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PLASTICS NEWS REPORT
Published: April 3, 2014 11:21 am ET
Updated: April 3, 2014 11:24 am ET
Keynote speakers at Antec, the upcoming Society of Plastics Engineers conference, will look to the future of nanocomposites, sustainability and technology.
Antec is scheduled for April 28-30 in Las Vegas, at the Rio All-Suites Hotel. The keynote speeches take place each day of the conference.
Ica Manas-Zloczower, a professor of advanced materials and energy at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, will talk about challenges in nanocomposites, which have received attention for their mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. He will evaluate methods to characterize the state of the nanomaterials’ dispersion of fillers in polymer composites, at different length scales. That gives researchers a look at the potential of applying fundamentals of mixing technology to tailor properties in the end product.
Robert Maughon, a global research and development director at Dow Chemical Co. of Midland, Mich., will outline work by Dow’s Performance Plastics Division to develop sustainable polyolefins. He will talk about issues of sustainability such as the life cycle and integrating knowledge of production, processing, use and end-of-life.
Donald V. Rosato, president of consulting group PlastiSource Inc. of Concord, Mass., will take a look forward into a 21st century plastics age. Rosato will focus on current technical market trends, material advances, processing technologies and applications. He will look at a wide range of issues, such as like automotive weight savings, barrier packaging, green buildings, electrical/electronic devices, medical plastics, bioplastics, alternative energy, conductive polymers, high-heat materials, specialty additives and nanopolymers. | |
