Polymers

In view of their versatile properties polymers are called wonder materials. They have substituted traditional materials such as metal, glass, wood & concrete either fully or partially in most of the end use applications.

Material Science Division has always been involved in contemporary research and has developed, modified & commercialized a number of processes over the years. The am,in areas in which MSD deals are:

✤ Polymer blends /Alloys

✤ Composites

✤ Adhesives, coatings & lacquers

✤ Healthcare & Bio materials

✤ Optimization of polymer processing parameters

✤ Scaling up of technologies from lab to pilot scale and eventually commercialization

✤ Plastic waste utilization

✤ Modification of existing processes and import substitutes

Polymer Synthesis

Polymer synthesis involves several aspects of synthetic chemistry. In order to develop polymers of desired characteristics, control of process parameters are very important specially when the product is meant for health care and food industries. MSD undertakes projects for the synthesis of novel materials for various applications or develops alternate materials for different applications.

Some of the recent projects undertaken on the synthesis are listed below:

✤ Synthesis of metal containing polyacrylates for optical applications. Metal containing polyacrylates have been developed with excellent physico- mechanical and optical properties.

✤ Synthesis of high refractive index novel polythiols for optical application Optimization of process parameters has been carried out to synthesize colorless polythiols. Casting into colourless impact resistant, transparent and bubble free sheets has been carried out successfully for application in high refractive index lens.

✤ Synthesis of polyglycolic acid based surgical absorbable sutures Polyglycolic acid was prepared through the synthesis of an intermediate glycolide by ring opening polymerization

Development of Bone Cement

Bone cement is used to fill the gap between bone and prosthesis. Bone cement has been prepared on laboratory scale and physico-mechanical properties were found to be conforming to the international standard.

Development of Dental Cement

Polycarboxylate based dental cement used for filling dental cavities, fixation of crown, bridges and also as luting agent has been successfully developed as per international standard.

Polymer Characterization

Material Science Division has the competency to characterize the polymer and blends/compounds to identify major constituents in polymeric compositions. Highly competent manpower with state-of-the-art equipment for characterization of polymers help the industry in the following ways:

Polymer Compounding

Based on the desired performance criteria and applications, experts of SRI can design special polymer compounds. Sufficient experience and expertise exists for compounding of various resins of PVC, PP, PE, PS, ABS, PC and rubber blends with various additives such as plasticizers, stabilizers, lubricants and specialty additives etc. for development of various products:

✤ Cables for high performance applications

✤ PVC Flooring for household and industrial applications

✤ PVC Shoe soles with high abrasion resistance

✤ Automotive components

✤ Healthcare products such as blood bag, CAPD bag, body warmer bag, Catheter etc.

✤ Plastic wares for medical and biomedical applications

✤ Radiation resistant compositions for specialty applications

✤ Consumer items such as cling films, anti-rodent & anti-termite films etc.

Polymer Processing

Pilot Plant of Material Science Division is well equipped with major polymer processing equipment which are used for optimization of process parameters of various polymeric materials such as:

✤ Commodity plastics

✤ Engineering plastics

✤ Rubber compounds

✤ Thermosets

✤ Thermoplastic elastomers

✤ Polymeric blends

Assignments for finalizing the process parameters, based on which suitable products can be developed, using different types of polymeric substances. The expertise can be used not only for developing processes for new products but also for making the cost-effective formulations using alternative raw materials.

Polymer Modification

Polymer modifications are at times necessary to generate certain specific functionalities in the standard materials. Using the expertise and the knowledge, the scientists of SRI can help the users by modifying the polymers as per the needs of their applications. Methods of tailor making of polymers for various end applications in which SRI has enough experience are listed below:

✤ Compounding

✤ Grafting

✤ Alloying & blending

✤ Surface modification

Weathering Studies

Polymers have to perform in a variety of hostile conditions which varies from very cold to very hot & humid. Modi LABORATORY has infrastructure and expertise to carry out weathering studies in artificially simulated conditions of exposure to ultraviolet rays. Modi LABORATORY has worked on weathering studies of:

✤ EPDM/PVC compositions in solar cell

✤ EPDM/PP compositions for automotive applications

✤ Weather resistant PVC compositions for cooling towers

✤ Neoprene coated nylon fabric

✤ HDPE woven sacks

✤ Color fastness of coatings & textiles

Polymer Applications

Medical products are the most important and largest family of materials being used in medical applications. Polymers have various advantages such as lightweight, easy processability and reproducibility, non-toxicity, biocompatibility and good aesthetics. Because of these advantages, polymers are used in the various medical devices such as artificial limbs, wound dressing, artificial skin, blood bag, CAPD bag, bioprosthetic heart valve, various replacement joints, bioabsorbable suture, contact and intraocular lenses, orthodontic devices, tissue adhesive, bandages and drug carrier & implants.

