International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 - (Page 63) Heat deflection is shown with the addition of DuPont nanomaterial to glass-reinforced PET. The company has entered into joint development agreements with some plastics’ manufacturers, most recently with Cascade Engineering, a developer and manufacturer of plastics products. And, researchers at the University of Virginia have developed carbon nanotubes that they say will unite properties of plastics and metals in a new ultra-lightweight, conductive material that “may revolutionize electromagnetic shielding and more,” says engineering professor Mool C. Gupta. The nanocomposite material is a mixture of plastic, carbon nanotubes and a foaming agent, making it extremely lightweight, corrosion-proof and cheaper to produce than metal. The carbon nanotubes play a key role in creating these unique properties, explained Gupta. Most notably, experiments revealed that only 1 percent to 2 percent of the material’s composition needed to be comprised of nanotubes to increase the electrical conductivity by 10 orders of magnitude. The addition of carbon nanotubes also increased the material’s thermal conductivity, improving its capacity to dissipate heat. After experimenting with adding metal powder to plastics without impacting the weight of the material significantly, Gupta turned to carbon nanotubes. With their ultra-small diameter, high aspect ratio, high mechanical strength, good electrical and thermal conductivity and lightweight, Gupta and his team found that carbon nanotubes had all of the properties necessary to accomplish the objective. “The long length and small diameter of carbon nanotubes forms an interconnectivity within the plastic that makes it electrically conductive,” says Gupta. “The structures work well for electromagnetic interference shielding. Once we reached this milestone, we began investigating ways to reduce the weight even further.” < STRENGTHEN YOUR POSITION Use articles from International Appliance Manufacturing to complement your sales, promotion, or educational programs. Reprints are a great way to strengthen your message. There are many ways in which companies are using reprints: with reprints from International Appliance Manufacturing Contact Jill DeVries for a price quote at 248-244-1726 or E-mail: devriesj@bnpmedia.com International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 The annual review of Household Appliance Design and Manufacturing. Reprints are available in 4-color or black & white in quantities of 500 or more. Take advantage of this cost effective way to spread the word about your company! Place your order today and receive a low resolution PDF for your website for FREE! International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 63
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