A weekly look at new products, innovations

Editor's Note: Each week, Rubber & Plastics News will take a look at some of the rubber industry's new products and innovations on www.rubbernews.com. Does your company have a new product or new innovation? To be considered for inclusion in this recurring feature, email [email protected]

PriPro Polymers Inc. has launched X-Link line of crosslinked thermoplastic polyurethanes and crosslinked thermoplastic elastomers.

The recently patented family of X-Link TPUs are highly resistant to abrasion, chemicals and heat, and lasts longer than standard polyurethanes and elastomers, according to PriPro, and can be customized for various industrial and consumer products.

Applications include agricultural heavy equipment, specialty vehicles, oil and gas specialty parts and mining screens.

PriPro said its new lines of Thermo crosslinkable polymers provide better mechanical properties such as abrasion resistance, heat deflection and chemical resistance, while cutting cost of injection molding—the company said X-Link injection molding operation can become completely automated and without any porosity in the parts being produced.

PriPro said it has developed four X-Link urethanes for skateboarding: a 100A Durometer for street wheels; a harder 84B for pro skater wheels; a 92A for bowl or pool skating; and 80A for soft cruiser wheels. PriPro said it markets these wheels under its “Kontrol Wheels” division to private label brands. The Kontrol line of X-Link urethane wheels provide flat spot resistance without sacrificing the rebound needed to perform aerial skate tricks, the company claims.

For more information contact Pijush Dewanjee at 760-473-5577; John Guard at 760-518-9422; or go to the website at www.PriProPolymers.com.

Flexicon Corp. has unveiled a series of Bulk-Out Half-Frame bulk bag dischargers, which the company said features low-cost frames of variable heights and offsets to fit restricted areas previously utilized for dumping of smaller containers such as sacks, pails, drums, boxes and bins.

According to Flexicon, the low profile dischargers are engineered to straddle downstream blenders, feeders, tanks or other equipment in areas with limited headroom, restricted floor space and/or obstacles that would preclude the use of conventional discharger frames.

Without an upper frame, the discharger provides overhead space for suspending of bulk bags using a forklift or plant hoist, Flexicon claims, and it can be configured to support new or existing bulk bag lifting frames that can be connected to bags at floor level and then forklifted onto the half frame within centimeters of the ceiling.

The bag-to-discharger interface consists of a clamp ring positioned atop a pneumatically actuated telescoping tube, allowing dust-tight connections, Flexicon said. The telescoping tube raises the clamp ring assembly that seals the clean side of the bag spout to the clean side of the telescoping tube, appling downward tension to the bag as it empties and elongates, promoting complete evacuation, according to Flexicon.

The dust-tight seal between bag spout and clamp ring allows full-open discharge from bag spouts of popular diameters, the company said, eliminating the need for iris valves commonly employed to lessen escaping dust inherent with bag spouts hanging loosely within intake chutes.

The discharger also features bag activators that raise and lower opposite bottom edges of the bag at timed intervals, loosening compacted materials and promoting material flow through the bag discharge spout, Flexicon claimed. As the bag lightens, the company said, the stroke of the bag activators increases, raising the bag into a steep V shape, eliminating dead spots for total evacuation of material.

Full-frame dischargers include BFF models with a lifting frame for forklift loading of bulk bags, the company said, and BFC models with a cantilevered I-beam and electric hoist and trolley for positioning of bags without the use of a forklift.

For information, contact Flexicon at 888-353-9426, [email protected], or go to www.flexicon.com.

Master Bond has unveiled EP113, a nanosilica filled epoxy that the company said delivers enhanced dimensional stability and low shrinkage upon curing. This clear, two-component system is suited for applications in the aerospace, electronic and original equipment manufacturing industries, according to Master Bond.

Featuring an ultra low mixed viscosity of 80-140 cps, EP113 can be mixed using a 100 to 80 ratio by weight, Master Bond said, and has a working life of two to three days for a 100-gram batch. EP113 requires oven curing, the company said, and its low viscosity combined with its electrical insulation profile make it suitable for potting, encapsulating, coating and sealing. EP113 adheres well to many substrates including metals, composites, glass, ceramics and plastics, Master Bond claims.

As a toughened system, EP113 has good resistance to rigorous thermal cycling and shock, according to the firm, and it offers a high strength profile with a tensile strength ranging from 12,000-13,000 psi and a compressive strength of 24,000-26,000 psi, serviceable over the wide temperature range of -100°F to +450°F. Additionally, EP113 is chemical resistant to water, oils, acids, bases and fuels, the company claimed.

For more information, go to systems www.masterbond.com or contact tech support at 201-343-8983.