K2010 News

Adding on sustainability factor with additives
Increasing sustainability through additive innovation is central to the many cutting-edge developments for polyolefins and this will be reinforced by US additives supplier Milliken. Meanwhile, another US supplier Chemtura will present a new line of flame retardants, antioxidants, UV stabilisers, polymerisation inhibitors and organometallic specialties and UK-based Croda will focus on packaging innovations for reducing the carbon footprint.

Milliken says it has undertaken numerous trials on its Millad clarifying agent since it was launched at K2007 proving that the additive not only delivers clarity to PP but can yield cycle time reductions (and thus increase productivity) by as much as 15%. A new version of the additive, NX8500E, aimed specifically at extrusion blow moulding will be introduced.

Other highlights are its ClearTint colourants that retain optics of clarified PP while producing a brighter colour. As they have no effect on shrinkage, parts have a lower tendency to warp. Milliken says it will also demonstrate new opportunities to fix the critical problems facing manufacturers involved in many PP and PE moulding processes with its Hyperform HPN (High Performance Nucleating) agents. Benefits for typical applications include fine-tuning CLTE (coefficient of linear thermal expansion) in grades for automotive bumpers and instrument panels, cycle time reduction and warpage elimination in the production of pallets and crates and increased processability and optic enhancement in packaging.

Hyperform technologies can also enable PP to replace other resins, allowing for lighter weight parts, lower cost, and more consumer friendly products.

Highlights to be on display at K 2010 include a pioneering advance for PE with Hyperform HPN-20E. The most efficient nucleation agent available to date for linear low and high density PE, Hyperform HPN-20E has a major impact on cycle time reduction, barrier properties in HDPE blow moulding and film, and clarity improvements in C4 gas phase LLDPE. Hyperform HPN-20E increases crystallisation temperature significantly and has a major influence on crystal orientation. As a result, barrier to oxygen and moisture vapour is increased by as much as 20 to 50% depending on the PE resin technology. The higher crystallisation temperature, combined with greater crystal orientation, allows bottles to be demoulded earlier, cycle times reduced and productivity increased.

Another Milliken innovation is the Hyperform HPR (High Performance Reinforcement) synthetic fibre additive for PP. The first in the family, HPR-803, was launched primarily for the automotive sector last year. Added at levels typically one third of those for talc, it allows for parts that are 15% lighter while HPR-803 reinforced PP is more environmentally-friendly, unlike glass fibre-reinforced PP.

Meanwhile, doing its sustainability part will be Chemtura's Flame Retardants business that will introduce a number of new additions to its portfolio, though it does not specifically identify these. Chemtura's antioxidants and UV stabilisers business will introduce expansions to Weston 705, a member of the liquid productivity platform, together with the complementary additions of liquid phenolics and blends to the range. The organometallics unit will be launching extensions to its broad range of catalyst components that carry the Axion trademark, replacing the former Eurecen/Eurenor trade names for single-site catalyst components and donors for Ziegler-Natta PP catalysts.

Recognising that packaging innovation and differentiation go hand in hand with successful brands, UK-based Croda is highlighting how its additives can support branding through various material and process improvements. These range from eliminating the need for costly outer packaging to reducing dust pick-up on store shelves, protecting pack contents from UV colour fade and lowering transportation costs by more efficient packing of moulded items. Croda Coatings & Polymers will also be co-exhibiting to promote its natural ingredients for engineering plastics.