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Teknor Apex launches impact-modified colour concentrates for polyolefins
MATERIALS
...Continued from front page ten chemical production facilities in Europe, Asia and the USA. The business has representative offices in Europe, Asia and the Americas and an extensive network of distributors and agents strategically located around the world. Contact: Omnova Solutions Ltd, Fairlawn, OH, USA. Tel: +1 330 869 4200, Web: www.omnova.com
MATERIALS Sierra Resins extends bioplastics masterbatch range
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assachusetts-based Sierra Resins Inc, a formulator and licensor of bioplastics technology, reports that it has brought two new bio-concentrate additives into production. The bio-PET 14 and bio-Lene 14 concentrates expand the company’s existing Enviroble™ portfolio of bioplastics masterbatches. The bio-PET 14 concentrate has been formulated for stronger, unbreakable-type packaging with excellent clarity and vapour barrier protection, Sierra Resins explains. On the other hand, bio-Lene 14 is designed for applications such as squeezable tubes and other consumer packaging with a range of applications in the cosmetics packaging market, it says. Besides its strength and clarity when moulded, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is known for its excellent chemical resistance, making it suitable for a wide range of applications beyond beverage bottles. To test the suitability of its new bio-PET 14 product for such more-challenging applications, the company submerged concentrate pellets and test plaques into automotive fluid, which is used to clean fuel injectors, intake valves and combustion chambers, for a period of time, and found that ‘it held up extremely well when we adsorption tested it’, reports John Tersigni, CEO of Sierra Resins. The bio-PET 14 concentrate therefore ‘lends itself to dimensional stability, high impact strength and chemical resistance’ when added to a PET injection blow-moulding process, the company says. In contrast, when added to a specific polypropylene carrier resin, the bio-Lene 14 product gives the final moulded product a squeezable quality for items such as lotion tubes, cosmetics packaging, and consumer container applications, Tersigni
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Additives for Polymers
says. Bio-Lene 14 is also suitable as a bio-concentrate additive for applications with high temperature resistance or ‘hot fill’ requirements, according to the company. Sierra Resins’ existing Enviroble SR500 masterbatch is also intended for high-heat processes, such as PET stretch injection blow moulding and injection moulding of nylons and/or polycarbonates, where processing temperatures are in the 500–600°F (260–315°C) range. SR500 is also suited for compression moulding with longer machine dwell times, the company says. Its polymer masterbatch portfolio also includes liquid-based SR100L for applications such as polyurethane poured foams and PVC-dipped products; oxo-degradable SR459 for HDPE film and sheet applications such as agricultural mulch films; SR450 for olefin applications with processing temperatures of 200–230°C, including PE blow moulded bottles and injection moulded polypropylene bottle caps; and many others. Sierra Resins reports that its products are being used commercially for bottles, caps, fasteners, tubes, cosmetics packaging, food packaging and other consumer container applications. Contact: Sierra Resins Inc, 241 Francis Ave, Mansfield, MA 02048, USA. Tel: +1 774 284 4037, Web: www.sierraresins.com
Teknor Apex launches impactmodified colour concentrates for polyolefins he new TekTuff™ impact-modified concentrates developed by Teknor Apex enhance the toughness of polyolefins while imparting the same bright colours available with corresponding unmodified concentrates, the company says. In-house tests found that the new colorants significantly boosted dart-impact resistance. In ASTM D5628-10 falling dart tests conducted by Teknor Apex, TekTuff concentrates withstood two-thirds greater impact force than standard concentrates, typically enduring up to 161 ft-lb/in (8590 J/m), compared with 96 ft-lb/in (5120 J/m) for unmodified colorants, the company reports. Depending on the impact improvement needed, higher use rates of the concentrate may be required, it explains. The new concentrates are recommended for moulded polyolefin products such as pails, trash cans and chairs,
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December 2014
MATERIALS
