ADDITIVES | PROCESS AIDS
Right: Process aids from Grafe are suitable for use in a wide range of
engineering plastics applications
President. “That experience has now resulted in a product portfolio that I think is second to none. The positive response from customers and partners has been very encouraging. With growing demand, we are prepared to expand the portfolio further. I am particularly looking forward to the first solutions based on our ECO line of sustainable products.” Ineos Styrolution’s ECO line comprises products
made from PCR waste or renewable feedstock, which the company says represent a viable alternative for businesses looking to reduce their environmental impact. A stand-out product from this range is Styrolution PS ECO, a 100% PCR PS solution claimed to offer the same mechanical and surface properties as fossil-based equivalents. Applications based on Styrolution PS ECO have already been introduced by food packaging producers such as Sirap and Pal Packaging, and the company says several others have opted to use the bio-attributed versions in forthcoming products. Everglide PA, which is manufactured by US-
Right: Palsgaard’s Einar process aids are renewable- sourced and available in an easy-to-handle pellet form
based Polymer Dynamix and is available from Mitusi & Co in Europe (and Mitsui Plastics in the US), is described as a next generation PFAS-free processing aid. It has global food approvals and meets additional regulations for use in hygiene applications and medical packaging and devices in accordance with ISO 10993. PFASs (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) comprise a family of chemical compounds that run into the thousands and which are known to be long-lasting, so have the potential to accumulate in the environment. They are used in numerous applications, from paper production to cosmetics, as well as some plastics processing aids. In recent years, regulatory efforts have been moving ahead in the US at state and federal level to limit or ban the use of PFAS in a variety of applications, crucially food packaging. In Europe earlier this year, authorities in Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Norway formally proposed a restriction on PFAS that is beginning a review process within the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The European Commission has also included a ban on PFAS by 2030 in its Restrictions Roadmap under the
42 COMPOUNDING WORLD | April 2023
IMAGE: GRAFE
Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. “Everglide PA is created from an engineered
siloxane technology which was designed to address concerns around efficacy, performance, and regulatory safety. With the Everglide PA technology a reduction of die pressures and decreased apparent viscosity are common, leading to in- creased throughput and lower energy consumption. This results in overall cost savings and increases in capacity for the manufacturer,” says Matthias Stücke, Deputy General Manager at Mitsui & Co. “In process, Everglide PA45 can eliminate defects such as melt fracture and process issues like die lip build-up as well as or better than traditional process aids,” Stücke says. “It also possesses great thermal stability, allowing users to put material through multiple extrusion passes, and has minimal interaction with other chemistries giving manufacturers the flexibility to use it in a variety of formulations.”
A M I
Aesthetic focus Well known for its broad and versatile range of specialty polymer modifiers, Struktol has been developing new additive products that focus on maintaining aesthetics. It has introduced a number of engineered capstocks to add colour and UV protection to WPCs, for example, and says the trend for these, and polymers in general, is to a more matte appearance. Another recent introduction is Struktol RP53, is an odour neutraliser developed for use in a wide range of polymers. Its performance has been proven through odour panel and VOC testing, however, like many odour neutraliser technologies on the market, the mechanism for odour capture is not well defined. “We are working to expand our offerings to include a wider range of active concentrations and different active chemis- tries to suit a wider range of end use applications and an ever-increasing range of
recycled and virgin materials,” says Mike Mikolay, Technical
Director, P & WC at Struktol. Einar 201 is a plant-based mould
www.compoundingworld.com
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