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Merck offers Tivida additives for improved scratch resistance
MATERIALS
According to the EFSA recommendation, alkyl(C10-C21)sulfonic acid phenyl ester is deemed to be harmless in all products where migration does not exceed 0.05 mg/kg of foodstuff, and where there is no possibility of contact with fatty foods. ‘According to our calculations, the value for waterbased and dry food contact applications is well within the stipulated range provided the product is used correctly’, concludes Karsten Job, director of marketing for Polymer Additives in Lanxess’ Functional Chemicals business unit. A positive evaluation from the EFSA is generally the final step before European approval for these areas of application is granted, Lanxess says. The company expects to receive official approval from the European Commission in the fall of 2010. Once this is granted, Mesamoll II would be one of the few plasticizers deemed suitable for use in food packaging in both the USA and the EU. The plasticizer received food contact approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007. Moreover, the EC approval will also have a positive effect on the use of Mesamoll II in toys. Annual exports of toys from China alone contain some 35 000 tonnes of plasticizers, and that represents just a small portion of overall global demand. Lanxess is keen to expand its share in this market and sees ‘great potential’ for Mesamoll II in this area, according to Job. ‘If, as expected, we gain the necessary approval for use with foodstuffs, it would represent a crucial leap forward and show toy manufacturers that Mesamoll II is a safe option’, adds Jorge Nogueira, head of Functional Chemicals. In the rubber industry and among manufacturers of polyurethane sealants and high-quality PVC products, Mesamoll II has acquired a good reputation as a versatile alternative to phthalates, Lanxess says. The polymer additive is also reportedly in great demand due to its valuable technical properties. Its rapid gelling behaviour ensures low processing temperatures and times, while its high resistance to light and saponification are particularly beneficial in applications where weathering resistance is important. According to the company, it also displays low volatility, and the products manufactured from it demonstrate outstanding high-frequency welding properties. Contact: Lanxess, Leverkusen, Germany. Tel: +49 214 30 33333, Web: www.lanxess.com
4
Additives for Polymers
Merck offers Tivida additives for improved scratch resistance
M
erck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, is developing a new product group of additives that significantly increases the scratch resistance of automotive coatings. Small, everyday scratches can be avoided or reduced by the addition of Tivida™, the company says. The first product in the brand family, Tivida AS 1010, has been developed specifically for high-gloss, solvent-based, two-component PUR coating systems. The new additive is composed of inorganic silica nanoparticles embedded in a covalent polymer shell with OH functionality. This structure enables a perfect binding of the additive to the functional groups of diverse binding agents in coating systems, Merck says. The use of functional nanoparticles is usually complicated by their strong tendency towards agglomeration during incorporation into the application media. Agglomeration can lead to reduced effectiveness, dull appearance of the coating or higher viscosity. However, the special core–shell structure of Tivida AS 1010 avoids these problems, according to the company. The new additive is optimally incorporated into the composition of the binding agent, thus changing its structure. The nanoparticles make the solvent-based coating system harder and, at the same time, more elastic due to the cross-linking of the polymer shell with the binding agent. This cross-linkage occurs throughout the whole product; thus, the desired protection against scratches is achieved not only in new coating layers, but also after weathering, Merck claims. With Tivida AS 1010 it is therefore now possible to protect high-gloss surfaces against minor everyday scratches, such as those found with most clearcoats in the automotive industry, for much longer than before, the company says. Additional products in the Tivida product line will be launched over the course of the year targeting various coating systems, including additives for UV-curing and water-based coating systems. Contact: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Tel: +49 6151 72 0, Web: www.merck4pigments.com
August 2010
According to the EFSA recommendation, alkyl(C10-C21)sulfonic acid phenyl ester is deemed to be harmless in all products where migration does not exceed 0.05 mg/kg of foodstuff, and where there is no possibility of contact with fatty foods. ‘According to our calculations, the value for waterbased and dry food contact applications is well within the stipulated range provided the product is used correctly’, concludes Karsten Job, director of marketing for Polymer Additives in Lanxess’ Functional Chemicals business unit. A positive evaluation from the EFSA is generally the final step before European approval for these areas of application is granted, Lanxess says. The company expects to receive official approval from the European Commission in the fall of 2010. Once this is granted, Mesamoll II would be one of the few plasticizers deemed suitable for use in food packaging in both the USA and the EU. The plasticizer received food contact approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007. Moreover, the EC approval will also have a positive effect on the use of Mesamoll II in toys. Annual exports of toys from China alone contain some 35 000 tonnes of plasticizers, and that represents just a small portion of overall global demand. Lanxess is keen to expand its share in this market and sees ‘great potential’ for Mesamoll II in this area, according to Job. ‘If, as expected, we gain the necessary approval for use with foodstuffs, it would represent a crucial leap forward and show toy manufacturers that Mesamoll II is a safe option’, adds Jorge Nogueira, head of Functional Chemicals. In the rubber industry and among manufacturers of polyurethane sealants and high-quality PVC products, Mesamoll II has acquired a good reputation as a versatile alternative to phthalates, Lanxess says. The polymer additive is also reportedly in great demand due to its valuable technical properties. Its rapid gelling behaviour ensures low processing temperatures and times, while its high resistance to light and saponification are particularly beneficial in applications where weathering resistance is important. According to the company, it also displays low volatility, and the products manufactured from it demonstrate outstanding high-frequency welding properties. Contact: Lanxess, Leverkusen, Germany. Tel: +49 214 30 33333, Web: www.lanxess.com
4
Additives for Polymers
Merck offers Tivida additives for improved scratch resistance
M
erck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, is developing a new product group of additives that significantly increases the scratch resistance of automotive coatings. Small, everyday scratches can be avoided or reduced by the addition of Tivida™, the company says. The first product in the brand family, Tivida AS 1010, has been developed specifically for high-gloss, solvent-based, two-component PUR coating systems. The new additive is composed of inorganic silica nanoparticles embedded in a covalent polymer shell with OH functionality. This structure enables a perfect binding of the additive to the functional groups of diverse binding agents in coating systems, Merck says. The use of functional nanoparticles is usually complicated by their strong tendency towards agglomeration during incorporation into the application media. Agglomeration can lead to reduced effectiveness, dull appearance of the coating or higher viscosity. However, the special core–shell structure of Tivida AS 1010 avoids these problems, according to the company. The new additive is optimally incorporated into the composition of the binding agent, thus changing its structure. The nanoparticles make the solvent-based coating system harder and, at the same time, more elastic due to the cross-linking of the polymer shell with the binding agent. This cross-linkage occurs throughout the whole product; thus, the desired protection against scratches is achieved not only in new coating layers, but also after weathering, Merck claims. With Tivida AS 1010 it is therefore now possible to protect high-gloss surfaces against minor everyday scratches, such as those found with most clearcoats in the automotive industry, for much longer than before, the company says. Additional products in the Tivida product line will be launched over the course of the year targeting various coating systems, including additives for UV-curing and water-based coating systems. Contact: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Tel: +49 6151 72 0, Web: www.merck4pigments.com
August 2010