Nexeo Plastics Expands Global Reach with Acquisition of Italian Thermoplastics Leader Nevicolor

While enjoying a hot dog or a pint of ice‑cream, most of us never think about the possibility that a stray plastic or metal fragment could be hidden inside. Everyday food‑processing equipment—tote bins, shovels, pallets—contains plastic parts that can wear or break, introducing foreign particles int

Testing Thermoplastic Composites against Steel\nTo understand how plastics interact with metals, we conducted controlled tests pairing thermoplastic composites with AISI 1141 cold‑rolled steel counter‑faces. Surprisingly, the smoothest metal finishes (8–12 µin) produced the highest wear on the compo

Carbon Fibers in Plastic Materials Carbon fibers have been integral to advanced composites for well over a century. In 1879, Thomas Edison experimented with cotton‑based fibers that later powered the first incandescent light bulbs, marking the earliest use of carbon in practical devices. By the 196

Sunlight May Degrade Plastics Without light‑blocking agents, many polymers deteriorate when exposed to sunlight. The damage usually penetrates only about 0.05 mm into the surface, causing discoloration, cracking, or even total disintegration. Brittle plastics can fail after just a few microns of UV