Plastics Research Centers & Initiatives

What Is It?

Carolinas’ high-tech centers and initiatives offer access to talent and research opportunities to a wide range of industries interested in the manufacture and distribution of plastic products (like bottles).  Such industries include, but are not limited to,  automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, medical and packaging. The plastic industry has substantial dependencies on agriculture and oil. Therefore, strong links exist  to agriculture, as plastics or polymers can now be grown from plants. Similarly, there are strong links to textile research as many new textile products include the use of polymers.

Universities Involved

North Carolina State University

  • The Polymer Science Research Center will result from collaboration of multiple departments and colleges, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Textiles. This initiative is currently being led by the Chemistry Department which is part of the College of  Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

Clemson University  

  • Center for Flexible Packaging for learning and research.
  • Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies.
  • BioSystems Center which emphasizes agriculture and life sciences.

University of North Carolina - Charlotte  

  • Polymer research through its Chemistry Department, including projects and nanoscale applications of polymers.

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill  

  • Research into polymer science, chemistry and manufacturing process technology (with key companies such as Dupont and Eastman Chemical).

Community/Technical Colleges Involved

Davidson Community College

  • Plastics curriculum programs:
    • Plastics AAS Degree.
    • Plastics Diploma.
    • Certificates in Extrusion, Injection Molding, Manufacturing Practices and Materials.

Wake Technical Community College

  • Plastics curriculum programs:
    • Plastics AAS Degree.
    • Plastics Diploma.
    • Certificates in Extrusion, Injection Molding, Manufacturing Practices and Materials.
  • Lead college with the Eastern N.C. Plastics Technology Center.

Polymers Center of Excellence in Charlotte 

  • Partnership with the University of North Carolina - Charlotte and North Carolina State University; has full-time staff of 13, plus 5 part-time staff teaching assistants from University of North Carolina - Charlotte.
  • Offers 1-2 day short courses complimentary to work offered by the Community Colleges.
  • Offers molding, extrusion and test labs which accommodate prototyping for client companies.

Eastern N.C. Plastics Technology Center (ENCPTC) in Zebulon

  • Community Colleges in this consortium award associate degrees in applied science in Manufacturing Technology with a Plastics concentration are Wake Tech, Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, Wayne and Wilson Tech. Students complete their first-year courses at their home college and their second-year at the Zebulon campus.  Curriculum programs are the same as those offered at Davidson Community College.
  • Course work includes injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, blow molding and machine operation.