Formulation research. Compound preparation
Improving thermoplastics - Compounders' role

To characterize the state of thermoplastics technology in the mid-1960s, we would have to compare it to that of steel at the beginning of the 20th century, when today's ingenious alloys had yet to be discovered. Polymers were marketed by chemical companies that offered almost exclusively simple products, with the exception of styrenic copolymers such as impact polystyrene, SAN and ABS, or PVC compounds.

This era saw the rise of glass fiber-reinforced products offered by the major chemists, but also by the first compounders such as LNP, the pioneer in the United States.

Other ingredients were soon added to the range. It's a tribute to the formulators who, in the space of two decades, have succeeded in developing an...