- Email: [email protected]
Eastman extends optical brightener range with product for flexible PVC and polyethylene
Additives for Polymers
MATERIALS Cytec launches light stabilizer for automotive use Cytec Industries has introduced a new light stabilizer that it says is designed specifically for the automotive market. Cyasorb THT 7001 is claimed to provide excellent ultraviolet (UV) stabilization in polyolefins, especially in thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs). According to Cytec, it is non-blooming and non-fogging and does not adversely affect the ability to apply paint to a surface. It is also designed to be thermally stable and offers a good balance between solubility and migration, interacting at a low level with halogenated flame retardants. The new stabilizer leaves no residue after moulding. In addition to the targeted automotive applications, Cyasorb THT 7001 is sanctioned by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in polyolefins that come into direct contact with food. Contact: Cytec Industries Inc, 5 Garret Mountain Plaza, West Paterson, NJ 07424, USA; tel: +1-973-357-3100; fax: +1-973-3573060; URL: www.cytec.com
Independent aging tests confirm antimicrobial benefits of calcium hydroxide additives ReBASE Corp, the Canadian manufacturer of calcium hydroxide-based fillers/additives, reports that independent tests show its materials provide an antimicrobial effect in plastics after natural aging over three years. The ASTM G-22 test was conducted by independent laboratory APPTEC Laboratory Services. Previously, the company relied on test results involving mechanically accelerated aging to demonstrate the efficacy of its White Knight (WK) and Rx brand additives. As a result of the latest tests, ReBASE now concludes that the antimicrobial effect will last for the life of the plastic product. Calcium hydroxide fillers have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, according to
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the company. They also act as a heat-absorbing flame retardant due to the high melting point. When used in PVC, WK filler’s alkalinity provides the additional advantage of neutralizing hydrogen chloride released during combustion. It is also lightweight, with a specific gravity of 2.35 (compared to 2.7–2.8 for calcium carbonate), and has a rounded particle shape which provides extrusion glide and improved melt flow, ReBASE says. The company says that its products are competitively priced with calcium carbonate or talc, the principal competitors. ReBASE is currently preparing to go public and is planning to expand with the construction of a new grassroots plant in Louisiana. Contact: ReBASE Corp, 151B Dunlop Street, East, Barrie, Ontario L4M 1B2, Canada; tel: +1-705-734-0400; fax: +1-705-734-3403; e-mail: [email protected]; URL: www.rebasefiller.com
Eastman extends optical brightener range with product for flexible PVC and polyethylene Eastman Chemical Co has introduced Eastobrite® OB, an optical brightener specially formulated for flexible PVC and high- and lowdensity polyethylene applications. The new product joins the company’s existing Eastobrite OB-1 and OB-3 products to provide a range that meets most optical brightener needs in polymers, Eastman says. OB-1 imparts a bright, neutral tint to white polymers and OB-3 gives them a bluish white tint. OB-1 is also FDA compliant in indirect food-contact applications. According to Eastman, all three optical brighteners are effective at concentrations as low as 25 ppm in natural (clear) polymers and at concentrations from 75 to 300 ppm in opaque formulations. They exhibit good heat resistance up to 300°C, making them useful in engineering resins and for high-heat, injection moulding applications. Eastman says that the whitening characteristics of the Eastobrite OB range make them ideal for many end-use products including toys, household appliances, synthetic leather, toothbrush handles, plastic bottles and floor tiles. They can
July 2003
also enhance recycled plastic products by reducing the yellowish tint. Contact: David Darden, Eastman Chemical Co, 100 North Eastman Road, PO Box 511, Kingsport, TN 37662-5075, USA; tel: +1-423229—8427; e-mail: [email protected]; URL: www.eastobrite.com/plastics
Robinson Brothers develops additives for biodegradable polylactic acid compounds UK speciality chemicals manufacturer Robinson Brothers, in conjunction with Aston University, has been working to develop additives to improve the physical characteristics of biodegradable polymer systems based on polylactic acid (PLA). The aim is to produce a PLA system that can be handled with standard plastics processing equipment, enabling it to compete with LDPE and other polymers in packaging applications. According to a PRW.com report, the team have developed a copolymer and a plasticizer suitable for use in the manufacture of PLA compounds. The additives also enhance the polymer’s biodegradability. Other partners in the two-year project are compounding equipment manufacturer Thermo Prism, film and bag manufacturer Euro Packaging and GlaxoSmithKline, which is interested in biodegradable packaging for some of its pharmaceutical products. Robinson is planning a production run on the PLA system later this year and hopes to have a commercial system available within two years. At current prices, the material would be significantly more expensive than LDPE. Contact: Robinson Brothers Ltd, Phoenix St, West Bromwich B70 0AH, UK; tel: +44-121553-2451; fax: +44-121-500-5183; URL: www.robinsonbrothers.ltd.uk
