ADDITIVES | ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE
Ionphase trSTAT does not affect transparency of PMMA
Image: Croda Polymer Additives
provide electrical conductivity but also to produce novel polymer composites for various markets. “Colloids’ E-TEC formulations have been designed to meet extremely demanding specifica- tions for electrical conductivity whilst maintaining requisite mechanical property characteristics. The formulations involve various carbon-based hybrid conductive additives chosen for specific conductiv- ity requirements, specific polymers, and end applications,” says R&D Senior Technologist Shazia Akhtar.
“Electrical conductivity is achieved in these
materials by combining electron tunnelling and a percolation process, where the conductive additive develops an internal network structure. This is concentration and material dependent. The additive level required to reach the percolation threshold depends on the type of conductive additive and its level of dispersion. Optimising processing to achieve maximum dispersion whilst not destroying the additive’s structure and conduc- tivity is a complex balance of formulation and processing technology,” Akhtar explains.
Conducting research Production of thin-walled, highly conductive plastic components, especially for lightweight applications, can be challenging because high filler loadings are often required. A collaborative project formed last summer involving researchers in Germany and Belgium aims to change this situation. Partners in the two-year government-funded
TECMAT (Thermally and electrically conductive fibre and plastic materials) project include the German Plastics Centre SKZ, Fraunhofer ICT, and the Belgian Institute for Textile Research Centexbel. They aim to developing novel conductive com- pounds with a low filler content and improved processability using blends of immiscible polymers in which islands of a conductive material are distributed in a low-viscosity matrix polymer. When the blends are processed into parts, these islands can be deformed to create a conductive micro- and nanostructured network within the surrounding non-conductive matrix. “With the help of this ‘coalescence approach’ it is possible to produce easy flowing compounds that can be used for fibre spinning, injection moulding of thin-walled parts and thermoforming with high degrees of deformation while still maintaining a high conductivity in the final part,” the partners say.
Figure 3: Effect of Ionphase trSTAT on impact strength of PMMA. Reference material (Plexiglas zk5BR) has an impact strength of 2.9 kJ/m2
(Charpy notch type A, ISO 179) Source: Croda Polymer Additives 22 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2021
New antistats According to additives specialist Croda Polymer Additives, the global anti-static market will grow at an average rate of 6.3% annually from 2019 to 2024. It says it has identified a specific need for static control in transparent polymers to control static to reduce issues such as dust build-up. Its latest permanent anti-static additive, Ionphase trSTAT, was launched in April last year. Ionphase products are permanent anti-static additives based on inherently dissipative polymers (IDPs) that can be added to plastics during com- pounding, extrusion, or injection moulding.
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