Durability

Building envelope with air and water barriers. Insulated walls reduce energy consumption and amplify the effectiveness of heating and cooling systems. R-Guard® halts air and water leakage in structures such as walls, material transitions, and heating seams. This technology does not use phthalates and other harmful ingredients. Buildings with this technology are more resilient and sustainable. This technology can be applied to various materials and adapts to the surface on which it is applied.

PFC free water-resistant down treatment. HyperDry is based in natural waxes that allow superior water-resistance performance and strength. Like conventional treatments, this technology uses hydrocarbon chains to decrease surface tension in order to make the down hydrophobic. However, HyperDry achieves this without the traditional use of PFC. Fluorinated compounds are toxic and have an extremely long half-life, making biodegradation almost impossible. This inability to biodegrade causes pollution in waterways and the ecosystem.

UV-curable, one-component, low VOC automobile paint primer. This primer is made through a new urethane acrylate oligomer primer system. The primer cures in minutes from UV light, which is ten times faster than conventional urethane technologies. The primer requires fewer preparation steps, has a lower application rate, is more durable, controls corrosion better, and has an unlimited shelf life. This automobile paint primer contains less than half the amount of VOCs in conventional primers and is diisocyanate-free (a major source of occupational asthma).

Alkyd paint from recycled plastic bottles (PET), acrylics, and soybean oil with low concentrations of VOCs. Traditional alkyd paints are made with a solvent-borne coating and consituents of the petroleum industry. PET is incorporated in a polymeric alkyd-acrylic dispersion (LAAD), which gives the paint more rigidity, hardness, and hydrolytic resistance. Acrylic decreases the drying time and increases durability. Soybean oil stimulates the film formation and improves the floss, flexibility, and cure of the paint.

Chrome plating with trivalent chromium. Conventional chrome plating uses hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium is the most toxic form of chromium due to its carcinogenic properties. This technology uses trivalent chromium, which is much less toxic and non-carcinogenic. This company uses a new electrodeposition process alternating between a cathodic pulse followed by an anodic pulse and a relaxation period. This process allows for thicker coatings of trivalent chromium and allows the structure and properties of the coating to be adjusted.

Develops and scales continuous processes using flow chemistry technology. Continuous flow reactors save energy through increased efficiency, development speed, selectivity, and flexibility compared to conventional batch reactors. Utilizing microreactor technology also increases efficiency by decreasing mass, heat transfer length, and reaction volume. Continuous flow reactors also require fewer operational steps, improving worker safety. 

Thermal paper free of chemical color developers that releases images from a purely physical process. This product consists of three layers: a base paper, a colored paper, and an opaque paper layer. The opaque layer is comprised of polymeric particles (opaque styrene acrylic resin hollow spheres) that hide the pigmented-colored layer. When the opaque layer is exposed to heat, it becomes transparent, creating the print by revealing the colored layer underneath.

Continuous flow reactors and continuous flow chemicals plays for fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries. This process reduces the amount of solvent required by improving heat transfer. It also enables controlling conditions to maximize conversion without risking competitive or consecutive reactions. Using less solvent and fewer impurities also reduces waste and disposal costs. Using smaller continuous reactors reduces the energy required for heating and cooling. Continuous processes also operate at a steady state, simplifying management. 

Gas-liquid contactor-reactor. This reactor can be used for gas absorption, effluent treatment, and chemical reactions in processes involving catalysts (oxidation hydrogenation, carbonylation, and hydroformylation). Conventional gas-liquid contacting devices have lower efficiency due to low gas hold-ups, back-mixing, and less safety. This new design is simple, compact, and flexible, requiring less power and a smaller operating volume. It is also scalable without losing efficiency. Reaction rates are controllable, and the lack of moving parts ensures safer working conditions.