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Wacker presents latest silicone-based performance additive for TPUs at K 2019
MATERIALS
ether ketone (PEEK) carrier. The orange masterbatch line has now been extended to include a further eight products for polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylsulfone, polyethylenimine, polybutylene terephthalate and polyamides PA10T, PA12, PA6T and PA66. Grades for use in PA4:6 and PA6:10 are in the final stages of development, Colloid reports. The expanded Signal Warning Orange masterbatch range offers part producers a wide choice of application performance, from a continuous operating temperature of 200°C (392°F) with PEEK to around 140–150°C for PA66, according to the company. The product development work on the Signal Warning Orange masterbatches was carried out by the company’s R&D team in Suzhou, China, primarily in response to local market demand from moulders and extruders producing high-voltage automotive components such as under-thebonnet electrical components, conduits and charging plug units. The highly accurate matching facilities installed at the Suzhou facility can colour match to any Signal Warning Orange colourway, tailored to customers’ requirements, such as Pantone 151C, Colloids reports. To ensure thermal stability performance, only high-quality, heat-resistant pigments are used in these and other T-TEC black and coloured masterbatches, which are also compatible with glass-filled flame retardant compounds, explains Dr Craig MacDougall, general manager for Colloids Plastic (Suzhou). Colloids’ China plant includes a production line for manufacturing the high-temperature T-TEC masterbatch range to serve the rapidly growing battery-electric and hybrid car OEMs in China and globally in the automotive sector, as well for other high-performance market applications, such as electrical and electronics, industrial and medical equipment. Established in 1967 and headquartered in Knowsley, UK, Colloids Ltd is a manufacturer of high-quality masterbatches for thermoplastics. It operates factories in the UK and China, has more than 160 employees, and generates an annual turnover in excess of £45 million (c. E53 million). Since 2004, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Israel’s Tosaf group. More information: www.colloids.com
Wacker presents latest silicone-based performance additive for TPUs at K 2019
M
unich-based chemical company Wacker exhibited a new silicone additive for ther-
November 2019
moplastic polyurethanes (TPU) at October’s K 2019 international trade fair for the plastics and rubber industries. Genioplast® Pellet 345 lowers the hardness of TPUs while providing enhanced elasticity and properties, the company claims. Furthermore, in moulded parts incorporating the new additive, the surfaces have a softer, silky feel and show higher resistance to scratches, abrasion and contamination compared to the unmodified TPU, Wacker reports. According to the company, Genioplast Pellet 345 is readily incorporated into TPUs and has fewer undesirable secondary effects than conventional silicone products. While the new additive has been developed primarily for use with TPUs, it can also be used to boost the properties of other thermoplastic elastomers such as thermoplastic polyamide and copolyester elastomers, Wacker notes. Supplied in pellet form, Genioplast Pellet 345 is a silicone copolymer and is processed like a thermoplastic. Unlike conventional silicones, the new additive reportedly disperses very finely and homogeneously throughout the PU matrix; this is the result of the presence of organic polymer segments within its molecular structure, which makes it ‘highly compatible’ with TPUs, the company explains. The copolymer becomes physically bound to the PU matrix and is therefore unable to migrate, Wacker says. It is authorized for food contact applications in Europe. The company reports that an addition level of 3–5% of Genioplast Pellet 345 is sufficient to enhance the surface smoothness of TPUs, improve scratch and abrasion resistance, and increase resistance to contamination by foodstuffs and cosmetics. A loading level of 10%+ affects the hardness and mechanical properties of a TPU elastomer, rendering it softer and more elastic; for every 10% increase in the additive’s loading level, the Shore A hardness of the elastomer drops by roughly 5 points, Wacker says. However, the company claims that the inevitable but undesirable loss of mechanical strength as the polymer softens is less pronounced with Genioplast Pellet 345 than with other siliconebased technologies routinely used to soften TPU polymers. The additive pellets are easy to meter and to incorporate into TPUs on conventional compounding extruders, according to Wacker. The resulting compounds can then be injection moulded or extruded to parts or film, respectively. The modified compounds also lend themselves to two-component injection moulding because the additive does not interfere with the good adhesion properties of the polymer, the company comments. Wacker claims that Genioplast
Additives for Polymers
5
MATERIALS
