Jan 23 2011
Three New Technology Forums at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) ANTEC 2011 conference will explore plastics innovations with potential to advance the state of the art in alternate energy systems, healthcare, and prevention of healthcare-acquired infections, it was announced today by SPE
ANTEC 2011 will take place May 1-5 in Boston. The New Technology Forums will be half-day symposia, concurrent with other ANTEC sessions, starting at 1:30 pm on three successive days.
- Polymers in Solar and Flexible Films. New developments to be discussed in seven technical presentations will focus on roll-to-roll photovoltaic systems, solar concentrators, and flexible displays. Organizations represented by the presenters will include DuPont, 3M, Sabic, SkyFuel, Guardian Industries, Akron Polymer Systems, and the University of Akron. Sedat Gunes, Ryan Breese, and Shriram Bagrodia are the organizers of the symposium. Monday May 2.
- Polymer Applications in Health Research. Co-sponsored by SPE's Medical Plastics Division, this symposium will consist of five presentations on materials and processes that are not yet commercial but promise to advance the fields of orthopedics, implants, tissue engineering, and medical devices. The presentations will cover these topics: nanotechnology applications in implants (Brown University); silk-based biomaterials for medical devices (Tufts University); polymers and composites for stem cell tissue engineering (New Jersey Institute of Technology); hydrogels for hernia mesh fixation (HyperBranch Medical Technology); and surface-modified biomaterials for treating infections (Emergence Venture Partners). Organizers are Sadhan C. Jana, Prithu Mukhopadhyay, and Len Czuba. Tuesday May 3.
- Advances in Anti-Microbial Technologies for Plastics. This symposium will examine advances that can help prevent healthcare-acquired infections such as those from MRSA bacteria in hospitals. Four technical presentations and a panel discussion will deal with anti-microbial agents for use in medical devices, diagnostic equipment, clinical furniture, and hospital-room construction materials. Organizations represented by the presenters will include PolyOne, Milliken, NanoHorizons, Polymedix, and WuXi AppTec. Organizers are Roger Avakian and Vaman G. Kulkarni. Wednesday May 4.
A detailed agenda for each symposium is posted at http://www.4spe.org/antec-2011-new-technology-forums.
SPE-ANTEC (Annual Technical Conference), sponsored by the Society of Plastics Engineers, is the leading technical forum on cutting-edge technology and information pertinent to the needs of the plastics industry.