Challenges and the Future Growth of

Polymer ProductsPolymer EngineeringPolymer Processing

Polymer Science

Prof. Gostas G. Gogos New Jersey Institute of Technology and the Polymer Processing Institute

Chinese Polymer Processing Conference20 September 2007

That’s the Culprit!

• Used by South American Natives – Discovered During Globalization 1.0

• Immense Technological Consequences

Hebea Braziliensis - Latex

• 1492 (Columbus’ 1st Voyage) – 1800: Opening trade between the New and Old Worlds

• World from size Large to size Medium• Who? Colonizing European Countries • How? Innovative utilization of horse, wind and

steam (Coal) Power• Q: Where does my country (and I) fit into Global

competition and opportunities? T. Friedman, “The World is Flat”, 2005

Globalization 1.0

The Start of “Rubber Age”

• In the Beginning … a Cottage Industry• Growing Applications and Demand: Unique

Properties; New Material• Establishment Rubber Tree Plantations in

Portuguese Brazil: 25T 1830 – 6,000T 1860• Breakthroughs: Hankock (UK); Goodyear (US)

• Faraday Empirical (C5H8); Priestley coined the name “Rubber” – No clue that it was a polymer

No knowledge that natural rubber is a Polymer

“Stove-top”, Edisonian

Chemistry leads to NR

Vulcanization

Masticator: “Pickle” & Sulfur Mixer by Thomas Hancock

Charles Goodyear

Globalization 2.0

• 1800 (J. Watt) – 1990’s: From the Industrial Revolution and beyond

• World from size Medium to size Small• Who? White Multi-nationals: e.g., Anglo-Dutch• How? Hardware: falling costs of transportation

and communication – telegraph/phone, the PC, fiber-optic and early www

• Q: How does my company fit in global economy?

T.Friedman “The World is Flat”, 2005

Last Half of 19th CenturyThe “Rubber Age”

• Rubber, Gutta-Percha and Cellulosics become Essential Materials

• Rubber- myriads of applications; transportation• Globalization 2.0 events:• 1879: 70,000 Hebea B. seeds → UK → Far East• Gutta-Percha for telegraphy, submarine cables: 1850 Dover – Calais; 1860’s Transatlantic

US/UK Under-sea Cable (insulator)

CellulosicsFibers, Films, Molded Products

Drivers:

• Quest for new, nature-derived materials

• Abundantly clear success of rubber

• Entrepreneurial spirit in the wake of rubber

• Abundant source of raw material – Trees

• Silk supply: USA difficulties with Japan

The “Rubber Age” 1850 - 1900

• Nature-derived Polymers Create First Technology Innovation Wave

• Establishment of “lasting” effects: - Infrastructures - Professionals with “High Tolerance for Uncertainty” - Practitioners with the sense of being Pioneers and Innovators

Processing Equipment

• 2-roll Mills and Calenders – Chaffe 1836

• Ram Extruders ( UK – USA transatlantic submarine cable) – Bewly 1845

• Piston-driven IMM – Hyatt 1872

• Single Screw Extruders – DeWolfe, Gray, Shaw, Royle - 1860-1880

• CRNITSE - Pfleiderer 1881

• Gear Pumps – Smith 1887

US Industrialists

John Wesley Hyatt Leo Baekeland

Materials and Processing EquipmentNew Jersey: the Mecca of Plastics – Celluloid, Bakelite

Acceptance of Macromolecular Structure and the Synthetic Polymers Era

Hermann Staudinger Wallace Carothers German 1881-1965 American 1896-1937

DemonstratedMacromolecularityNobel Chemistry 1953

1926 1931 Polychloroprene (Neoprene)1934 Nylon 6-61932 –(ICI) PE High Pressure.

The WW II Years

• Globalization 2.0 put on hold!

• No NR supplies from SE Asia

• Vast Classified Synthetic Rubber US National R&D/Manufacturing Program

- Great Incubator for Polymer Science & Technology (A-Z) - Extensive and Fundamental Infrastructure of Experts

• Products: Consumer → Military (Nylon)

The “Plastics Era” (1945-2000)

• Global Petrochemical Companies: low cost Crude Feedstocks (Oil Dependence)

• A Nation (World) hungry for breakthrough, convenience, low-cost plastic products; plenty military products: “guns and butter”

• Plenty of WW II-trained scientists, engineers and available capital for manufacturing

• Serious In-house R&D. “Complete” Corporations

The “Plastics Era” – Drivers

• Abundant (Cheap) Petrochemical Feedstocks • Constantly Improving & New Polymers Z-N Nobel ‘63 Ionic & Coordination Polymerization Metallocene ‘84 Polymer Blends• Industrial and Academic Research• Professional Societies – National and Int’l

Plastics Become “Replacement Materials”

in the “Plastics Era”

• Low Capital and Processing Costs

• Very Short Forming Time/unit

• Very Low Fabrication Energy

• Controls and Automation

• Rapid Advances in Processing Equipment – High Quality!!

