NEWS | NPE 2024 REVIEW
Suppliers respond to PFAS pressure with new additives
An emerging trend at NPE 2024 was the growing number of additives and masterbatch companies branding their products “PFAS-free”. The move comes in response to new regulatory pressure from the European Commis- sion and the US FDA that will result in bans for some per- and polyfluoro- alkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are present in bonded form in
a vast range of applications in indus- tries as diverse as textiles and semi- conductors. Brand owners are taking a precautionary approach as regulators work on the details of restrictions, which is leading additives suppliers in the plastics industry to develop PFAS-free products as the regulatory tide turns against fluoropolymers. One segment of the plastics additives and masterbatch markets where fluoropolymer substitution has started is polymer processing aids (PPAs) – see Compounding World April 2024 for more information. “PFAS is a hot topic at NPE,” said Nicole Dechant, Senior Marketing Communications Content Specialist at Avient, at the group’s press event
during the show which was the platform for the launch of its Cesa non-PFAS process aid for extrusion. Avient said this offers comparable processing performance to traditional pro- cessing aids, reducing melt fracture, eliminating die build-up, and lowering torque for higher throughput. The Cesa PPA helps to improve productivity and process stability for film or sheet extrusion, pipe extrusion, or extrusion blow moulding. Clariant launched AddWorks PPA, a
PFAS-free processing aid for polyole- fin film extrusion, which is the com- pany’s first PPA additive. “We are announcing the birth of a new product line with AddWorks PPA and we are bringing it to market at an early stage with the aim to grow this product family,” said Diederik Goy- vaerts, Global Segment Manager – Processors, in Clariant’s Performance Additives business.
Clariant said it is launching
AddWorks PPA in Spring 2024 in all regions. Other applications being targeted for later grades include pipe extrusion, extrusion blow moulding and fibre/textile production. The company has not revealed
details of the chemical basis for its PFAS-free additive. Goyvaerts said: “We picked up early on the trend and then looked at the capabilities we have in Clariant.” The tensile, mechanical and sealing
properties of polyolefin films are unaffected by the new compositions, said Clariant. AddWorks PPA exhibits high thermal stability and low or no migration, plus low let down ratios. BYK has added to the growing
Above: Marta Sacristán, Tolsa’s Functional Additives Product Manager, at the company’s NPE 2024 stand
16 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2024
choice of PFAS-free PPA additives with two new grades. The company said BYK-MAX P 4109 and BYK-MAX P 4110 prevent melt fracture, reduce
Left: At NPE, Clariant introduced AddWorks PPA, a PFAS-free processing aid for polyolefin film extrusion
the viscosity of the melt, reduce die build-up and allow faster material changes. Flame retardants are another area
of development activity induced by the PFAS clampdown. Spain-based additives producer Tolsa has devel- oped anti-dripping agents for FR additives that do not use PTFE. At Tolsa’s NPE stand, Marta Sacris-
tán, Functional Additives Product Manager, said the company’s Adins range of products are based on needle-like silicates modified in their surface with organic compounds to ease dispersion in polymeric matrices. Key applications for the additives include wire and cable, E&E devices, pipes and transportation. Tolsa has experienced increased demand for its Adins products as the PFAS-free trend has emerged this year. Sacristán said that most of this demand growth is focused on PC and PC/ABS compounds and also in PP compounds.
Electric vehicle applications offer
great potential for the Adins products, said Tolsa. It has validated their use as a PTFE replacement in an EV battery case application in the UK. It said it is also working with global firms to substitute PTFE in automotive parts and electrical devices. �
www.avient.com �
www.clariant.com �
www.byk.com �
www.tolsa.com
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: D ELDRIDGE
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