REINFORCEMENTS | TECHNOLOGY
Compounders are findings new ways to reinforce their products, exploiting an expanding range of fillers and fibres to extend the performance of thermoplastics. Mark Holmes reports
Adding strength to polymers
The addition of fibres and fillers to modify the performance and extend the scope of application of thermoplastic compounds is not new. However, compounders can now draw on an even broader range of reinforcement technologies. Short and long glass fibres are now being joined by increasingly affordable carbon fibres, as well as a growing range of natural fibres. New fillers and sizing options are emerging. And novel compounding technologies promise to make it easier to introduce previously difficult to disperse nano-scale reinforcements. Earlier this year, BYK introduced its BYK-MAX
CT 4270 functional filler, which the company says provides a highly efficient reinforcement for lightweight thermoplastic compounds. The additive is based on an organo-modified phyllosilicate and is designed as a functional filler to replace talc, glass fibre or other traditional minerals in TPO-based automotive parts. Offering a high level of reinforcement at low dosage levels, BYK-MAX CT 4270 is claimed to enable a lower total mineral content in the final compound. The company says this results in a significant weight reduction in the final part and a much improved scratch and mar profile compared to parts produced using traditional fillers such as talc. The additive is also said to improve mould filling during processing while parts display a better surface finish and dimensional stability. Key to the development of any successful
reinforced compound is the bond between the matrix resin and the reinforcement, achieved in the fibre sector through the use of performance sizings. Additive supplier Vertellus introduced a new addition to its ZeMac line of copolymers for
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epoxy sizing formulation at K2019. ZeMac E10, currently offered as a development grade, is an ethylene-maleic anhydride alternating copolymer with a very high 78% maleic anhydride content. Suitable for use in the formulation of glass, carbon and even LCP fibre sizings, the copolymer is said to enable compounds with higher mechanical and thermal performance to be realised, together with better chemical and hydrolysis resistance. The company says it is suitable for development of sizings for polyesters and polyamides. The latest Hydrosize water-based sizing solutions from Michelman are allowing carbon fibre manufacturers to optimise interfacial adhesion between the polymer and fibres by tailoring the surface chemistry of the reinforcement to the chemistry of the specific matrix resin. The company now offers a series of grades covering different resins, fibre types and the desired compound performance. The Hydrosize Carbon 200 Series, for example,
Main image: Functional fillers such as BYK-MAX CT 4270 provide an alternative to talc, glass fibre or other traditional minerals in TPO-based automotive parts, promis- ing improved performance and scratch resistance
November 2019 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 43
PHOTO: BYK
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