Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

Techmer PM’s Halogen-Free, Flame-Retardant Additives Can Produce High-Clarity PE Films and Extrusion Coatings

As regulators tighten the screws on the use of halogenated flame retardants for health and safety reasons, flexible film producers and other users are increasingly turning their focus to alternative technologies.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210719005153/en/

This digital rendering shows the difference in clarity between the opaque, halogenated flame-retardant film (left) and the transparent, non-halogenated FR film (right) produced using Techmer PM’s custom formulated solution for polyethylene film and extrusion coating applications. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This digital rendering shows the difference in clarity between the opaque, halogenated flame-retardant film (left) and the transparent, non-halogenated FR film (right) produced using Techmer PM’s custom formulated solution for polyethylene film and extrusion coating applications. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The halogen chemistry currently used and the presence of antimony trioxide are the primary causes for concern, prompting the European Union to prohibit, effective this past March 1, the use of halogenated FRs in plastic enclosures and stands of electronic displays. California is taking similar steps, via its Proposition 65 legislation, to ban the use of such additives in the future.

The market has long sought a flame-retardant film that is both non-halogenated and transparent. This has been especially challenging with blown polyethylene films.

Techmer PM, LLC, a Tennessee-based compounder and materials design firm, offers custom non-halogenated FR solutions designed specifically for polyethylene films and extrusion coating. Its products –– called PM116050 and PM117000 –– produce highly transparent film without being halogenated. PM116050 can be used for low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density PE (LLDPE) blown film applications with a maximum processing temperature of 400° F. The PM117000 grade, meanwhile, is targeted for blown film and extrusion coating applications with a maximum processing temperature of 600° F.

“Many users are not aware that one can still achieve a high degree of clarity with non-halogenated flame retardants,” notes Rodney Weaver, Techmer PM’s market manager for flexible packaging and films. “Our halogen-free FR additives for PE films and extrusion coating provide product designers the ability to improve the safety of their products without sacrificing clarity.”

Highly transparent film is likely to be particularly important in certain packaging, agriculture, signage, and building and construction applications. As more restrictive legislation ramps up, Weaver said, more users will find themselves having to transition to nonhalogenated technology. “Let us be perfectly clear –– Techmer PM has a solution right now.”

About Techmer PM, LLC

Founded in 1981, Techmer PM specializes in modifying and fine-tuning the properties of technical polymers. The company thrives on partnering and collaborating with plastics processors, fabricators, designers, specifiers, and brand owners. Drawing on a broad portfolio of resins –– from polyolefins to PEEK –– Techmer PM helps manufacturers enhance product function and appearance in scores of end-use markets. The award-winning firm operates six North American plants and has extensive expertise in virtually every plastic- and fiber-related process, from additive manufacturing and blown film to nonwovens, injection molding, and sheet extrusion. Techmer PM has been recognized by Plastics News as one of the industry’s “Best Places to Work” for six of the past eight years. www.techmerpm.com

Contacts

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.