SRI has expertise to develop desired product or a product equivalent to the best in the market.

Major R&D Projects Modi LABORATORY has successfully developed various polymer based products for medical applications.

Blood bag Modi LABORATORY has developed blood bag composition having physico-mechanical as well as hematological properties conforming to ISO 3826.

CAPD system for Continuous Ambulatory Peritonial Dialysis Modi LABORATORY has developed CAPD system with dialysate solution and its physico-mechanical as well as toxicological properties are comparable with the standard available product.

Technology for production of bone cement and bone substitute Bone cement is used to fill the gap between bone and prosthesis. Bone cement has been prepared on laboratory scale and physico-mechanical properties viz. dough time, setting time, bending modulus and compressive strength are comparable to the imported product.

Vaginal Speculum Disposable vaginal speculum has been developed for gynaecological applications. These can replace metallic speculum, which needs to be sterilized for long periods and pose risks of disease transmission if improperly sterilized.

Body warmer Modi LABORATORY has developed heat releasing chemical composition along with heat stable polymer film for body warmer bag. Bag is ideally suited for applications such as orthopedic heating pad for body fomentation, heating pad for baby nursery, instant heating for automobile engine etc.

Low cost disposable medical hygiene products A technology for the manufacture of low cost disposable healthcare products viz. diapers and sanitary napkins have been developed.

Synthesis of novel polythiols Optimization of process parameters has been carried out to synthesize colorless polythiol. Casting of polythiol into colorless impact resistant, transparent and bubble free sheets has been carried out successfully for application in high refractive index lens.

Polyglycolic acid (PGA) based synthetic absorbable sutures Processes for synthesizing glycolide & polyglycolic acid (PGA) have been developed. The synthesized PGA was found comparable to imported PGA.

Consumer Products Because of the inherent benefits associated with plastics, they are widely used in manufacturing of various products such as consumer products and in packaging applications. Some of the consumer products developed at Modi LABORATORY

Cling film Polyethylene based single/multi-layered cling film was developed for both industrial and food packaging applications.

Rodent Repellent PVC and PE compositions Rodent repellent PVC and PE compositions laminated with jute fabric have been developed for storage of grains in godowns

Abrasion resistant low cost shoe soles PVC/PU blends and PVC/NBR blends have been developed for abrasion resistant low cost shoe soles conforming to IS specifications

PVC compositions for floor tiles Cost effective, highly filled calenderable PVC compositions were developed for floor tiles application.

High performance cables PVC and PE based compositions crosslinkable by electron beam have been developed for high performance cables

Plastic Waste Utilization The rapid rate of industrialization and urbanization has led to increasing amount of industrial as well as municipal waste. This in turn poses great difficulties in managing the disposal of such type of waste. Keeping in view the environmental hazards associated with plastic, there is an urgent need of eco friendly ways for utilization of such type of waste.

SRI has successfully developed eco friendly ways for utilization of plastic waste in the following areas:-

Process Engineered Fuels (PEFs) from plastic wastes Process engineered fuels with different calorific values have been developed from plastic and agri wastes, which may be used in boilers, furnaces and kilns.

Road construction Composition comprising bitumen, concrete and plastic wastes were developed for road construction having better properties than the conventional bituminous road.

Value added products Plastic furniture made from waste material with good durability and aesthetics have been developed.Poly pallet developed at Modi LABORATORY was found excellent substitute of wood pallets for stacking of sacks.

Composites A Composite is a combination of two or more dissimilar materials resulting in superior properties from those of the starting materials. Composites consist of a reinforcing agent, a matrix resin for binding and adhesion promoters and a variety of fillers. Composites are lightweight and have high performance to weight ratio. The reinforcing agents are used in fibrous form and include natural fibers such as jute & silk, organic fibers such as carbon & aramid fibers and synthetic inorganic fibers which include glass, silicon carbide, silicon tri nitride and alumina.

Major R & D Projects Modi LABORATORY has expertise to develop composites for various applications. Some of the polymer composites developed are:

Fire retardant jute composite Jute composites have been prepared by replacing polyester and polystyrene with natural Euphorbia latex coagulum. Water absorption properties of polyester coagulum composites are better than polystyrene coagulum composites. This composite can be successfully used as wood substitute.

Mesta fiber composite Composites of polypropylene/mesta fibre with good physico-mechanical properties have been developed. This composite may find applications in window profile and automotive application.

Insulated laminated boards Fire retardant and antistatic laminates were developed using ceramic fibre along with polyester resin. Floor tiles were prepared by dough moulding and compression moulding.

