ADDITIVES | FILM
Above: New stabilisation solutions can extend the lifetime of PE-based greenhouse films exposed to pesticides
recyclate was also a whiter colour.” Citing projected growth in the plastics additives
market of 5.6% CAGR from 2021 to 2026, SI Group predicts demand for film additives and masterbatches expanding proportionally. “The polyolefin industry’s projected growth in the coming years will be partly driven by increased demand in packaging end-use applications, which in turn drives demand for film additives and masterbatches” says Francis Olajide, Market Development Director for Polymer Solutions. “There is a major innovation push in the development of additive solutions and masterbatches that enables reuse of plastic scrap — post-consumer and post-industrial recyclates — in film packaging. SI Group recently launched the Evercycle technology platform to address this major need in the market. One challenge is how to enable more recycled resin to be incorporated into a larger variety of flexible film end-use applications without sacrificing the application performance, convenience and product sustainability.” SI Group says a key technical area of development in plastics recycling, particularly in films, is to bolster secondary antioxidants in post-consumer recyclates. Another area of technical development is compatibilisation or homogenisation of dissimilar materials typically found in post-consumer recyclates. Plastic flexibles entering the recycling stream
also require stabilisation and protection against thermal degradation within the recycling process and further re-converting steps. Good quality recycled resins can now be used with higher levels of recycled content for specific flexible film end-use applications. In addition, multi-material film structures often get recycled into a single recycled resin, impacting the final structure properties and creating compatibility issues with virgin resins. SI Group launched its Evercycle additives
22 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2023
platform at K2022 with a product portfolio that enables customers to increase the circularity of their products. The new platform is designed to address some of the technical challenges in the recycling industry with the first products focused on mechanical recycling of polyolefins and PET, providing tailored additive solutions to improve the quality of the recycled resins. The Evercycle range addresses issues such as discolouration of PET in recycling and the loss of mechanical performance in polyolefin recyclates. One of the Evercycle products is a customised additive solution for films that enables more than 30% of recycled polyethylene to be incorporated in high performance stretch film applications. Evercycle LD-104P is available as a masterbatch and is said to provide reduced gel levels and improved mechanical performance over standard additive solutions. SI Group says it is working closely with customers in developing tailor-made film additives and/or masterbatch solutions. “We are looking to further develop robust and easy-to-apply solutions that tackle the material challenges created by circular material flows,” says Olajide. “We are focused on demonstrating the value and fit-for- purpose nature of our solutions across the polymer value chain and not just one step of the lifecycle.”
Removing the gloss Matip 347 is a new additive solution from Ampacet designed to provide a luxurious matte finish for premium packaging in areas such as personal care and cosmetics. Developed specifically for blown and cast film and BOPP, the company says Matip 347 target applications include food wrap, food packaging, pet food, pouches, labels, and laminates. Used in the outer layer of a film structure, it reduces gloss and increases haze. The company says in low-thickness blown film, cast film and BOPP applications of between 6-8 microns, gloss is less than 10 and haze greater than 75% at 133°F (56°C).
Ampacet has also introduced AgriStab, a new high-performance UV stabiliser range offering good UV resistance for greenhouse films used under intensive pesticide conditions. The company says the sulphur and chlorine found in many commonly used insecticides can interact and deactivate light stabilisers used in plasticulture and lead to early degradation of the film, shortening the life span of greenhouses. It says its AgriStab solutions provide good UV protection against up to 5,000ppm of sulphur and 250ppm of chlorine. The masterbatches help achieve service lifetimes for multi-season
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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