ADDITIVES | CLARIFIERS AND NUCLEATORS
benefits include minimal disruption of optical sorting devices used in medical, recycling and other markets. Zach Adams, Global Product Line Manager for Millad, says the NX 8000 ECO clarifying additive not only produc- es the fully transparent NX UltraClear PP — which yields durable end products with good, glass-like clarity — but
addresses the growing trend for greater sustainability among brand owners, converters and consumers. NX 8000 ECO is claimed to enable faster production rates,
Above: Nucleated PP has been used to replace ABS in some applicance applications
homopolymers, impact copolymer and high crystalline PP materials). In addition, due to its high effectiveness at low loadings, it is said to avoid negative effects on impact performance. An optimised stiffness/impact balance enables thinner wall designs and reduces the need for fillers, promoting weight-out, design flexibility and cost reduction. The new nucleating technology is also claimed
to provide higher heat deflection temperatures (HDTs) compared to other advanced nucleators, allowing PP to be used in microwaveable contain- ers, under-the-hood vehicle components, and household appliance parts. HPN 715 was recently used for an inter-material replacement project in the appliance sector, according to Milliken, where it allowed a PP to provide the required HDT and rigidity to replace ABS. Another recent addition to Milliken’s Hyperform
product line is HPN 900ei, which targets demand for balanced physical properties and improved aesthetics in thin wall packaging for delivered food.
Right: UL-validated Millad NX 8000 ECO provides enhanced transparency and increased energy savings for the USong container
50
Targeting migration Millad NX 8000 ECO is the latest version of the Millad NX 8000 clarifier line up. It is said to offer a number of additional advantages, including a more consistent “fresh” appearance regardless of the light source or the presence of ultraviolet light. It also offers a reduced specific migration limit (SML) without need for addition of new ingredients to the formulation, and is said to lower overall concern over extraction of optical brighteners into packaged products, as well as the yellowness that can be induced by the ageing of optical brighteners. Other
COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2020
average energy savings of 10% for the production of clarified PP parts (certified by Underwriters Laboratories), tuneable clarity to meet specific market needs, and a reduced risk of defects such as white specs, streaks and voids. Milliken says the NX 8000 ECO additive was used in the develop- ment of the USong storage container, where it provided enhanced transparency and a process energy savings. The Millad NX 8000 product range recently became the first PP clarifying agents to receive Critical Guidance Recognition from the US Associa- tion of Plastic Recyclers, validating that the additive is compatible with plastic packaging recycling. The company says that it is currently looking at increas- ing its focus on additives to enhance recyclability and reusability, as well as enabling the use of biopolymers.
Pandemic effects
Demand for PP clarifiers has been lifted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to NJC Europe, which reports high demand for products such as its Geniset DXR (3, 4-dimethyl benzylidene sorbitol or DMDBS), particularly for food packaging but also for medical applications. “Currently, the main factor driving demand is the
Covid-19 situation, with an increased requirement for plastic wrapping and packaging as well as for a wide range of medical applications from non-wo- ven face masks to disposable syringes. We believe that the global market will increase its reliance on products for these applications for the foreseeable
future,” says Dr Estibaliz Santamaria, Technical Manager at the com- pany.
“Other major trends in clarifiers include
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: MILLIKEN
IMAGE: MILLIKEN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
