The monthly roundup from Editor Teresa McPherson.
This month I had the
opportunity to visit the new Technology Center LANXESS has built at its North
American headquarters in Pittsburgh.
The 10,000-square-foot facility is home to North American labs for the
Technical Rubber Products, Material Protection Products and Functional
Chemicals business units. Products offered include dyes, organic and inorganic
pigments, and materials that protect glues and adhesives from microbial decomposition.
Find out more in “A New Spin.”
A fascinating technology now being used in adhesives and sealants formulation
is ionic liquids. Ionic liquids are salt-based fluids that, unlike most, are
liquid at room temperature. They can provide numerous opportunities for the
chemical industry and, specifically, adhesives and sealants formulation. The
BASF Intermediates Operating Division was the first business to offer a
commercial process for ionic liquids: BASIL
TM
technology. The BASIL technology involves ionic liquids, and solves a common
problem in many production processes: the removal of acids that are formed as
byproducts. Find out more about ionic liquids and how they can be used in “Ionic
Times.”
We’d like to know how you’re using ionic liquids - how familiar is your company
with ionic liquids? Do you have plans to use them in future R&D? Drop
me a line at
mcphersont@bnpmedia.com.
This month’s issue incorporates our
ASI
End User section, targeting electrical/electronic applications. The section
kicks off with an article titled “Cost of Lead Free Solder Materials.”
Developed by IPC’s (Association Connecting Electronics Industries
®)
Solder Products Value Council, the article discusses metals costs, density vs.
volume of lead free and tin lead solders, and manufacturing challenges, and
then applies these issues to solder paste, solder bar and ingot, and cored
solder wire.
Finally, “RoHS Compliance and Pb-Free Capability: One and the Same?” examines
the difference between RoHS compliance and Pb-free capability.
Correction
In the May article “Corona Surface Treatments and Bonding with Silicone Adhesives,” Figure 1 should be attributed to the Primers section of the article. Figure 3 (right) should be attributed to the Silicone Adhesives section of the article.
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