Don Rosato

Dr. Donald V. "Don" Rosato serves as president of PlastiSource, Inc. a prototype manufacturing, technology development and marketing advisory firm located in Concord, Massachusetts. He has written extensively, developed numerous patents within the polymer-related industries and is the author of the Vols. 1 & 2 "Plastics Technology Handbook".

Contact Don Rosato:

Articles by Don Rosato

• Nanotechnology: The new frontier for plastics

  Monday, August 20, 2018

  Not since the discovery of the silicon chip has there been this much excitement in the field of physics and material sciences. Innumerable universities have established nanocenters, with many receiving industrial funding and sponsorship, and a large number of these spawning nanomaterial-related entrepreneurial businesses spun out as the fruits of academic research. Private industry and governments around the world are investing billions of dollars, rushing to exploit the small world that has been defined as materials under 100 nanometers in size.

• Automotive lightweighting technologies from NAIAS 2018

  Monday, June 25, 2018

  The North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) is an annual, 6-day automotive trade show in Detroit focusing on the latest mobility innovations, including industry-shaping announcements, global reveals, and policy and industry conversation on an autonomous future. Many plastics technologies build forward and evolve out of this annual, early-year event. Let’s take a look and highlight some emerging plastics and related competitive to plastics technologies from the recent NAIAS 2018.

• Emerging plastics technologies highlighted at NPE and ANTEC shows

  Tuesday, May 29, 2018

  ​Recently, the global plastics industry community was welcomed to a great National Plastics Exposition (NPE) that took place May 7-11, along with the equally impressive ANTEC from May 7-10 in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center. Let’s highlight some emerging plastics technologies at NPE and ANTEC, starting with what’s leading the 3-D printing plastics revolution. In the traditional 3-D printing area of fused filament fabrication, novel open-source software has come to the forefront.

• 3-D printing plastic development highlights

  Monday, April 23, 2018

  ​3-D printing parts manufacturing is definitely coming of age in a way that's highly disruptive to traditional manufacturing. Global expenditures from the recent February ​Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo on desktop and industrial printers will grow from $12 billion in 2017 to $25 billion by 2022.

• Emerging bioplastic feedstock, material and application trends

  Monday, March 26, 2018

  ​New biomaterial technology trends that emphasize sustainability are advancing rapidly across the bioplastics supply chain. Let's take a look at some emerging bioplastic feedstock, material and application highlights from among other sources, the recent 2018 European Biopolymer Summit and World Bio Markets conferences.

• Emerging plastic packaging trends and technologies

  Monday, February 26, 2018

  ​The Packaging Conference — just held Feb. 5-7 in Orlando — is an annual event with a strong new business and emerging technology focus in the plastics packaging industry. Solution-based plastic barrier packaging technologies are being developed in an environment of increasing global legislation directives and regulatory trends.

• Demanding E&E developments from CES 2018

  Monday, January 29, 2018

  The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — just held Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas — is the world's top technology exhibition highlighting major new electrical and electronic developments. Continuous change is always the main feature of the electrical and electronics industries. Whether in the consumer electronics or telecommunications sector, companies must constantly evolve to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

• Best of plastics: 3-D printing

  Monday, October 31, 2016

  Although it's in its plastics industry end-use product infancy, 3-D printing is a disruptive, technology-driven innovation that will change the face of manufacturing in the coming years, provided additional plastic material development takes place.

• Best of plastics: Bioplastics

  Monday, October 24, 2016

  By way of an introduction definition, the term bioplastics is not limited to biodegradable or compostable plastics made from natural materials such as corn or starch. With its low cost and low toxicity, carbon dioxide is an attractive carbon feedstock for the synthesis of polymers.

• Best of plastics: Medical

  Monday, October 10, 2016

  The medical device industry is making important contributions to advances in healthcare, and this sector is characterized by a high level of innovation and intense competition. One of the interesting aspects of research and development within the medical devices field is the coupling of diverse biomedical and engineering disciplines.

• Best of plastics: Barrier packaging

  Monday, September 26, 2016

  Value and health are currently driving barrier technology in food packaging. Increasingly busy lifestyles are reflected in growing consumer demands for convenience foods, ready meals and eating "on the go," resulting in high growth in food packaging.

