CW December 2012

December 2012

PICKING FLAME RETARDANTS FOR POLYAMIDES

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN LAB COMPOUNDERS

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH GREEN CHEMISTRY

HOW TO HANDLE HIGH-TEMPERATURE PLASTICS

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www.compoundingworld.com December 2012 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 3

05 Industry news The latest compounding industry news including international acquisitions and

alliances, plus new investments and plant openings.

13 Compounding heats up High-performance plastics present challenges to compounders as processing

temperatures soar to 400˚C and beyond. Jennifer Markarian reports.

21 Picking fl ame retardants for polyamides Pat Toensmeier speaks with resin producers and additives suppliers about recent

developments in fl ame retardants for nylon compounds.

33 Lab compounders: small machines for big ideas Mikell Knights reviews the latest laboratory extruders and kneaders for

developing new formulations and for small-scale production runs.

49 Inside the green revolution Dr Sally Humphreys reports from the fi rst Green Polymer Chemistry conference

on progress in renewable and sustainable plastics technologies.

57 New products: polymers and additives

63 New products: machinery and software

66 Compounder of the month: F&D Plastics

68 Dates for your diary

coming next issue� Polymer foam technologies � Pelletizers � Dispersants and coupling agents

� Click here to make sure you get your copy

contents

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E 13

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Applied Market Information LtdAMI House, 45-47 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QP, United KingdomTel:+44 (0)117 924 9442Fax:+44 (0)117 989 2128www.amiplastics.com

contact usHead of business publishing: Andy Beevers E-mail: [email protected] editor: Chris Smith E-mail: [email protected] editor: Jennifer Markarian E-mail: [email protected]: Nicola CraneAdvertisement manager: Claire Bishop E-mail: [email protected] Direct tel: +44 (0)20 8686 8139

ENTEK_LindaCampbell_CW_A4_051812_x1a.indd 1 5/18/12 3:26 PM

www.compoundingworld.com December 2012 | compounDing worlD 5

news

Owens Corning has started

up new furnaces at its glass

reinforcement manufactur-

ing sites in Gous-Khroustal-

ny, Russia, and in Tlaxcala,

Mexico.

Production capacity at

both sites has been more

than doubled and the new

furnaces will be used to

produce corrosion-resistant

Advantex glass. The new

Gous-Khroustalny furnace

will produce roving and

wet-use chopped strands,

while the extra capacity at

Tlaxcala will be used for

assembled roving and

dry-use chopped strands.

Owens Corning has also

recently opened its new

China Composites Center in

Shanghai to provide local

R&D support and expertise.

❙ www.ocvreinforcements.com

Owens Corningexpands

China XD Plastics is adding

new compounding lines at its

production facility in Harbin,

China. The company says that

they will increase its total

annual production capacity by

135,000 tonnes to 390,000

tonnes.

The new lines are being

installed at three newly built

plants within China XD’s

Number 3 production base in

Harbin and will start to

contribute to production in the

first quarter of 2013. The

company says that the capacity

expansion is backed up by

investments in R&D equipment

to support new product

development.

In December 2011, China

XD added 20 new compounding

lines that came on stream in

the first half of this year,

China XD commissions new compounding lines

taking its extruder count to 58

and increasing its total annual

capacity by 90,000 tonnes to

255,000 tonnes.

China XD focuses on

technical compounds for

automotive applications. It says

that its materials are used in

components for 23 automobile

brands manufactured in China,

including Audi, BMW, Toyota,

Buick, VW and Hafei.

In its recently released third

quarter 2012 results, the

company reported a 57.4%

year-on-year increase in

revenues, achieving US$163.3

million for the three months.

The total volume shipped

during the period was 61,589

tonnes, while gross profit was

US$40.4 million, representing

year-on-year increases of

57.7% and 50.9% respectively.

❙ www.chinaxd.net

Songwon Additive Technolo-

gies and Polysys Industries

have announced plans to build

an antioxidant OPS (one-pack

systems) manufacturing plant

in Kizad, Abu Dhabi. It will

have an initial capacity of 7,000

tonnes and is expected to be

completed in late 2013.

