CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — February 29, 2016 — Emerald Specialty Polymers, a business group of Emerald Performance Materials, has introduced Nychem® Poly4000 latex, a specialized waterborne, polybutadiene homopolymer for plastics impact modification and specialty adhesives.

The new product is the latest addition to the group’s line of Nychem latex emulsions and further expands the range of offerings into new application areas. Nychem Poly4000 is the softest polymer in the product line and can be used to modify the impact resistance of more brittle engineered thermoplastics, a new end-use application, and enhance low-temperature performance in applications such as adhesives.

Historically, Nychem® products have been used as saturants and in specialty coatings to improve the strength, abrasion and chemical resistance, as well as other performance characteristics of paper, non-woven and textile and industrial coatings. The company also provides the well-known line of Hypro® 100% reactive liquid polymers (RLPs) to enhance toughening and impact resistance of thermoset systems that are often used in structural adhesives, high-performance composites and industrial maintenance coatings.

“In the new plastics modification application, Nychem® Poly4000 acts similar to a shock absorber when used in a matrix of a more brittle polymer, diffusing stresses that can lead to cracking and failure. The latex may also be used to produce a core shell polymer,” said Dr. Jeffrey Mathys, R&D manager, Emerald Specialty Polymers. “For these applications, Nychem Poly4000 was optimized with a consistent particle size for greater control and latitude in engineering the polymer.”

Once impact-modified polymers have been synthesized with a Nychem Poly4000 butadiene rubber core, manufacturers can incorporate these materials into end uses such as thermoplastic elastomers, impact resistant plastics, hydrogels and other high-impact end uses. Nychem Poly4000 is also suitable for use in transparent materials.

According to Mathys, Emerald Specialty Polymers will continue to work with customers to explore and refine polymer properties using the business’s pilot-scale plant that was installed in 2013 at its ISO 9001-certified facility in Akron, Ohio. This will allow the group to continue tailoring the performance of Nychem Poly4000 for the needs of specific end uses, including specialty latex adhesives, which must exhibit characteristics such as high adhesive strength, low- temperature performance, oil and solvent resistance, and good adhesion to various substrates common to applications such as construction.

Emerald’s Nychem® specialty emulsions are used in a variety of industrial applications, including paper, abrasives, tape, adhesives, specialty coatings, coated fabrics, coal tar sealing binders and leather. For many decades, the line was sold under the Hycar® brand, which was one of the first synthetic latex offerings, known for its quality and superior technology foundation. Emerald rebranded the product line following the divestiture of the business from its predecessor company.

Today, Nychem products include nitrile, SB and ABS latex emulsions that provide a combination of properties superior to other polymers and that perform well in tough end-use environments. They offer superior grease, oil, fat and solvent resistance. They are also abrasion- and caustic-resistant, yet soft, elastic and resilient. Their performance features can be further enhanced through vulcanization and, in some cases, cross-linked through heat-reactive or carboxyl functional groups present in certain products.

Posted February 29, 2016

Source: Emerald Specialty Polymers

LOGAN, Utah — February 25, 2016 — A Utah State University researcher has taken a big step toward making a safer, more natural dye that can be used in the food, textile, cosmetic and other industries.

Dr. Jixun Zhan, an associate professor of biological engineering at USU, has secured a patent for an innovative method to produce the deep blue dye known as indigoidine. The tint was originally synthesized from a bacterial strain found in Rhode Island and offered a promising alternative to the synthetic dyes used to color jeans, leather, food, beverages and paper.

The bacterium itself, however, does not produce significant quantities of indigoidine, so Zhan proposed mimicking the organism’s biosynthetic machinery inside a heterologous host cell: E. coli. These mostly harmless bacteria can churn out significantly higher yields of the blue pigment and provide an efficient way to produce the dye without using synthetic compounds that could pose a threat to human health and the environment.

“In the original producing strain, there is only one copy of the biosynthetic gene that synthesizes the pigment,” said Zhan. “But in E. coli. we can make multiple copies of the gene and induce its expression under a stronger promoter.”

Zhan’s patent also includes the development of a new method to further process and purify the pigment before it’s ready for use – an important step when using the colorant in food and drinks. Business experts say the patent presents an exciting opportunity across several industries.

“The demand for natural dyes is growing rapidly,” said Christian Iverson, business development director for USU. “I’ve had a number of conversations with food and consumer product companies that are looking for natural dyes to replace some or all the synthetic chemical-based dyes currently in use – in particular blue.”

The invention is just the latest advancement Zhan and his team have made in the growing field of combinatorial biosynthesis. In other studies, Zhan is using bacteria as a heterologous host to produce natural, health-promoting compounds that are normally found in plants. In fact, it was his work on bioactive natural products that led Zhan to the indigoidine bacterium.

“We were interested in the biosynthesis of a compound called herboxidiene by this particular bacterium,” he said. “Herboxidiene is an anti-cholesterol compound that we have been working on with support from the American Heart Association. We sequenced the genome of this bacterium, and while we identified all the genes that are involved in herboxidiene biosynthesis, we also found a pathway that can synthesize indigoidine.”

Zhan says he’s confident manufacturers will see the added value of his natural dye process. He says today’s consumers are increasingly aware of the synthetic ingredients found in everyday products and are looking for natural substitutes wherever possible.

Posted February 29, 2016

Source: Utah State University, College of Engineering

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — February 24, 2016 — Fred L. Cook, known for his wide-ranging contributions to the fields of polymer/textile chemistry applied to sustainable developments in textile/carpet wet processes and novel fiber/materials innovations, is the 2015 recipient of the Olney Medal. The Olney Medal, the highest award presented by AATCC, is for outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science.

Cook’s work over the past 40 years has spanned a broad range of interests, pivoting around sustainable textile/carpet wet process developments and novel fiber/materials innovations.His pioneering work on energy-conservation and sustainable dyeing technologies is of major interest and practicality for the textile/carpet industries. Cook’s work has exemplified the importance of visionary thinking in turning ideas tested in the laboratory into practical products and processes.

Cook has been an actively participating member of AATCC since 1968. He has served the Association in many roles, helping to achieve significant milestones, including serving as AATCC President (2009-2010), serving on the AATCC Board of Directors, and chairing and serving on numerous research and administrative committees, including the Executive Committee on Research (ECR).

Cook chaired the 2011–2014 AATCC Five-Year Strategic Planning Committee, which charted the course for AATCC. Cook has also supported AATCC’s publications, serving as a reviewer for Textile Chemist and Colorist and AATCC Review. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the new AATCC Journal of Research and as has contributed papers to these publications. He has also served on the Editorial Boards of other industry-based and scientific publications, including Textile World, Textile Progress, and the Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics (JEFF). He has also been active as a consultant and/or expert witness to a variety of textile, polymer, utility companies, and law firms.

Presentation of the medal each year is a highlight of AATCC’s International Conference. This year, the conference will be held at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, VA, USA, from April 19-21, 2016. The Association will present the Olney Medal at the Awards Luncheon on April 21, 2016.

The Olney Medal

Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science.  The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll, and an honorarium.

Posted February 25, 2016

Source: AATCC, the Association of Textile, Apparel & Materials Professionals