Polymer research and test house Rapra Technology (GB-Shawbury, Shrewsbury SY4 4NR; www.rapra.net) has secured EUR 5m of EU funding to lead a 20-member European consortium in a project to improve the electrical conductivity of a range of polymer materials and demonstrate their application in medical, electrical and automotive applications. The four-year “PolyCond” programme is forecast to make a possible EUR 17.8m return on its funding within five years, with the project costs of EUR 9.06m being recovered within two years.

The two main goals of PolyCond are the development of melt processable inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) with increased electrical conductivity and the introduction of cost-effective processes for the surface modification of carbon nanotubes. Other targets are to develop a cost-effective processing method for temperature sensitive, conductive composites and new plastic products with embedded EMI shielding and ESD protection.