The two companies are

forming a new venture Polysys

Additive Technologies to

construct the facility. The

announcement follows the

formation of Songwon Additive

Technologies, a joint venture

between Songwon of South

Korea, Pan Gulf Holding

Songwon reveals one-pack plant location

Company of Saudi Arabia and

Polysys Industries of Abu

Dhabi for the manufacture and

sale of Songnox OPS (see

Compounding World, Nov

2012: http://bit.ly/songwon).

Maurizio Butti, Songwon’s

chief operating officer, said:

“This is a very important step

for Songwon in the develop-

ment of our global OPS

footprint following the acquisi-

tion of Additive Technologies

Greiz and the capacity expan-

sion which has already been

implemented [in Germany]. The

Middle East already represents

a key market for OPS and

polymer stabilizers and we

expect this position to grow

significantly in the near future.”

Songwon Additive Technolo-

gies also plans to build an OPS

plant in the USA, but has not yet

confirmed its location or timing.

❙ www.songwonind.com

China XD’s compounds are used by 23 car manufacturers in

China, including BMW

Left to right: Khalid Al Hamdan, MD of Pan Gulf; Maurizio Butti,

COO of Songwon; and Mohamed Al Muhairi, chairman of Polysys

compounding world | december 2012 www.compoundingworld.com6

news

FBW adds two Coperion linesthat offered a good price-per-

formance ratio. We found that

all these requirements were

more than met by Coperion’s

STS advanced series.”

Coperion’s STS extruders

are developed at the com-

pany’s main production site in

Stuttgart, Germany, and are

manufactured at its Chinese

factory in Nanjing. This, says

the company, enables it to

provide “a high-performance

compounding system at

relatively low investment

costs”.

❙ www.fbwgmbh.de ❙ www.coperion.com

FBW has installed two new

Coperion STS 35 Advanced

twin-screw extruders at its

compounding plant in

Niederzier, Germany. They are

being used to produce colour

and additive masterbatches in

small- and medium-sized

batches from 25 to 300 kg.

The extruders are equipped

with 35 mm diameter screws

and feature Coperion’s new STS

Masterbatch die head, which

can be quickly opened for rapid

cleaning. An easily exchange-

able breaker plate permits

filtering of the masterbatch

melt using insert screens.

FBW’s managing director

Gerd Cornils explains the

reasons for the extruder

Albemarle has announced

plans to expand its

manufacturing operations

at Orangeburg, South

Carolina, USA. It is

investing a total of US$65

million over five years at the

facility and expects to add

20 new jobs.

The expansion plans

include a new plant for the

production of the company’s

GreenCrest high-molecu-

lar-weight polymeric flame

retardant. This is designed

to gradually replace

hexabromocyclododecane

(HBCD) for use in extruded

(XPS) and expanded (EPS)

polystyrene applications.

Albemarle plans to

commercialise the new

technology in 2014.

❙ www.albemarle.com

Albemarle invests in FR plant

Masterbatch group elects boardMasterbatch Verband,

Germany’s masterbatch

industry association, elected a

new board at its general

meeting in Frankfurt on 23

November. Erhard Naumann of

Lehmann & Voss was re-elect-

ed chairman, and he is joined

on the board by Dr Martin

Fabian of Lifocolor and Bernd

Schäfer of Deifel.

The association is part of

the broader pigments

organisation, Verband der

Mineralfarbenindustrie (VdMi).

It has 19 member companies

and says that it represents the

chemicals legislation, in

particular regarding the

classification of pigments and

inconsistencies in information.

❙ www.masterbatchverband.de

selection: “Our aim was to

invest in two flexible, easy-to-

use masterbatch machines

FBW has added two Coperion STS 35 extruders

to increase masterbatch production

leading masterbatch makers in

Germany.

At its general meeting it

discussed its members’

concerns about REACH

Masterbatch Verband’s new board (left to right): Erhard

Naumann, Dr Martin Fabian and Bernd Schäfer

Pantone picks Emerald as the colour of 2013Pantone has named Emerald as its “colour of the year” for 2013.