• Best of plastics: Electrical and electronics

  Monday, September 12, 2016

  Manufacturers in the various electrical/electronic (E/E) sectors can choose from an enormous and versatile range of plastics to meet every requirement. Depending on the electronic component or device, designers choose plastics for their rigidity or flexibility, toughness/durability, resistance to low or high voltage and their electrical insulation or conductive qualities.

• The path forward in automotive lightweighting applications

  Monday, August 29, 2016

  Every car model that is launched over the coming years is expected to include lightweighting measures. Innovative materials together with new production methods and reinforcing structures will play an important role in reducing vehicle weight. Lower vehicle weight not only improves fuel efficiency but also reduces the load on the brakes and suspension systems.

• Emerging automotive lightweighting materials and processes

  Monday, August 15, 2016

  Every car model that is launched over the coming years is expected to include lightweighting measures. Mazda, for example, has set a goal to reduce the curb weight of all its new model cars by 15 percent (up to 220 pounds per car), through material replacement and engineering, redesigning features and shrinking parts dimensions. The company also plans to improve its global corporate fuel-economy average by 30 percent.

• Automotive lightweighting trends on the move

  Monday, August 01, 2016

  Auto lightweighting goals are driven by changes in government regulations for fuel emissions, ongoing global warming concerns, fluctuating fuel prices, the development of electric vehicles and other fuel systems, and spiraling car weight increases caused by the continual addition of car features. This article, the first of a three-part series about automotive lightweighting, focuses on key plastic materials, process technologies, and applications to take note of.

• Developing plastics manufacturing cell automation applications

  Monday, July 18, 2016

  Production cell applications that increase manufacturing efficiency are central to modern plastics manufacturing automation. To respond effectively to the challenges of global competition, plastics processors are increasingly realizing that lean manufacturing is a necessary component, and manufacturing cells are an important strategic tool.

• Automated plastics process manufacturing takes center stage

  Friday, July 01, 2016

  Plastics processing information exchange in the internet age has spawned interesting evolutionary development in plastics manufacturing oriented automation networks. The integration of plastics processing equipment — both auxiliary equipment as well as primary processing machines — into a company-operated intranet and/or internet offers a number of possibilities. Automation improves monitoring and control of manufacturing processes in a plastics processing plant, as well as provides for the universal exchange of data and other information.

• Plastics manufacturing automation trends rapidly expanding

  Monday, June 20, 2016

  The business dynamics of plastics manufacturing automation technologies are rapidly advancing. Trends in labor and energy are having a fundamental impact on plastics processors businesses. To effectively compete internationally and defend/expand established markets, high-wage processors must automate production to increase the productivity and economic efficiency of their operations and keep wages in a competitive range.

• Advanced MIM applications complementary to injection molding

  Monday, June 06, 2016

  Metal injection molding (MIM) relies on a thermoplastic polymer blend filled with about 60 percent by volume of a small metal powder. This mixture of polymer and powder is injection molded to form a complex shape. Once molding is completed, the polymer (binder) is extracted, and the small powder is sintered.

• Advanced MIM electronic materials and processing

  Monday, May 23, 2016

  Within the field of advanced metal injection molding (MIM) technology, aluminum MIM thermal management for electronics is a major focus for materials and process development. Even the best-designed most dependable electronic device can fail if it overheats. Electronic component suppliers estimate that device failure rate doubles for every 10 degrees C rise in junction temperature. Thus, if the waste heat generated inside an electronic device package is not removed, the reliability of the device is severely compromised.

• Metal injection molding technical marketing basics

  Monday, May 09, 2016

  Metal injection molding (MIM) offers a manufacturing capability for producing complex shapes in large quantities. The process utilizes fine metal powders typically less than 20 micrometers in diameter, which are custom formulated with a binder made of various thermoplastics, waxes and other materials, converted into a feedstock that is granulated and then fed into multiple cavities of a conventional metal injection molding machine.

