additives feature | Mineral fi llers
United Dairy is using EcoJug one-gallon milk bottles made from
HDPE contain- ing Oshenite renewable
mineral fi ller
typically derive from the sustainable nature of the materials, their biocompatibility and lack of toxic or suspect chemicals in their composition. One example is Dragonite from Applied Minerals. This product line is derived from halloysite aluminosilicate clay. Particles are naturally hollow tubules, 0.5 to 3.0 microns long, with inner diameters of 15 to 30 nanome- tres and outside diameters of 50 to 70 nanometres. The fi llers are targeted at various applications. Dragonite-HP is promoted as a drop-in replacement that upgrades mechanical properties and reduces cycle times in polymers without the density build-up of conventional fi llers. Typical loadings are 1 to 3%. The fi ller can be used in various thermoplastics, including
polyolefi ns, polyamides, PVC and PLA, as well as transparent fi lms.
Applied Minerals says that with a 1% loading of Dragonite HP, a moulder of HDPE
reduced cycle times by 25%, increased hourly productivity by 32%, and lowered the effective cost of the resin by 11%. This in turn helped reduce per-part cost by 7%.
Moreover, the outstanding mechanical properties of the fi ller allowed a 5-10% reduction in wall thickness, which cut cycle time a further 10% and further lowered resin costs to give maximum resin-price savings of 22%. The company says these benefi ts were also validated with injection moulded and extruded homopolymer and copolymer polypropylene. Another grade, Dragonite-XR is an advanced
reinforcing fi ller that improves modulus, yield strength and heat-defl ection temperature. Loadings are much higher at 20 to 50% by weight, but the added benefi ts of the fi ller over glass fi bre, mica, wollastonite and talc are claimed to include good impact resistance, improved elongation-to-break properties, control over the coeffi cient of thermal expansion, and warp resist- ance. The material also upgrades abrasion resistance, while providing V0-level fl ame retardance when used alone or as a synergist. Applied Minerals is promoting the XR grade as a mineral-based alternative to brominated fl ame-retardants. The halloysite clays have good dispersibility in
low-to-high-polarity materials. Wetting the tubules yields a high level of mechanical bonding even when no chemical interaction occurs. Reinforcement in thermo- plastics, meanwhile, takes place without dispersants or
50 COMPOUNDING WORLD | August 2013 coupling agents, though these can be used.
The halloysite is extracted at Dragon Mine, Utah, which is run by Applied Minerals. The company says it is the only location in the western hemisphere with the capacity to produce these fi llers in commercial volume. In June, Applied Minerals announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsui Plastics to market and sell Dragonite fi llers globally. One company that aggressively promotes the sustainability of its fi llers is US Aragonite, which supplies Oshenite, a high-purity
renewably-resourced calcium carbonate that it mines from the sea, in this case the Bahama Banks in the Caribbean. Oshenite is technically an oolitic aragonite, a fi ne-grained crystalline material that is continually regenerated by microscopic bio-matter that builds up as a result of unique sea conditions in the area.
US Aragonite ships the fi ller to compounder Bayshore Industrial in Texas, which supplies a number of grades in concentrate and master- batch forms. The fi llers are used in high loadings in injection moulded and blow moulded packaging, blown and extruded fi lms, and thermoforming.
Benefi ts include high throughput, web stability, and anti-block and skid properties. One recent addition to the Bayshore line is Oshenite MC, an antimicrobial grade that uses a patented copper sulphate process to inhibit the development of bacteria in food packaging. The fi ller, for use with PE, PS and PP carriers, is reportedly effective for up to two years, works over a range of -30 to +375°F (-34 to +190°C), and is certifi ed for food contact by the FDA.
More information Dr Saied Kochesfahani, development manager for polymers at Imerys, will give a presentation on ‘New mineral opportunities’ at the Compounding World Forum, which is being held in Philadelphia, PA, USA, on 10-11 December. Download the full programme at
http://bit.ly/CWF2013p.
Click on the links for more information:
www.lkabminerals.com
www.imerys.com
www.appliedminerals.com
www.usaragonite.com
www.icopolymers.com/bayshore
www.compoundingworld.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74