PFAS-free polymer processing aids last year. “With regulations around the world severely restricting or banning the use of PFAS and PTFE, converters and manufac- turers are challenged with finding alternatives that can match their self-lubricating performance,” said Lauren Lutikoff, Global Sustainability Leader at Americhem. She points to the company’s PFAS-free EcoLube line, launched in spring 2024 and designed to optimise performance in markets such as medical devices, industrial applications, nonautomotive vehicles, and others. Other regulatory concerns involve some grades of benzotriazole UV additives that have been added to the European SVHC candidate list, said Becker. She notes that Ampacet introduced UVBLOCK 1496 as an alternative UV barrier; the additive is approved for food contact applica- tions in Europe and the US.
Carbon footprint Masterbatch companies are seeking ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their products and processes, and their customers are increasingly requesting sustainability-related data assessed by third-party reporting organisations. “Colortech is seeing a rise in customer requests centered
around sustainability, covering carbon emissions, waste, water, and energy management and accounting,” said Cooper. “We participate in CDP [formerly Carbon Disclosure Project] and EcoVadis reporting, driven largely by customer requirements for transparency and progress tracking. While many requests focus on emissions data and resource use, we also see growing interest in formulating with bio-polymers, mechanically recycled resins, carbon-neutral or negative materials, and materials that enhance recyclability, all of which align with industry trends. Overall, the industry’s efforts appear to be united toward collaboration, aiming to make a meaningful impact.” The drive for transparent reporting is causing increasing
pressure on the masterbatch industry to dedicate extensive resources to provide metrics that are required by customers as well as governments, Becker said. In her opinion, third- party assessment standard ranking tools should be consid- ered with caution, however, because they may not accurately reflect an organisation’s efforts. One challenge to reporting that Becker notes is a lack of carbon footprint data for the wide range of raw materials going into masterbatches. “Some manufacturers provide generic data that they plug into their formulations, but these are, at best, an approximation. These industry-wide numbers should become more accurate as we continue along this journey,” she predicted. “We are always on the lookout for more sustainable
materials that reduce our emissions as well as the emissions of both upstream and downstream processes of our suppliers and customers,” said Becker. Recycled carbon black is one example. In addition, Ampacet seeks emissions reductions in its own manufacturing processes. “We are now measuring
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December 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD
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