 
Polymer Formulation and Custom Resins
When an application has specialized requirements
that can't be met through traditional materials, new high-performance
materials are possible through polymer formulation. For example,
aerospace and space-based applications have special criteria,
such as atomic oxygen and radiation resistance, that aren’t
normally a concern for traditional applications. Polymer formulation
can address certain unique properties without having to synthesize
an entirely new molecular design.
Expertise in formulation and molecular design
enables the CRG team to understand how materials will interact
at a molecular level so they can optimize material properties
for a certain application. Whether as part of a reinforced
composite or as a standalone material, custom resin technology
offers affordable solutions.
Polymer formulation uses readily available
components to create new materials and is an ongoing area
of expertise at CRG. CRG has successfully applied this material
design approach in two different ways.
Optimizing Current Polymer Systems with
Additives
First, using a commercially available base
material, CRG can introduce additives to optimize specific
performance properties based on customer needs. CRG has the
expertise and experience to comprehend how the materials interact
at a molecular level and how this will affect the bulk properties
of the new material. Properties that can be modified include,
but are not limited to:
- Strength
- Modulus
- Elongation
- Impact toughness
- Fracture toughness
- Electrical and thermal conductivity
- Thermal expansion
- Glass transition temperature (Tg)
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- Thermal stability
- Oxidative stability
- Chemical resistance
- Flame resistance
- Density
- Dielectric constant
- Dielectric strength
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Developing New Polymer Systems
 Development
begins by assessing the specific properties needed for a specific
application. CRG designs custom resins with two different
approaches: reformulating existing resins with additives or
developing an entirely new resin system through molecular
design and synthesis.
By using commercially available materials, CRG
research engineers can achieve property enhancements through
blending, compounding, or incorporating additives. This approach
offers an affordable and timely solution for moderate performance
improvements over existing materials. To maximize efficiency,
CRG has extensive in-house characterization capabilities to
provide rapid feedback on formulation iterations.
For applications requiring radical property
modification, a reformulation approach may not be suitable.
In such cases, CRG can design and synthesize an entirely new
material to meet the target performance requirements. CRG’s
experience with custom resin formulation has resulted in successes
with engineered plastics, epoxy, cyanate ester, and other
thermosets used in manufacturing technology, aerospace, and
other applications. CRG’s patented shape memory polymer,
Veriflex®,
has been tailored extensively since its invention and initial
development. CRG has customized Veriflex resins to perform
in a wide range of applications such as custom reusable tooling,
reusable molds, replica optics, biological applications, morphing
aircraft systems, and deployment mechanisms for outer space.
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