These one-part systems will polymerize upon melting into the well-known thermoplastic PBT. The one-part systems allow for greater processing flexibility in a variety of marketplaces from structural composites in automotive, wind power and construction to compounding and powder coating

"Many companies are looking to single-component reactive systems to simplify production and improve quality control," said John Ciovacco, President and CEO of Cyclics Corporation. "Once in the mold the one-part systems melt, flow, polymerize, and then solidify sufficiently for part removal without cooling the mold. This is very unique in thermoplastic technologies."

Cyclics' CBT one-part materials have all the other processing benefits of two part CBT systems, namely low initial viscosity, no VOC's, no exotherm and no need to cool parts before de-molding. Additionally, CBT one-part systems are non-reactive at room temperature thus having a virtually infinite shelf life.

These one-part systems can be processed directly into finished parts or used to create a variety of common intermediates. Direct processing into finished goods could be accomplished using pultrusion, injection and compression molding, or rotational molding among others. Intermediates fall into two distinct classes, those that process like traditional thermoplastics, and those that process in a "thermoset-like" fashion. The distinction between these two classes lies in whether or not the CBT one-part resin is allowed to polymerize while making the intermediate.

Intermediates containing un-polymerized CBT will process in a "thermoset-like" fashion. They will solidify at the molding temperature for immediate de-molding, and can be processed in traditional thermoset equipment. These include materials like SMC, BMC, prepreg fabrics, powder coatings and resin film infusion (RFI) products.

Intermediates that contain polymerized CBT one-part resin (which is now PBT thermoplastic) include highly filled and long-fiber thermoplastic molding compounds, and thermoplastic prepreg and GMT type materials. It is in the manufacturing of these intermediates that the low viscosity of the CBT resin allows easy wet-out of fibers, and/or increased filler loading beyond boundaries of traditional filler content.

"Cyclics' CBT material is truly a universal resin, spanning both thermoset and thermoplastic manufacturing; with one foot in the thermoset world, and the other in the world of thermoplastics," said Ms. Aase Nielsen, Director of Marketing for Cyclics Corporation. "With this material there is no boundary between thermoset and thermoplastic processing. When you consider that CBT can be used in all plastic processes, the possibilities are staggering."

Cyclics Corporation is commercializing an innovative plastic that is a breakthrough in processing making new products possible and changing the economics of existing ones. They offer the processing advantages of a thermoset, namely the low viscosity, but have the material properties of a thermoplastic when polymerized. Cyclics products include low viscosity forms of popular polyester thermoplastics. Since the founding of the company, the Cyclics Corporation has received hundreds of inquiries in areas, such as structural composites and compounding, where the water-like viscosity of these cyclic materials allow for extremely high filler volumes and unique polymer chemistries.