MATERIALS | MASTERBATCH


Screening tool cuts regulatory risk


EuMBC – the European sector group for masterbatch makers and com- pounders – has developed a rapid screening tool to help members identify and prepare for future regulatory change that may affect material availability. A number of substances that are


“critical for the plastics industry” – it cites titanium dioxide as an example – have come under regulatory pressure. Being faced with a sudden


restriction would have serious financial implications. In theory, such developments can be anticipated – but EuMBC says it is not feasible for a typical company to review all the necessary information. The new tool allows a company to


screen all its raw materials rapidly, to identify any that could come under scrutiny in the future. It says this will enable EuMBC members to anticipate future changes years in advance.


dioxide particle size can create ‘undertone’ effects in products.


“Depending on particle size, blueish of warm


undertones can be observed,” he said. Titanium dioxide can also be used to block both


UV and IR light – depending on particle size. At the ‘ultra fine’ end, it can be used as a transparent UV blocker, typically in thin films. Venator offers a number of these grades. “As in the world of pigments, there is a need for


more than one grade in the ultra-fine range – as secondary requirements become essential to the different application options,” said Hocken. At the ‘coarse’ end, the same additives are used


Below: Sabo’s light stabiliser formulations protect greenhouse films under conditions of very high pesticide treatment


to reflect infrared (IR) radiation. “Maximising solar reflectance is key to reducing the temperature of coloured exterior systems,” he said. A typical titanium dioxide particle is around 200nm in diameter. Venator’s Altiris 800 grade has a diameter of around 1000nm. A typical application of this would be in agricultural film. However, other additives – including barium sulphate – also have different properties depend-


“Such strategic insight offers a


means to anticipate strategic threats, and be used to turn them into oppor- tunities,” said EuMBC. “If a company knows, for example, five years in advance that a substance is going to be phased out, this gives valuable time to produce an alternative.” The EuMBC screening tool was


shown at the Compounding World Expo in Essen, Germany in July. � www.compounders.eu


ing on their particle size. Coarse barium sulphate (around 8 microns) gives translucency in applica- tions such as polycarbonate sheet for signage, while fine grades (1 micron) is used for nucleation and anti-blocking – allowing rapid, uniform crystallisation in polymers such as PET and PA.


Light protection Arnim Helmboldt, marketing director of Sabo International in Switzerland, told delegates about how advanced light stabiliser formulations can be used to protect greenhouse films under conditions of very high pesticide treatment (up to 3,000ppm of sulphur, and up to 200ppm chlorine). He said that two of the company’s advanced additives – UV 0216 and UV 0317 – have very high chemical resistance, and are preferred in this type of application. They were developed and tested over a period of five years, and went through tests included accelerated weathering and simulated sulphur fumigation by weekly immersion in sulphurous acid. Their performance was confirmed through field trials. Other grades, such as UV 119, are used in


greenhouse film under medium to high pesticide exposure – and it outperformed the standard UV 94 grade in both metam sodium and sulphur fumiga- tion. At the same time, UV 40 will give high perfor- mance under extreme processing conditions, he said.


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.ami.international � www.exxonmobilchemical.com � www.ferropigments.com � www.birlacarbon.com � www.venatorcorp.com � www.sabo.com � www.sukano.com


46 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | July/August 2018 www.filmandsheet.com


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