according to Joe Allbritton, technical service associate for the Teknor Color Division. ‘TekTuff concentrates are available on a custom basis, including new colour matches as well as any existing colour’, he says. Allbritton also reveals that the company intends to develop similar TekTuff technology for use with styrenic resins. Teknor Apex, a privately held firm founded in 1924, produces flexible and rigid vinyl, thermoplastic elastomers, nylons, toll and speciality compounds, colour masterbatches, speciality chemicals, bioplastics and hoses. The company is headquartered in Pawtucket, RI, USA, and operates 13 facilities worldwide in the USA, the Netherlands, the UK, China and Singapore. The Teknor Color Division produces colour concentrates for use in all thermoplastic processes. Contact: Teknor Apex Co, Pawtucket, RI, USA. Tel: +1 401 725 8000, Web: www.teknorapex.com
Gabriel-Chemie presents new metallic effect and flame retardant products
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ustrian firm Gabriel-Chemie GmbH has developed new masterbatch solutions for injectionmoulded parts with a metallic look. According to the company, the new products offer improved flow line properties and therefore reduce timeconsuming and costly post-treatment. A new series of low- and no-halogen flame retardant masterbatches has also been introduced. The new metallic effects from Gabriel-Chemie unite ‘aesthetic surfaces, reduced flow lines and cost optimization’, the company claims. They are simple to process and visibly upgrade plastic products, it says. The masterbatches reportedly allow ‘almost unrestricted freedom of design, even with complex geometries’. With their use, flow lines can be significantly reduced in the production of injection-moulded parts and the optical appearance of the component can be considerably improved, while visually perceptible surface defects resulting from streaking are avoided, it reports. Through the targeted optimization of the metallic effects it is now possible to avoid the use of paints, coatings or labels, according to Gabriel-Chemie. In some cases it is even possible to completely replace
December 2014
metal parts, it claims. Metallic effect plastics are used in household, office and decorative articles, electronics, telecommunications, sports and leisure applications. Whether for the interior equipment of cars, electrical cables or entertainment electronics, the use of flame retardants is absolutely necessary in order to ensure the safety of the consumer. Gabriel-Chemie has ‘many years of experience with optimum solutions’ for this sector and now offers halogen-free flame retardant masterbatches for both thinwalled applications (polyethylene and polypropylene) and thick-walled applications (polypropylene), it reports. The new series includes both low-halogen and 100% halogen-free products. According to the company, its new product range offers ‘a wide variety of complete solutions’ and is ideal for ensuring adherence to certain fire protection standards, for enabling good compatibility with common UV stabilizers and thus for guaranteeing suitable protection of the plastic. It also enables easier processability, higher flexibility in colouring and advantages in mechanical properties, Gabriel-Chemie claims. Typical areas of application for these flame retardant masterbatches are films, tapes, pipes and fibres for outdoor and indoor applications, it reports. The company presented the new products at the Fakuma trade fair in October, where it also highlighted its range of ‘ecologically optimized’, HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane)-free flame retardant masterbatches for extruded polystyrene (XPS). Gabriel-Chemie also revealed its Colour Vision® No. 15 palette of future trend colours for plastics at Fakuma 2014. The range of 36 colour plates focuses on ‘chrome metallics’, ‘plastic science’ and ‘artificial symbiosis’. The new metallic shades ‘impress with a mirror finish and reflective surface’, while the company suggests that the colour plates in the ‘plastic science’ range should not only be looked at but also listened to and felt. The ‘artificial symbiosis’ range takes nature as a model and combines ‘material looks and experienceable surfaces’, it says. Polymers such as PP, COC and PS are used in the colour plates. Some of the exclusive colours are refined with special raw materials such as effect pigments, fibres and special additives, which were predominantly implemented in opaque colours but are also shown in some transparent versions, Gabriel-Chemie reports. Contact: Gabriel-Chemie GmbH, Gumpoldskirchen, Austria. Tel: +43 2252 63630 0, Web: www.gabriel-chemie.com
