ADDITIVES | MINERAL FILLERS
caused by untreated calcium carbonate. Other newer calcium carbonate functional fillers
from Omya serve as opacifiers and can enhance other properties in a range of polymer com- pounds. Omyaspace is designed to be used in white and colour masterbatches, where it enhances dispersion and increases opacity. In white master- batches, it can be used to replace a portion of titanium dioxide (TiO2
).
Figure 2: Olfactometric test results showing the odour reduction performance of three different Rescofil absorbers from HPF The Mineral Engineers added at 5% to a PCR PP and tested to VDA 270 standard Source: HPF The Mineral Engineers
Right: HPF offers a range of thermally conductive fillers under the Silatherm brand
Functionalised fillers According to Omya business development director for polymers, Karsten Schulz, the company’s Smartfill function- alised calcium carbonate, which was originally launched in 2017, is now finding application in a range of PLA products, including 3D printing filaments where it gives the product a more natural appearance, as well as in bags where it improves tear and dart drop resistance, and straws where it increases stiffness. The company says that when used in PLA and
PHA polymers at addition levels of 10-40% the filler can increase stiffness, impact resistance, elongation, opacity and heat transfer, as well as reduce formula- tion costs. The mineral has a surface treatment that prevents the hydrolysis of the polymer that can be
Targeting purity Established in 2017, INCOA Performance Miner- als realised its first sales of GCC and treated GCC in 2021 from its US processing facility in Alabama in the US. The company supplies GCC for use in thermoplastics and other applications in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Todd Hoppmeyer, director of sales and marketing at the company, says that its ore source is from a reserve operated by a sister company and has a purity generally greater than 99.3% calcium carbonate, with no evidence of crystalline silica and iron levels below 100 ppm. “The conditions under which the mineral formed created a unique ore-source and, for INCOA, an opportu- nity to develop a now-patent- ed manufacturing process. This process, developed around key market drivers, allows INCOA to
E manufacture ground calcium carbonate
consistent products with remarkable purity, steep particle size distributions, exceptional coating, and very low screen retains. These attributes are critical in technically demanding thermoplastic applica- tions,” said Hoppmeyer. “The products have low moisture and a low tendency to absorb moisture from the air. This
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