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                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Plant Polymer Research: Peoria, IL
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ARS Home Midwest Area Peoria, Illinois National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Plant Polymer Research Docs





PPL Specialized Research Resources NCAUR Pilot Plant **History** Past collaborations have led to groundbreaking products and advances. The Utilization Research centers were authorized and built in 1939. NCAUR has been designated an International Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK). **Partnerships** We are eager to explore new partnerships that would make use of the NCAUR Pilot Plant to develop new products from agricultural products, co-products, and waste; new packaging materials to improve food quality and safety; and new energy efficient methods for processing plastics and bioplastics. Partnerships may take the form of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) and Material Transfer Research Agreements (MTRAs). **Process Capabilities for Industrial Pilot Scale Applications** Ambient and Heated Mixing Coating Blow Molding Calendaring Compression Molding Cutting / Stamping Emulsification Extrusion Compounding (single & twin screw) Fibers / Filaments (variable diameter) Injection Molding Lamination Puffing/Foaming Particle Sizing (screen / mesh) Reactive extrusion (chemistry within the melt) Ribbons / Sheets (variable width/thickness) Roll milling Size Reduction Spray and Freeze Drying  Extrusion & Molding **Extrusion** Werner-Pfleiderer ZSK 30mm co-rotating twin-screw with multi-port injection feeding or venting capabilities 3 dry feeders & 4 liquid pumps rod & sheet dies foam/puff cutter Brabender Intelli-Torque single screw rod, ribbon, sheet & blown film dies Leistritz Micro18 co-rotating twin-screw 2 dry feeders & 2 liquid pump slit and filament dies **Injection Molding** Engel Victory 125 Injection Molder ASTM sample & specialty molds **Compression Molding** Carver hydraulic presses - water cooled  Polymer Processing & Characterization **Mixing** Brabender Rheometer Heated roll mill **3-D printing (resins)** Flashforge Creator - Dual Nozzle **Post-processing** Film, Sheet, & Ribbon Calendaring Fiber/Filament Drawing Brabender Granu-grinder (1.0 mm) Thomas Wiley Mill (1.0-3.0 mm) Vibratory Sieves (18-200 Mesh size) SPEX Freeze Mill (0.1-100 g) ASTM D638 Tensile Bars **Characterization** Instron Materials Testing System ASTM 638 Tensile Properties Peel, Puncture, 3-Point Bend, & Impact Controlled Environment Melt flow properties: rheometry & viscosity Thermal analysis: DSC, TGA, & DMA Spectral analysis: UV-VIS & FT-IR Microscopic Analysis: SEM, AFM, & Digital Elemental analysis: NMR & CHN Analyzer HPLC-SEC Molecular weight (20K-10M) Film Adhesion and Abrasion Thin Film Thicknesses (0-500um, 0-2mm) Permeability


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