Title: Preliminary Work with OrganoMercury-Free Photoelastic Particles

Author (Table Talk): Stephanie McNamara, CU Boulder

Abstract:

Recently, our community became aware that Clearflex 50 has an OrganoMercury component, which is damaging for human health and the environment, in addition to sensitizers that can create allergic reactions in some people. Due to this new discovery, we are investigating new polyurethane recipes to create superb-quality particles in-house, but with a kinder impact on humans and the environment. We explore many resins and combinations of resins to achieve transparent and reproducible particles that have a low cure time, are non-viscoelastic, and do not experience plastic deformation.