K 2007 Additives Review

Following on from our Preview of new plastics additives

announced before the show, Plastics Additives & Compounding
highlights some other products on show in Düsseldorf.

Arkema has launched the Biostrength™
additives range for PLA (polylactic
acid) comprising a processing aid -
Biostrength™ 700 - and two impact
modifiers - Biostrength™130 and
Biostrengh™150. Biostrength 700
provides high melt strength performance,
clarity and recyclability for PLA.
Biostrength130 and Biostrength 150
impact modifiers are designed to improve
the sturdiness of PLA.
Biostrength 700 is a melt strength
improver for polylactic acid (PLA).
Arkema says that it substantially
increases the melt strength and melt
elasticity of PLA, while maintaining
high optical clarity. Biostrength 700
improves the processing of PLA for
extrusion, calendering, blow moulding,
thermoforming and foam applications,
and is completely transparent in PLA at
typical usage levels.
Additionally, adding Biostrength 700
melt strength improver to PLA enables
converters to use higher levels of
recycled PLA with improved retention
of the physical properties.
Arkema has specifically developed
Biostrength 130 and Biostrength 150
core-shell impact modifiers to increase
the sturdiness of PLA. Biostrength
130 is designed for use in translucent
applications, while Biostrength 150
is a higher efficiency modifier for use
in opaque applications. Biostrength
130 and 150 retain their high impact
properties at –20°C.
Arkema adds that its Biostrength
product line is designed to increase
productivity and improve product
performance for the expanding
biopolymer marketplace.
A new semi-permanent mould
release from Axel Plastics Research
Laboratories, XTEND®19CMS, is
claimed to address a major problem
with closed moulding operations:
excessive moulding residue that dirties
moulds and forces production to stop
for cleaning.
The company says that compared to
wax/naptha blend mould releases,
semi-permanent mould releases have
offered closed moulders considerably
better results overall, although until the
development of XTEND 19CMS, they
still had not adequately resolved the
extensive build-up that is encountered
in these operations.
Axel adds that XTEND 19CMS was
developed specifically for closed
moulding and difficult release
situations. The aim was to deter the
onerous styrene and monomer build-
up that typically occurs on closed
moulds after several moulding cycles
and commonly creates a rough textured
surface, particularly on ‘B’ sides of
composite tooling. XTEND 19CMS
is the first product in Axel’s new
generation of closed moulding releases.
These semi-permanent mould releases

The Biostrength range of additives has been introduced by Axel Plastics Research Laboratories has developed XTEND®
Arkema for use in PLA. 19CMS for solving problems with closed moulding operations.

Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December 2007 ISSN1464-391X/07 © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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K2007 Review
are designed to cure more quickly and
completely, providing a tougher release
interface that resists entrapment of
moulding debris.
Baerlocher has introduced new calcium-
based PVC stabilizers for rigid PVC
as part of the general move away from
lead-based systems. While calcium-
based systems are now widely used in
the cable industry, the switch away
from lead-based systems is now also
taking place in the PVC pipe industry.
In addition, calcium-based systems are
also used increasingly in PVC profiles.
Baerlocher says that it is supporting
its customers by developing calcium-
based stabilizer systems tailored to the
individual applications and customer
needs, and providing technical support
to enable a smooth transition. Marketed
under Baeropan SMS and Baeropan
TX, the company says that they offer
better handling, dosage and processing
characteristics.
Baerlocher is also offering solid calcium-
based stabilizers for rigid films: Baerostab
Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December 2007
NT 352-1P is successfully used for
transparent and pigmented calendered
rigid PVC films. The formulations offer
good heat stability and early colour,
good transparency and organoleptic
properties. This product has FDA approval
and complies with the EC 2002/72
specification.
Baerlocher has also developed a
complete range of lubricant one-
packs, Baerolub W-series, to fit most
Wood Plastic Composite (WPC)
applications. Baerlocher says that by
adding its lubricant one-pack, the WPC
processor can achieve higher output
and improved surface quality, enhanced
strength and flexural properties, as well
as reduced water absorption.
BYK GmbH has developed a new
type of stripping agent, BYK® P4200.
The additive is used to control the
small amounts of volatile components
formed during the processing of
thermoplastics. Odour and emissions
of polyolefin compounds are often a
concern, particularly for applications in
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automotive interiors. The company says
that the additive is an easy-to-handle
granulate material, which is added in
the extruder. No further processing
step is required and its effectiveness
surpasses conventional solutions, such
as adsorbents.
BYK P4101 is polymeric processing aid
that interacts strongly at the particle-
matrix interface. The company says
that this particular interaction leads to
overall improved processing conditions,
such as better melt flow, while at
the same time important physical
properties including tensile strength,
e-modulus, HDT and impact resistance
are maintained or improved. This
additive is designed for compounders
who want to increase filler loads and/or
improve mechanical strengths. The
additive is a powder and is easy to
incorporate, says the company.
Finally, Disperplast® 1018 is a high
performance wetting and dispersing
additive for colour masterbatches, which
is specifically claimed to improve the
dispersion of pigments. Masterbatchers
will see enhanced colour strength,
better filter pressure values and fewer
agglomerates and black spots. The additive
is wax-free – meaning no migration – and
is compliant with FDA and European
food contact regulations.
Chemtura Corporation has launched
a cost-effective, ‘greener’ alternative
to TNPP - 100% nonylphenol-free
Weston® NPF 705 phosphite stabilizer.
The company says that Weston NPF
705 is a drop-in, liquid replacement for
TNPP, an industry-standard secondary
antioxidant which is used in LLDPE
and HDPE, in PVC and in SBR.
Weston NPF 705 is targeted for use
in consumer and industrial packaging
and household goods and tyres, for
example. Chemtura is seeking global
food contact approvals. Developed
as DVS 005, with a patent pending,
Weston NPF 705 neither contains
nonylphenol, nor can it break down to
form nonylphenol.
Weston NPF 705 is one of Chemtura’s
‘Greener is Better’ Additive initiatives.
These new or improved products all
achieve Chemtura’s goal: to provide
customers with sustainable additive
solutions. Chemtura adds that each
product has been screened to make sure
that it offers a ‘greener’ profile than
the product it is intended to replace.
Chemtura has introduced 100% nonylphenol-free Weston® NPF 705 phosphite
stabilizer as a drop-in, liquid replacement for TNPP.
The criteria are performance without
compromise, proven cost effectiveness,
plus a strong environmental and human
health profile.
Among the products on show from
Ciba Specialty Chemicals were
a number of new introductions.
Ciba ® Irgatec ® NC 66 is an organic,
modified nanoclay that allows the
development of new materials designed
for high performance applications.
Benefits of the new nanocomposite
include improved processing stability,
hotter and faster processing, reduced
yellowing during ageing, enhanced long
term thermal and light stability, and
reduced odour during processing.
New effects were also on display.
Ciba Xymara™ pearlescent effect
pigments now include the Nordic™
range of natural shades and effects:
gold, sunset, heather, ocean, frost and
pine. This multicoloured range offers
brilliant glitter and frost effects. The
company says that they are suitable
for packaging, household and leisure
goods and many other applications.
They can be combined with transparent
or opaque coloured pigments or with
other effect pigments for individual
stylings.
The Ciba Xymara MC series has also
been introduced for polyolefins. They
are claimed to offer a wide range of
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K2007 Review
Ciba Specialty Chemicals has introduced the Xymara Nordic range of pearlescent
effects.
shimmering pearlescent effects, easy and
safe handling, and improved processing
and best product quality.
Clariant used K 2007 to add two new
red PV Fast Pigments to its range. The
high-performance organic pigments
are suitable for colouring a number
of polymers. The company says that
due to their excellent temperature
resistance, lightfastness and resistance
to bleeding, they are also suitable for
demanding applications.
PV Fast Red D3GW is part of the
family of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)
pigments with excellent colour
fastness. Like all other pigments in
the DPP range, it offers dispersibility
and a technically superior property
profile. PV Fast Red HGR is also
strong in colour and exhibits excellent
performance.
Clariant adds that what makes these
two pigments special is that they hardly
influence the warpage or shrinking in
semi-crystalline plastics, so they are a
perfect fit for colouring bottle crates and
bottle caps made out of high-density
polyethylene.
One new product launched by
Cytec at K 2007 was Cyasorb®UV-
3808PP5 light stabilizer. The company
says that its benefits include: good
compatibility with polyolefins
with no observed blooming; good
surface stabilization used alone or in
a combination with UV absorbers;
effective cost/performance; and low
Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December 2007
colour contribution and volatility.
The stabilizer is suitable for use in
polyolefins, polypropylene and TPO.
On show from Dyneon were the
Dynamar™ Polymer Processing
Additives. The company says that the
additives reduce the apparent shear
stress of resins, meaning that HDPE
and MDPE processors can lower
extrusion temperatures and pressure
leading to higher output and improved
surface. In addition, Dynamar PPA
FX 5911 and PPA FX 9613 can reduce
or even eliminate die build-up and
melt fracture. The company adds that
depending on the wall thickness, tests
show a potential for impressive output
increases.
Dyneon adds that the additives can
also significantly improve the surface
quality of HDPE products. Pipes
extruded from compounds with PPA
have smother surfaces. The additives
are designed for HDPE, MDPE
applications and have no impact on the
mechanical properties of the products,
says the company. Tests on pipes under
real production circumstances show
that the additives have no effect on the
long-term hoop stress properties while
broadening the process window for the
plastics converter.
Evonik (formerly Degussa) has
developed Tecomer ® Antiscatch 100
for imparting scratch resistance during
car manufacturing. The company says
that its use avoids additional coating
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operations for the plastic parts, offers
freedom in design and provides the
long term scratch resistance required
by end-users. According to Evonik,
increased surface slip leads to better
antiscratch properties. This means
that scratches are less deep and light
scattering is reduced, and therefore
they are less visible. This results in car
manufacturers being able to obtain
attractive prices for high value surfaces.
This provides high quality car interior
surfaces for end-users.
Honeywell Specialty Additives has
commercialized high-performance
speciality lubricants for PVC processing in
Europe. The company says that the new
products provide PVC producers with a
viable solution as lead formulations are
phased out in Europe.
The high performance lubricants,
marketed under the Honeywell
Rheochem ® brand in the United States
since 2004, also allow customers to
extrude PVC at rates 20-40% faster
than with conventional lubricants,
boosting overall production capacity.
They are formulated to improve
productivity for PVC window and
door profiles, fencing, piping and vinyl
siding applications. The company
says that its lubricants work well with
established tin stabilization systems
and with the emerging calcium/zinc
stabilization systems.
According to Honeywell, the
lubricants, applied at similar dosage
as conventional systems, lead to 10%
lower torque which results in lower
energy consumption. Even low dosages
of high-performance lubricants can
create significantly improved gloss on
the PVC surface. Gloss is extremely
important for injection moulding and
profiles.
PVC processors using Honeywell´s
high-performance lubricants can
operate extrusion machinery at peak
efficiency, extrude PVC compounds
at lower melt temperatures, reduce
burning and discoloration, reduce
plate-out, lower the frequency of
maintenance shutdowns, reduce power
consumption, and minimize rejection
rates.
 K2007 Review

