If anything bothers University of Virginia physicist Lou Bloomfield, it’s a wobbly table. So much so that he actually invented a material to eliminate the problem. The material, a type of silicone rubber that is both rigid and fluid—a “viscoelastic” solid—can be placed under a table leg where it conforms to the shape of the leg bottom and the floor surface, perfectly filling the gap.

Today’s hot-melt formulators face many challenges, including variations in the availability of raw material supply and the pressure to reduce formulation costs. High-efficiency polymers can help formulators by reducing formulation viscosity or increasing formulation flexibility, which allows for the exchange of resin or oil for polymers.

Acrylic polymers are widely used in pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) applications in the form of emulsion, solvent or radiation-cured systems. They combine good UV resistance, transparency, tailored tack, and stiffness due to a large choice of acrylic and methacrylic comonomers.

The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council’s Tape Summit 2013 will be held May 13-17 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, La. Industry professionals will benefit from a variety of focused learning opportunities, including Tape University, TECH 36, and the Exhibitor and Technical Poster events.

A VIP list of political, business and economic development leaders helped Bostik celebrate the grand opening of its expanded business and technology center in Wauwatosa, Wis., late last year.