POLYAMIDES | ADDITIVES
sation is handled by Clariant’s business line Advanced Surface Solutions, which offers function- al maleated polymeric waxes that improve filler wetting. Clariant’s third business line - Flame Retardants - tackles the interest concerning flame retarded polyamides in e-mobility, ageing and hydrolysis performance. In the stabilisation area, Clariant’s AddWorks TFB 117 has been developed to provide smooth processing, high light stability and good aesthetics for glass-filled polyamides. The additive was recently used in high processing temperature PA compounds, where it was found that the process- ing temperature could be reduced by 5°C com- pared to standard systems. This helps minimise thermo-oxidative degradation, the company says. Clariant’s Exolit OP 1400 flame retardant is claimed to meet the demanding requirements of e-mobility applications. A recent recycling study carried out at Fraunhofer LBF in Germany showed good results with Exolit OP 1400 used as a flame retardant in glass reinforced PA66. The company says new grades that will allow
improved glow wire performance are under development.
Clariant is also developing new additive
products to improve recycling, including higher molecular weight MAH and similar grafted prod- ucts that can enhance impact and tensile results of recyclates.
Stability improvements Japan’s Adeka Corporation has developed a range of light stabilisers to improve the long term weathering performance of PA. In particular, it says its ADK STAB LA-63P HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabiliser) product has been found to be highly
effective at improving weather resistance in accelerated testing of PA6. It is a methylated HALS grade with a high molecular of around 2000. An evaluation of colour change (delta E) of PA6
sheet after weathering is shown in Figure 2, comparing the performance of ADK STAB LA-63P with a conventional NH-HALS and a competitor’s high molecular weight NH-HALS at equivalent concentrations. The results show the Adeka grade was the most effective in suppressing discoloura- tion. Furthermore, the company highlights an expected low volatility under polyamide process- ing conditions. The company says only HALS was used as the light stabiliser in this study and it is recognised that, by formulating with a UV absorber (UVA), weather resistance can be further improved. It recommends its ADK STAB LA-31RG grade as a high heat-resist- ant UVA that offers low volatility at the processing temperatures of PA6. Adeka offers additives to improve a wide variety
of polymer attributes. One of its newest develop- ments is a permanent antistatic agent series (ADK STAB AS-30X), which in preliminary testing in PA has shown promising results for improving surface resistivity. It will function with other engineering plastics as well as polyolefins. Quarzwerke Group company HPF Minerals is continuing to develop high performance functional fillers for PA. “Polyamides are and will continue to be the most important of the engineering plastics, in particular within some key applications such as automotive including e-mobility and transportation. For this reason, there are and will be a lot of interesting developmental potential for polyamides in general,” says Péter Sebö, Head of Marketing and Market Development.
Combination approach “Replacement of PA66 by various PA6 compounds is still ongoing. Some interesting new develop- ments have showed the possibilities of replacement of high-performance plastics, such as PPS, with some HT-PA grades. Furthermore, a combination of different properties will also start to play a more important role in the future, such as good flame resistance and thermal conductivity. These will probably require new additive solutions or combi- nations of additives and functional fillers,” he says. Sebö sees the main technical areas of interest at
Figure 2: Evaluation of colour change (delta E) in PA6 sheet after weathering comparing Adeka’s ADK STAB LA-63P with alternatives Source: Adeka Chemical
58 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2021
present in additives for polyamides including thermal conductivity and electrical insulating compounds, as well as electrical conductivity (for ATEX and EMI shielding purposes). He says the need for good flame retardancy will also continue,
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