• SPE plenary session: The state of the plastics industry

  Monday, May 02, 2016

  There's a new plenary session concept for SPE's ANTEC Indianapolis 2016: an editor's panel composed of leading industry trade magazine editors called "State of the Plastics Industry: Outlook for 2016 and Beyond." Editors have unique viewpoints from which to identify and analyze industry trends — and, being "word people," they're good at describing them. They'll comment on various questions about where the industry is headed and challenges it faces.

• Barrier packaging applications to watch

  Monday, April 25, 2016

  Barrier developments in food packaging are expected to greatly help reduce food waste to better feed a growing world population. Approximately 1.3 billion tons or one-third of the food produced around the world is lost or wasted on its way from the farm to the fork. In industrialized countries, 210 to 255 pounds of food still fit for consumption per person is simply thrown away each year.

• Barrier packaging: Novel material and process solutions

  Monday, April 11, 2016

  With new plastic barrier materials, let's start by taking a look at layered barrier film material comparisons. Depending on product sensitivity, it is vital to provide food packaging protection with proper barrier components to ensure product shelf life.

• Innovative plastic barrier packaging trends

  Monday, March 28, 2016

  Value and health are currently driving barrier technology in food packaging. Increasingly busy lifestyles are reflected in growing consumer demands for convenience foods, ready meals and eating "on the go," resulting in high growth in food packaging.

• The road ahead for innovative medical plastics packaging

  Monday, March 14, 2016

  Within the broad expanse of medical package development there are several simultaneous medical packaging challenges that always need to be taken into account. The development of innovative packaging starts with a complete understanding of the device or pharmaceutical, the packaging material and end-user requirements.

• Novel medical plastics packaging material and process advances

  Tuesday, March 01, 2016

  It is projected that ongoing medical packaging research and development will continue to produce sophisticated, technically advanced products. This includes smart films that absorb or emit various gases, films that incorporate antioxidants that are gradually diffused into the product, or ozone-emitting antibiotic film.

• Medical plastics packaging trends keep expanding

  Monday, February 15, 2016

  In terms of the future, experts say medical packaging will be dramatically different by the end of the next decade. Medical device and pharmaceutical packaging will become easier to use, less costly to produce and provide much better protection in the future.

• Innovative, advanced conductive polymer application development

  Monday, February 01, 2016

  Electrically conductive plastic got its industrial start by playing an important role in providing low-cost protection against electrostatic discharge or electromagnetic interference in miniaturized electronic devices. The use of electrically conductive polymers has experienced high growth over the past decade, with an increasing growth rate of 6.5 percent projected over the next five years. There are new, advanced conductive polymer applications currently in development that will define opportunities for new value-added plastics.

• Electrically and thermally conductive material/process innovations

  Monday, January 18, 2016

  Within a mixture of mature and simultaneously evolving technologies, there are numerous conductive polymer applied research projects underway throughout industry and universities for both base resins and new conductive additives/structures, including multilayer extrusion.

• Growing electrically conductive polymer market trends

  Monday, January 04, 2016

  By way of introduction, the global market for electrically conductive polymers was at $2.2 billion in 2012 and is forecast to grow to $3.4 billion by 2017 for a compound annual growth rate of 6.1 percent. Inherently conductive polymers (ICPs), still considered an "emerging" market, are expected to grow to 23 percent of the electrically conductive polymers market by 2017 for a compound annual growth rate of 16.4 percent versus 5.9 percent for conductive filled plastics.

• Bioplastic applications advancing new development routes

  Tuesday, December 15, 2015

  The bioplastics market based on "renewable carbon" is expanding from single-use compostables to durable applications with greater performance demands. The demand for renewable materials in durables is accelerating R&D to meet higher property requirements. Bio-based raw materials will shift to nonfood sources. New technologies will reduce manufacturing costs, and bring new bio-based products to market.

• Bioplastic materials and process advances on the move

  Monday, November 30, 2015

  Microbiologists, rather than materials scientists, are developing new plastic building blocks. To further enhance overall performance, and durability of bioplastics, additives, blends and alloys are increasingly used. The increasing number of biopolymers gives more choices for blend processing and will lead to more innovation.

• Rapidly expanding bioplastics production capacity trends

  Monday, November 16, 2015

  Interest in bio-based plastics is closely connected to the price of oil and is a key driver for demand of bio-based polymers. Government legislation and incentives are also strong drivers, and many companies have mandated increased use of "renewably sourced" materials in their products.

