Using additives to decrease vehicle weight
Milliken, Ghent, Belgium, developed an innovative and high performance reinforcing
agent, Hyperform HPR-803i and Hyperform HPN nucleating additives
for polyolefins. Hyperform HPR-803i enables automotive design-
ers to create parts that are up to 15% lighter without
compromising performance. It is added at a lower
rate than mineral fillers to polypropylene (PP) com-
pounds, to lower their density. HyperformHPR-803i
compounds are suitable for injection molding oper-
ations originally designed for talc-filled compounds,
simplifying testing requirements and reducing imple-
mentation costs. PP compounds reinforced with HPR-803i main-
tain their mechanical properties even after multiple recycling and compounding
operations. Part surface appearance can also be improved, and HPR-803i lets processors
reduce pigment usage while still meeting color requirements. Scratch appearance is im-
proved, which allows for further optimization.
www.millikenchemical.com.
Nickel implants pose no health threat
Nickel-titanium alloys are increasingly used for cardiovascular implants in minimally in-
vasive surgery. Once implanted, these alloys can release small amounts of nickel due to cor-
rosion. There is a concern that, over time, this could lead to nickel contamination in the
patient’s body, potentially causing health
problems. However, scientists at Friedrich
Schiller University Jena, Germany, found
that the release of nickel from wires made
of nickel-titanium alloys is very low and
decreases over longer periods.
Fine wires from a superelastic nickel-
titanium alloy applied in the form of oc-
cluders (medical implants used to
correct a defective cardiac septum) were
examined. Wire samples, which under-
went different mechanical and thermal
pretreatment, were exposed to highly
purified water and the nickel release
over predefined time intervals was ex-
amined. Depending on the material’s pretreatment, considerable amounts of nickel may
be released due to the mechanical strain of the implant during surgery for the first few
days or weeks after. “In the long run, however, the nickel release decreases to amounts
of a few nanograms per day and is hence far below the amount of nickel that we absorb
anyway through our food on a daily basis,” says Prof. Andreas Unidisz.
For more informa-
tion: Andreas Undisz, 49 3641-947768,
andreas.undisz@uni-jena.de,
www.uni-jena.de.
Electronics in extreme environments
Ionix Advanced Technologies Ltd., a spin-out
company from the University of Leeds, UK, re-
ceived funding from IP Group plc. to accelerate
commercialization of devices based on high-tem-
perature piezoelectric materials developed by the
university. Piezoelectric technology, which converts
environmental physical forces into electricity, is
used in everything from sonar to industrial sensors
to ultrasound scans in pregnancy. The new materi-
als work in extreme conditions such as high tem-
news
industry
briefs
IBC Advanced Alloys Corp.,
Vancouver, signed a nonbinding
memorandum of understanding
(MOU) with
Nu-Cast Inc.,
Londonderry, N.H., to collaborate
on new beryllium-aluminum
investment casting projects and
opportunities, initially for the
aerospace sector. The MOU
outlines a framework for
increasing manufacturing capacity
and improving production
efficiencies of IBC’s proprietary
near-net-shape beryllium-
aluminum castings. The parties will
also focus on joint business
development initiatives aimed at
increasing market share for IBC’s
castings, which offer significant
cost savings and improved delivery
times compared to existing
production methods.
www.ibcadvancedalloys.com,
www.nu-cast.com.
The new
Paläon Schöningen
research and experience center,
Germany, has a reflecting facade
that mirrors the surrounding
countryside.
ThyssenKrupp
Plastics
supplied roughly 4500 m
2
of ALUCOBOND panels with a
special mirror finish for the
building, which opened in June
2013. Panels were installed using
a special adhesive and rivet
technique to make the skin of the
Paläon appear like an oversize
mirror. ALUCOBOND is a strong yet
flexible material consisting of two
aluminum face sheets and a
polymer core. It is extremely
weatherproof, impact resistant,
and vibration damping.
www.thyssenkrupp.com.
The unusual design of the
Paläon with ALUCOBOND
panels won the 2013 German
Facade Award for rainscreen
cladding.
M
ETALS
P
OLYMERS
C
ERAMICS
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES •
APRIL 2014
8
An occluder made of a nickel-titanium alloy
used to correct a defective cardiac septum.
Quanex Building Products Corp.,
Hous-
ton, signed a purchase agreement to sell
its interest in
Nichols Aluminum LLC,
a
wholly owned subsidiary, to
Aleris,
Beachwood, Ohio, for $110 million in a
cash transaction subject to customary
regulatory approvals. Nichols has a long
history of producing flat-rolled alu-
minum sheet products for a number of
key industries across North America.
www.quanex.com.