GUEST EDITORIAL Do It! Don’t Just Watch It Happen!

ike it or not, the vinyl industry is a mature business anriving at a critical juncture. L Competition can no longer be viewed as a cost issue among vinyl suppliers. The real competition today is a variety of other materials that are threatening to replace traditional vinyl applications.

The time is now for the vinyl industry to shift its focus away from stopgap, cost- cutting solutions toward performance issues, to make vinyl competitive against other value-added materials. That means the industry needs to make a serious com- mitment to research and development.

Since my early research days at BFGoodrich, I’ve watched the processors and ad- ditive suppliers sit on the sidelines when it comes to anteing up for R&D to advance the vinyl industry. That simply can’t continue if the industry is to remain viable and competitive. It‘s time for all players to do their share or prepare to see our industry fizzle.

You read the VinyZ 2020 report. Are you going to contribute to a 61 billion-pound per year global WC business by 20201 Or would you prefer to suffer the fate of a shrinking 23 billion-pound business? What are you personally going to do about it?

The Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation is doing its part, EPIC is a not-for- profit consortium of member companies dedicated to transforming innovative tech- nology into commercial reality. EPIC has recently organized a Special Interest Consortium to undertake development of new WC technology with growth potential of 5 billion to 10 billion pounds of new products by 2009. The targeted new products are to spur WC growth in new applications based on major improvements in prop- erties, process economics, and environmental compliance.

Early results have shown some exciting progress. A world-class team is attacking metallocene, group VIII and transition metal catalysts to produce stereoregular WCs. We’re convinced that we have a great shot at truly transforming this mature vinyl business.

Sponsors of the program include many of the worlds vinyl leaders: Aiscondel, Amoco, Certainteed, CIRES, Condea Vista, EVC, Geon, Gentek, Grupo Primex, Hydro Polymers, LG Chemical, PETCO, Policyd, SABIC, Solvay, Teknor Apex, and TRIKEM.

The program includes 15 research projects in five areas of investigation: New Molecular Architecture-new homopolymers and copolymers for high value new markets;

PVC Alloys and Blends-extension of WC-based materials to high value new markets;

Processability Enhancement-increased flow and throughput by 20 percent;

Ultimate Properties-improved fracture resistance under creep and fatigue, superior weld line strength and superior toughness; and

Environmental-heat stabilizers with no heavy metals.

An interdisciplinary team of faculty and students from the leading polymer- science institutions in the country is conducting the research. Large-scale resin pilot production will be subcontracted in sponsor facilities. In some cases, specialized testing (e.g., flame/smoke chamber) also will be subcontracted. EPIC will integrate the individual projects in polymerization, blending, processing, and testing to pro- duce program deliverables in a timely fashion.

Sponsors benefit from world-class research at a fraction of the cost and time required for in-house research, which allows them to focus more R&D investment toward product development and commercialization of the new products. Full

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subscribers to the program receive full access to all technical reports and reviews as well as license rights for patented developments; associate subscribers receive full access minus license rights.

Alert the business decision-makers in your company to this make-or-break endeavor and champion your company’s participation. Let’s do this as a united industry!

Charles E. WiUces The Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation

Charles E. WiUces is Director, WC Technology Consortium, at the Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation Since earning his doctorate in physical chemistry at Princeton in 1964, Dr. Wilkes has held a number of research, technical management, and oper- ating management positions at BFGoodnc . h and GenCorp. After conceptualizing and marketing this W C technology program, he has assumed responsibility for manag% and integrating the entire couaboratiue effort. The project is expected to take three to four years to complete. For more information on the project or for subscription details, contact Dr. WiUces a t (330) 665-4441 or wikes@epicpoly.org.

JOURNAL OF VINYL & ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY, DECEMBER 1999, Vol. 5, No. 4