Appliance Design - August 2007 - (Page 30)

PLASTICS The Iomega Corp. uses RTP’s carbonnanotube compounds in part because of its consistent electrical resistivity and its cleanliness standards. San Diego. The company, which makes To date, work with storage and network security solutions, nanotubes has been limuses the conductive material in its REV ited by cost. In the past, Backup Drive and removable REV prices have reached about disk that secures critical data for easy $500 a pound, but prices are recovery. dropping. Bryant says some The REV product family was initial patents on nanotubes initially introduced in 2004 and have expired and competition a second-generation REV drive has increased. With dropping was introduced in 2007. To date, prices, many experts believe that Iomega has sold approximately nanotube technology is set to dra300,000 REV drives and 1.5 matically increase. million REV disks. The RTP Co. In May, RTP Company introcustomized a high-impact RTP 300 duced several new carbon-nanoSeries PC CNT compound for the original tube-based compounds that are spes e c - REV disk that met difficult application chalcifically engineered for electrical applitions, and now it lenges, including consistent electrical resistivcations, specifically for dealing with can be either electrically con- ity. Now, with the new reformulated electrical electrostatic discharge (ESD) concerns. ductive or static dissipative,” Bryant says. grade compounds, RTP Company was able Seven different resin systems are available, to deliver a CNT product for the second genincluding those for use with polycarbonate eration REV drive that was optimized to meet (PC), polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and Eliminating residual voltage Bryant says the uniformity of the carbon Iomega’s strict high purity cleanliness stanpolyetherimide (PEI). Bryant describes the carbon nanotubes nanotubes also helps to eliminate residual volt- dards for low particle generation while simulas resembling an extremely tiny steel wool age, or “hot spots” as Bryant calls these areas of taneously offering cost improvements. pad that has been broken up. Measuring 10 extreme electrical conductivity. Carbon fiber nanometers or less in diameter, these fibers residing on the surface of the plastic can be Novel nano of conductive graphite, when properly dis- conductive, almost metal like. They can build Research and development of nanotubes persed, make up a fine network of wires inside up charges and also bleed off the charges, but is ongoing at many other companies and the plastic to carry the electrical charges away if the charge is bled off to quickly there can be research facilities. NaturalNano, Rochester, a corona event, an electrical arcing. The size N.Y., is moving forward with its own nanofrom the part and keep it neutral. And, like other nanocomposites, the load- and uniformity of the nanotubes, says Bryant, tube recipe. In June, the company says it sucings are small. In a typical, carbon-fiber mate- eliminates this problem. cessfully tested its Pleximer product using The ESD properties was one of the com- high loadings of halloysite nanotubes in a rial, the filler loading is often in the 10 percent to 20 percent weight range in order to get the pound’s selling points for the Iomega Corp., variety of polymers. At HNT concentrations electrical properties needed. With as high as 20 percent, the matenanotubes, the same properties rial showed a storage modulus that can be achieved at greatly reduced was 10 times higher than that of the loadings. The actual weight perpolymer alone, says Cathy Fleischer, centages are proprietary, says president and CTO of NaturalNano. Bryant, adding that they are under The company has entered into 5 percent by weight and most of joint development agreements with them are significantly less. (See some plastics’ manufacturers, most chart, Percolation Curve.) recently with Cascade Engineering, At these loads, the nanotubes a developer and manufacturer of do not affect the plastics’ desired plastics products. properties. By contrast, the adding And, researchers at the University of carbon fiber typically reduces of Virginia have developed carbon the plastic’s flexibility, lowers the nanotubes that they say will unite Izod impact strengths, and changproperties of plastics and metals in es the shrinkage rate of the plastic. a new ultra-lightweight, conduc“With the low loading of nanotive material that “may revolutiontubes, you still have easily molded ize electromagnetic shielding and properties and can fill very thin A transmission-electron-microscope (TEM) image of SolVin more,” says engineering professor NanoVin material showing the dispersion of nanoclay particles around the larger PVC grains. 30 applianceDESIGN August 2007 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Appliance Design - August 2007

Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch A Reed Switch is Simople, yet Versatile, and Designers are Finding New Uses for this Time-Tested Technology A Novel Actuation and Sensing Technology can Register a Light Touch, but Resist Blows from a Hammer Tracing the Source of Noise is Made Easier with Noise Source Identification Methods Appliance Noise can be Annoying, but Designers have Many Material Choices to Help Rein in the Racket Nanocomposites are No Longer a Technology for the Future. These Plastic Materials are Already on the Job A New High-Strength, Low-Density Glass-Microsphere Additive can Improve Plastic Part and Molding Performance A New Electromagnetic Weld/Bonding Process Helps Ensure Long-Term Integrity of Joints in Plastic Parts Snap-Based Technology Eases Installation and Makes Products More Serviceable Two-Part Silicone Adhesives Provide a Rapid-Cure Alternative to Traditional One-Part Silicones Classified DesignMart Advertiser’s Index Association Report: GAMA

Appliance Design - August 2007

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