By Aric Yackly, business development manager, Stratasys For those of us who are old enough to have driven in the 1980s, we remember (without our rose-colored glasses on) that the fresh plastic interiors of the cars we drove changed from tough, bright, glossy colors to brittle and sun-faded over a shorter period of time than we’d have hoped for. That is just a quick … [Read more...] about The Mirrored Evolution of Crosslinked Photopolymers for 3D Printing
Polymers
Incorporation of Carbon Nanotubes into UV-Polymerizable Formulations, Part 2
In the last issue of UV+EB Technology, we began a discussion about the preparation of nanocomposites made by incorporating carbon nanotubes into UV-polymerizable formulations. 1 That article covered the experimental techniques used by students at the University of Houston-Downtown 2 to determine how well single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were dispersed (exfoliated) in an … [Read more...] about Incorporation of Carbon Nanotubes into UV-Polymerizable Formulations, Part 2
Making Strides with UV-Curable Composites and Thermosets
By Liz Stevens, writer, UV+EB Technology More companies are moving to UV-curable composites, leaving behind prior curing methods. UV curing can yield significant savings during processing, can make the production process safer for workers, can open up manufacturing flexibility to include 3D-printing options and can widen the range of usable resin formulations. UV+EB … [Read more...] about Making Strides with UV-Curable Composites and Thermosets
Intermolecular Attractive Forces: The Key to Understanding Polymer Properties, Part 2
In this edition of “Professor’s Corner,” a discussion of Intermolecular Attractive Forces is continued. In Part 11, the subject was introduced, and London Dispersion Forces (LDFs) were discussed. These are the forces of attraction exhibited by all atomic, ionic or molecular materials, even those that are completely non-polar. In this edition, we will look at the attractive … [Read more...] about Intermolecular Attractive Forces: The Key to Understanding Polymer Properties, Part 2
Intermolecular Attractive Forces: The Key to Understanding Polymer Properties, Part 1
To understand the nature of solids and liquids, the forces of attraction holding the component atoms, molecules and/or ions together must be considered. Without these forces, only gases would be possible, and the universe would be a very different place. So, for solids and liquids to exist at all, gaseous species must have the inherent ability to attract one another strongly … [Read more...] about Intermolecular Attractive Forces: The Key to Understanding Polymer Properties, Part 1