Additives for Polymers
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...Continued from front page ten chemical production facilities in Europe, Asia and the USA. The business has representative offices in Europe, Asia and the Americas and an extensive network of distributors and agents strategically located around the world. Contact: Omnova Solutions Ltd, Fairlawn, OH, USA. Tel: +1 330 869 4200, Web: www.omnova.com
MATERIALS Sierra Resins extends bioplastics masterbatch range
M
assachusetts-based Sierra Resins Inc, a formulator and licensor of bioplastics technology, reports that it has brought two new bio-concentrate additives into production. The bio-PET 14 and bio-Lene 14 concentrates expand the company’s existing Enviroble™ portfolio of bioplastics masterbatches. The bio-PET 14 concentrate has been formulated for stronger, unbreakable-type packaging with excellent clarity and vapour barrier protection, Sierra Resins explains. On the other hand, bio-Lene 14 is designed for applications such as squeezable tubes and other consumer packaging with a range of applications in the cosmetics packaging market, it says. Besides its strength and clarity when moulded, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is known for its excellent chemical resistance, making it suitable for a wide range of applications beyond beverage bottles. To test the suitability of its new bio-PET 14 product for such more-challenging applications, the company submerged concentrate pellets and test plaques into automotive fluid, which is used to clean fuel injectors, intake valves and combustion chambers, for a period of time, and found that ‘it held up extremely well when we adsorption tested it’, reports John Tersigni, CEO of Sierra Resins. The bio-PET 14 concentrate therefore ‘lends itself to dimensional stability, high impact strength and chemical resistance’ when added to a PET injection blow-moulding process, the company says. In contrast, when added to a specific polypropylene carrier resin, the bio-Lene 14 product gives the final moulded product a squeezable quality for items such as lotion tubes, cosmetics packaging, and consumer container applications, Tersigni
2
Additives for Polymers
says. Bio-Lene 14 is also suitable as a bio-concentrate additive for applications with high temperature resistance or ‘hot fill’ requirements, according to the company. Sierra Resins’ existing Enviroble SR500 masterbatch is also intended for high-heat processes, such as PET stretch injection blow moulding and injection moulding of nylons and/or polycarbonates, where processing temperatures are in the 500–600°F (260–315°C) range. SR500 is also suited for compression moulding with longer machine dwell times, the company says. Its polymer masterbatch portfolio also includes liquid-based SR100L for applications such as polyurethane poured foams and PVC-dipped products; oxo-degradable SR459 for HDPE film and sheet applications such as agricultural mulch films; SR450 for olefin applications with processing temperatures of 200–230°C, including PE blow moulded bottles and injection moulded polypropylene bottle caps; and many others. Sierra Resins reports that its products are being used commercially for bottles, caps, fasteners, tubes, cosmetics packaging, food packaging and other consumer container applications. Contact: Sierra Resins Inc, 241 Francis Ave, Mansfield, MA 02048, USA. Tel: +1 774 284 4037, Web: www.sierraresins.com
Teknor Apex launches impactmodified colour concentrates for polyolefins he new TekTuff™ impact-modified concentrates developed by Teknor Apex enhance the toughness of polyolefins while imparting the same bright colours available with corresponding unmodified concentrates, the company says. In-house tests found that the new colorants significantly boosted dart-impact resistance. In ASTM D5628-10 falling dart tests conducted by Teknor Apex, TekTuff concentrates withstood two-thirds greater impact force than standard concentrates, typically enduring up to 161 ft-lb/in (8590 J/m), compared with 96 ft-lb/in (5120 J/m) for unmodified colorants, the company reports. Depending on the impact improvement needed, higher use rates of the concentrate may be required, it explains. The new concentrates are recommended for moulded polyolefin products such as pails, trash cans and chairs,
T
December 2014
MATERIALS