• Cutting-edge plastic electronic devices coming of age

  Monday, November 02, 2015

  E/E devices keyed to polymer-based technology are being developed for the nanophotonics market that could make computers and the Internet 100 times faster. Researchers at Samsung have discovered a method that could allow a single crystal of graphene to retain its electrical and mechanical properties across a large area. The process could allow graphene to be used at its full potential in future electronic devices.

• Plastic material and process advances define new E/E frontier

  Monday, October 19, 2015

  In commercial applications, polymer material and process development advances are pushing plastic properties in response to ongoing demand for smaller electronic devices that call for smaller, thinner electrical components in hotter environments at higher electrical frequencies. High flow grades permit more intricate, miniaturized parts in electronic applications. Part cost reduction and faster production cycle times are increasingly the new norm.

• Plastics advances pushing broad-based electrical device trends

  Monday, October 05, 2015

  The electrical and electronic (E&E) market ranks as the third-largest plastics end-use market, only exceeded in volume size by packaging and building and construction. Yet the E&E sector uniquely crosses over all of the 20 major plastics markets, namely packaging, building and construction, automotive, electrical and electronics, appliance, medical, consumer products, toy, recreation and leisure, furniture, office products, lawn and garden, marine and boat, aerospace, industrial, agriculture, waste management, government, export, and other and emerging.

• Solar energy expanding plastic application development

  Monday, September 21, 2015

  Financial incentives, government renewable energy targets and technology cost reductions remain the three forces driving the adoption of solar power. Photovoltaic (PV) energy devices produce electricity that requires little or no maintenance, causes no pollution and does not deplete natural resources. Let's take a look at a few new solar energy plastic application developments.

• Solar energy market-ready materials and processing

  Tuesday, September 08, 2015

  For polymer-based organic photovoltaic (PV) cells, scientists have long believed the key to high efficiencies rested in the purity of the cell's two domains, namely acceptor and donor. To improve cell efficiency, many researchers have focused on tweaking the backbones of existing donor and acceptor materials or on designing new ones.

• Solar energy trends pushing renewable energy forward

  Monday, August 24, 2015

  Most people no longer ask whether solar energy/photovoltaics (PV) will be a success, the question is now rather which forms of PV will be successful. PV will become cost competitive with a significant portion of new total electricity generation worldwide by 2020. The total global installed PV capacity is fast approaching 100 gigawatts (GW) — up from 1.5 GW in 2000 to 92 GW at mid-year 2015.

• The ever-expanding road ahead in wind energy applications

  Monday, August 10, 2015

  Wind energy provides significant growth opportunities for composite plastic materials. The global market for composite materials in wind turbine production is projected to reach $4.7 billion by the end of 2015. Carbon fiber and other advanced composites are expected to play an increasing role in wind blade production, owing to the expansion of offshore installations and the adoption of larger-scale turbines that call for stiffer and lighter materials.

• Plastic materials and processing advancing wind energy

  Monday, July 27, 2015

  The vast majority of the total tonnage used in wind turbine blade manufacturing are glass fiber and thermoset (primarily epoxy and vinyl ester) resins. Let's take a look at new wind energy resin/fiber material, processing and testing advances. The increasing size of wind turbine blades poses a big challenge to designers and engineers to design lightweight structures that meet the requirements in terms of stiffness and, predominantly, fatigue.

• Plastics technology revitalizing wind energy trends

  Monday, July 13, 2015

  In wind energy, the trend is to create larger and lighter blades to capture more wind and lower rotational inertia. New technology is being developed to build enormous turbine blades, while also eliminating the need for molds and the transportation problems typical with large blades.

• Automotive lightweighting drives plastics applications

  Monday, June 29, 2015

  ​Every car model that is launched in the coming years is expected to include lightweighting measures. Mazda, for example, has set a goal to reduce the curb weight of all its new model cars by 15 percent (up to 220 pounds per car), through material replacement and engineering, redesigning features and shrinking parts dimensions. The company is also planning to improve its global corporate fuel economy average by 30 percent by this year.