It describes the colour – Pantone 17-1463 – as a “lively, radiant,

lush green”. The company, which is a division of X-Rite and

provides professional colour standards and forecasts, says that

green is the colour of growth, renewal and prosperity. It adds that

the prevalence of green has been steadily rising for several

seasons, especially in the fashion and couture markets.

❙ www.pantone.com

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news

BASF starts up additive blends plant in Bahrain

the Middle East, while at the

same time setting standards

with regard to quality, safety

and employee training.”

❙ www.basf.com

BASF Plastic Additives has

begun production of customer

specific antioxidant blends

(CSB) at its new plant in

Bahrain. It says that it is the

largest facility of its kind

worldwide.

The new plant, which uses

proprietary CSB technology,

will provide local supply and

services to the fast growing

polymer market in the Middle

East. Its production is in

addition to BASF’s existing

CSB manufacturing agreement

with Astra Polymer in Saudi

Arabia, which was extended

earlier this year.

Speaking at the plant’s

opening ceremony, executive

board member Michael Heinz

said: “BASF’s investment in

this new site demonstrates our

steadfast commitment to

support growing industries in

Foster, the US-headquar-

tered compounder special-

ising in medical and drug

delivery applications, is

establishing an office in

Belgaum, India to offer

technical service and

product development

support to customers in

Asia. The office will be

headed up by Amar

Nilajkar, who has a degree

in polymer engineering

from the University of

Massachusetts at Lowell,

and has been with the

company for 10 years.

According to Foster, the

increase in catheter device

manufacturing in the Asia

Pacific region has resulted

in sales growth of nearly

300% for the company’s

medical polymer com-

pounds. In addition, the

pharmaceutical industry in

India has shown a strong

interest in Foster’s

expertise in blending active

pharmaceutical ingredients.

❙ www.fostercomp.com

Foster to expandin Asia

APS Compounding exceeds production goalsAPS Compounding, which started up in Romulus, Michigan, USA

just over a year ago, has produced its first 500,000 lbs (230

tonnes) of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds.

The company’s principal, Stephane Morin said: “We actually

exceeded our goal to reach the half million pound mark in the

first year”.

APS Compounding was established by the polymer distributor

Alliance Polymer & Services in 2011 and it operates two twin-

screw compounding lines. The parent company distributes BASF

Elastollen TPUs and Polymax Maxelast SBC-based TPEs and it

wanted to add the ability to tailor custom grades.

❙ www.apscompounding.com

Evonik has announced plans to

enter the phthalate-free and

bio-based plasticizer market,

and it is building a new 40,000

tonnes/year production facility

at the Marl Chemical Park in

Germany.

Michael Heinz (far left) is joined by BASF colleagues and Bahrain

officials at the opening ceremony for the CSB plant

The plant will produce the

phthalate-free plasticizer

1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic

acid diisononyl ester, a

chemistry which is already

produced and sold by BASF

under the Hexamoll DINCH

tradename. Start-up of the

new facility is scheduled for

the second half of 2013 and the

company says it will be

followed by the launch of

bio-based plasticizers.

❙ www.evonik.com

Evonik goes phthalate-free

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news

Luxus has installed a new

compounding line for research

and development projects at its

plant in Louth, Lincolnshire, UK.

The line includes a Coperion

STS twin-screw extruder, a

Brabender loss-in-weight

feeding system and an

Automatik strand pelletizer.

Luxus produces thermo-

plastic compounds based on

prime and recycled feedstocks

at the site, which currently has

a production capacity of 30,000

tonnes/year. Target markets

include the automotive, retail

logistics, wheelie bin and

construction sectors.

The new development line

is part of the company’s new

technical centre which is

scheduled to be fully opera-

tional in February 2013. It will

be used to develop new

formulations and optimise

existing grades based on PC,

ABS, PC/ABS, PA, PP and PE.

In addition, it will assist with

the recycling of increasingly

complex waste streams to

produce useable compounds.

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Terry Burton, technical

Manager at Luxus, said: “Our

specialist interior automotive

business in particular will

benefit from the new line. Client

samples will be processed on

the machine and then increased

to full-scale production in just a

single rapid step”.

