Situated in Vila Prudente - São Paulo, the Braskem’s Technology and Innovation Center of the Vinylics Unit was originally inaugurated in 1986 and enlarged in 2000. In its laboratories, it counts on specialized technical staff and a wide range of equipments necessary to the PVC characterization and processing. Since its inauguration, it has already developed over 3,000 development and support projects with customers.

The center counts on laboratories for the complete process characterization and simulation, with the most modern equipments:

Processing laboratory - It counts on parallel double-screw extruder with production lines of pelletized PVC compounds, rigid and flexible, compact and expanded and also coextruded tubes and bars, for the simulation of the pilot-scale productive process (up to 100 kg/h); pilot flattener for the development of resins and PVC paste formulations; injector and diverse molds; aerator for the development of PVC mechanical foams; mixers, calenders and hot-presses for the production of compounds and proof-bodies, among others.

Chemical/thermal analysis laboratory: Equipped with equipments for the gelation level evaluation through the immersion in methylene chloride; stoves and microwave cell for ash evaluation and quantification; oxygen rate meter to evaluate the PVC compounds flammability; gradient bar to determine gelation and melting properties in PVC pastes; HDT/Vicat to determine thermal properties of rigid PVC compounds; Metrastat-type furnace for thermal stability evaluation, with scanners for UV range and visible evaluation; Sohxlet extractor for quantitative analysis of PVC formulations; Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR).

Rheology laboratory: With Haake and Brabender torque rheometers for the PVC formulations development and improvement; various viscosimeters (Brookfield, Severs and rotational Haake), for PVC pastes evaluation and development (plastisol).

Physical analysis laboratory: Equipments for mechanical strength evaluation (impact, tension, flexion, splitting, etc.); patterns for flexible proof-body cut and milling machine for milling of rigid proof-bodies; durometers; digital-capture microscope and magnifying glass and image analyser; bench colorimeter for colorimetric evaluation; equipments for abrasion-resistance analysis in soles and PVC laminates; and equipments for superficial and volumetric electric resistivity determination in plastics.

Accelerated bad weather laboratory: Chambers of accelerated aging through UV radiation (C-UV) and xenon lamp (Weather-O-Meter), equipments used in the evaluation of polymers, additives, pigments and dyes degradation in an accelerated manner, simulating the natural bad weather conditions.

Braskem, through a project developed with FINEP and the Escola Politécnica [Polytechnic School] at USP, also has racks in a network of natural bad weather exposure stations in the cities of São Paulo/SP (subtropical climate, industrial atmosphere), Rio Grande/RS (subtropical climate, coast region) and in Belém/PA (equatorial climate). In those estations, proof bodies can be exposed to the natural bad weather effects (solar radiation, humidity, rain, etc.) with a complete followup of the weather parameters.

In order to learn how to use those resources in your project, contact us.

The center is also the Braskem’s support base to the NEO PVC program (Núcleo de Estudos Orientados do PVC [PVC Oriented Studies Center]). This program is the way proposed by Braskem to constitute a network of multidisciplinary researchers arranged in Brazilian Research Academies or Centers, focused on the PVC application technology generation and promotion.

The idea to create the program arose from the historical relationship between Braskem and the Academy and from the verification that the big scientific research engine throughout the world lies in this partnership. From 2004 on, when Braskem reinforced its focus on innovation, narrowing this bond even more was a natural consequence.

One of this program’s purposes is to constantly analyse and select innovative research projects, from criteria of syntony with the Braskem’s research interests. They are divided, basically, into five big lines: 

 PVC Sustainability in Materials for Civil Construction

 Composition Technology (Blenders and Composites)

 Nanotechnology applied to PVC

 Innovations in Applications

 Innovation and Improvement of the Vinylic Chain Industrial Processes (electrolysis, EDC, MVC and PVC)

As the case may be, incentives like material donation, the permission to use the company’s laboratories, scholarship financingsor other support forms are studied. Regardless of such stimuli, the NEO PVC program aims at consolidating, in a wide manner, the Braskem’s role as a inducer and integrator of studies and researches about the material, giving room for the constitution of a multisciplinary network of researchers and professionals in the PVC area in the Country. Therefore, covenants with Universities and Research Centers have been established, the first of which is the covenant with the Federal University of São Carlos, which has yielded fruits like the second edition of the book Tecnologia do PVC [PVC Technology], whose text is available in the website www.neopvc.com.br. Braskem has also established agreements with the Departamento de Engenharia de Construção Civil e Urbana da Escola Politécnica da USP [Department of Civil and Urban Construction Engineering of the Polytechnic School of USP] and with Sociesc  (Sociedade Educacional de Santa Catarina [Educational Society of Santa Catarina], in Joinville-SC)