MATERIALS | COMPATIBILISERS


resistance and can help maintain strong mechani- cal performance even at low temperatures, down to -30°C. SKFP additives are increasingly used to adjust the viscosity of rPC/ABS. “Lotader AX8900 or AX8750T, for higher


viscosity, and Lotryl 28BA700T, for lower viscosity, enable accurate adjustments of the material flow properties, facilitating processing and optimising final part performance,” Esselin said. The additives perform well in rPC/ABS even in


Compatibilisers from SK Functional Polymers improve performance of rPC/ABS in the presence of a small amount of PP contaminant. Source: SKFP


tylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and Biobond PLA 4 is a highly functionalised polylactic acid (PLA). The company also uses the additive in its own BioStar bio-based compounds and in Bio- blend masterbatches. At K2025,Wacker highlighted its poly(vinyl-


acetate)-based additives from the Vinnex range for use in improving compatibility of biopolyesters, such as PLA, with other polymers or with fillers. The company said that Vinnex 2526 improves puncture resistance of PLA/PBAT blends, for example. Demand is growing for use of compatibilisers to


improve recycled materials, particularly for recy- cled high impact polystyrene (rHIPS) and rABS, which are increasing with collection from the EU’s directives for waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), including household appliances such as refrigerators, and end-of-life vehicles, said Nico Esselin, Mechanical Recycling Market Devel- opment manager at SK Functional Polymers. It is challenging to find good quality rPC/ABS feed- stock to replace virgin PC/ABS, said Esselin, and additives from SK are incorporated to enhance performance and compensate for the variability typically associated with recycled materials. Compatibilisers can also help improve properties of rPC/ABS blends that are contaminated with a small amount of rPP. The latest from SKFP is Lotader AX8900T, a


reactive ethylene terpolymer with the same specifications as Lotader AX8900 but a higher melting point, for use in virgin or recycled engi- neering plastics compounds. The additive can be used as a compatibiliser as well as an impact modifier, viscosity enhancer, or for hydrolysis protection, the company said. In rPC/ABS, the terpolymer Lotader AX8900 acts to improve impact


42 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2026


the presence of 2% PP contamination, Esselin noted. As demonstrated by the graph of elonga- tion at break, Lotader AX8750T increased the compatibility between the different polymers most significantly, and the Lotryl 29MA03T and 40MA05T additives also showed a benefit.


RecyClass guidelines The EU-based non-profit RecyClass published Design for Recycling Guidelines for the automo- tive and EEE sectors in March this year. Separate guidelines for different application areas describe what “full compatibility” with recycling processes looks like for plastics in vehicles, plastics in refrigera- tors and temperature exchange equipment, and plastics in small appliances and information and communication technologies. Plastics with full compatibility can include compatibilisers approved by the RecyClass A and EEE Technical Committee, which grants technology approvals after tests in accordance with the group’s Recyclability Evaluation Protocols are passed. Protocols for automotive and EEE were introduced in 2025 for various polymers, and most recently a protocol was introduced in March 2026 for multi-plastic components. The first RecyClass automotive and EEE technol-


ogy approval was granted last year to Dow’s Elvaloy AC 1330 additive, which is a copolymer of ethylene and methyl acrylate that acts as a com- patibiliser and has broad compatibility with polar and non-polar polymers, and in this case was designed to improve the impact performance of ABS compounds for automotive and in control panels and casings in household appliances. In the evaluation, the material was compounded at 10 wt% with a natural ABS resin, RecyClass reported. Testing was conducted at Aimplas. Dow supplies a range of additives that act as


compatibilisers and coupling agents, including Fusabond Functional Polymers, Elvaloy copolymers, and Elvaloy AC acrylate copolymers. Last year, the company announced the introduction of versions of these polymers made with recycled materials or with bio-circular content and noted a growing focus on sustainability of automotive plastics.


� www.compoundingworld.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48