Speaking about the

selection of the Coperion

extruder, Burton added: “We

were impressed with the

overall quality of the machine,

its flexibility and the support

that’s offered”.

Luxus has also recently

taken delivery of 12 new 80 m3

silos at its Louth facility,

boosting storage capacity from

125 tonnes to 700 tonnes.

❙ www.luxus.co.uk

Luxus expands capabilities

Above: Luxus has installed 12 new silos to increase storage

capacity at its Louth plant. Below: Luxus will use its new line to

develop formulations based on recycled and prime resins


High-temperature compounding | processing feature

The growing use of high-performance polymers presents many challenges to

compounders as processing temperatures soar to 400˚C and

beyond. Jennifer Markarian reports

There is growing interest in very high performance

plastics, typically for the replacement of metals in ever

more challenging applications. Polymers such as

polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI) and

polysulphone (PSU) are being specifi ed in critical

components to withstand extreme conditions in the

electronics, medical, automotive and chemical process-

ing sectors, for example.

Incorporating the required reinforcements, additives

and colorants into these high-temperature polymers

presents signifi cant challenges to compounders.

High-temperature compounding is more demanding in

every aspect. It has implications for the extruder design

and its materials of construction, as well as requiring

tighter process control, more precise pelletizing, careful

compound formulating, and a rigorous approach to

cleaning and maintenance.

Equipment designThe basic challenge of compounding polymers with very

high melting points, such as those listed in Table 1, is

getting the extra heat into the polymer to melt and mix

it, and subsequently removing the heat to cool and

pelletize the material.

Techniques to meet these challenges include using

high-wattage heaters, improved insulation, effi cient

cooling systems, and designs with good heat transfer. In

addition, temperature sensors must be designed to

measure high-temperature ranges.

Standard grades of PEEK, for example, require a

minimum processing temperature of about 400°C

(750°F), notes Richard Leibfried, market development

manager for Victrex Polymer Solutions. The company’s

higher-temperature versions of PEEK (HT and ST

grades) require a minimum capacity of 430°C (800°F).

Leibfried recommends ceramic heating bands and notes

that the insulation of bare metal helps dramatically.

Twin-screw extruders are generally used, and longer

length/diameter (L/D) ratios are typically employed to

enable adequate melting and mixing. Longer extruder

Table 1 - Typical melting points of high-performance polymersResin Amorphous resin Crystalline resin glass transition temp (°C) melting point (°C)

Polysulphone (PSU) 190 -

Polyetherimide (PEI) 215 -

Polyethersulphone (PES) 220 -

Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) - 285

High-temperature nylon (HTN) or polyphthalamide (PPA) - 300-330 (depending on grade)

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) - 345

Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) - 325-400 (depending on grade)

Source: Solvay Specialty Polymers

Compounding heats up


processing feature | High-temperature compounding

lengths also allow more flexibility in downstream

feeding and venting zones. Screws and dies must be

designed to minimize dead-space, because any material

caught in a dead-spot will quickly degrade.

Materials of construction should also be considered.

If a process is run hotter than the tempering tempera-

ture of the metal, the metal could lose hardness, which

could result in premature wear, comments Craig

Benjamin, design engineer at Entek Extruders. The

process used to heat-treat or temper the metal must be

changed in order to adjust the temperature at which the

metal maintains hardness. Corrosion can also be

amplified at higher temperatures, and the corrosion-

resistance of extruder materials should be considered,

adds Benjamin.

KraussMaffei Berstorff makes twin-screw extruders

with heat-treated steel designed for processing up to

420°C (790°F), or with a special design that allows

processing up to 450°C (840°F). Barrel elements with a

special heating and cooling system provide direct and

intensive heat transfer or cooling, notes Dr Thomas

Winkelmann, head of the processing department for

twin-screw extruders at the company.

The extruder’s barrel housings are designed to

increase the heating performance in the barrel section

by using more heating cartridges and by reducing the

distance to the processing chamber. This barrel design

can deliver up to 50% more heating power compared to

the standard version, which ensures that the required

processing temperatures are reached quickly, reliably

maintained and exactly controlled, says Winkelmann.

