LUBRICANTS AND PROCESSING AIDS | ADDITIVES
Optimised formulation with processing aids
Sustainability and security of supply top the current wish list for users of polymer lubricants and processing aids. Jennifer Markarian reports on some of the latest developments
Supply-chain challenges have affected, to a lesser or greater extent, every aspect of industry over the past year. PVC compound producers have faced a particular challenge as PVC formulations typically contain a complex blend of stabilisers, lubricants, and other additives that are designed to work together in careful balance. “Shortages in raw materials have led us to be
more creative in the solutions we offer to our customers,” says Stu Parks, Technical Manager at Norac Additives. “Our customers have in turn had to be more adaptable with their formulations. For example, any change in stabiliser technology requires a change in lubrication to make the manufacturing process and its end product successful, and that balance can be hard to find.” Parks points to the example of a stabiliser change
where two solutions were found: one reworked the lubricant package to adapt to the new stabiliser system while the other used the company’s Norstab 85 booster. “The booster is a stabiliser that allows our customers to reduce their tin stabiliser loading without the need to adjust their other additives. We’ve seen the booster solution work in multiple rigid PVC building products,” he says. Stearic acid and its derivatives (most typically calcium stearate and zinc stearate) are also common components of PVC formulas. In North America,
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stearic acid is usually tallow-based, but Parks sees increasing interest in plant-based (for example palm oil) stearic acid products. From a technical perfor- mance perspective there is little difference, he says, and it is easy to switch from one to the other, which is a benefit if there are sourcing difficulties.
Renewable sourcing The company has long offered a range of plant- based products. “About a third of our core COAD [metallic stearate] products are available in a plant-based formulation. We also frequently develop plant-based blends for custom projects,” Parks says. In 2021, Norac became a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which certifies that products are sustainably sourced. Norac has also developed plant-based lubricants
that provide an alternative to paraffin waxes for PVC formulations. The plant-based Norac XL-65A carries Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) and NSF certification, which is required in the US for many PVC applica- tions. “We’ve found that our customers tend to see enhanced extrusion performance with our paraffin- free Norac XL blends and we’ve increased our focus on developing custom blended lubricants that use natural waxes,” says Parks. Paraffin waxes are commonly used in PVC
formulations as part of a lubricant additive package, April 2022 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 15
Main image: Easy-to-handle lubricants and processing aids are in high demand and producers such as Voelpker are increasing capacity
IMAGE: VOELPKER SPEZIALPRODUKTE
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