Additives
New Sources of Help in Coloring Plastics
Two new color services for small to medium-sized firms that lack in-house color-matching and formulating expertise were announced at K 2004.
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K 2004 Wrap-Up on Additives: Problem-Solving Additives Tackle New and Old Challenges
The latest K show was rich in additives that can ease processing and end-use problems of thermoplastics and thermosets.
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Colorant Makers Expand Services to Speed Customers' Product Development
Independent color-concentrate producers have been expanding the range of services they offer beyond simple color matching.
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Polyurethanes: Foams Go 'Green' at Ever-Lower Cost
A great deal of effort is going into formulating rigid and flexible foams for lower cost and better properties, despite the transition to "cleaner" blowing agents. Improving fire and smoke performance is another challenge.
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Chasing Nanocomposites
Nano-sized particles have mega-potential in plastics because just a pinch does so much more than heavy loadings of other additives. Three recent conferences presented almost 200 papers on the feverish pace of ‘nano’ R&D on boosting plastics’ mechanical and barrier properties, flame retardancy, and electrical conductivity.
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From Paper-Mill Sludge to Plastic Decking
Kadant Composites’ self-appointed mission for the past eight years has been to find commercial uses for paper sludge, a soggy mix of short cellulose fibers, calcium carbonate, and clay that is the copious byproduct of paper recycling.
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'Cleaner,' More Efficient Additives for Flexible and Rigid PVC
New vinyl additives designed to be more environmentally friendly while offering improved performance are available from Crompton Corp., Middlebury, Conn.
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Loads of New Additives and Colorants to Debut at K 2004
Several categories of new polymer additives will be unveiled at this year’s largest plastics show—K 2004 in Dusseldorf, Germany, next month.
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'Super-TPVs': The New Challenge to Rubber
Recent commercialization of a cluster of novel thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) families is promising to boost demand for thermoplastic elastomers in new and challenging industrial and consumer product segments.
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Wood-Filled Plastics: They Need the Right Additives for Strength, Good Looks, and Long Life
Wood-plastic composites, or WPCs, are already a 1.3-billion-lb market and are growing at 20% annually.
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