TECHNOLOGY | ODOUR AND EMISSIONS
Right: An SEM image of Imerys’s ImerSorb mineral, which can absorb troublesome VOCs during processing
retail. Fraunhofer IVV adds that it is continuing to identify and quantify potentially harmful odorants in more children’s toys, as well as in a range of everyday consumer products and packaging.
Automotive solutions Minerals specialist Imerys supplies a range of addi- tives to compounders that service Tier 1 producers, automotive converters and OEMs in the automo- tive sector. Its talc, mica and wollastonite products are primarily supplied as reinforcements for PP, but its additive solutions are also now required to meet demanding odour and emission limits. “Odour and VOC reduction is a major issue in the automotive plastics market,” says Gilles Meli, Technical Market Manager Polymer & Rubber at Imerys Performance Additives. “Sources are numerous and temperature and moisture in a vehicle can lead to emissions and VOCs causing fogging. There is growing demand for automotive plastics and new regulations are being introduced that the industry needs to meet, particularly for the important expanding Chinese market. There is also a need to protect workers in compounding plants and car manufacturing factories from exposure to volatile materials.”
Below: The AIMPLAS technical centre in Spain is now accredited to perform odour testing for the automotive industry
Meli highlights the need to understand the origins of volatiles. High shear mixing can give rise to small molecules being produced due to partial decomposition of the plastic. Vacuum during production can assist in the removal of these, but is not generally sufficient. Selection of the right materials, including antioxidants, is also important. However, compounding talc into PP requires sufficient shear mixing to achieve good dispersion in the polymer. The Performance Additives Division of Imerys has developed surface modification technology for talc to improve its ability to control odours and emissions. Commercialised under the brand Steagreen, these products minimise interaction
between the filler and the polymer and reduce VOCs in the final compound, he says. “We are able to offer a large mineral portfolio that
can provide compounds with fillers with high surface areas and absorbing powers,” Gilles Meli says. “Our approach is to develop minerals to improve absorp- tion of gases during production and in the applica- tion. We have developed a range of products – Imer- Sorb – in particular for applications in the automotive and building industries where VOC reduction is needed. The additive is also of great use in plastics recycling and natural fibre-reinforced plastics.” Imerys says it is working with external specialised laboratories – providers of test and chemical analysis services – on a number of new projects.
Tackling emissions Reducing odours and VOCs is becoming increas- ingly important as consumer awareness focuses on indoor air quality, according to Gabriele Fenoggio, Global Sales Manager at Zeochem AG. “Many new plastic products smell and their odours can just be unpleasant or sometimes merely a source of irritation, but in some cases also a health hazard,” he says. “As a result, indus- tries such as automotive, construction, consumer care, packaging and textiles are actively looking to reduce odours in new plastic products.” Fennogio says the complexity of odour in
different compounds and their interactions is not an easy task to solve, but if consumers prefer odour neutral products it is a challenge the industry has to meet. “As plastics are increasingly replacing other materials such as metals in many applications, a solution is required,” he says. “During processing, additives used to improve
product features can degrade generating further odours. So new additives have to be tested to maintain low odour and VOC levels. Indoor air quality is driving the development of new low emission products, such as for car interiors (static
40 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2018
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: AIMPLAS
PHOTO: IMERYS
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