Materials

Polymers are usually used as shell materials to produce spherical or fibered core-shell micro and nanocapsules via Simple or Coaxial Electrospinning, Electrospraying and CoFlowing. Some of them cannot be solved and has to be melted to form nanofibers or to be mixed with a microfiller. In the intermedium zone we can find some thermoset resins easily soluble but that has to be cured to obtain solid aspect.

Fibered and Spherical nanostructures from inorganic materials can also be formed using a synthetic polymer doped with metallic/ceramic oxides (Fe, Ni, Cu, Ce, Ti, Si,…) and a late calzination of polymer-based fiber/particle.

Some examples of materials that have been processed by can be observed below:

BIOPOLYMERS
SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
INORGANIC MATERIALS
ENGINEERING POLYMERS

BIOPOLYMERS

Due to the environmental problems related to non-biodegradability of this kind of polymers, biopolymers are being considered nowadays as an alternative to synthetic polymers for several applications (too expensive yet) and in the future will replace the inexpensive synthetic polymers. Man-made polymers are used in a wide array of applications: food packaging,paper, films, fibers, tubing, pipes, etc.

Biopolymers are polymers produced by living organisms formed by so called polymeric biomolecules.
Biopolymers contain monomeric units that are covalently bonded to form larger structures. There are three main classes of biopolymers, classified according to the monomeric units used and the structure of the biopolymer formed:

These materials include: Polynucleotides (Zein, RNA and DNA), Polysaccharides (maltodextrin, cellulose, alginates, collagen, …), polyterpenes (natural rubbers), Polypeptides (Fibroin), Polylactic acid (PLA), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Polycaprolactone (PCL), Polyethylene ethanol (from sugar cane), Polyphenols (Lignin) …

Doxa® has got experience processing such materials in Microencapsulation Applications from diverse sectors such as Food, Pharma, Veterinary, Wound Healing, Tissue Engineering,…Following pictures shows particles and/or fibers obtained using our techniques.

PCL

PCL

Zein

Zein

Cellulose Acetate

Cellulose Acetate

Hidroxypropyl Cellulose

Core-Shell Nanofibers

PLA

Lignine

Lignine

PVA

PVA

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin

SYNTHETIC POLYMERS

Synthetic Polymers are defined as human-made polymers or plastics. They are derived from petroleum oil, and made by scientists and engineers. From the utility point of view synthetic polymers can be classified into three main kind of polymers found commonly in a wide variety of consumer products: thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers.

Polymers formed by a straightforward linking together of monomer units, with no loss or gain of material, are called addition polymers or chain-growth polymers, being all of these called too synthetic polymers. A wide variety of synthetic polymers are available with variations in main chain as well as side chains. The back bones of common synthetic polymers such as polythene and polystyrene, poly acrylates are made up of carbon-carbon bonds, whereas hetero chain polymers such as polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes polysulfides and polycarbonates have other elements (e.g. oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen) inserted along the backbone. Also silicon form familiar materials such as silicones through siloxane linkages, which does not have any carbon atoms and is said to be an inorganic polymer. Coordination polymers may contain a range of metals in the backbone, with non-covalent bonding present.

Doxa® has got experience processing such materials in Microencapsulation Applications from diverse sectors such as Filtering, Screening, Buildings, Catalysis, Chemicals (Detergents, Adhesives,…). Following pictures shows particles and/or fibers obtained using our techniques.

PAN/CNT

PAN/CNF

Aligned Nanofibers

PU

NYLON

NG64 Photopolymer

Big size nanoparticles

Somos Ws Photopolymer/Oil

Somos Ws Photopolymer

PS

PB/PIB

PEVA

PB

Polymer Nanoparticle by Electrospray

PMMA

PVDF

PVP

Coaxial nanoparticles

PVDF

INORGANIC MATERIALS

Doxa® has gathered a wide experience designing, developing and manufacturing inorganic fibers from metallic precursors: SnO2, WO3, SiO2, CeO2, NiO2, CuO2, WO3, TiO2, Al2O3, … for catalysis , sensoring, screening,… applications.

Cerium

Zircounium

Silicon

Hollow Nanofibers

Hollow Nanofibers

Silicon (Hollow)

Zirconium Hollow

Fenicu

ENGINEERING POLYMERS: 

CURED THERMOSET RESINS & HIGH PERFORMANCE THERMOPLASTICS

Engineering polymers are materials with exceptional mechanical properties such as stiffness, toughness, and low creep that make them valuable in the manufacture of structural products like gears, bearings, electronic devices, and auto parts. We can highligt some engineering plastics including acetals, polyamides, polyimides, polyacrylates, polycarbonates, polyesters, high performance polymers (PEEK, PEI, PPS,…) and cured resins (EPOXY, BMI & RESOLES) which have proven their value for a wide range of applications in the aerospace, automotive, railways, electrical, electronics, consumer products, office appliances, sporting goods and other fields.

The problem related to the substitution of typically used metals and alloys by polymers is mainly the electrical/magnetic behaviour and the impact strength.

Doxa® has gathered a wide experience designing, developing and manufacturing nanocomposites (generating a microfilled or microcoated based composite) that exhibits good performance in EMI SHIELDING, ESD, Impact Strength, Flexure, Compression, Thermal/Electrical Conductivity,…

PEEK/MWCNT (microfilling)

Resol Nanofiber Sheet (Electrospinning + Curing HT)

BMI/MWCNT (Microfilling+Curing HTT)

Silicon