• Automotive lightweighting drives plastic materials and processes

  Monday, June 15, 2015

  Innovative materials together with new production methods and reinforcing structures will play an important role in reducing automotive vehicle weight. Lower vehicle weight not only improves fuel efficiency but also reduces the load on the brakes and suspension systems.

• Automotive lightweighting trends drive plastics technology

  Monday, June 01, 2015

  The global shifts in automotive manufacturing haven't slowed plastics innovation and the adoption of new plastic materials. In 2006, Japan passed the U.S. to become the world's largest car manufacturer. This position changed again when in 2009 when China overtook Japan for this top position with a current 35 percent market share in vehicles produced, while U.S. production has gone to 25 percent in the last five years.

• Highlighting barrier packaging application developments

  Monday, May 18, 2015

  Safety, convenience and quality drive food packaging technology. Increasing demands for fresh packaged food, consumer convenience and manufacturers' concern for longer shelf life are driving the market for global advanced barrier-packaging technology for the food and beverage market.

• Compostable high-barrier packaging material highlights processing advances

  Monday, May 04, 2015

  Plastic barrier packaging technology is driven by safety, convenience and quality. Growing demand for convenience foods and "ready meals" created by busier lifestyles and increased disposable income are reflected in high growth in food packaging. Food-purchasing decisions are based on taste and appearance, as well as convenience, making excellent barrier quality to maintain product freshness vital in food packaging. No. 1 with the public is food safety, and active or barrier packaging that can help prevent spoilage or contamination is in strong demand.

• NPE 2015 end-use regulatory impact review: Green building

  Monday, April 27, 2015

  ​The National Plastics Exposition (NPE) recently took place March 23-27 in Orlando, Florida. Let's go behind the scenes and take a look from a plastics engineering standpoint at some of the regulatory impacts in key plastics end-uses and related technologies.

• NPE 2015 end-use regulatory impact review: Food labeling/packaging

  Monday, April 20, 2015

  The National Plastics Exposition (NPE) recently took place March 23-27 in Orlando, Florida. Let's go behind the scenes and take a look from a plastics engineering standpoint at some of the regulatory impacts in key plastics end-uses and related technologies.

• Innovative technology drives barrier packaging trends

  Monday, April 20, 2015

  Despite being costly, plastic barrier packaging has established itself in the food and beverage sector because it can prevent oxygenation and thus degradation of contents. It is being used to increase shelf life, protect flavor profiles and maintain food appearance without adding preservatives.

• NPE 2015 end-use regulatory impact review: Automotive lightweighting

  Monday, April 13, 2015

  The National Plastics Exposition (NPE) recently took place March 23-27 in Orlando, Florida. Let's go behind the scenes and take a look from a plastics engineering standpoint at some of the regulatory impacts in key plastics end-uses and related technologies.

• Smart polymer applications entering mainstream markets

  Monday, March 16, 2015

  Properties inherent in shape memory polymers (SMP) and other smart polymers have the potential to be game-changers across many industries. In the automotive field, these advanced materials may eventually lead to vehicle subsystems that can self-heal in the event of damage, or that can be designed to change color or appearance.

• Innovative smart polymer material and process advances on the rise

  Monday, March 02, 2015

  Key to the development of smart polymers is our growing understanding of the world at the molecular level — and our ability to manipulate it at that level, too. Smart polymers engineered for special qualities and capable of interacting with the larger environment serve purposes from helping/protecting us to conserving energy

• Broad-based emerging trends in smart polymers

  Monday, February 16, 2015

  In the past century, polymers served elementary functions, such as being structural, insulative or optical. In the new millennium, polymers are increasingly intelligent and capable of adapting to their environment. Smart polymers ensure optimization of their characteristics or that of the system of which they are a part.

• Innovative medical plastic applications breaking into new areas

  Monday, February 02, 2015

  The U.S. market for the medical sector is the largest and most sophisticated in the world. As a rule of thumb, the U.S. medical device market and most of its segments represent about half of the world market (the European market representing 25 percent).

• Medical plastic material and process innovations to watch

  Monday, January 19, 2015

  Plastic products designed for applications in medical technology have to meet a number of special criteria. Typically, excellent mechanical properties are required, even in components with small dimensions and wall thicknesses.