COMPANY STRATEGIES Great Lakes expands antimony oxide capacity in Mexico Great Lakes Chemical Corp has added a fifth antimony oxide production line at its Reynosa
Additives for Polymers
facility in Mexico. Commercial production was reported to have started in February 2003 and immediately boosted capacity by 20%. The company says the start-up of the additional production line is consistent with its strategy to remain at the leading edge of antimony production. The expansion increases manufacturing output and flexibility at Reynosa and allows Great Lakes to meet market demand for its range of antimony oxide based synergists and flame retardants. The Mexican facility was also recently awarded Oliver Wright Class A Business Excellence certification for operational excellence in sales and operations planning, and ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System certification. Great Lakes’ antimony trioxide, sold under the trade names TMS®, Timonox®, Trutint® and Microfine®, is used as a synergist along with brominated flame retardants in flameretardant polymer formulations widely used in electrical and electronics applications. Antimony trioxide is also an effective flame retardant in high performance PVC applications. Great Lakes is also reported to be expanding its flame retardant operations in the UK. According to PRW.com, Great Lakes Manufacturing (UK) is investing £3 million (4.2 million) to boost production of flame retardants by 30% at its Trafford Park site in Manchester. The company aims to expand markets in Europe, which is its biggest region. The Trafford Park operation currently has an annual turnover of more than £70 million, with at least 80% of production exported to Europe, the Americas, the Far East and the Middle East. This latest investment takes the amount spent on improving the site since it was acquired five years ago to almost £15 million. Great Lakes is concentrating its flame-retardants business in the UK after closing its US site last year. Contact: Great Lakes Chemical Corp, PO Box 2200, 1 Great Lakes Boulevard, West Lafayette, Indianapolis, IN 47906-5394, USA; tel: +1765-497-6100; fax: +1-765-497-6316; URL: www.pa.greatlakes.com
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MATERIALS Cytec launches light stabilizer for automotive use Cytec Industries has introduced a new light stabilizer that it says is designed specifically for the automotive market. Cyasorb THT 7001 is claimed to provide excellent ultraviolet (UV) stabilization in polyolefins, especially in thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs). According to Cytec, it is non-blooming and non-fogging and does not adversely affect the ability to apply paint to a surface. It is also designed to be thermally stable and offers a good balance between solubility and migration, interacting at a low level with halogenated flame retardants. The new stabilizer leaves no residue after moulding. In addition to the targeted automotive applications, Cyasorb THT 7001 is sanctioned by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in polyolefins that come into direct contact with food. Contact: Cytec Industries Inc, 5 Garret Mountain Plaza, West Paterson, NJ 07424, USA; tel: +1-973-357-3100; fax: +1-973-3573060; URL: www.cytec.com
Independent aging tests confirm antimicrobial benefits of calcium hydroxide additives ReBASE Corp, the Canadian manufacturer of calcium hydroxide-based fillers/additives, reports that independent tests show its materials provide an antimicrobial effect in plastics after natural aging over three years. The ASTM G-22 test was conducted by independent laboratory APPTEC Laboratory Services. Previously, the company relied on test results involving mechanically accelerated aging to demonstrate the efficacy of its White Knight (WK) and Rx brand additives. As a result of the latest tests, ReBASE now concludes that the antimicrobial effect will last for the life of the plastic product. Calcium hydroxide fillers have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, according to
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July 2003
the company. They also act as a heat-absorbing flame retardant due to the high melting point. When used in PVC, WK filler’s alkalinity provides the additional advantage of neutralizing hydrogen chloride released during combustion. It is also lightweight, with a specific gravity of 2.35 (compared to 2.7–2.8 for calcium carbonate), and has a rounded particle shape which provides extrusion glide and improved melt flow, ReBASE says. The company says that its products are competitively priced with calcium carbonate or talc, the principal competitors. ReBASE is currently preparing to go public and is planning to expand with the construction of a new grassroots plant in Louisiana. Contact: ReBASE Corp, 151B Dunlop Street, East, Barrie, Ontario L4M 1B2, Canada; tel: +1-705-734-0400; fax: +1-705-734-3403; e-mail: [email protected]; URL: www.rebasefiller.com
