DuPont expects to introduce in 2007 a family of thermoplastic nanocomposites that promise to open new opportunities for design and production of plastic parts delivering higher performance, lighter weight and increased moulding productivity. The new offerings will be targetted to automotive, electrical, electronic and industrial applications.

According to Dr Nandan Rao, vice president of Technology for DuPont Performance Materials, the new nanocomposites will be based on fundamental DuPont research on the behaviour of nanomaterials in polymers. He said DuPont is conducting research into nanomaterials that can offer unique properties, and is also developing better ways to disperse such nanomaterials in polymers.

“These nanocomposites are novel, yielding substantial improvements in key desirable properties. While the polymers and additive we are using are existing materials, the innovation lies in the proprietary process technology developed by DuPont scientists,” Dr Rao said. “With proper dispersion in a polymer, we have found that small amounts of a naturally occurring material form nanoscale reinforcement structures that can produce substantial improvements in mechanical properties, high-temperature properties, barrier properties and processing characteristics.”

An example of such performance benefits is in lighter weight plastic parts that do not sacrifice other critical properties. The DuPont process can be used to make an advanced glass-reinforced nanocomposite that demonstrates similar properties to conventional glass-reinforced PET, but with significantly less glass content, so the weight of plastic parts can be reduced with no loss of performance. This would offer significant advantages over conventional materials for automotive weight reduction, Dr Rao said.

DuPont’s interest in nanoscale materials is an extension of its extensive knowledge base in materials science and its applications. The nanostructure of materials has been recognised as a fundamental determinant of their properties long before nanoscale science and engineering was identified as a distinct field of study. However, the emergence of new tools and techniques for the measurement, characterisation and control of nanoscale features has given rise to many new opportunities. As with all new DuPont products, the company is committed to ensuring product safety and responsible product stewardship for these nanocomposite materials.

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