ADDITIVES | NANOCOMPOSITES
production costs. The company claims application tests have demonstrated that as much as 30% less plastic may be needed to create final products using the masterbatches. “By adding specialised graphene-based additives to thermoplastics, it is possible to obtain plastics with higher properties — such as thermal and mechanical — at a fraction of the cost and reduce the use of raw materials,” says Gerdau Graphene CEO Alexandre Corrêa. “Because less plastic is needed to produce final parts, less plastic becomes post-consumer waste. There are also downstream effects, including reductions in manufacturing waste, energy consumption, transportation, and even more.” Gerdau says the PP/PE masterbatches contain
graphene nanoplatelets produced using its propri- etary G2D technology. They are said to meet the regulation guidelines for use across the US and EU. UK-based masterbatch producer Colloids unveiled its Graphanced range of graphene nanoplatelet masterbatches at last year’s Com- pounding World Expo in Essen, Germany. Current grades are based on polyolefins, PA6, PA66, PBT, PET, PC, PS, SAN, and TPEs but the company says
work is underway to develop grades suitable for use with high-end polymers such as PEEK, PPS. The company says it joined forces with a number
of key partners to develop the Graphanced masterbatches. It works closely and fully sponsors a PhD project at the National Graphene Institute and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre at the University of Manchester in the UK. It also claims to be the first masterbatch producer to have become a member of the Graphene Council in the US. According to Dr Marios Michailidis, Colloids
New Product Development Manager, it is now working with major customers in commercialisa- tion of the Graphanced products.
Processor interest US-based Modern Dispersions, a well-established developer and supplier of conductive compounds and masterbatches, also sees potential in nano-scale additives, citing the ability they provide to maintain physical properties due to lower required dosing levels. “We’ve had a lot of interest from OEMs and processors and our ongoing project sampling is promising,” says Jan Kozma, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the company.
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