Huntsman Pigments has introduced a low dust titanium dioxide

pigment that has handling properties far superior to any TiO2
currently available for plastics compounders, claims the company.
The pigment, marketed under the Deltio™ brand, has already
been trialed extensively at a major masterbatch producer. Delta
Plast in Sweden, part of the A. Schulman group, says Deltio™5X
pigment enables increased outputs by over 20%.
UK-based Huntsman Pigments says its new Deltio pigment
provides extra added-value for users through its exceptional
powder handling and low dust properties. It adds that customers
have been asking for more precision in metering, ability to
clean equipment faster at product changeovers, and the need to
improve the working environment for employees. Huntsman
says it now believes that it has a product that really flows notably
better than anything else on the market.
Huntsman Pigments developed a quantitative test to compare
the levels of dust that different pigment products make when they
are poured. A standard weight of each pigment is dropped into a
cabinet measuring the light attenuation associated with the density
and duration of the airborne particulates generated. Compared to a
conventional TiO2 pigment, the dust created by Deltio pigment is
much less dense and it settles much faster.
The company adds that a major advantage of the new pigment is the
lack of stickiness and self-binding typical of conventional titanium
dioxide pigments. How a pigment product reacts to compaction in a
silo is a vital handling consideration. A conventional pigment congeals

Deltio is a new titanium dioxide pigment from Huntsman

with improved handling qualities for a range of end-uses.

Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December 2007

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K2007 Review
and cakes, making it difficult to extract and
transfer. Deltio pigment maintains its free-
flowing powder properties.
According to Huntsman, its customer’s
process has been transformed with Deltio
pigment. During compounding, the smooth
and clean flow of the new pigment virtually
eliminates the bridging and residue build-
up seen on the screw and hopper walls with
conventional pigment, increasing mass
transfer rate and mass transfer consistency.
Variability too, can lead to quality control
problems with finished products. Whereas a
conventional pigment has a ±50% variation
in average mass transfer rate, variation with
Deltio pigment is no more than ±10%, says
the company. According to Delta Plast, it
has increased capacity by around
20-25%. It’s more free-flowing in the
hopper, it’s easier for the machine to take in
the material and actually extrude it.
Huntsman says that it has succeeded in
achieving these significant improvements
without compromising the outstanding
optical properties of TiO2, such as very
high whiteness, brightness and opacity.
The new 3M Performance Additive
iM30K is the first hollow glass
microsphere in 3M’s line of glass bubbles
that is capable of surviving the higher
pressures involved in thermoplastic
compounding, injection moulding and
extrusion processes in the plastics industry.
The new microsphere of borosilicate glass
is water insoluble, chemically stable and
low on alkalis, and it is 40% stronger than
3M’s previous leading high strength glass
microspheres while being only half their
3M Performance Additive iM30K is the first hollow glass microsphere in 3M's line of
glass bubbles.
Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December 2007
size at a diameter of just 17 µm (D50).
The isostatic crush strength of the new
microsphere is 2,000 bar (200 MPa).
The company says that manufacturers of
plastic parts now have the alternative of
replacing or combining common mineral
additives like glass fibre, talc, silica, calcium
carbonate, titanium oxide, barium sulphate
or solid glass spheres with the 3M glass
microspheres. The benefits are that they not
only help to reduce part weight by up to 30%,
they can also help to improve material quality
and increase productivity.
Due to their spherical shape, glass
microspheres behave like tiny ball bearings,
helping to improve the rheology of polymer
mixtures and allowing more complex parts to
be easily produced. Further benefits include a
more uniform surface structure of the finished
part, as well as reduced shrinkage and warpage
resulting in increased yield and increased
productivity due to less process waste.
3M glass microspheres are available in more
than 20 different qualities with differing
densities, crush strengths and sizes. Custom
designs with metal coatings or with coupling
agents can also be produced. 3M glass
microspheres are compatible with all common
thermoplastics, including polypropylene,
nylon and ABS, as well as with high
performance engineered materials such as
PEEK. 3M Glass Microspheres are supplied in
cardboard boxes, bulk bags or silo vehicles.
3M also demonstrated its ceramic
microspheres for the plastics industry. Just
like glass bubbles, this extremely hard filler
material features the benefits of improved
rheology and less shrinkage and warpage
20
during production, but with the additional
benefit of smooth, abrasion-proof surfaces.
Ceramic microspheres are available in
eight different variations and two colours.
Three new effect pigments based on
synthetic borosilicate flakes with a particle
size of 10-100 µm were introduced by
Merck. These include Miraval® 5320 Scenic
Gold, Miraval® 5321 Scenic Copper, and
Miraval® 5325 Scenic Turquoise.
The company says that Miraval Scenic Gold
is designed to reflect a luxurious look, while
Miraval Scenic Copper offers warm red tones.
Miraval Scenic Turquoise is said to reflect the
colours of water. Merck adds that the special
characteristics of the three new effect pigments
are the intensively-colourful glittering
highlights which create a particular brilliance.
The sparkling lustre and the reflections
of light created by the Miraval effect
pigments are claimed to refine packaging,
such as tubes, films or coextruded bottles.
The glitter effects and brilliance are much
more intensive compared to the Iriodin®
interference pigments. Merck says that
the small particle size of the Miraval
Scenic pigments allows good processing
in various plastics applications. The new
pigments set themselves apart by their high
transparency and very good mechanical
stability. Another special feature is that
Miraval interference colours can be mixed
with one another without the pigments
losing their individual colourfulness.
Due to the brilliance of Miraval, even
small concentrations suffice to create eye-
catching effects ranging from a star-like
sparkle to a metallic character.
Merck has introduced new effects to
its Miraval range.
 K2007 Review

