD ANNUAL ASSESSMENTwas approved to continue at $750 by the Executive Committee.
MEMBERSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE - American Durafilm was accepted by the Executive Committee as FPD's newest member. The membership committee was authorized to proceed with a web based survey, an effort led by Terence Neville and Mike Patterson.
MONTHLY FPD HIGHLIGHTS - Please include E. Robert (Bob) Hill on your press release list at eben_hill@msn.com, so we can note your company and staff accomplishments and honors.
SUMMER 2007 ISSUE OF FLUORONEWS will again be printed as well as posted on the FPD web site. We are continuing to take classified ads.
FLUOROGUIDE - We did a full updates of FluoroGuide and the related tables in early March 2007. We plan an update of the section and membership tables in early May. The next full update of FluoroGuide is expected in June 2007. Please check your company input on our website and give Bob Hill any needed further revisions at eben_hill@msn.com.
FPD WEB SITE HITS continue to increase steadily. We continue to add a steady stream of new content to our web site, and are now posting post-conference summaries, including the conference program, a list of attendees, and more.
FPD Section Activities
FPD Section activities continue to be strongly emphasized at all of our conferences. One afternoon at each conference is dedicated to Section Breakouts. The PFOA issue is a major issue in all sections.
Coating Section had over 25 attendees at the Spring 2007 Conference. The group wants to increase its efforts in reaching out to coater member prospects. At the Spring Conference, the Dux Area provided a valuable presentation. There were also presentations from 3 coatings suppliers, and a discussion of regulatory issues.
PTFE Processors Section - The name of the Section has been changed from PTFE Processors to the Processors Section, reflecting the wider scope of its membership and breakout subject matter. The Spring Section breakout also had over 25 attendees. Cognex was the main presenter. The Section is working to increase processor participation.
Wire & Cable Section - The Section is focused on life cycle analysis and green building products.
People on the Move
ADVANCED FLEXIBLE COMPOSITES, INC. (AFC) is pleased to announce that Jay Russ has been named the 2006 Sales Person of the year. AFC also announced the winners of the President sales achievement awards. This award is bestowed on any AFC sales person who reaches certain sales milestones. The 2006 class included Jay Russ, Bill Barnard, Tim Brown, Fred Bridge, CJ Garvey, Al Anthony, and John Keeler. "2006 was a record sales year for AFC. We would not have accomplished this without the efforts of these outstanding sales people," stated Chuck Crowley, AFC's Vice President of Sales.
FLUOROCONSULTANTS - the new email addresss of Sina Ebnesajjad is sina@fluoroconsultants.com.
Industry Highlights
AKZO NOBEL NON-STICK is proud to announce the December 2006 opening of our new office building in Dongguan, China. This becomes the 3rd building in our complex at this location. With this addition, we are able to expand both our manufacturing and R&D into the previous office area. The original facility was opened in the fall of 2002 to meet the demand for our products in China and SE Asia. This demand has continued to increase dramatically forcing us to expand both our R&D and production capabilities.
DURAFILM announces Coated and Uncoated Polyimide Tubing. Uncoated Tubing is a tough aromatic polyimide film exhibiting an excellent balance of physical, chemical, and electrical properties over a wide temperature range from 0° Kelvin (-459.66°F) to unusually high temperatures (752°F). Coated Tubing has proprietary formulations to produce tubing with specific surface resistivity values to bleed static charges and Fluoropolymer topcoats of PTFE, FEP and PFA for superior release at high temperatures (425°F - 550°F). Standard sizes range from 0.500" (12.7mm) to 3.00" (76.2mm). Smaller and larger custom sizes are available, please contact our customer service team with your needs at 800/234-8885.
GORE™ PHARMBIO PRODUCTS Debuts Enhanced Product Line at INTERPHEX 2007. GORE™ PharmBIO Products has developed and assembled a unique set of innovative products to meet the diverse and global needs of the pharmaceutical and bioprocess industries. Through its recent acquisition of Amesil, a leading supplier of non-reactive fluid transport, containment and sample solutions, Gore is continuing to enhance its product leadership position. INTERPHEX 2007 marks the introduction of the combined Gore and Amesil product portfolio. Among those products are several delivering significant innovation to the market.
GORE™ LYOGUARD® Freeze-Drying Products have allowed manufacturers to maximize operational efficiencies without increasing risk of product contamination or worker exposure during freeze-drying processes. By using a proprietary ePTFE membrane, GORE™ LYOGUARD® trays create a "closed" system while still providing a means for solvent sublimation. This reduces the chance for product "fly out" thereby increasing yields, reducing cleaning and cleaning validation costs, and protecting workers.
GORE® Filtration Products optimize product collection by using totally inert FDA approved ePTFE collection surfaces. This ensures maximum powder capture in a contamination free environment.
GORE™ Amesil components include high purity tubing, hose, clamps, manifolds, connectors and assemblies offer custom solutions for fluid transport, containment and sampling. Material capabilities include platinum-cured silicone, PTFE, and thermoplastic elastomers in both reinforced and non-reinforced forms.
GORE™ STA-PURE® Tubing eliminates fluid stream contamination, offers unmatched life, and is the ideal choice for high purity or long running applications.
ARKEMA Membranes are a key component of PEMFC fuel cells. Arkema is counting on its experience as a polymer specialist and focusing its research on its Kynar® fluoropolymer to tap a high- value-added market with major potential. A wide array of research programs are being conducted on PEMFC fuel cells to enhance their performance and lower their cost. Solutions often require the development of new polymer membranes, which consist of a thin, solid organic compound with the consistency of a plastic film-typically equivalent in thickness to two to seven sheets of paper (between 50 and 200 µm). It must remain saturated with water so that the particles can move around. The membrane's ionic conductivity depends on operating temperature and pressure.
DUPONT High-Performance Materials Enable World's Largest-Ever Commercial Aircraft in Inaugural Voyages to United States. New Airbus A380 Relies on DuPont Innovations for Strength, Light Weight. The world's largest commercial jetliner made its inaugural visit to the United States, relying on a host of DuPont lightweight, high-performance materials to lift the first-ever, full-length twin-deck aircraft. The innovative materials include DuPont™ Kevlar® and Nomex® aramid fibers, Vespel® high-performance materials, Tefzel® fluoropolymer resin, Oasis® composite wire insulation, and Tedlar® PVF film.
SOLVAY SOLEXIS, a world leader in PVDF, will increase the production capacity for this specialty fluoropolymer, which it markets under the SOLEF® brand name. The new capacity expansion will increase Solvay Solexis' existing PVDF capacity at its plant in Tavaux (France) by some 30% and is scheduled to come on stream early in 2009. A number of key industries and applications such as chemicals, semiconductors, oil & gas and pipes&fittings are driving growth, as SOLEF® PVDF provides a unique combination of chemical, mechanical and processing properties to meet the growing and more stringent requirements of such industries. In addition, several promising new SOLEF® PVDF applications are developing rapidly in other high-end markets, such as environmental technologies - with membranes for water purification or key components in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
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