Historically,
residential housing has led the economy into and out of recessions. Look to an
increase in new housing builds as a leading indicator that the recession is
near an end.
Last
July, Covington, KY-based Ashland Inc. acquired the pressure-sensitive adhesive
(PSA) and atmospheric emulsions businesses of Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Allentown, PA.
ASI recently spoke with Marcello Boldrini, vice president
of Global Product Management at Ashland Performance Materials, to see how the
business has changed in the intervening months.
To microelectronic engineers, BCB stands for
benzocyclobutene, a polymeric material that combines bonding capability with
appropriate electronic properties for chip manufacturing. This base material -
more accurately known as biscyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-triene, or
1,2-dihydrobenzocyclobutene - is useful is because of its unusual
polymerization chemistry that rapidly forms other, more complex cyclic organic
structures.
Microencapsulation
technology offers ways to increase customer satisfaction through pre-coating
materials with adhesives or sealants that can then be activated at the time and
site of the specific application.
Zontec’s
Synergy 3000TM Statistical Process Control (SPC)
Software for Windows® and the Web allows manufacturers
to exercise total control over supplier quality.