Pellet 345 ‘has extended the range of applications for TPUs’ as a result of its property set. It expects the new additive to find applications in the production of items such as straps for smart-watches and other wearables, smartphone covers, and soft grips for sports equipment and hand tools where moulded TPU parts with the combination of pleasant feel and durability in protracted use will be valued. In other news from the company, Wacker has officially opened its first US plant for the manufacture of pyrogenic (fumed) silica. Located at the company’s existing site in Charleston, TN, the new facility has a production capacity of 13 000 tonnes/year. Wacker has invested around US$150 million in the project, which also includes the establishment of test and development labs and training facilities. To date, Wacker has produced pyrogenic silica at its Burghausen and Nünchritz sites in Germany and at its Zhangjiagang site in China. Launching the new plant in Charleston allows the company to offer customers in the Americas a direct supply of HDK® pyrogenic silica. Wacker will retain part of the plant’s output for its own silicone production and release the rest for sale to customers. More information: www.wacker.com
Tolsa expands Adins range with new flame retardant synergists and biocides
S
panish minerals specialist Tolsa has extended its Adins® range of clay-based polymer additives with additional grades of flame retardant synergists and the launch of a new series of biocidal agents. The company showcased the new materials at the K 2019 trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany. The latest additions to the company’s range of Adins Clay flame retardant synergists are reported to deliver reduced smoke production and improved heat release in polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and rubber polymer systems. As with Tolsa’s existing products that act as synergists with halogen and halogen-free flame retardant systems, the new additives are based on sepiolite clay, which, in its unmodified state, supports char creation and has a very effective anti-dripping effect, according to the company. With Tolsa’s flexible technology, the natural silicate clay can additionally be modified with smoke suppressors, low-melt-temperature glass or gas-phase flame retardants.
6
Additives for Polymers
Among the new products receiving their launch at K 2019 is a grade that uses titanium dioxide to improve the performance of intumescent systems for PP and coatings. At dosing levels of 1–2% the new grade demonstrates further stabilization of the char in intumescent systems, improving flame retardant efficiency, Tolsa says. In intumescent systems, the Adins Clay product decreases and delays the peak of the heat release rate and acts as a smoke suppressor. Its use leads to improved cost efficiency of formulations with intumescent flame retardants, the company comments. Key end-use application areas include transportation, pipe, coatings, and wire and cable. A second new grade is Adins Clay Sil1, which has been developed for use in silicones and PVC formulations. It provides smoke suppression and reduced heat release. The product can also serve as an effective alternative to antimony trioxide, thus easing environmental concerns, the company says. Tolsa also introduced Adins Clay G1, an activated natural silicate that contains boron glass and serves as a ceramifying additive, improving the mechanical performance of the char. The additive acts by forming a strong reinforcing network within the flame retardant, creating an extremely consistent char that reduces the peak and total heat release, the company claims. Adins Clay G1 is reported to be especially effective at reducing total smoke production in rubber formulations, at dosages of c. 3–5%. Key application areas include cable and rubber compounds for transportation. Tolsa reports that it is also undertaking development work on new synergists to improve the flame retardant performance of thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes and polyamides for construction and automotive applications. ‘Our unique flame retardant technology continues to evolve and we see continuing growth for clay synergists in a wide range of systems that require the highest standards of flame retardancy’, says Antonio Esteban, technical manager for Tolsa’s Special Additives Business Unit. The company’s materials are ‘highly versatile’ and can be fine-tuned to meet the performance needs of formulators and end users, he comments. Thermoplastic elastomers are increasingly being used as replacements for thermoset rubbers to achieve multi-material constructions and reduced processing costs, according to Esteban. The development work utilizing Tolsa’s Adins flame retardant technology has yielded ‘positive results’ in intumescent-based systems for cable application, the company reports. In polyamide applications, Adins additives have been shown to improve the anti-dripping effect, it says. The company is also focused on translating its flame retardant technology to other polymer matrices including nylon, polycarbonate and thermosets.