In addition, the barrel sections and strand die heads

have insulating plates to limit heat losses and decrease

heating energy consumption. The optimized layout of

the cooling bores provides high-efficiency, counter-flow

cooling with standard injection of water. Using a strand

pelletizing system requires high-power heating of the

Entek says that

materials used

in extruder

parts need to

meet the high

temperature

requirements

KraussMaffei

Berstorff has

developed

barrel hous-

ings that

significantly

increase

heating

capacity

die head and sometimes additional heating of the die

plate to achieve a common temperature distribution and

permit stable material flow out of the die. In addition,

screw designs are chosen to add thermal energy by

optimizing shear stress without degradation.

Because processing windows are typically narrower

with higher-temperature processing, there is a finer

line between melting and degradation. Screw designs

are thus targeted for different materials and different

grades to balance shear and dispersion for that

formulation. “Operators must be aware that different

grades are set up differently,” notes Glenn Desio,

technology manager for crystalline polymers at Solvay

Specialty Polymers.

Additives used in high-temperature formulations

must be chosen to withstand the higher processing

temperatures. Matching colours can be challenging,

notes Desio, because the colours must be both stable

during compounding and the right colour match at room

temperature and the application’s use temperature.

Colorants are generally limited to inorganic pigments,

adds Leibfried. There are few restrictions, however, on

inorganic fillers and fibres, and a wide range, including

nano-fibres, are used. Kevlar and other aramid fibres

can be temperature sensitive, so care must be taken

when using these, says Leibfried.

Pelletizing high-temperature polymers presents

challenges as well, plus extra care must be taken

because customers expect high pellet quality from

these high-value materials.

Strand pelletizers have been the traditional choice

for high-temperature resins. However, they typically

need more space for such applications because they

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require a longer distance to cool down from a high

temperature. Cooling with a spray mist and an air belt

is an alternative to a water bath that has been found to

work well in Entek’s processing lab, notes Dean Elliott,

laboratory manager at Entek Extruders.

Trained maintenance personnel are important

because thermal expansion during processing changes

the gaps in the pelletizer, notes Desio. There is a narrow

window of optimal temperature, knife-blade speed, and

roll pressure needed to make good pellets, he adds.

While strand systems are widely used, die-face

pelletizers can now also be used due to technology

advances in die-plate design, and suppliers note an

increased interest in underwater, die-face systems for

processing high-performance resins.

Pelletizing high-temperature resins using underwa-

ter, die-face pelletizers requires specially designed

systems, says Ralf Simon, managing director at BKG, a

supplier of underwater pelletizer systems. The

die-plate must be designed to minimize heat loss and

maintain a good temperature distribution in the plate,

and must be made of steel designed for higher

temperature use. Insulation can be used to keep heat in

the die, which prevents die freezing.

In addition to die-plate design, the entire pelletizer

and screen-changer assembly must be designed to

operate at higher temperatures using insulation,

specially designed hydraulic cylinders, and cooling for

some parts.

Mark Tate, technical manager for underwater

pelletizer supplier Gala Industries, says that the

company’s Heat Flux Die Plate technology combines

surface-insulation methods and manufacturing

techniques to reduce or eliminate die-hole freezing, and

can therefore be used to pelletize high-temperature

polymers.

He notes that another possible concern when using

underwater pelletizing for high-temperature com-

pounds is the resulting hot process water; Gala uses

double-insulated tanks to ensure operator safety.

Today’s systems from Gala come standard with coil

heaters, which are more energy effi cient than earlier

cartridge-heater technology and have improved conduc-

tivity of heat into the die. “We have seen 30-60%

reduction in energy use, which is particularly a benefi t

when running higher temperatures,” says Tate.

This BKG

underwater

pelletizer has

an insulated

closed water

system to

handle high-

temperatures

BKG demonstrates the improved temperature distribution of a die with thermal insulation (right) compared to one without (left)

�

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He adds that another technology that is

beneficial for high-temperature

processing is a mechanical seal to

prevent water from entering the

pelletizer motor. Compared to radial

shaft or lip seals, mechanical seals

require less periodic maintenance

and better endure faster speeds and

higher temperatures, says Tate.

