applications feature | Wire and cable compounds


LKAB Minerals’ data on total heat release of HMH and ATH – data from 50 kW cone calorimeter


end of 2015 or until all inventory has been depleted. “These changes position Albemarle for sustained


success in the marketplace,” said Troy DeSoto, Albemarle’s vice president, fi re safety solutions. Executives at LKAB Minerals talked about the


company’s Ultracarb HMH fl ame retardant at AMI’s Polymers in Cables 2014 conference and also at the Cables 2015 conference in Cologne in March. HMH is a blend of two minerals, huntite (magnesium calcium carbonate) and hydromagnesite (hydrated magnesium carbonate). It has a three-stage FR mechanism: it fi rst releases water (like ATH and magnesium hydroxide), then, at higher temperatures (over around 450°C) it decomposes to produce CO2


and fi nally a char. It has


been used in PVC cables for many years, but its application in olefi nic HFFR cables is more recent. One of the critical parameters in a fl ame retardant


system is heat release. Chris DeArmitt, LKAB’s CTO, said in Philadelphia that compounds containing HMH release much less heat than ATH. HMH is less expensive than ATH and has some very


attractive properties, but as sales engineer Stefan Viering pointed out in Cologne, it is not a drop-in substitute, so formulations and processing conditions need to be fi ne-tuned in order to fully exploit its advantages. Viering reported on work that LKAB has done with


co-kneading equipment specialist Buss to optimise processing conditions for HMH. He said that HMH, with its plate-like structure, improves tensile strength and has a greater reinforcing effect in EVA compounds than ATH, reducing the need for maleic anhydride. In fact, the combination of HMH and MAH has a negative effect on elongation at break. This can be improved with the addition of a plastomer. HMH can also be processed in polymers with higher melt temperatures.


28 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2015


Tolsa Group, a supplier of specialized additives for the wire and cable and electronics industries based in Spain, said in January that it was expanding into the US. It also launched several new materials at NPE 2015. Tolsa, which claims to offer one of the most exten- sive and differentiated range of special clays worldwide, produces high-performance fl ame retardant and thermal insulation synergists. Its Adins Clay 20, Adins Clay 80 and Adins Fireproof additives are based on what it says is a breakthrough technology using natural silicates, offering tailored performance benefi ts, improved processability, and reduced cost. They combine a very high surface area and special morphol- ogy with a tailored functionalization. “With sepiolite as a carrier, the fl ame retardant dosage can be reduced, thus decreasing the overall cost,” it says.


Pablo Dalmau, special additives business unit director for Tolsa, says that the company’s technology has been validated in Europe. “We’ve seen strong results that we expect to translate into new markets in the US and also Japan,” he says. Tolsa serves the US market through a commercial sales offi ce in Suwanee. Smoke and heat release are said to be considerably


reduced using the Adins additives in fi re retardant formulations. “The products work synergistically with most of the fl ame retardants included in polymeric systems,” the company says. They strongly boost char formation during combustion.


Forthcoming events AMI’s Polymer in Cables 2015 conference takes place in Philadelphia, PA, USA on 23-24 June. The pro- gramme and booking details can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/Cables2015. The European version of this event, Cables 2016 will be held in Cologne Germany on 1-3 March. Information on how to participate as a speaker, delegate, exhibitor or sponsor can be found at: http://bit.ly/Cables2016.


Click on the links for more information:  www.abb.com  www.addivant.com  www.albemarle.com  www.borealisgroup.com  www.borouge.com  www.busscorp.com  www.dow.com/electrical  www.hubermaterials.com  www.lkabminerals.com  www.lubrizol.com  www.polyone.com  www.teknorapex.com  www.tolsa.com


www.compoundingworld.com


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