Many technological advances have been made in nanocomposites, enabling suppliers to target profitable markets such as automotive and sports applications. Nanomaterials weigh less, mold more easily on smaller presses and process dramatically faster. Hence, initial applications were motivated by cost savings relative to conventional resins, but long-term nanocomposites growth will come from enhancing value. This segment continues to be shrouded with technical problems such as ensuring optimal dispersion of nanoparticles in the resin. One of the biggest challenges currently to nanocomposites growth is how to break the volume versus price conundrum. Highlights as listed in Omnexus, from the Nanocomposites Conference and the Advances in Extrusion Conference that show cased emerging, novel nanoplastic processing technologies. The high cost of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) has partially restricted their broader adoption. The cost structure supported by the lack of production scale will change with the introduction of new capacity- price level is expected to decrease as capacities and their utilization increases. As per current forecasts, CNTs are expected to show a 25% annual growth rate, with the market expected to be worth US$2 bln within 10 years. Post-conference, Bayer MaterialScience has opened a large carbon nanotube (CNT) pilot facility in Leverkusen, with annual capacity of 200 tons at an investment of €22 mln. Belgian competitor Nanocyl is installing a new reactor for nanotube production that would boost its production capacity to 400 tpa, scheduled to come online in July 2010. To help clients achieve homogenous diffusion of CNT in their products Arkema, a global leader in multiwall CNT, has developed a range of CNT-thermoplastic masterbatches. Arkema's 'universal' CNT masterbatch, Graphistrength C M12-20, containing 30 wt% CNT in a thermoplastic polyester that is compatible with a variety of thermoplastic matrices, including polyamide (PA, nylon), polyester (PBT, polybutylene terephthalate), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acetal (POM, polyoxymethylene) and acrylic (PMMA, polymethyl methacrylate). This new masterbatch complements its latest generation of Graphistrength CNT masterbatches that incorporate the company's own multiwall CNT in engineering thermoplastics at 20% loading including PC, and nylon 6, 11 or 12. The new masterbatches are characterized by improved processability at lower temperatures and are very safe to use. Stratek's patented Tek-Mix is a thermo-mechanically based process designed to take advantage of the benefits of extensional flow to achieve greatly improved distribution and dispersion of CNT, nanoclays and other additives. The company has demonstrated that in comparison to a straight shear field, extensional flow, which results from a positive velocity gradient in the flow direction, is at least 400% more efficient in particle size dispersion due to the high stretching forces applied to the agglomerates that cause rapid breakup. Compounder PolyOne Corporation and Zyvex Performance Materials (ZPM) are working jointly to develop and produce CNT nanocomposites. The companies have received a US$4.9 mln grant to assist in project funding from Ohio Third Frontier Commission created to promote collaborative innovation. The CNT filled thermoplastic composites are being developed for structural and electrical applications. As part of the arrangement, ZPM is providing the chemistry and CNT functionalization to make these nanomaterials compatible with a variety of high-end thermoplastics while PolyOne will provide compounding technology, product development and process optimization to take full advantage of the functionalized CNT. The companies are working with Stratek Plastic Ltd. to leverage that company's Tek-Mix blending technology for optimization of the CNT dispersion in the thermoplastic composites. ZPM optimizes the interaction between CNTs and the host polymer matrix by designing molecules that exfoliate, debundle, and allow for uniform dispersion by creating a multi-functional bridge between the CNT sidewalls and the host material. These molecules are effective on single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs), multi-wall nanotubes (MWNTs), and carbon nanotube fibers (CNFs) and have proven useful for other nanomaterials such as nanoclays. ZPM's proprietary technology successfully transfers the nanotubes' intrinsic electrical and mechanical properties to the host polymers. A device to melt blend two or more polymers using a structured fluid-dynamic mixing process known as 'chaotic advection' creates unusual micro-scale and nano-scale phase morphologies that potentially can optimize extruded film properties using fewer materials and extruders than with highly layered co extrusion. The technology developed by Smart Blending Technologies (SBT) can replace complex feed blocks and multi-layer dies and eliminates the need for costly tie-layer resins. It can change from one extruded structure to another simply by adjusting the rotation of "stir rods" in the extruder barrel. It is also possible to create films or other extrusions with special properties such as electrical conductivity or additive-release characteristics. SBT has developed a blown film smart die that can extrude micro-layers or place into blown film a wide variety of polymer blend morphologies. Combined resin systems include HDPE/LDPE (high density polyethylene/low density polyethylene), LDPE/EVOH (low density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol), PA 6/EVOH (polyamide or nylon 6/ethylene vinyl alcohol), LDPE/PS (low density polyethylene/polystyrene), PP/PS (polypropylene/polystyrene), or PP/EPDM (polypropylene/ ethylene propylene diamine). Greater than two material systems are combinable into a blown film such as PA 6/PA6 with nanoclay/EVOH that achieve very high barrier properties. For very low permeability plastics and other applications, smart blenders have effectively produced novel multi-layer nanocomposites and dispersed platelets. Platelets, which have thicknesses of only one nanometer, can be oriented within the layers containing them. The layers can also have thicknesses of only nanometers. For excellent dispersion, smart blenders can be operated to produce layers of smaller thickness than the platelets, so the multilayer structure is no longer evident. For example, plastic composites with chaotic advection gain improved flexural stiffness