Sachtleben Chemie GmbH highlighted Sachtotec in combination

with organic metal deactivators to improve the long-term stability
of cables. The company says the nano-fine synthetic zinc sulphide
filler is notable for its high active surface area. Transparent Sachtotec
is insoluble in the polymer, non-migratable and is suitable for use in
coloured, white and black formulations.
Other highlights included a white zinc sulphide pigment
Sachtolith, with a thermal stability up to 350°C. The company
says that the product is suitable even at the very highest
processing temperatures, such as in the processing of high-
performance polymers including polyetherketones (PEEKs),
polyarylsulphones (PSUs) and fluoropolymers such as PTFE.
This white pigment avoids the possibility of undesirable
discolorations of the end product.
Sachtleben has also developed nanoparticles based on synthetic
barium sulphate, which are said to open up a range of diverse new
potential applications for thermoplastics. Sachtleben’s Sachtoperse
line is currently the industry’s finest-sized barium sulphate system,
with a particle size of less than 100nm. Due to its large specific surface
area (>25m²/g), this product is ideal for polymer reinforcement,
says the company. Ultrafine systems based on barium sulphate are
renowned for their chemical inertness, insensitivity to temperature,
high transparency and good dispersibility, and that they allow control
of their rate and degree of crystallization in the polymer. Mechanical
and optical product properties, and also process parameters such as
cooling rates, can be adjusted accurately, easily and effectively.
Korean company Songwon has introduced a number of new
halogen-free flame retardants. Songflame YA 010 and YA 020 are
based on phosphine oxides. The company says that they are designed
to be reactive with the resin backbone, principally epoxies, to give
long term stability with the key advantages of being environmentally
safe, non toxic and non corrosive. End-use applications include glass
reinforced printed circuit boards.
Songflame TP100 is a halogen free flame retardant based on
phenol/bi-phenol polyphosphate and is suited to a wide range of
thermoplastic resins, particularly polycarbonate, polycarbonate
blends with ABS and a wide range of polyesters. This new molecular
structure, having a higher glass transition temperature, has the key
advantage of boosting the thermal strength properties in the resin
matrix.
Symphony has developed the d2w™ low-cost environmentally-
responsible additive for helping to address the problem of plastics
waste. The company’s d2w oxo-biodegradable additive makes normal
plastics biodegrade at the end of its useful life, leaving no harmful
residues. The additive can be used in the normal manufacturing
process, so there is little or no additional cost, and no need to buy new
equipment or raw materials, or to re-train the workforce. In addition,
d2w can be recycled in a normal plastic waste-stream. Tests are also
ongoing to show that d2w products can be composted in-vessel.
There is also significant interest from the agricultural sector.

Further new products showcased at K 2007 will appear in forthcoming

issues of Plastics Additives & Compounding. The January/February
issue will also contain a review of some of the new equipment on show for
compounders and masterbatchers.

Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December 2007

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