• New Fabrication Methods

Polymer Processing Research in the “Plastics Era”

• Elucidate physical transport mechanisms in processing machines

• Formulate mathematical models for machine design and improve efficiency of their performance

• Rudimentary approach to polymer “structuring” in forming and post-forming operations

“Touchstones of Modern Polymer Processing” NJIT May 2002

Plastics Manufacturing Sector USA - 2002• Processing Industry 4th Largest, after cars, electronics & refining

1.3% of US workers - $400B in domestic shipments

Mostly: medium/small size companies, US regional

Importing Sector

• Plastic Materials Producers

16th Largest Industry - $120B in domestic shipments

Mostly: Multinational Petrochemical Corporations or

Chemical Corporations – ALL New plants NOT in USA

Still an Exporting Sector

Globalization 3.0

• 1990’s- <www>; Fall of the Berlin Wall• World from size Small to size Tiny w/ Flat

Playing field!!!• Who? Diverse Individuals collaborate/compete

globally in the web-enabled Tiny world• How? Software - all sorts - and Global fiber-optic

network. www-enabled “Plug and Play”• Where do I fit and how do I collaborate globally?

T. Friedman “The Word is Flat” 2005

CHALLENGE

In-line monitoring and control of the blend morphology

evolution, thru reactions (microbs?) and process

variables, in order to obtain the desired “customized product”.

China – The Last Quarter Century

• “Growth First” Policy & Globalization 3.0• The Speed and Magnitude of China’s Rise as

an Economic Power Have no Parallel in History –1990 – 2005 Real GDP/capita 270%.

• Heavy Industry Emphasis- In 2005 Produces: Steel 35%, 33% Aluminum, 50% Flat Glass and Cement, 2nd Largest Producer of Trucks and Cars (after US).

• Massive Urbanization: Almost 1 Billion m²/year Additional Residential and Commercial Space.

Downside Consequences of Rapid Growth

• Heavy Industry Growth Demands Massive Energy from Coal-fired Plants: Additional Power Plants: 2005 - 66GW (UK), 2006 – 102GW ( as much as France consumption)

• Aluminum Production Energy Demand Same as All Energy Needed for Commercial Sector.

• Rapid Growth Requirements Often Result in Sub-optimally Efficient Processes.

Historical Examples of Coal & Fossil Fuel Massive Use

• Has this Happened Before?? Yes, Always!!• During Globalization 2.0: Since the Beginning of the

Industrial Revolution, First in England, then Germany, then USA, then Japan and Russia, Korea, and China. First Coal, later Coal and Petroleum.

Results: Environmental Degradation, Because of Sub-optimally Efficient Plants/Processes.

Counter-actions: Government Policies, Laws and Incentives for “Greener” Plants. Global Policies: Kyoto Agreement.

Going Green

• Inevitable, thus, an imperative !• “If you have no choice, you have no problem”.• Most, if not all, technological avenues to

“Greener” will be life-process imitating, since such processes are green/greener.

• Polymers are in the “eye of the storm” in all this, as we will see.

• Fuel Cells – Plenty of Oxygen from Air, but What is Best/economical route to get Hydrogen?

Plastics Are the Green “Replacement” Materials

Now and in the Future

• Low Capital and Processing Costs

• Very Short Forming Time/unit

• Very Low Fabrication Energy

• Biodegradable

• Bioderivable

Where is the Field Going?

Confluent Developments in the Sciences• Rheology

• Polymer Chemistry• Polymer Physics• C F M & Molecular Dynamics; Computing, • Laboratory Techniques - Intrumentation

Nobels: Flory ’74, Lehn ’87,

de Gennes ’91, MacDiarmid ’00

Dream of “new” Polymer Processing

“To bridge the gap between science and technology in polymer processing using

modeling and computation of the full thermo-chemical history during formation

to quantitatively predict (product) properties”

Prof. Han Meijer Dutch Polymer Institute

Prof. H. G. Fritz - IKT

A Structural Breakdown of Polymer CompoundingMulti-component, Multi-phase, Reactive Processing

Raw Material Finished Product

Handling of Particulate Solids

Melting

Mixing

Pressurization and Pumping

Reactions Involving Melts

Devolatilization and Stripping

Ele

me

nta

ry S

tep

s

“Micro-structuring” during

Melting

Mixing

Reactions

What will the Elementary Steps of Polymer

Processing be if the “filler” can attain a nano size?.. see ANTEC 2007…

Sh

apin

g (

Fo

rmin

g)

and

S

tru

ctu

rin

g S

tep

(s)

Shaped and Structured Product

In-line compounding ??

Huge ChallengePredict the Evolving and Final blend morphologies in fully or partially filled 3-D, transient,

reacting, non-isothermal flows and structuring during forming.

