(141a) A Methodology for Commercial Process Technology Translations of Engineering Thermoplastic Resins

Introduction of novel product offerings into the marketplace is a complex act, especially when the key ingredient in the product formulation is a new molecule or new polymer. Engineering thermoplastic resins are no exception to these challenges. The journey from discovery of a new polymer to its successful commercial scale production cannot be taken for granted. In other words, discovery of a new polymer does not automatically make it a game-changer for the marketplace. Turning this new discovery into a viable business solution requires a methodical approach.

In this paper, the author will present one such methodology to convert the discovery of new polymer into a successfully commercialized resin production technology within existing assets. Consideration for the scale-up of any new polymer into an existing asset must start in the early phases of the research. The criteria for commercial scale production using existing assets must be clearly defined upfront. Then, the map of asset capability needs should be prepared during the bench-scale development. This early-stage adoption of mapping asset capabilities allows for the critical time needed to identify and study the fundamental principles applied to the production process. This is also a phase that requires assessment of an initial specification matrix needed for the new polymer that directly correlates to the Critical-To-Quality parameters of the product formulation. The next step makes a systematic use of pilot-scale process development using experimental design principles. Detailed risk assessment of the proposed commercial process footprint in the existing asset is important to identify piloting needs. Piloting allows for careful determination of the operating regime and potential failure modes across the entire production process. Lastly, commercial scale production tests are to be designed by a process technology team in close collaboration with all the different functions that are responsible for long-term term execution of a commercial production. The author will conclude by sharing recent commercialization examples that have followed this methodology with success.