CLARIFIERS AND NUCLEATORS | ADDITIVES
Nucleation delivers clear sustainability benefits
Clarifiers and nucleating agents can make plastics clearer and stronger while improving productivity and recyclability. Mark Holmes looks at recent developments
Nucleation enables modification of the processing, mechanical and optical properties of polymers by initiating and accelerating crystallite formation during cooling. It is especially effective in polypro- pylene (PP), where the ability of nucleators and clarifiers—a specific-type of nucleating additive—to provide clarity and robustness in thin-wall injection moulded packaging appeals to brand owners wanting to display their products in a durable and sustainable manner. But there is more to nucleating additives — they also present opportunities to improve productivity and enhance recyclability, a key attribute in enabling a circular plastics economy. Clarifiers and nucleators are crucial to developing polyolefin grades used for a variety of applications, according to Milliken. The company, a leader in nucleating technology, says that despite recent supply chain and macroeconomic challenges, demand for clarifiers and nucleators has seen strong growth in recent years and it expects this to continue in the future to support demand for products such as storage containers, and packaging, as well as automotive and industrial components. In the packaging area in particular, Milliken says
purchasing habits are rapidly evolving and custom- ers now want to experience a product physically before making a purchase decision. It sees a real demand for durable and sustainable packaging products with a low carbon footprint and says the shift in behaviour is driving clarifier and nucleator
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demand. Additionally, growth in PP production capacity is seeing resin producers create speciality grades using clarification and nucleation technology. Customer influence on product development can be seen in two major ways, says Milliken. Firstly, in demand for safe, clear and sustainable packag- ing products. And secondly, through calls for more responsible packaging options that are seeing brand owners and suppliers seek out more sustainable and recyclable plastics. The company says it is helping brand owners meet these trends by offering a suite of clarifiers and nucleators that increase recyclability during production and post-consumer use and decrease resource con- sumption during development. According to Milliken, its technology focus includes new nucleators that improve physical properties of PP, such as rigidity, while maintaining impact resistance. It also offers new clarifiers for use in combination with its MaxImpact additives that improve impact properties while preserving optical properties for cold-impact applications. Other projects are focusing on new clarifiers and nucleators to enhance physical and optical proper- ties of PP to enable replacement of alternatives. One of its most successful recent developments is the Millad NX 8000 ECO clarifying agent for PP. “Milliken’s clarifying agent delivers glass-like clarity and transparency to PP while enabling energy savings and reducing carbon emissions,” says
Main image: Nucleation is increasingly seen as a
sustainability tool – Milliken helped Ferrero Rocher achieve a 38% weight reduction on this pack
March 2023 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 53
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