Wood polymer composites Wood polymer composites based on inferior wood species have been developed with properties comparable or better than teak.

Anti-fungus, anti-rodent PVC/ PE compositions Anti-fungus, anti-rodent PVC /PE composition for lamination on jute fabric was developed. Toxicological studies revealed these to be non-toxic. These can be used as flooring material in food storage godowns and will help in saving of considerable amount of food grains from destruction by rodent or fungal attack.

Organic Synthesis Modi LABORATORY has the necessary capabilities and expertise in the synthesis of various types of organic chemicals. Several projects based on synthetic chemistry have been taken up in the past and others are in progress. These include:

✤ Sebacic acid

✤ Epoxidised Diallyl phthalate

✤ Organotitanates

✤ Fluorinated lubricating oils

✤ Polycarbonate

✤ Polyglycolic acid

✤ Polythiols

Specialty Chemicals Modi LABORATORY undertakes research for the development of specialty chemicals, which finds numerous applications in different areas, which include process technology, green technology and formulation development The application areas are:

✤ Adhesives

✤ Coatings

✤ Defoamers

Adhesives Adhesives are used to bond two similar or dissimilar surfaces to achieve the desired strength. Material Science Division takes up assignments on the development of various hot melt, solution and water based adhesives for different applications as per the requirement of the customer

SRI has successfully developed many adhesives for various applications. Some of the formulations developed are:

Water based adhesive Water based adhesive has been developed for tyre retreading in the form of a stable aqueous dispersion. The developed adhesive is comparable in strength, tack, shelf-life, drying time vis-Ã -vis solvent based adhesive with better coverage.

Hot melt adhesive Hot melt adhesive for book binding application has been developed with good tack and easy processing.

Glue stick Glue stick was developed for stationary use, which was found comparable with the leading available brands in respect of adhesion, tack free time and compactness

Coatings Coatings are used to provide protection, aesthetics and value addition to substance/substitutes. SRI has successfully developed coating for different applications

Major R&D Projects Some coating formulations developed by SRI are as follows:

Surface coating formulations for wood laminates Acrylate based high performance electron beam curable surface coating formulation for wood laminates/boards has been developed which offer superior combination of properties and versatility of performance.

Water repellent coating for glass Highly effective water and dust repellent coating formulation for glass was developed using indigenous raw materials, which find application in window panels for high rise buildings and windshield of cars.

Road marking paint Modi LABORATORY has successfully developed road-marking paint, used to draw lines on the road, which is long lasting, luminescent, weather and friction resistant

Defoamer Defoamers are used to suppress the foam generated during the production of emulsions in various applications including food, pharma and chemical industries.

Modi LABORATORY has successfully developed a defoamer formulation for fertilizer industries to kill the huge foam generated during the digestion of phosphate rock with sulphuric acid for the manufacture of fertilizer. A cost-effective formulation of defoamer from indigenous raw materials has been developed.

Modi LABORATORYcan develop defoamers based on silicone and non-silicone raw materials for various industrial applications.

Herbal Products Material Science Division is actively involved in the area of herbs with medicinal value and economic benefit.The R&D areas include:

✤ Formulation development

✤ New product development

Major R&D projects

✤ Retention of color fastness in henna cones on storage

✤ Phytoremediation of arsenic in ground water

✤ Extraction process for hypericin from hypericum plant

Several projects related to the quality evaluation of herbal products are being actively pursued by the Drug and Pharmaceutical section of Biology Division of SRI.

Renewable Resources In view of the excessive utilization and continuous depletion of petroleum reserves, Modi LABORATORY is involved in the development of products based on renewable natural resources as substitute of petroleum derived products. These include:

Organic active extraction

✤ Bio-diesel

✤ Eco-friendly composites

✤ Bio- degradable fibers/ polymers

✤ Natural mordants for dyeing with natural dyes

Major R&D Projects Some of the projects based on renewable sources undertaken by Modi LABORATORY include:

Anti-oxidants from natural source Modi LABORATORY has successfully isolated natural antioxidant gum guaiac from Guaiacum officianale plant. Antioxidant effectiveness of isolated gum guaiac in fats/oils was found comparable with commercial antioxidant.

Epoxidised oil from plant seeds Epoxidised oil was extracted from seeds of Vernonia plant. This naturally epoxidised oil can be used as plasticizer/stabilizer in PVC based compositions replacing synthetically produced epoxidised soyabean oil.

Cardanol from cashew nut shell liquid

A distillation process has been developed to recover 90% cardanol, which is light in color and does not darken upto one month.