While everyone wants to minimize

downtime, it is particularly important to

reduce the polymer wasted during downtime

when running expensive engineering resins, comments

Tate. He claims that Gala’s EAC (Electronically Ad-

vanced Cutter) technology increases uptime and

reduces blade and die-face wear. The system incorpo-

rates automated blade advance, periodic blade

sharpening, and blade monitoring.

Underwater pelletizers have an advantage for

high-temperature resins with low viscosities that can

cause problems when trying to draw a strand. “The

temperature difference from the molten material to the

cooling water, which is at 80-90°C in these applications,

creates a skin around the molten material, and

low-viscosity materials are then easy to cut,” notes

BKG’s Simon.

Underwater pelletizers are closed systems, which

can be an advantage compared to open, strand systems

for some materials in which evaporation of volatile

components may be an environmental risk. Underwater

systems also offer the general benefits of throughput,

automation, and a smaller footprint.

Underwater systems are broadly used with polyam-

ides, and are increasingly used with PEEK, PPS, and

PSU, for example. Some grades of LCP have been run

successfully in small-scale and larger commercial

systems, but other grades of LCP remain a challenge,

note suppliers.

Preventive maintenance is crucial for high-tempera-

ture processing because there is less tolerance in all

aspects of the process. Because the cycle from room

temperature to processing temperature is more

extreme, expansion and contraction of metal parts is

also more significant, and regular maintenance should

be done at shorter intervals.

This maintenance should include tightening barrel

bolts, checking alignment, and checking that elements

on the screw shaft are tight, says Entek’s Benjamin. If

gaps develop between the screw elements, polymer

could leak through onto the shaft, which would make

pulling the screw more difficult. “These are all mainte-

nance items that processors should normally do, but

they may need to be done more frequently,” he

recommends.

Cleaning is also important. While

standard, commercial purge

compounds may not work well in

high-temperature processes, a few

high-temperature purge com-

pounds are available. For example,

Sun Plastech’s Asaclean purging

compound comes in high-tempera-

ture grades. Asaclean SX is designed

to clean in the temperature range of

300-390°C (570-735°F). Asaclean PX is

designed to clean at temperatures up to 420°C (788°F)

with low levels of smoke and processing odour. Some

use neat resin as a purging compound between

different grades of that resin.

When making extreme colour changes, the most

effective technique is still to pull the screw and clean it,

says Solvay’s Desio. With PEEK in particular, adds

Berstorff’s Winkelmann, mechanical cleaning of screws

and barrel borings is necessary.

It takes special training and care to clean and

operate a high-temperature processing line. Not only is

it hot, but there can be a fire risk because processing

can be close to the auto-ignition temperature of

materials. Operators must be comfortable working with

high-temperature equipment and must take appropri-

ate precautions. Training and documentation of

procedures are critical.

Click on the links for more information:

❙ www.asaclean.com ❙ www.bkg.de❙ www.entekextruders.com ❙ www.gala-industries.com ❙ www.kraussmaffei.com ❙ www.solvayspecialtypolymers.com ❙ www.victrex.com

Above: Gala

says that

mechanical

seals require

less mainte-

nance and

endure faster

speeds and

higher

temperatures

Right: Gala’s

Heat Flux Die

Plate is

designed to

reduce or

eliminate

die-hole

freezing

www.kraussmaffei.com

Compounding lines are system solutions of conventional or modular design, strictly tailored to customer requirements.

As your prime contractor and system partner, KraussMaffei Berstorff optimizes the entire production process and offers pro fessional assistance in all project phases. We integrate special solutions into an existing infrastructure and provide pre-assembled modular lines with all accessories that perfectly complement your KraussMaffei Berstorff twin-screw extruders.

