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Process structuring of polymers by solid phase orientation processing

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Abstract

Solid phase orientation of polymers is one of the most successful routes to enhancement of polymer properties. It unlocks the potential of molecular orientation for the achievement of a range of enhanced physical properties. We provide here an overview of techniques developed in our laboratories for structuring polymers by solid phase orientation processing routes, with a particular focus on die drawing, which have allowed control of significant enhancements of a single property or combinations of properties, including Young’s modulus, strength, and density. These have led to notable commercial exploitations, and examples of load bearing low density materials and shape memory materials are discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Centre, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK

    P. D. Coates, P. Caton-Rose, I. M. Ward & G. Thompson

  2. University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    I. M. Ward

Authors
  1. P. D. Coates
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  2. P. Caton-Rose
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  3. I. M. Ward
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  4. G. Thompson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. D. Coates.

Additional information

Recommended by QIAO Jinliang (SINOPEC Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry)

COATES Phil is a Physics graduate (Imperial College, London); his Ph.D. research was on solid phase deformation processing of polymers (Leeds University). Prof. Coates was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1995. He has been Pro Vice Chancellor for Research & Knowledge Transfer at Bradford for 7 years (2004-2011), and is Professor of Polymer Engineering, at the University of Bradford. He is Director of the internationally recognised Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC) in Polymer Science and Technology (across the Universities of Leeds, Bradford, Durham and Sheffield), with some 50 researchers at Bradford involved at the leading edge of in-process measurements for process monitoring, analysis and control, and computer modelling. He is also Director of the Polymer Centre of Industrial Collaboration, the Advanced Materials Engineering RKT Centre, and the International Centre for Polymer Microprocessing (a joint laboratory with Sichuan University). The research targets high value polymer products for a range of sectors — optical, healthcare technology (e.g. bioresorbable polymers for orthopaedic applications) pharmaceuticals processing, automotive and advanced materials developments, including nanocomposites and reactive grafting. His research has substantial support (over £27 million total grants and contracts) from UK Government sources and industry, with over 100 companies collaborating in the research programmes from the USA, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Japan. Similarly, the research involves strong international cooperation in the UK, Europe, N America, Japan and China.

He directs the RCUK Bradford Science Bridges China/ESPRC Global Engagements programme — a government sponsored collaboration (currently around £8m total UK and China support) with 18 Chinese Universities focussed on innovation in healthcare technologies, based around a research and open innovation platform. He is an Honorary Professor of Sichuan University and Beijing University of Chemical Technology, and a Molecular Sciences Forum Professor at the Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing and CIACAS Changchun. He is also a Famous Overseas Scholar and member of the National Bureau of Foreign Experts of China.

Prof. Coates is a director of Medilink (Y&H) Ltd. He is a member of the Leeds City Region Business, Innovation and Growth Panel. He was honoured by the award of the Institute of Materials (IOM3) Netlon Gold Medal for Innovation in Polymer Processing (1999), the Plastics Industry Award for personal contribution to the industry (2006), and the IOM3 Swinburne Award (2008). He is a long-standing member of the International Polymer Processing Society committee, and has organised a wide range of international conferences, and regularly gives invited, keynote and plenary lectures. He has published extensively-some 280 papers, in scientific journals and has co-authored 5 books, and edited 12 books. He is Chief Editor of the IoM3 international journal, Plastics, Rubber and Composites: Macromolecular Engineering. He is married to Jane (for over 40 years), with four children and three grandchildren; in addition to family, his chief interests are in music, his church and computers.

Web sites: www.polyeng.com = the gateway web site to Prof Coates’ laboratories at Bradford, and www.polymerirc.org is the central Polymer IRC website.

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Coates, P.D., Caton-Rose, P., Ward, I.M. et al. Process structuring of polymers by solid phase orientation processing. Sci. China Chem. 56, 1017–1028 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-013-4881-1

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