Rheology, Polymer Physics, Multi-component CFM, Massive

Computing

The Essential Nature of Polymers

The Potential of “Infinities” of Structures & “Structuring”

Truly Customized Product Properties

“ Mass Customization” by Processors

CHALLENGE!

The “Knowledge Bank” Massive Modeling &

ComputationPolymer Melt & Solids Physics

Polymer Chemistry

Multi-component/phase CFM

“Reactor Design” in TSE’s

Predict Quantitatively

Product Properties

Massive Computation

The Potential for “Mass Customization”

the “Key” to Dramatic Future Growth

Make it technologically and commercially possible for individual

processors to make the custom-made products with specific

long and short term properties

Waves of Technological Innovation in the Business of Chemistry

First Wave Second Wave Third Wave

1850-1910 1930-1965 1990-2020

Electrolysis Ziegler Catalyst Biotechnology

Synthesis etc. High Pressure Reactions Membrane & Separation

Inorganic Fert & Dies Petrochemicals & Spec. Life Sciences & Special

Coal & Minerals Hydrocarbons Microbes?

Soda Ash, Sulfuric Acid Thermoplastics New Functional Materials

Ammonium Nitrate, PE,PVC, PP, Nylon, Biopharmaceuticals

Rayon, Celluloid Polyester, SBR, Penicillin Nutritional supliments

Aspirin, Dies etc. Pesticides etc. Crop protection

Biocatalysts.

T.K. Swift ,“Where is the Business in Chemistry Going? – A Techno economic Viewpoint”

ACS Division of Business Development & Management Symposium:

“The Chemical Industry in the New Millennium: Mature or Poised for Growth??”

The “Life Sciences Era” (1940’s – 2000’s)

• Biochemistry: Chemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reactions in living organisms

• Molecular Biology: Biology at molecular and meso-scale level to understand interactons between the cell systems.

• Enablers: Confluence of Instrumentation; Computers – Molecular Dynamics

M. Jaffe 2005

J-M. Lehn (Nobel 1987) “Supra-molecular Chemistry”Pergamon Press (1995)

Next Innovation Wave

Controlledcomplexity

Diversity

nano chemistry

synthetic chemistry

bio

tech

nolo

gyb

iolo

gy

Biological Scale Hierarchy

AminoAcidsDNA

Cellular Nanostructures (Introduce n-size sensors/cures)

Organisms

Synthetic Nanoparticles(1(?) – 100 nm)

• New Materials!

• Why? As size is reduced to the nano-range, their properties change because of “size confinement”

• New Opportunities!

• Why? Again, in the nano-size range, huge (S/V): surface dominated effects

Nanomaterials and Nanodevices

Nanotech

Atoms/Molecules

Nano: Particles, Tubes …

Nano Assemlies

Nanomaterials

Nanodevices

Biology : DNA … Cellular Structures… Organisms Molecular Meso Micro

Micro-molding (1970’s - )

• Micro-molded Parts (100’s µ) for Micro-systems (mm’s).

• Enabler for this “key” Technology: More Functions in Less Space.

• Un-thought off Applications: Micro – sensors, -pumps, -implantable devices, -surgical instruments, -motors; Mobile Telephony..

• Technology Volume: 2004 $11.5bn – 20%/yr• Demand for “smaller”. Process Limitations &

simulation challenges … Nano-molding

The “Macromolecular Era” (Multi-disciplinary) >1990

• Polymers• Instrumentation• Computing PowerNow: 1 Qn Computations/s

• Life Sciences• Nanomaterials• <www>

The Fusion of Science and Technology Parallel and Converging “Eras” in

Acknowledgements

• The Organizing Committee of “Touchstones of Modern Polymer Processing”, Int’l Workshop NJIT/PPI, 2002

• Long Discussions with Prof. Zehev Tadmor• Presentations by and discussions with Marino Xanthos,

Margaret Bauman, Mike Jaffe and Kun Sup Hyun and my PPI Colleagues.

• Harry duBois “Plastics History-USA” Cahners 1985• H. Morawetz “Polymers-The Growth of a Science” Wiley

1984• T. Friedman “The World in Flat” Strauss 2005,

Thank you!

感谢佑利公司对本次会 议的大力支持 Good Luck!!

“Most existing journals are associated with traditional disciplines, however, the borders of physics, chemistry, and life and materials sciences are increasingly fading. Soft Matter will provide a multi-disciplinary platform for the exchange of information, thereby promoting interaction of the different soft matter communities.”

Ullrich Steiner (Editorial Board Chair) 2005

Where Were Spain and England 1900’s? And Where Are China and the USA

Today?

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus, Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores With cargo of diamonds, Emeralds, amethysts, Topazes and cinnamon and gold moidores

Dirty British coaster with salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days, With cargo of Tyne coal,Road rails, pig-lead,Fire-wood, iron-ware and cheap tin trays

From Cargoes, a poem by John Mansfield (1900’s) In Harry Dubois’ “Plastics History USA” 1972