ADDITIVES | CLARIFIERS AND NUCLEATORS
looking for clarifiers with a price-performance benefit,” says Santamaria. “Since any downtime is costly, the obvious choice will be a compatible clarifier that eliminates any possibility of disruption of the supply chain due to cross-contamination. Clarifiers that can be processed at low tempera- tures would offer an additional advantage in this price conscious situation, providing much needed energy savings.”
Nucleator growth The market for nucleators continues to grow, particularly for electronic and automotive compo- nents, according to Clariant. “The trend towards smaller, lighter parts continues due to the increase in personal communication devices and electric or hybrid power,” says Frank Neuber, Regional Technical Manager NORAM. “This has necessitated the need for more parts made with limited machine time, which is where nucleators help by reducing cycle times. Nucleators also reduce shrink and warp, which means less moulded-in stress and an increased number of better fitting parts, when precision is critical during rapid assembly.” Sustainability remains a major influence for
nucleator development, both with respect to material and the manufacturers’ ecological foot- print, with the goal being reduced energy con- sumption and more recyclable parts with less scrap. “Sustainable solutions and biodegradability are becoming increasingly important when formulating for recyclability and end-of-life,” Neuber says. “OEM’s and manufacturers have difficulties claiming complete compliance when their products use additives that do not meet these criteria. The development of clarifiers or nucleators meeting these criteria is needed to complete the circularity of sustainable cradle-to-grave supply and produc- tion. In addition, products which may end up in landfill – whether single use or a durable good – will eventually need a compostable, biodegradable or recyclable designation, and preferably originate from sustainable sources. Developments are underway to make energy reducing, polymer nucleators from such sources,” he says.
PA nucleation One example is a new, sustainable, polyamide nucleator, which helps to reduce cycle times when moulding un-filled polyamide parts. “Licocare RBW 360 Vita is made of raw materials extracted from non-food-competing, rice bran hulls,” Neuber says. “Its structure is analogous to the well-known Licomont CaV 102, which has been used for years to reduce injection moulding cycle times in
54 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2020
Clariant’s renewably-sourced Licocare RBW 360 Vita can provide a significant increase in impact strength in PA66 Source: Clariant
under-the-hood structural mounts and clips. This material may now be made with non-food-compet- ing raw material sources, though.” As with Licomont CaV 102, cycle time reductions
of more than 20% are claimed for some parts made using the Licocare RBW 360 additive compared to parts produced in the same polymer with no nucleator additive. RBW 360 also lubricates the polymer flow path, allowing easier filling of complex geometries, and improves impact performance (Figure 1). Clariant’s own laboratory data shows that the performance of Licocare RBW 360 matches that of Licomont CaV 102; Neuber says proprietary qualifications are currently underway at strategic partners. Clariant says future development of its renewable
nucleators will focus on polyesters, such as PBT, used for electrical connectors. The company says it already has a fossil fuel-based product for PBT nucleation in this application — Licomont NaV 101. The company says its existing manufacturing capabilities for the NaV 101 grade will be used to produce a rice bran-based solution that performs as well as, or better than, the conventional product. The new products will speed up production and improve the dimensional consistency of injection moulded electrical connectors used in e-vehicles and hybrids.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.jacobypolymer.com �
www.mayzo.com �
https://chemical.milliken.com/ �
www.njceurope.com �
www.clariant.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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