Eastman extends optical brightener range with product for flexible PVC and polyethylene Eastman Chemical Co has introduced Eastobrite® OB, an optical brightener specially formulated for flexible PVC and high- and lowdensity polyethylene applications. The new product joins the company’s existing Eastobrite OB-1 and OB-3 products to provide a range that meets most optical brightener needs in polymers, Eastman says. OB-1 imparts a bright, neutral tint to white polymers and OB-3 gives them a bluish white tint. OB-1 is also FDA compliant in indirect food-contact applications. According to Eastman, all three optical brighteners are effective at concentrations as low as 25 ppm in natural (clear) polymers and at concentrations from 75 to 300 ppm in opaque formulations. They exhibit good heat resistance up to 300°C, making them useful in engineering resins and for high-heat, injection moulding applications. Eastman says that the whitening characteristics of the Eastobrite OB range make them ideal for many end-use products including toys, household appliances, synthetic leather, toothbrush handles, plastic bottles and floor tiles. They can
July 2003
also enhance recycled plastic products by reducing the yellowish tint. Contact: David Darden, Eastman Chemical Co, 100 North Eastman Road, PO Box 511, Kingsport, TN 37662-5075, USA; tel: +1-423229—8427; e-mail: [email protected]; URL: www.eastobrite.com/plastics
Robinson Brothers develops additives for biodegradable polylactic acid compounds UK speciality chemicals manufacturer Robinson Brothers, in conjunction with Aston University, has been working to develop additives to improve the physical characteristics of biodegradable polymer systems based on polylactic acid (PLA). The aim is to produce a PLA system that can be handled with standard plastics processing equipment, enabling it to compete with LDPE and other polymers in packaging applications. According to a PRW.com report, the team have developed a copolymer and a plasticizer suitable for use in the manufacture of PLA compounds. The additives also enhance the polymer’s biodegradability. Other partners in the two-year project are compounding equipment manufacturer Thermo Prism, film and bag manufacturer Euro Packaging and GlaxoSmithKline, which is interested in biodegradable packaging for some of its pharmaceutical products. Robinson is planning a production run on the PLA system later this year and hopes to have a commercial system available within two years. At current prices, the material would be significantly more expensive than LDPE. Contact: Robinson Brothers Ltd, Phoenix St, West Bromwich B70 0AH, UK; tel: +44-121553-2451; fax: +44-121-500-5183; URL: www.robinsonbrothers.ltd.uk
COMPANY STRATEGIES Great Lakes expands antimony oxide capacity in Mexico Great Lakes Chemical Corp has added a fifth antimony oxide production line at its Reynosa
Additives for Polymers
facility in Mexico. Commercial production was reported to have started in February 2003 and immediately boosted capacity by 20%. The company says the start-up of the additional production line is consistent with its strategy to remain at the leading edge of antimony production. The expansion increases manufacturing output and flexibility at Reynosa and allows Great Lakes to meet market demand for its range of antimony oxide based synergists and flame retardants. The Mexican facility was also recently awarded Oliver Wright Class A Business Excellence certification for operational excellence in sales and operations planning, and ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System certification. Great Lakes’ antimony trioxide, sold under the trade names TMS®, Timonox®, Trutint® and Microfine®, is used as a synergist along with brominated flame retardants in flameretardant polymer formulations widely used in electrical and electronics applications. Antimony trioxide is also an effective flame retardant in high performance PVC applications. Great Lakes is also reported to be expanding its flame retardant operations in the UK. According to PRW.com, Great Lakes Manufacturing (UK) is investing £3 million (4.2 million) to boost production of flame retardants by 30% at its Trafford Park site in Manchester. The company aims to expand markets in Europe, which is its biggest region. The Trafford Park operation currently has an annual turnover of more than £70 million, with at least 80% of production exported to Europe, the Americas, the Far East and the Middle East. This latest investment takes the amount spent on improving the site since it was acquired five years ago to almost £15 million. Great Lakes is concentrating its flame-retardants business in the UK after closing its US site last year. Contact: Great Lakes Chemical Corp, PO Box 2200, 1 Great Lakes Boulevard, West Lafayette, Indianapolis, IN 47906-5394, USA; tel: +1765-497-6100; fax: +1-765-497-6316; URL: www.pa.greatlakes.com
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