MATERIALS | MINERAL FILLERS
Right: Farrel Pomini says its FCM mixer was used to
compound wood pulp into PLA, to make rigid sheet
polybutylene succinate-co-butylene adipate (PBSA). In PLA, NatFeel has a nucleating effect that promotes crystallisation and increases the glass transition temperature, says Ercoli Malacari. This effect raises the use temperature above the boiling point of water so that the plastic compound can be used in hot food or hot beverage applications, including thermofor- med coffee pods. The high purity of NatFeel meets demanding food contact requirements and minimises the presence of elements (such as fluorine) that might affect compostability certification, says Ercoli Malacari. In PBS and PBSA, NatFeel serves primarily to increase stiffness, which makes it possible to use the plastics in rigid packaging. The talc product also reduces polymer shrinkage
while preserving dimensional stability (ie, limited or no deformation). In addition, if properly dispersed, the filler can increase barrier properties in films.
Fillers in recyclates Mineral fillers can further reduce the carbon footprint of compounds containing recycled material, says Thorsten Hilgers, project manager thermoplastics at HPF Minerals. He notes that the Industrial Minerals Association Europe has pub- lished performance data for selected high-volume industrial minerals that provides average repre- sentative environmental footprint values for industrial minerals in Europe, based on ISO 14040-14044 standards. “We are in the process of developing company specific – or rather product specific – footprints, taking into account our multiple efforts to imple- ment sustainable measures,” said Hilgers. “Com- paring these data with other materials like metals or polymers it can be stated that the environmental footprint of these natural industrial minerals is rather small.” Functional fillers also add reinforcement. For
example, the company’s needle-shaped wollas- tonite Tremin 939 is used as a reinforcing filler in both recyclates and virgin polymers. The latest from HPF Minerals is the Rescofil
odour-absorbing filler for thermoplastic com- pounds containing post-consumer recyclate. At 5 wt.% in a PCR PP, for example, the filler successfully reduced odour below the “clearly noticeable” threshold level of three in olfactometric testing according to the VDA 270 standard. HPF has also previously investigated the performance of its high-performance mineral fillers in bio-based PLA compounds. “Test results showed significant improvement in mechanical properties.
44 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | October 2024
Our needle-shaped and platelet-shaped additives significantly increase the stiffness. Our blocky additives improve impact strength. In addition, these effects can be further enhanced by a suitable surface coating of our mineral high-performance fillers,” reports Hilgers. Farrel Pomini has partnered with FPInnovations,
a non-profit R&D organisation focused on Canadian forest products; West Fraser Timber company; and Good Natured Products, which produces bio-based rigid plastic sheet and parts, to develop wood-pulp filled bio-based and biodegradable plastic compos- ites using Farrel Pomini’s FCM mixer. Peng Ye, applications development manager for
Farrel Pomini, presented some results of the collaboration at NPE 2024. He reports that the wood pulp acts as a functional filler to improve composta- bility, improve heat deflection temperature, and lower cost and carbon footprint. The FCM has been found to provide good mixing
of the wood pulp into PLA, and the low temperatures in the FCM can prevent colour generation from any residual lignin that remains in the purified wood pulp, says Ye. The FCM also has efficient venting for any residual moisture in the wood pulp. The researchers were able to reduce moisture
levels from 3-4% in the incoming pulp to 0.05-0.1% in the finished compound. The FCM offers 15-30% energy savings compared to a twin-screw extruder, which can help reduce product carbon footprint, Ye reports.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.heritage-plastics.com �
https://incoa.com �
www.omya.com �
https://madefromstone.com �
www.imerys.com �
www.imifabi.com �
www.hpfminerals.com �
www.farrel-pomini.com �
https://web.fpinnovations.ca
www.filmandsheet.com
IMAGE: FARREL POMINI
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58