November 2019
ether ketone (PEEK) carrier. The orange masterbatch line has now been extended to include a further eight products for polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylsulfone, polyethylenimine, polybutylene terephthalate and polyamides PA10T, PA12, PA6T and PA66. Grades for use in PA4:6 and PA6:10 are in the final stages of development, Colloid reports. The expanded Signal Warning Orange masterbatch range offers part producers a wide choice of application performance, from a continuous operating temperature of 200°C (392°F) with PEEK to around 140–150°C for PA66, according to the company. The product development work on the Signal Warning Orange masterbatches was carried out by the company’s R&D team in Suzhou, China, primarily in response to local market demand from moulders and extruders producing high-voltage automotive components such as under-thebonnet electrical components, conduits and charging plug units. The highly accurate matching facilities installed at the Suzhou facility can colour match to any Signal Warning Orange colourway, tailored to customers’ requirements, such as Pantone 151C, Colloids reports. To ensure thermal stability performance, only high-quality, heat-resistant pigments are used in these and other T-TEC black and coloured masterbatches, which are also compatible with glass-filled flame retardant compounds, explains Dr Craig MacDougall, general manager for Colloids Plastic (Suzhou). Colloids’ China plant includes a production line for manufacturing the high-temperature T-TEC masterbatch range to serve the rapidly growing battery-electric and hybrid car OEMs in China and globally in the automotive sector, as well for other high-performance market applications, such as electrical and electronics, industrial and medical equipment. Established in 1967 and headquartered in Knowsley, UK, Colloids Ltd is a manufacturer of high-quality masterbatches for thermoplastics. It operates factories in the UK and China, has more than 160 employees, and generates an annual turnover in excess of £45 million (c. E53 million). Since 2004, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Israel’s Tosaf group. More information: www.colloids.com
Wacker presents latest silicone-based performance additive for TPUs at K 2019
M
unich-based chemical company Wacker exhibited a new silicone additive for ther-
November 2019
moplastic polyurethanes (TPU) at October’s K 2019 international trade fair for the plastics and rubber industries. Genioplast® Pellet 345 lowers the hardness of TPUs while providing enhanced elasticity and properties, the company claims. Furthermore, in moulded parts incorporating the new additive, the surfaces have a softer, silky feel and show higher resistance to scratches, abrasion and contamination compared to the unmodified TPU, Wacker reports. According to the company, Genioplast Pellet 345 is readily incorporated into TPUs and has fewer undesirable secondary effects than conventional silicone products. While the new additive has been developed primarily for use with TPUs, it can also be used to boost the properties of other thermoplastic elastomers such as thermoplastic polyamide and copolyester elastomers, Wacker notes. Supplied in pellet form, Genioplast Pellet 345 is a silicone copolymer and is processed like a thermoplastic. Unlike conventional silicones, the new additive reportedly disperses very finely and homogeneously throughout the PU matrix; this is the result of the presence of organic polymer segments within its molecular structure, which makes it ‘highly compatible’ with TPUs, the company explains. The copolymer becomes physically bound to the PU matrix and is therefore unable to migrate, Wacker says. It is authorized for food contact applications in Europe. The company reports that an addition level of 3–5% of Genioplast Pellet 345 is sufficient to enhance the surface smoothness of TPUs, improve scratch and abrasion resistance, and increase resistance to contamination by foodstuffs and cosmetics. A loading level of 10%+ affects the hardness and mechanical properties of a TPU elastomer, rendering it softer and more elastic; for every 10% increase in the additive’s loading level, the Shore A hardness of the elastomer drops by roughly 5 points, Wacker says. However, the company claims that the inevitable but undesirable loss of mechanical strength as the polymer softens is less pronounced with Genioplast Pellet 345 than with other siliconebased technologies routinely used to soften TPU polymers. The additive pellets are easy to meter and to incorporate into TPUs on conventional compounding extruders, according to Wacker. The resulting compounds can then be injection moulded or extruded to parts or film, respectively. The modified compounds also lend themselves to two-component injection moulding because the additive does not interfere with the good adhesion properties of the polymer, the company comments. Wacker claims that Genioplast
Additives for Polymers
5
MATERIALS