• Global medical plastics device trends keep expanding

  Tuesday, January 06, 2015

  The medical device industry is making important contributions to advances in healthcare. The sector is characterized by a high level of innovation and intense competition. One of the interesting aspects of research and development within the medical devices field is the coupling of diverse biomedical and engineering disciplines.

• Energy-saving, high-tech plastics applications in green building

  Monday, December 15, 2014

  In the U.S., demand for green building materials — products that contribute to LEED credits — are expanding 13 percent yearly and are currently generating sales of more than $70 billion annually.

• Disruptive plastic products rapidly emerging in green building field

  Monday, December 01, 2014

  Green building technology redefines how we make and live in buildings. From a plastics material and processing perspective, we can both reduce a building's energy consumption and simultaneously provide for a building's energy production. These plastic material and process advances "disrupt" an existing market by displacing earlier technology. Let's delve into some emerging green building technologies that involve plastic material and processing aspects.

• Green building regulatory trends drive plastics use

  Monday, November 17, 2014

  The construction and operation of buildings has a significant impact on the environment. In the U.S., buildings account for 39 percent of total energy consumption and 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Buildings also use a tremendous amount of natural resources to construct and operate.

• Bioplastic applications rapidly developing across major markets

  Monday, November 03, 2014

  The bioplastics industry is experiencing a sense of arrival confirmed by a growing volume and variety of applications from disposable packaging to durable goods. Bioplastics are no longer viewed as a mere fad, a "green" public relations stunt or a feel-good ecoluxury. They are proving to be legitimate tools of the plastics industry.

• Highlights of bioplastic material and process building blocks

  Monday, October 20, 2014

  The chemical industry relies heavily on traditional sources of carbon — oil, natural gas, coal and biomass. These four substances are the starting point for around 40 basic chemicals and more than 40,000 chemical products. With its low cost and low toxicity, carbon dioxide is an attractive carbon feedstock for the synthesis of polymers, especially polycarbonates and polyurethanes that are primarily based on the condensation of highly toxic phosgene and aromatic or aliphatic diols.

• Bioplastics trends and drivers for greener plastics

  Monday, October 06, 2014

  By way of an introduction definition, the term bioplastics is not limited to biodegradable or compostable plastics made from natural materials such as corn or starch. Bioplastics is also applied to petroleum-based plastics that are degradable; natural-based plastics that are not necessarily biodegradable; and plastics that contain both petroleum-based and plant-based materials that may biodegrade or not. Bioplastics are distinguished as bio-based and/or biodegradable.

• Bright future for plastics in electronic devices

  Monday, September 22, 2014

  The road ahead for plastics has the potential to significantly impact future electronic device applications. In commercial applications, polymer development is pushing plastic properties in response to ongoing demand for smaller electronic devices that call for smaller, thinner electrical components in hotter environments at higher electrical frequencies.

• E/E plastic material and process advances to watch

  Monday, September 08, 2014

  Convergence among computer, consumer electronics and telecom industries continue to blur the lines between information, entertainment and communication. Electrical and electronic (E/E) applications polymer development is pushing plastic resin properties. This is in response to ongoing demand for smaller electronic devices where high heat and high-flow grades permit more intricate, miniaturized parts in electronic applications.

• Legislation and performance requirements define electronic device trends

  Monday, August 25, 2014

  Manufacturers in the various electrical/electronic (E/E) sectors can choose from an enormous and versatile range of plastics to meet every requirement. Depending on the electronic component or device, designers choose plastics for their rigidity or flexibility, toughness/durability, resistance to low or high voltage and their electrical insulation or conductive qualities. Ease of fabrication into complex shapes can also be a requirement for E/E applications.

• Emerging food-packaging barrier applications to watch

  Monday, August 11, 2014

  Barrier developments in food packaging are expected to greatly help reduce food waste to better feed a growing world population. Approximately 1.3 billion tons — or one-third of the food produced around the world each year — is lost or wasted on its way from the farm to the fork.