Radiation Based Technologies Irradiation technology finds applications in processing of food, agriculture products, healthcare and cosmetic products, crosslinking of wires and cables, and modification of polymers for various end use.

Major R & D Projects Modi LABORATORY has worked on following radiation-based technologies:

Shelf-life enhancement of fruits Optimization of gamma radiation doses for shelf-life enhancement of apples has been carried out. Irradiation increases shelf-life by delaying the ripening process.

Detoxification of aflatoxin in peanuts Toxic aflatoxin metabolites which are carcinogenic are found in peanuts. Irradiation of peanuts by UV and gamma rays has been able to detoxify the aflatoxin.

Epoxy based composites by electron beam curing process Glass fibre-Epoxy composites with superior mechanical & thermal properties have been developed for automobiles and aircraft applications.

Wood polymer composites Wood polymer composites based on inferior wood species have been developed with properties comparable to or better than teak.

Remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Polychlorinated Biphenyls found in oil, capacitors and paint scrapings of old ships have been radiolysed by gamma irradiation.

Surface coating formulations for wood laminates The high performance electron beam curable surface coating formulation for wood, wood laminates/boards based on 100% solid acrylate offer superior combination of properties leading to versatility of performance.

Treatment of city sewage by radiation Effect of gamma radiation treatment on sewage was studied. Reduction in microbiological load (BOD and COD) in waste sewage was achieved by gamma irradiation. Improvement in the settling time of waste was also observed.

PVC compounds for wire and cable industry Crosslinking in PVC compounds was achieved using gamma irradiation. Crosslinked PVC compound was found to have good thermo-mechanical properties.

Colouration of Gem-stones Different colours in gem stones were achieved by exposing them at various radiation doses.

Waste Utilization

Plastic WasteThe rapid rate of industrialization and urbanization has led to increasing amount of industrial as well as municipal waste, which poses great difficulties in its disposal. Keeping in view the environmental hazards associated with the plastic, there is an urgent need to develop eco- friendly ways for utilization of such type of waste.

Modi LABORATORY has successfully developed various ecofriendly ways for utilization of plastic waste which include:

Process Engineered Fuels (PEFs) from plastic wastes Process engineered fuels with different calorific values have been developed from plastic and agri wastes, which may be used in boilers, furnaces and kilns.

Road construction Composition comprising bitumen, concrete and plastic wastes were developed for road construction having better properties than the conventional bituminous road.

Value added products Plastic furnitures made from waste material with good durability and aesthetics have been developed.Polypallets developed at Modi LABORATORY were found excellent substitute of wood pallets for stacking of sacks.

Agro Waste Modi LABORATORY has been undertaking projects for utilization of various agro wastes. Some of the projects undertaken are:

Precipitated silica from rice husk ash Rice husk ash poses environmental problem while disposed off. SRI has developed technology to make silica from this waste material.

Microcrystalline cellulose from ground nut shell The shells of peanuts are useless and are environmental hazard. SRI has successfully developed technology for making microcrystalline cellulose from this waste.

Industrial Waste Lots of industrial wastes are generated in process and production industries which poses environmental problem. Modi LABORATORY has been undertaking projects for value addition in an environment friendly way. Some of the projects undertaken in this field are:

1. Ordinary portland cement from flyash Flyash is considered to be a potential environmental hazard when disposed off. This has been successfully used in cement compositions without impairing the performance of the cement.

2. Tiles from ceramic fiber waste Waste ceramic short fibers creating environmental problem are used to make antistatic floor tiles with good aesthetics.

Technology Business Incubator

Modi LABORATORY is in the process of setting up a Technology Business Incubator shortly. Since there are plenty of small scale plastic and rubber processing industries as well as new entrants are coming up who do not have adequate technical backup but have financial strength and zeal to start a new industry, there is a need to setup a TBI that can provide suitable infrastructure as well as know how to these industries. Besides promoting new entrepreneurs, it is essential for the existing industries to regularly upgrade the knowledge of their man power. The proposed TBI will become a centre for technical training to the personnel working in sindustries.

Objectives of TBI

✤ To develop new entrepreneurs.

✤ To organise awareness / orientation and entrepreneurs development programme.

✤ To provide training to the entrepreneurs and work force of the industries.

✤ To create avenues for employment to the people and expanding the existing level of knowledge.

✤ To identify the struggling industries falling in the thrust areas.

✤ To support these industries in making them competitive with respect to product quality, price, output and process waste utilization.

✤ By optimizing the existing process with respect to suitable raw material selection, formulation and waste minimization.

✤ By indigenising the manufacturing process with the aim to save the foreign exchange.

✤ By exploring the possibility for conversion of industrial waste into a value added product.

✤ By substituting the existing process with eco-friendly manufacturing process.