Polymers and Surface Coating

An industrial resin is a synthetic polymer which is has adhesive, film-forming or useful reactive properties. READ MORE...

The word fibreglass refers to any substance composed of glass fibres, usually held in a polymer resin matrix (base). However, fibreglass has also come to mean any similar fibrebased material, with fibres of various different substances. This material can be made to a variety of flexibilities, and is characterised by its strength and resistance to heat. It can also be made so that it is resistant to certain chemicals and to UV light, with these variations due to the original monomer mixture chosen. READ MORE...

Acrylics are polyesters based on acrylic acid (propenoic acid - CH2=CHCO2H) formed from the polymerisation of an alkyl acrylate ester. They are widely used in the surface coatings industry (e.g. in paints) as well as being used in sheet form because of the exceptional clarity and durability of the sheets. READ MORE...

Paints have been manufactured since prehistoric times, but until recently they were highly expensive and thus were mainly used for artwork. It is only since the nineteenth century that houses have commonly been painted. Today paints are used for colouring and protecting many surfaces, including houses, cars, road markings and underground storage vessels. Each of these different applications requires a different sort of paint, and it is these differences in composition that are the focus of this article. Paint is essentially composed of a binder, pigment and solvent. READ MORE...

Printing is widely used in our society to pass on information and to decorate objects. This has resulted in printing being used on many different surfaces ranging from aluminium cans and plastic bottles through to paper. Special inks have been developed for use in these different situations. READ MORE...

Cars need a surface coating to prevent them from rusting excessively. Currently, this surface coating is an electrocoat paint, i.e. a paint that is applied using an electrochemical reaction, rather than simply by dipping the car body into a vat of paint. READ MORE...

Polyurethane foam is the most widely used flexible foam plastic. It is used to produce a wide variety of items including thermal insulation and packaging materials, comfort cushions, bed mattresses, carpet backings and resilient floor coverings. READ MORE...

An adhesive is a material used for holding two surfaces together. An adhesive must wet the surfaces, adhere to the surfaces, develop strength after it has been applied, and remain stable.

Adhesion is a specific interfacial phenomenum. There are three main theories of adhesion: adsorption, electrical and diffusion. All probably apply to most adhesives. READ MORE...

Rubber has the properties of flexibility, strength and elasticity. Natural rubber is obtained from the rubber tree and is poly-cis-1,4-isoprene. Several kind of synthetic rubbers are also imported. READ MORE...

Three classes of polyethylene are imported into New Zealand for extruding into a wide variety of products. These are low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Pellets of these plastics are either imported or bought from local recycling companies, and are then extruded and blown to produce film. This film is used for packaging and making plastic bags. READ MORE...