IMPACT MODIFIERS | ADDITIVES
From automotive to consumer, impact resistance is high on the priority list. Chris Saunders looks at some available performance-enhancing options
Delivering tough solutions
Plastics are certainly versatile but can also be susceptible to fracture under impact. Fortunately, this is a manageable challenge and impact modifi- cation is used across many industrial sectors where mechanical integrity of plastics is critical. In automotive, for example, toughened plastics are used in bumpers, interior trim components, and safety parts to enhance crashworthiness and durability. While the consumer electronics industry relies on impact-resistant housings and casings to protect delicate electronic components. Some of the latest developments in impact
modification have focused on improving the efficiency and versatility of toughening techniques. Advances in polymer blending and compatibilisa- tion techniques have boosted performance of multi-phase systems, enabling developers to tailor material properties to meet specific application requirements. Nanostructured materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes are also showing some potential as performance modifiers. Established through the acquisition of Arkema’s Functional Polyolefins business by SK Geo Centric
www.compoundingworld.com
in 2020, SK Functional Polymer (SKFP) is a global supplier of performance modifiers. Among its core products are Lotader resins, a portfolio of ethylene terpolymers with reactive functions such as maleic anhydride or epoxide that makes them especially effective impact modifiers. The latest addition to this product line is Lotader
4700T, which is primarily targeted at PA and ABS applications but will also function in polyolefins and thermoplastic polyesters. Lotader AX8900 is mainly used to produce super tough PBT, PET and PPS compounds (Figure 1), as well as PA6, PA66, PA12 and ABS. The AX product range has been recently extended with the introduction of Lotader AX8850, an experimental grade with higher reactivity aimed at impact modification of engi- neering plastics such as PPS and thermoplastic polyesters, where it improves impact resistance while maintaining good fluidity. Over the past few years, SK has developed its tubular process for production of heterogeneous ethylene-acrylate copolymers. The technology is said to produce impact modifiers with high acrylate
Main image: Impact
modifiers are essential in development of plastic compounds that can meet demanding exposure and operational conditions
April 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 43
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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