• Green plastic barrier packaging material and process advances

  Monday, July 28, 2014

  Modern innovations have made it possible to keep food fresh for a much longer time without changing the taste or aroma. Here is a look at some of the recent trends.

• Technology and market drivers in plastic barrier packaging

  Monday, July 14, 2014

  Food and beverage packaging together comprise 55 percent of the $550 billion value of packaging in the global marketplace. Food processing and packaging industries spend an estimated 15 percent of the total variable costs on packaging materials.

• Wind energy applications — the promising road forward

  Monday, June 30, 2014

  Wind energy continues to provide major growth opportunities for plastic composites — the industry will reach $4 billion by the end of 2014. The adoption of larger-scale turbines and the expansion of offshore installations that call for stiffer and lighter blades are important to the use of lightweight, strength-to-weight plastic composites.

• Wind energy processing technologies steadily advancing

  Monday, June 16, 2014

  Wind energy designs increasingly depend on plastics processing and design technologies. Plastic parts and components are extensively used in all major sectors of wind energy, and processing developments in blade manufacturing and service are advancing rapidly.

• Highlighting novel material advances in wind energy

  Monday, June 02, 2014

  Wind energy provides significant growth opportunities for advanced composite resin and reinforcement materials. Wind energy developments hold much promise to help meet the growing global energy demand, and innovations in plastics and composites will play a key role.

• Market and technology trends driving wind energy forward

  Monday, May 19, 2014

  Among the various sources of alternative energy, wind has the highest rate of return and is attracting new "players" into the energy sector, which is a key wind-energy market driver.

• Automotive lightweighting applications — the path ahead

  Monday, May 05, 2014

  Every car model that is launched in the coming years is expected to include lightweighting measures. Currently, 15 percent of the average car's total weight (360 pounds) is plastic material, and the use of plastics is accelerating.

• New applied automotive weight-saving process technologies

  Tuesday, April 22, 2014

  The average car contains 400 pounds of plastics or approximately 14 percent of its total weight, and it is accelerating in car manufacturing. Experts predict that these uses will more than double over the next five years. For example, Mazda has shaved 220 pounds from the curb weight of its Mazda2 over the previous model through material replacement and engineering, plastic process technology refinement, redesigning features and shrinking parts dimensions.

• Automotive lightweighting — Flash-forward material highlights

  Monday, April 07, 2014

  Automotive lightweighting with alternative plastic materials will remain an important technology trend into the foreseeable 2020-2025 time period. The lightweighting potential of every vehicle component is under investigation, and advanced plastics and plastic composites offer significant lightweighting potential.

• Automotive plastics lightweighting and environmental trend drivers

  Monday, March 24, 2014

  Auto-makers choose plastic parts for a multiplicity of performance features. Important characteristics include durability, chemical resistance, mechanical toughness, coloring and finishing ease, elasticity and light weight. Plastics have appreciably reduced the weight of the average passenger car, saving millions of gallons of gas yearly.

• Innovative solar energy applications point the way forward

  Monday, March 10, 2014

  Most people no longer ask whether solar energy will be a success, the question is rather which forms of photovoltaic (PV) technology and system types will be successful.

• Solar energy process technology developments to watch

  Monday, February 24, 2014

  System considerations such as reliability, overall energy production rate and competitiveness in the Levelized Cost of Energy are dominating solar energy or photovoltaic maturation as subsidized manufacturing is replaced by true grid parity.

• Back to the future with Ford bioplastics

  Monday, February 17, 2014

  Sustainability is a megatrend driving innovations in automotive plastics with bio-based plastics gaining increased acceptance in the automotive industry. The Ford Motor Company is at the forefront of this trend, touting numerous renewable products in its vehicles. In fact, Ford's interest in bioplastics goes all the way back to the company's early days.

• Solar energy electronic and plastic material advances

  Monday, February 10, 2014

  Most solar cells are commonly designed to operate outdoors for 25-plus years. A variety of films and plastic coatings have been developed to allow more flexible and mobile power systems to be built. These barrier layers protect against oxygen and water and are highly resistant to damaging ultraviolet light.

