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Chemical Technology • November/December 2016
ADVERTORIAL
DST- CSIR Nanomaterials Industrial Development Facility (NIDF) Call to researchers in industry, academia and science councils who need to develop and test special polyolefin plastics. The polymer processing facility of the DST-CSIR Nanomaterials Industry Development Facility (NIDF) at CSIR, seeks to enhance the local polymer industry competitiveness by providing a pilot scale platform for new polymeric materials development by offering: • 40 L/D co-rotating Twin Screw Extruder; 5-layer blown film extrusion line (25 & 20 mm diameter screws); 5-layer cast sheet extrusion line; 500kN Injection moulding machine • Access to skilled researchers, technical expertise and a world-class characterisation facility comprising rheometers, thermal characterisation equipment (DSC, TGA), mechanical testers (Tensile, Impact, DMA), microscopy (TEM, SEM, POM), gas permeability barrier testers, GPC, FTIR (single or coupled with GC, MS, TGA) etc. The facility would like to invite industrial entrepreneurs, higher learning institutions and other research institutions to partner with it to develop new polymer-based materials which are preferably at a stage beyond synthesis. The preferred materials are pres- ently olefins including: nano-structured composites, multiphase polymer systems, bio-based polymer systems and high performance composite polymers. We invite applications from industry, entrepreneurs and public institutions, and the fol- lowing aspects need to be addressed in the proposal: • The goal of the project • Clear understanding of the market need being addressed, industry dynamics and description of the competitive environment • Technology description including key features and competitive advantage • Cost benefit analysis (budgets, resource requirements, capital budgeting analysis) • Project time frame It should be noted that successful applicants will not receive any funding through this process. Furthermore, resources allocated to projects will be agreed during the selection process. APPLICATION DUE DATE: 30 NOVEMBER 2016 A fully completed and signed proposal must be submitted to the NIDF (nidf@csir.co.za) not later than 30 November 2016. Please limit proposal length to not more than 5 pages. All submissions will be treated as strictly confidential. Please direct all queries to: Dr. Manfred Scriba (Program Manager: 012 8414738, mrscri- ba@csir.co.za) and Dr. Vincent Ojijo (Polymer Processing Fa- cility Manager: 0128413360, vojijo@csir.co.za)