Nanolayers Come to Tubing
Nanolayer technology, an active area of development in films, is also making its way to tubing extrusion.
Nanolayer technology, an active area of development in films, is also making its way to tubing extrusion. Guill Tool & Engineering, W. Warwick, R.I., recently introduced the patented NanoFlow die, which can create more than 1000 layers from a single extruder in thicknesses in the micron (1 millionth of a meter) to nanometer (1 billionth of a meter) range. The tool allows processors to save money by making more judicious use of expensive resins. Nanolayers are also said to produce tubing with increased impact and fracture toughness and/or tear strength. Brittle materials prone to cracking can be combined with soft ductile layers to limit crack propagation. What’s more, barrier properties can reportedly be better engineered by designing them as the thinnest possible layers, which will force materials to crystallize and thereby enhance their performance.
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