ADDITIVES | COMPATIBILISERS
Right: Images showing the effect of Acti-Tech 16MA11F compatibilisation of recycled LDPE/PA/EVOH blown film. From top, blown film with no compatibiliser, blown film with 2% Acti-Tech (centre), and blown film with 4% Acti-Tech (bottom)
diverse polymers typically found in packaging, including polyolefins, EVOH, PA and PET. The Acti-Tech product can be added at various stages of the recycling process — at the converter during in-house or pre-consumer recycling, during repelletising with or without filtration at the recycler, or during reformulation at a recycler or compounder. “It represents an ideal solution to upcycle mixed polymer feeds from post-industrial recycling (PIR) or post-consumer recycling (PCR), but also from in-house waste, enabling the use of these recycled plastics into new or existing products without lowering end-properties,” says the company. According to NGC, Acti-Tech 16MA11F has shown improved disper- sion and decreased domain size of PA and PET particles in polyolefin matrices (typical PA/PE ratio of 40/60). “Moreover, the addition of 4% Acti-Tech compatibiliser 16MA11F in recycled barrier film – LDPE(60%)/PA(30%)/EVOH(10%) – demonstrated a high recovery of film and optical properties compared to non-compatibilised mixtures, as well as cost saving compared to virgin material,” says the company’s Business Develop- ment Manager Quentin Le Piouff. The Acti-Tech additive is currently being tested on various pre-consumer, post-industrial and post-con- sumer waste streams. These include multilayer barrier film packaging as well as shrink sleeves, blow moulded cosmetic and plant protection chemical containers, rigid packaging, reinforced/multiwall tubes and hoses, fish nets, mats, and carpets. According to Le Piouff, Acti-Tech 16MA11F can also be used as a coupling agent for biobased (starch, cellulose), wood composite (WPC) and natural fibre (NFC) compounds. “Several applica- tions using this universal compatibiliser will be commercialised in the coming months,” he says.
Making an impact Another part of ExxonMobil’s polymer modifier range, the Exxelor portfolio, was acquired by The Compound Company in March. Exxelor grades are chemically modified polyolefin-based resins (MA-functionalised PP, for example) used to
44 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2022
enhance the performance of engineering thermoplastics and other polymers. They can be used as impact modifiers as well as compatibilisers, coupling agents and adhesion promoters, where they increase the bonding
IMAGES: NORDIC GRAFTING COMPANY
strength of non-polar polymers with polyolefins, fillers and reinforcements as well as metals, thermoset rubbers and most polar substrates, including glass. “We are in the middle of embed- ding the new business into our existing workflow, while keeping customers happy,” says Netherlands- based The Compounding Company’s Business Development Manager Frank Huijnen. “We have many plans regarding adapting our coupling agents. Tightened regulations for free MAH in end-prod- ucts is a driver for those developments as well as sustainable materials.” The Compounding Company has lined up a portfolio for a wide variety
of mixtures of thermoplastic materials for mechanical recycling. “Yparex, as
part of The Compound Company, always has shown its capability to develop a range of MAH-modified polyolefins for thermoplastic processing. Since mechanical recycling has gained volume, Yparex has adapted to the needs to have compatibilisers which enable plastic processors to generate new value from their plastic waste streams,” Huijnen says. “With these compatibilisers we can cover
recycling streams for injection moulding, but also for the more critical film processing,” he adds. Yparex compatibilisers are also used in industrial waste stream recycling and in PCR recycling operations. A variety of grafted and compounded solutions, including maleic anhydride functional additives, area available from SACO AEI Polymers under the Armidan and Linxidan trademarks. The Linxidan coupling agent family covers a broad range of resins including PP and PE. They are designed to improve adhesion between a non-polar resin matrix and a polar filler, such as wood flour, glass fibre, or halogen-free flame retardants. The result of this increased adhesion is improved mechanical properties such as notched impact, tensile strength and flexural modulus.
Linxidan LX4433 is a maleic anhydride grafted PE specifically formulated for use in wood-filled composites. “In these systems, the Linxidan products have been valued for their effectiveness at low loadings, helping lower formulation costs
www.compoundingworld.com
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