according to Joe Allbritton, technical service associate for the Teknor Color Division. ‘TekTuff concentrates are available on a custom basis, including new colour matches as well as any existing colour’, he says. Allbritton also reveals that the company intends to develop similar TekTuff technology for use with styrenic resins. Teknor Apex, a privately held firm founded in 1924, produces flexible and rigid vinyl, thermoplastic elastomers, nylons, toll and speciality compounds, colour masterbatches, speciality chemicals, bioplastics and hoses. The company is headquartered in Pawtucket, RI, USA, and operates 13 facilities worldwide in the USA, the Netherlands, the UK, China and Singapore. The Teknor Color Division produces colour concentrates for use in all thermoplastic processes. Contact: Teknor Apex Co, Pawtucket, RI, USA. Tel: +1 401 725 8000, Web: www.teknorapex.com
Gabriel-Chemie presents new metallic effect and flame retardant products
A
ustrian firm Gabriel-Chemie GmbH has developed new masterbatch solutions for injectionmoulded parts with a metallic look. According to the company, the new products offer improved flow line properties and therefore reduce timeconsuming and costly post-treatment. A new series of low- and no-halogen flame retardant masterbatches has also been introduced. The new metallic effects from Gabriel-Chemie unite ‘aesthetic surfaces, reduced flow lines and cost optimization’, the company claims. They are simple to process and visibly upgrade plastic products, it says. The masterbatches reportedly allow ‘almost unrestricted freedom of design, even with complex geometries’. With their use, flow lines can be significantly reduced in the production of injection-moulded parts and the optical appearance of the component can be considerably improved, while visually perceptible surface defects resulting from streaking are avoided, it reports. Through the targeted optimization of the metallic effects it is now possible to avoid the use of paints, coatings or labels, according to Gabriel-Chemie. In some cases it is even possible to completely replace
December 2014
metal parts, it claims. Metallic effect plastics are used in household, office and decorative articles, electronics, telecommunications, sports and leisure applications. Whether for the interior equipment of cars, electrical cables or entertainment electronics, the use of flame retardants is absolutely necessary in order to ensure the safety of the consumer. Gabriel-Chemie has ‘many years of experience with optimum solutions’ for this sector and now offers halogen-free flame retardant masterbatches for both thinwalled applications (polyethylene and polypropylene) and thick-walled applications (polypropylene), it reports. The new series includes both low-halogen and 100% halogen-free products. According to the company, its new product range offers ‘a wide variety of complete solutions’ and is ideal for ensuring adherence to certain fire protection standards, for enabling good compatibility with common UV stabilizers and thus for guaranteeing suitable protection of the plastic. It also enables easier processability, higher flexibility in colouring and advantages in mechanical properties, Gabriel-Chemie claims. Typical areas of application for these flame retardant masterbatches are films, tapes, pipes and fibres for outdoor and indoor applications, it reports. The company presented the new products at the Fakuma trade fair in October, where it also highlighted its range of ‘ecologically optimized’, HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane)-free flame retardant masterbatches for extruded polystyrene (XPS). Gabriel-Chemie also revealed its Colour Vision® No. 15 palette of future trend colours for plastics at Fakuma 2014. The range of 36 colour plates focuses on ‘chrome metallics’, ‘plastic science’ and ‘artificial symbiosis’. The new metallic shades ‘impress with a mirror finish and reflective surface’, while the company suggests that the colour plates in the ‘plastic science’ range should not only be looked at but also listened to and felt. The ‘artificial symbiosis’ range takes nature as a model and combines ‘material looks and experienceable surfaces’, it says. Polymers such as PP, COC and PS are used in the colour plates. Some of the exclusive colours are refined with special raw materials such as effect pigments, fibres and special additives, which were predominantly implemented in opaque colours but are also shown in some transparent versions, Gabriel-Chemie reports. Contact: Gabriel-Chemie GmbH, Gumpoldskirchen, Austria. Tel: +43 2252 63630 0, Web: www.gabriel-chemie.com
Additives for Polymers
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