Polyolefins (particularly polyethylene and polypropylene) are widely used synthetic polymeric materials at present. With innovations in catalyst technology, especially the large-scale commercialization of the metallocene/methylaluminoxane (Metallocene/MAO) catalytic system, metallocene linear low-density polyethylene (mLLDPE) achieves highly uniform short-chain branching (SCB) distribution and an extremely narrow molecular weight distribution. This unique topological structure endows mLLDPE with excellent impact resistance, puncture resistance and elongation at break, making it a dominant material for agricultural films, heavy-duty packaging bags and flexible packaging applications. Nevertheless, as the downstream packaging industry puts increasingly stringent demands on film downgauging, materials are subjected to drastically elevated mechanical stress. Unexpected physical failures or processing instability occasionally occur in certain grades during actual service or processing.

In our Polymer & Advanced Materials Technical Exchange Group, frontline engineers from R&D, process and testing teams carry out intensive technical discussions every single day. To archive these high-value industry exchanges, we have specially launched the Tech Salon column to resolve industrial technical pain points from a professional perspective. This issue focuses on the confusion regarding equivalence between accelerated corrosion testing of metallic materials and their actual service lifespans. Taking metal busbars and steel fasteners, the core components in new energy energy storage systems, as research objects, we conduct an in-depth discussion on scientifically evaluating material corrosion resistance, as well as selecting appropriate anti-corrosion processes to meet stringent long-term outdoor service requirements.

In scenarios such as crash simulation, NVH analysis and product reliability evaluation, the accuracy of material parameter settings directly determines the reliability of simulation results. Nevertheless, there exists a conversion gap that needs to be bridged between raw material curves obtained from laboratory tests and the true stress-strain curves required by simulation software. Based on practical engineering experience, this article systematically sorts out the complete workflow from raw material curve acquisition to the generation of simulation material cards, serving as a reference for engineers engaged in CAE work.

Within our Polymer & Advanced Materials Technical Exchange Group, frontline engineers from R&D, process and testing teams conduct intensive technical exchanges every day. To preserve these high-value industry discussions, we have specially launched the Tech Salon column to address prevalent industrial technical pain points from a professional perspective. This issue focuses on a common blind spot in the processing of specialty engineering plastics: how to accurately measure the minimum melt viscosity of polyimide (PI), so as to resolve blistering and delamination defects arising during calendaring, coating and lamination processes.

While production lines have achieved full automation and ERP/MES systems have been fully interconnected, are your laboratory test data still manually recorded? Every manual entry may introduce errors, and retrieving a single record can take up to half an hour. Cexunda intelligent testing equipment enables digitalization of test data at the source and achieves seamless integration with LIMS, truly realizing the philosophy of "data stays digital throughout the whole process with zero management errors".

Within our Polymer & Advanced Materials Technical Exchange Group, frontline engineers engaged in R&D, process engineering and testing hold intensive technical discussions every day. To accumulate and preserve these high-value industry exchanges, we have specially launched the column [Group Chat Tech Salon], addressing industrial technical pain points from a professional perspective. In this issue, we focus on the "neural network" of new energy vehicles: automotive wiring harnesses.

With the increasingly complex circuit design of electronic devices and the rigorous implementation of lead-free requirements, the electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) surface finishing process for printed circuit boards (PCBs) is known in the industry as a "universal coating" owing to its excellent flatness and favorable electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, restricted by intricate process parameters, ENIG finishing is plagued by an intractable hidden defect: nickel corrosion, commonly referred to as the "black pad" phenomenon. Recently, an enterprise commissioned an in-depth failure diagnosis investigation into mass soldering failures occurring on PCB pads from its production line.

As a commonly used microstructure characterization technique, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been widely applied in disciplines including materials science and biology. As a materials researcher, you certainly need an in-depth understanding of TEM. Today we will walk through a three-step method to complete the indexing of TEM electron diffraction spots. Before we get started, however, we first need to clarify two critical questions.

In the fields of modern aerospace, new energy vehicles and high-end precision equipment, advanced composites have become key lightweight primary load-bearing structural materials by virtue of their outstanding specific strength, specific stiffness and design flexibility.

In March 2026, the geopolitical situation in the Middle East escalated abruptly. Conflicts involving the United States, Israel, and Iran triggered sharp fluctuations in international oil prices. As of March 20, the price of Brent crude oil had soared to $112.19 per barrel, representing an increase of more than 45% from around $77 at the beginning of March. It even hit a high of $119.40 on March 9. Domestic refined oil prices will see the biggest increase so far this year at 24:00 on March 23, with Grade 95 gasoline likely to return to the "9-yuan era" across the board.

As a core component of modern communication networks, optical modules are key devices for photoelectric conversion, and their reliability directly affects the stability and service life of the entire communication system. Optical module reliability testing is a systematic and standardized evaluation system designed to verify the ability of optical modules to operate normally under specific environmental and stress conditions. With the rapid development of 5G, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and other technologies, network transmission rates continue to increase, and the requirements for optical module reliability are becoming increasingly stringent. Understanding the full scope of optical module reliability testing is of great significance for communication equipment manufacturers, network operators, and technical personnel in related fields.

In the polyolefin industry, single-site catalysis has opened up new approaches to polymer synthesis, enabling structure design for enhanced resin performance in specific applications. Molecular weight and chemical composition distribution can be modified via multi-catalyst and multi-reactor processes, or by melt blending single-site resins with Ziegler–Natta resins. In product development, PP copolymers with excellent performance can be obtained by adjusting tacticity, as well as the contents of PE, PP homopolymers, and EP copolymers.