PURGING COMPOUNDS | PROCESSING


Purging compounds target downtime


Growing use of high temperature and costly resins and additives is driving demand for effective purging compounds that can cut waste and downtime. Mark Holmes learns more


The use of commercial purging compounds is on the rise across the compounding and masterbatch sectors as plant managers recognise the potential benefits to be gained in downtime savings and reduced material waste — the latter providing a significant saving given the increasingly sophisti- cated and costly resins and additives being used in today’s formulations. Users can choose from standard purging products or bespoke formula- tions optimised for the particular task, and modes of action can be either chemical, mechanical, or a combination of both. According to RapidPurge, the purge compound


market is strong and continues to grow. “Growth is not quite as rapid as it was in the 1990s and 2000s as adoption of purge compound is much higher than it was then,” says Joseph Serell, President and Owner. “However, as operators and managers change organisations, they often bring knowledge to the new company. Sometimes this includes the effective use of a purge compound to a company that may have been sceptical in the past.”


www.compoundingworld.com Serell says the trend towards the use of high


temperature and more costly resins is one of the key factors driving interest. “Because of the price of these resins, processors are highly motivated to minimise waste, which is exactly what purge compounds are used for.” Compounding may not, historically, have been a


prime target market for purging compound developers but that appears to be changing. RapidPurge is currently developing a purge compound that is specifically targeted at colour masterbatch producers. “Highly loaded colorants are notoriously difficult


to remove,” says Serell. “While RapidPurge’s exclusive line of chemical of purging compounds is highly effective, we are pursuing an entirely different approach to purging compounds. We will be delivering a cleaner that will directly target the removal of colorants, even if they have been layering over time.” Serell says the company is currently at the alpha testing stage and has commenced a patent


September 2021 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 49


Main image: Purging compound producers report strong demand for their products as processors deal with material price rises and supply chain issues


IMAGE: VÖLPKER SPEZIALPRODUKTE


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