Pellet 345 ‘has extended the range of applications for TPUs’ as a result of its property set. It expects the new additive to find applications in the production of items such as straps for smart-watches and other wearables, smartphone covers, and soft grips for sports equipment and hand tools where moulded TPU parts with the combination of pleasant feel and durability in protracted use will be valued. In other news from the company, Wacker has officially opened its first US plant for the manufacture of pyrogenic (fumed) silica. Located at the company’s existing site in Charleston, TN, the new facility has a production capacity of 13 000 tonnes/year. Wacker has invested around US$150 million in the project, which also includes the establishment of test and development labs and training facilities. To date, Wacker has produced pyrogenic silica at its Burghausen and Nünchritz sites in Germany and at its Zhangjiagang site in China. Launching the new plant in Charleston allows the company to offer customers in the Americas a direct supply of HDK® pyrogenic silica. Wacker will retain part of the plant’s output for its own silicone production and release the rest for sale to customers. More information: www.wacker.com
Tolsa expands Adins range with new flame retardant synergists and biocides
S
panish minerals specialist Tolsa has extended its Adins® range of clay-based polymer additives with additional grades of flame retardant synergists and the launch of a new series of biocidal agents. The company showcased the new materials at the K 2019 trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany. The latest additions to the company’s range of Adins Clay flame retardant synergists are reported to deliver reduced smoke production and improved heat release in polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and rubber polymer systems. As with Tolsa’s existing products that act as synergists with halogen and halogen-free flame retardant systems, the new additives are based on sepiolite clay, which, in its unmodified state, supports char creation and has a very effective anti-dripping effect, according to the company. With Tolsa’s flexible technology, the natural silicate clay can additionally be modified with smoke suppressors, low-melt-temperature glass or gas-phase flame retardants.
6
Additives for Polymers
Among the new products receiving their launch at K 2019 is a grade that uses titanium dioxide to improve the performance of intumescent systems for PP and coatings. At dosing levels of 1–2% the new grade demonstrates further stabilization of the char in intumescent systems, improving flame retardant efficiency, Tolsa says. In intumescent systems, the Adins Clay product decreases and delays the peak of the heat release rate and acts as a smoke suppressor. Its use leads to improved cost efficiency of formulations with intumescent flame retardants, the company comments. Key end-use application areas include transportation, pipe, coatings, and wire and cable. A second new grade is Adins Clay Sil1, which has been developed for use in silicones and PVC formulations. It provides smoke suppression and reduced heat release. The product can also serve as an effective alternative to antimony trioxide, thus easing environmental concerns, the company says. Tolsa also introduced Adins Clay G1, an activated natural silicate that contains boron glass and serves as a ceramifying additive, improving the mechanical performance of the char. The additive acts by forming a strong reinforcing network within the flame retardant, creating an extremely consistent char that reduces the peak and total heat release, the company claims. Adins Clay G1 is reported to be especially effective at reducing total smoke production in rubber formulations, at dosages of c. 3–5%. Key application areas include cable and rubber compounds for transportation. Tolsa reports that it is also undertaking development work on new synergists to improve the flame retardant performance of thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes and polyamides for construction and automotive applications. ‘Our unique flame retardant technology continues to evolve and we see continuing growth for clay synergists in a wide range of systems that require the highest standards of flame retardancy’, says Antonio Esteban, technical manager for Tolsa’s Special Additives Business Unit. The company’s materials are ‘highly versatile’ and can be fine-tuned to meet the performance needs of formulators and end users, he comments. Thermoplastic elastomers are increasingly being used as replacements for thermoset rubbers to achieve multi-material constructions and reduced processing costs, according to Esteban. The development work utilizing Tolsa’s Adins flame retardant technology has yielded ‘positive results’ in intumescent-based systems for cable application, the company reports. In polyamide applications, Adins additives have been shown to improve the anti-dripping effect, it says. The company is also focused on translating its flame retardant technology to other polymer matrices including nylon, polycarbonate and thermosets.
November 2019