• Solar energy global market drivers and challenges

  Monday, January 27, 2014

  ​The worldwide solar energy or photovoltaic (PV) demand reached only 29 gigawatts (GW) last year, a 5 percent year-over-year increase. This is the first time in 10 years that the year-over-year PV industry market growth has been less than 10 percent. For supply and demand to have been balanced during 2012-13, end-market demand should have approached the 45 GW level. This overcapacity is having a significant effect on companies all along the supply chain as the industry consolidates.

• 3-D printing taking center stage in additive manufacturing

  Monday, January 20, 2014

  Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of joining materials to make objects from 3-D model data, usually in successive layers, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. The parts produced can be models, prototypes, tooling components, and increasingly, series production parts. They are generated from 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) data, medical scans, or data from 3-D scanning systems. Based on thin horizontal cross sections taken from a 3-D computer model, AM systems produce plastic, metal, ceramic, or composite parts, layer upon layer.

• Innovative medical plastic devices define the road ahead

  Monday, January 13, 2014

  Future medical device innovations are expected to center around six major technological areas.

• Medical plastic process developments take center stage

  Monday, January 06, 2014

  Plastics are integral to the entire medical industry's supply chain and their use is projected to surge as the population ages. As demand for smaller medical devices grows, innovative manufacturing technologies are being adopted to allow for production of ultra-precise designs. The medical device universe encompasses a particularly imposing spectrum of constant technological innovation, including hundreds of different technologies and thousands of types of products.

• Medical device plastic material innovations to watch

  Monday, December 16, 2013

  ​The medical device universe encompasses a particularly imposing spectrum of constant technological innovation, including hundreds of different technologies and thousands of types of products. This affords high performance specialty plastics material suppliers unique opportunities in medical device market development.

• Medical device market trends and the headwinds of change

  Monday, December 02, 2013

  The term "medical device" can be applied to a wide range of products. The global market is comprised of about 8,000 types of medical devices, ranging from simple bandages and spectacles, through life-maintaining implantable devices and equipment to screen/diagnose disease and health conditions, to the most sophisticated diagnostic imaging and minimally invasive surgery equipment.

• Greenbuild offers a glimpse of emerging green building trends

  Tuesday, November 26, 2013

  The U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the USGBC put on quite a show for attendees in Philadelphia. This year, 30,000 attendees from 90 countries came to Greenbuild, which featured 1,000 exhibitors and sponsors with green products and service innovations and 100 education sessions led by business, environmental and social leaders.

• Green-building applications: The road ahead

  Monday, November 18, 2013

  ​Growth in green-building material demand will outpace the growth of building construction expenditures as green materials continue to account for an increasing share of building materials used. In the U.S., demand for green-building materials is projected to expand 13 percent annually through 2015, generating sales of more than $70 billion.

• Fabricated green building products rapidly advancing

  Tuesday, November 05, 2013

  Green building technology redefines how we make and live in buildings. From a plastics processing standpoint, we can both reduce a building's energy consumption and simultaneously provide for a building's energy production.

• Emerging green building material technologies to watch

  Monday, October 21, 2013

  "Green building" is being transformed from a buzzword to a sophisticated approach using technology that redefines how we make and live in buildings that both reduce building energy consumption and provide for building energy production.

• Green building trends will drive plastics construction use

  Monday, October 07, 2013

  The construction and operation of buildings has a significant impact on the environment. In Europe and the U.S., buildings account for 40 percent of total energy consumption. Buildings also use a tremendous amount of natural resources to construct and operate. Green building, also known as green construction or sustainable building, refers to a structure and its operation that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life cycle.

• Electronic device applications — the road ahead

  Monday, September 23, 2013

  Stated simply, 20 percent of global electricity is consumed for lighting. The advent of light emitting diodes (LED) — only the fourth lighting technology in the history of humankind is transforming the lighting industry. Plastics are playing a key role in lighting alternatives as global requirements for energy efficient alternatives to incandescent light bulbs continue to tighten.

• Specialty processing techniques advancing electronic end-use development

  Thursday, September 12, 2013

  End-use electronic application plastic process development is responding to the ongoing need for smaller electronic devices that in turn call for smaller, thinner electrical components. Convergence among computer, consumer electronics and telecom industries continue to blur the lines between information, entertainment and communication.