Design of permeable and breatheable plastic formulations
Plastics have many uses and qualities that make them advantageous materials for a variety of products. These materials are often used in industrial and consumer applications that require permeable and breathe-able materials to meet specific performance requirements. This article examines the formulation of permeable and breathe-able plastic resins and discusses how a design approach can be employed to produce polymers formulations with particular permeability and breathability characteristics.
Plastic resins are polymers synthesized from monomers. These polymers possess a variety of properties that make them useful for a wide range of applications. Chemical mixtures and/or polymers additives can be introduced as components of the resin base to modify the material’s physical, mechanical and chemical properties. It is possible to develop resins that have been formulated to have certain permeability and breathability characteristics.
The desired set of permeability and breathability characteristics in a plastic resin will depend largely on the intended application. For many applications, such as those in food packaging or medical filter media, permeability and breathability are essential characteristics. In these cases, the design approach to formulating will involve leveraging available research as well as targeted experimentation in order to determine the optimal combination of components for the targeted properties.
Permeability is generally defined as the ability of a material to allow the passage of another material, such as a fluid, through it. There are many factors that influence the permeability of a particular resin, including its molecular weight, molecular structure, and polymer architecture. Generally speaking, if a resin is composed of fewer and longer molecular chains, the higher its permeability will be. In addition, if the polymer has a more extensive chain branching, it will result in a decreased permeability of the resin.
Breathability, on the other hand, is defined as the extent to which a material can permit the transfer of moisture vapor. The properties that determine breathability of a resin include the composition and polymer architecture as well as the material’s porosity and surface texture. For example, if the resin’s porosity increases, the breathability will increase as well.
In designing a plastic formulation with desired permeability and breathability characteristics, the first step is to determine the composition of the resin base. This includes selecting the appropriate monomers and additives that will impart the desired properties. Monomers and other additives, such as compatibilizers, plasticizers, and fillers, can be incorporated at varying concentrations to influence the desired end-properties of a resin.
Next, polymerization processes should be selected that will yield the desired properties. The range of processing choices depends largely on the type of polymer system being used. The parameters of the processes, such as concentrations and temperature, can be adjusted to affect molecular structure, molecular weight, and polymer architecture. These adjustments to the process also have an effect on the resultant permeability and breathability of the material.
Testing is integral to the design of plastic formulations with desired permeability and breathability characteristics. Tests can be used to measure and validate the actual permeability and breathability values of the formulated resin. These tests, once conducted, provide a basis for any additional modifications that need to be made to the formulation.
The design approach of specifying desired permeability and breathability characteristics of a plastic resin requires a comprehensive understanding of the resin’s composition, polymerization processes, and testing measures. Through this approach, targeted experiments can be conducted and modifications made to the polymerization process that will result in resins with the desired permeability and breathability characteristics.
