COMPATIBILISERS | ADDITIVES
Forming a bond: solutions for mixed materials
Jennifer Markarian finds out more about new technologies in compatibilisers and coupling agents that bring together dissimilar materials for recycling and other purposes The company reported that samples have been
One of the challenges with using mechanically recycled compounds is the range of materials that can be in the mix. Different types of polymers (such as PE, PP, PA, EVOH) don’t mix well and inorganic fillers (eg minerals such as talc or calcium carbonate) don’t always bond well with organic polymers. A host of problems, such as gels and poor mechanical and optical properties, can arise from a poorly blended mix. Different types of chemistries promise to help by acting at the interface to better disperse one material type within the matrix of another or to bond dissimi- lar types together for improved strength. Interface Polymers scaled up production of its
Polarfin Compatibiliser (PD41) at its pilot plant in Visakhapatnam, India in January this year. “This milestone marks a significant step in our commit- ment to delivering high-performance diblock copolymer solutions at a commercial scale,” the company stated. Due to strong market interest and sample requests, the company plans additional production runs for May and August. The first batches of the compatibiliser have been success- fully formulated into a masterbatch product (MB41) by European specialist masterbatch partner Wells Performance Materials, paving the way for large-scale customer trials.
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requested by a diverse range of global companies seeking to resolve compatibility challenges when incorporating recycled multi-material content into multilayer film structures, such as PE/tie/PA, PE/tie/ EVOH, PE/PET, and PE/PP/cellulose pallet wrap film. “Companies want to re-use the edge trim waste
from these multilayer films, but since PA and EVOH are incompatible with PE, the mechanical and optical properties of materials containing recycled edge trim are often degraded,” explained Onnicha Rattanopas, Polymer Applications Leader at Interface Polymers. Polarfin PD41 acts as a compatibiliser by dispers-
ing PA or EVOH into smaller, more uniform domains within the PE matrix. This allows light to pass through more easily, improving haze and clarity. It also enhances interfacial adhesion between polymers of differing polarity, resulting in stronger films with greater resistance to tearing and to stretching. These improved properties make it possible to
incorporate more edge trim or post-industrial recyclate (PIR) back into the PE stream. Some companies are also exploring the use of the compatibiliser to enhance the properties of post-consumer recycled (PCR) films, with the goal
May/June 2025 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 37
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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