TECHNOLOGY | NANOCOMPOSITES
Right: Colloids launched its Graphanced bespoke graphene masterbatch service and graphene masterbatch products this year
believe that the markets that will be benefited the most by using graphene thermoplastic composites are automotive, aerospace, building and construc- tion, packaging and containers, electrical and electronics and various types of household appliances.” At the Compounding World Expo in Essen in September this year, Colloids launched its Graphan- ced Bespoke Graphene Masterbatch Service and its product range of graphene masterbatches for thermoplastics and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). Michailidis says many factors affect property enhancement, including dispersion of graphene, platelet orientation in the polymer compound, aspect ratio, and loading level. “It is essential to carefully select the ingredients of the composite formulation and optimise the synthesis conditions to obtain advanced graphene composites with the desired properties,” he says. “Each product has to be tailored to the unique customer requirements based on the base polymers they use and the required product performance.” The company’s masterbatches are available in a
wide range of polymer carriers, including polyole- fins, PAs, PC, PET, PS, SAN, EMA, TPEs and TPUs. Michailidis says work is also underway to develop
masterbatch products that are compatible with high-peformance engineering resins, such as PEEK and PPS.
Expanding in the Americas Canadian graphene manufacturer NanoXplore commissioned its new 4,000 tonnes/yr plant in Quebec and received approval from regulators to manufacture and sell in Canada in the middle of last year. This was followed by approval for com- mercial use from the US EPA in August of this year. The company is also pursuing US approval for
Nanoclays as additive carriers
Nanoclays, such as montmorillonite (bentonite) clay, are being investigat- ed as carrier polymers because they can adsorb other molecules inside of the nanomaterial structure, providing protection for heat or shear-sensitive molecules, such as fragrances, during the compounding process. “The advantage of using nanoclays
are their ability to absorb fragrance without altering their odour. They can also be used to control the release of the fragrance from the polymer in applications such as fragranced bags,” says Paul Albee, Consultant for Addisperse (AFI Global). Researchers at the company have
looked at various nanoclays and have found halloysite to be particularly effective. Albee says that dispersion is a challenge, but that it can be overcome with a balanced formula- tion and optimum compounding conditions. Meanwhile, researchers from the
18 COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2021
Left: Researchers at the University of Alicante are using nanoclays as a protective carrier for bio-based additives such as lemon oils
NanoBioPol Research Group at the University of Alicante in Spain shared results at the AMI Functional Fillers Virtual Summit earlier this year from a project that aimed to load nanoclays with natural dyes and other additives made from agricultural waste. These included a yellow dye and an essential oil (as a fragrance and antimicrobial) from lemon peel and a green pigment from broccoli waste. These hybrid nanoclays were compounded into polyester-based
biopolymers. The project was carried out within the three-year EU-funded Horizon 2020 Barbara Project and aimed to produce functional biopoly- mers that could be extruded into filaments suited for fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing. �
www.addisperse.com �
https://web.ua.es/en/nanobiopol/ nanobiopol-group-of-analysis-of-
polymers-and-nanomaterials.html (Nanobiopol) �
www.barbaraproject.eu
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
IMAGE: COLLOIDS
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