Oct 15 2007
DuPont today introduced DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210, a product designed as sun protection for plastics. The product uses extremely small particles of titanium dioxide to efficiently absorb ultraviolet light, protecting plastic and anything it covers from the sun's damaging rays. Because a sizeable percentage of titanium dioxide particles in the product are nanoscale, it was selected as a demonstration case for application of the Nano Risk Framework that DuPont and Environmental Defense introduced in June. The Framework is a systematic and disciplined process to evaluate and address the potential risks of nanoscale materials.
DuPont is the world's largest manufacturer of titanium dioxide, which is widely used as a pigment in the coatings, plastics and paper industries. DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210 is the first in a family of products based on breakthrough DuPont titanium dioxide process technology. It will be available for sale in November.
DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210 is an additive designed for use in plastics to help protect products from cracking, fading and other types of solar degradation. Potential applications include sporting goods, outdoor furniture, fabrics and carpet fibers - virtually any plastic product that will be exposed to sunlight. It also can be used in plastic films and sheeting to protect plants in greenhouses or packaged goods from UV light. In testing, DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210 blocked twice as much ultraviolet light as several classes of competitive products.
"Our titanium dioxide manufacturing technology has transformed several times in the more than 70 years since it entered the DuPont product family," said Richard C. Olson, vice president and general manager - DuPont Titanium Technologies. "It's extremely gratifying to see this material transform yet again into a high performance product made using DuPont nanoscale science."
"DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210 is the first product to use the Nano Risk Framework during the development process," said Gary K. Whiting, global venture manager for the new product. "Because a portion of the product is less than the threshold 100 nanometers in size, we decided to examine it fully, strictly adhering to the Framework. The Nano Risk Framework is an additional tool that allowed us to critically examine and thoroughly understand our product."
DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210 works by absorbing ultraviolet rays and changing them into small amounts of heat which dissipate quickly without damaging the structure of plastic. The key performance advantage of the new light stabilizer is that its extremely small particle size provides much more surface area for UV absorption.
The development of DuPont(TM) Light Stabilizer 210 is an example of DuPont Nanoscale Science & Engineering, an emerging technology domain that is creating new growth opportunities across many sectors of the DuPont business portfolio. The application of new tools and techniques for the measurement, characterization and control of nanoscale features provides the ability to more precisely tailor known materials to more effectively deliver desired properties and to enhance functional benefits. Nanoscale Science & Engineering further strengthens the company's integrated and diverse technology capabilities to create high performance, novel products that meet current and future market needs.