Plastic In Places You Wouldn't Expect

If you occupy any space in the plastic supply chain, from resin manufacturer on down, at some point you've probably found yourself in search of the old "White Whale."

That market or application that no one but you has ever thought of.

Is it the best way to spend your time? Probably not. Putting your head down and working through the millions of ways industrial plastics are already in use is going to be what keeps you in business for years to come. Winning the lottery isn't a sound financial plan.

But it sure is fun to dream, isn't it?

I was lucky enough to grow up in and around the plastics industry. Some of you may even recognize me as the kid at the IAPD shows each year who tried to get a sample from every booth at the convention. I've come to learn in these last few months that the stories and anecdotes that I've taken for granted my whole life are not as common knowledge as I assumed. Apparently not everyone's father was schooling them growing up on the exact chemical and mechanical properties of their cast polyurethane batting tees -- Who knew?

As I try to navigate what to put in these articles, I've found myself wondering what I could share that isn't just a regurgitation of technical data. What can I offer that is quick, fun, and informative? Hopefully these anecdotal tidbits prove to be all three of those things.

Disney's Tree of Life

Any Disney World fans out there? Growing up, my old man would take us down there every few years (he was born in the 1940s, so when he was a little kid Disney was a BIG deal). My favorite park was the Animal Kingdom. If you've been, or if you've seen pictures, you know about "The Tree."

It really is impressive, even by Disney standards. The attraction is a 145-foot (44 m) sculpture of a baobab tree, at the top of which resides 102,000 artificial leaves made of...

Kynar? PVDF

Kynar? is a type of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin produced by Arkema Inc.

Every time we would walk over the bridge leading into the park and the tree would appear on the horizon (and I mean every time), I would hear the story of the mythical Arkema employee "Mr. Kynar" David Seiler and how Kynar? leaves made that tree possible.

Kynar? PVDF is designed for extreme inertness in harsh environments, flame & smoke properties, weather resistance, durability, and ease of processing. It has excellent resistance to ozone oxidation reactions and UV damage, as well as resistance to microbiological and fungus growth. Making it the perfect choice for sitting out in the humid Florida sun 365 days a year!

So, if you ever stumble upon anyone asking for 100,000 leaves to put on a 14 story tree in an internationally renowned outdoor theme park with near-unlimited funding, you now know where to look.

As always, please reach out with any corrections: [email protected]

www.JarrettPlastics.com