A little BlocBuilder RC-50 goes a long way to enhance thermohardened resins

Adding just 1% BlocBuilder RC-50 to polyester resin blends keeps the resins from hardening too quickly—or not hardening enough! This latest innovation from Arkema is good news for manufacturers of household appliances, car parts, tool handles, and plastic building materials worldwide.

Thermohardened resins are everywhere—many of the items we use every day contain them. And yet, they are difficult to manufacture well. A catalyst is used to trigger the polymerisation reaction. Then, to keep the resin from hardening too quickly, an inhibitor is added. Unfortunately, the inhibitor can partially destroy the catalyst, which limits its effectiveness. As a result, the resin may not be as hard or strong as it should be, and more waste is generated.

BlocBuilder RC-50 will make this problem a thing of the past. Adding just 1% BlocBuilder RC-50 to resin blends is enough to stabilise the resin. As for the catalyst, it gradually takes effect during the manufacturing process. It is finally possible to make sure that the resins don’t harden too quickly—or too little. This means measurable increases in product quality and productivity, and easier production line cleanup for consumer goods manufacturers. Resin manufacturers will also enjoy clear benefits.

Research centres team up

BlocBuilder RC-50 is the latest product to result from joint research conducted by Arkema’s research centres around the globe in Lyon, France; Lacq, France; and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.  An international, multidisciplinary team of researchers has been working together since 1996 to explore controlled radical polymerisation. The team is pursuing groundbreaking work and has developed a number of new substances including, for instance, new advances in nanotechnologies and copolymer blocks.