additives feature | Functional fillers
Rüdiger Schmidt in a presentation at the AMI 2014 Polyolefin Additives conference. Creating the modules involves combining materials such that a finer particle size material fits into the interstitial gaps of the larger particle size material. One example is Alfrimal S, a new generation of flame retardants to be used in combina- tion with a colorant.
Trinity Resources mines and processes pyrophyllite in Canada
oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Gestora Catalana de Residuos (GCR) of Spain is
exploring similar markets for its Granic mineral-filled masterbatches. For example, they can be used to add high barrier properties for industrial and food packag- ing, or to add specific thermal properties for agricul- tural applications, such as greenhouse films. The company has also developed a range of special filler masterbatches for the hygienic market, including breathable and non-breathable films used for baby care, feminine care or adult care. These are optimised to provide a soft, comfortable feel plus good tensile and tear strength properties. The company says that there is growing interest in the use of its mineral masterbatches for sustainability reasons. Minerals can be used to reduce the carbon footprint of packaging without impairing quality. GCR’s patented Irtion technology, based on infrared radiation, improves the dispersion of minerals, allowing higher addition rates, says the company. In addition, GCR sees increasing demand for its Granic talc masterbatches for PP food packaging, in which it improves PP properties to obtain similar behaviour to polystyrene. Huber’s new VertiCal 3T calcium carbonate is
HPF has shown that its
microspar can successfully reduce the IR
transmission of PE agricultural films
produced by a patented unique milling process from a specially selected ore source that undergoes a propri- etary surface-treatment process. The product’s narrow particle size is useful for a variety of demanding applications, including cavitated film, thin blown film and extrusion coatings, reports the company. VertiCal 3T offers low iron and silica, and a surface
area with a clean top size to generate maximum property values. Huber mines its calcium carbonate functional fillers from three geographically diverse US locations in Georgia, Illinois, and Texas. The company continues to research and develop surface treatments for its minerals. Alpha Calcit’s mineral modules, which are powder
mixtures of different materials, can be tailored for specific applications and can have improved properties compared to adding the materials separately, said
56 COMPOUNDING WORLD | August 2015
www.compoundingworld.com
Glass bubbles and spheres While glass is not by definition a mineral, glass microspheres and solid glass beads can fulfil some similar roles as mineral fillers in plastics compounds, improving a range of properties. 3M’s Glass Bubbles are free-flowing microsphere powders consisting of spherical soda lime borosilicate glass particles. They can be used to reduce weight, control the coefficient of thermal expansion, and improve electrical, thermal, and acoustic insulation properties, says Steve Amos, senior specialist in the 3M Advanced Materials Division. He adds that they can also be used as a titanium dioxide diluent because they are white. 3M’s newest glass bubbles are designed for injection moulding, in which they can cut cycle times by reducing composite density and specific heat capacity to allow faster cooling. They can also help to eliminate sink and warp problems. 3M’s iM16K glass microsphere grade has a density of
0.46 g/cc, particle size of 20-microns, and crush strength of 16,000 psi. “This high strength/density ratio allows it to survive across many injection moulding processes, injection pressures, and mould designs. The density is low enough to create weight reduction even in already low-density polymers like PP,” says Amos. For those processes that have extremely high injection pressures there is also iM30K which has a density of 0.6 g/cc, particle size of 17 micron, and crush strength of 16,000 psi. To produce compounds, glass bubbles are typically fed downstream after the kneading blocks, and prior to
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