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Substantial gain in productivityCompounding lines

Compoundier_A4_engl.indd 1 12.04.12 15:19


Flame retardants | additives feature

Pat Toensmeier speaks with resin producers and additives suppliers to fi nd out the latest trends and technical

developments in fl ame retardantsfor polyamide compounds

Invista supplies

an FR grade of

Torzen PA 66

for this Peugeot

508 relay and

fuse box

Densely packed

circuit boards

that use

high-heat

lead-free

soldering

demand

upgraded FRs

Polyamides are widely used in high-volume markets

such as the automotive, electrical, electronics, appliance

and industrial sectors. Like all engineering thermoplas-

tics, polyamide (PA) formulations are continually

tweaked to enhance properties and performance for

changing applications and regulatory needs.

One critical formulation area for PA is fl ame-retard-

ant (FR) additives. Resin producers and compounders

are working with FR suppliers on a range of additive

chemistries to meet shifting fi re and toxicity require-

ments while minimizing trade-offs in performance and

cost. Almost all new FR grades are free of halogens and

bromines, which are effective and economical, but for

regulatory and environmental reasons are being phased

out of many applications.

In their place, additive suppliers and resin producers

are seeking alternative FRs that do not affect the

properties of PA formulations, including those that use

reinforced grades. Other considerations include FRs

that do not migrate during processing or use, have no

affect on part colour, and importantly, do not impede

processing or contribute to machine corrosion from

release of by-products.

Melamine compounds, alkylphosphinates, phosphorus

derivatives and metal hydroxide are among the leading

materials that are being specifi ed in PA grades for fl ame

retardance, says Steve Hanley, product development

manager for engineering plastics at PA 6 producer BASF,

which also makes FRs. These chemistries are compliant

with international regulatory standards, yield low levels of

smoke and corrosion, have minimal effects on electrical

properties, maintain high-temperature stability and are

compatible with colours.

Many companies are also looking at innovative

co-fl ame retardant combinations, which along with the

use of synergists such as boehmites (an aluminium oxide

hydroxide), achieve properties at lower loadings. The chief

benefi t is that “fl ow is not as greatly affected” during

moulding, extrusion or compounding, explains Hanley.

Maintaining thermal stability in higher processing

temperatures and end-use environments also affects

FR chemistries. “There is a lot of work underway in

non-halogenated chemistries, mostly for fl ame

retardants based on phosphorous or nitrogen-contain-

ing materials,” says Richard Wenger, technical product

manager for the PA 6 business of DSM, which also

produces PA 46. “At elevated temperatures low-level

Picking fl ameretardants for

polyamides

PHOTO: A2MAC1 AUTOMOTIVE BENCHMARKING


additives feature | Flame retardants

breakdowns can occur that generate phosphoric acid

and other signatures. A lot of suppliers are working at

the molecular level or with additives to mitigate the

release of acidic by-products.”

Evaluating chemistriesIn interviews, resin and additive producers discussed

materials that are gaining ground in FRs. Vikram Gopal,

technology and product marketing director at PA 66

resin and compounds producer Invista, focused on four.

Melamine cyanurate, versions of which contain

nitrogen, is good where requirements include a UL94

V-0 rating, comparative tracking index (CTI) above 500

volts, and coloured parts. Melamine cyanurate, Gopal

says, produces “intumescent and runaway effects” that

remove fuel from a fire. The material, which is also

economical, is generally limited to unreinforced resins.

Aluminium diethylphosphinate, a metal phosphinate

used with synergists, is similar in performance to

melamine cyanurate but uses solid-phase charring,

which minimizes fuel supply, for flame retardance.

Gopal notes, however, that the chemistry increases

corrosion in processing equipment and lowers mechan-

ical properties compared with retardants such as red

phosphorous and brominated polystyrene.

Red phosphorous FRs meet UL94 V-0 standards and

CTI is in the range of 450-550 volts. The material uses

charring and gas-phase scavenging (oxygen limitation).

Red phosphorous is limited to black parts due to its

colour incompatibility, is difficult to process as a result

of corrosiveness, and poses a safety risk from phos-

phine emissions in processing.

While brominated materials are no longer specified

in certain applications, they remain viable in parts

where they can still be used. Gopal says that FRs based

on brominated polystyrene and synergists are especially

effective. The chemistry uses gas-phase radical

scavenging to minimize oxygen and reduces the

intensity of exothermic reactions. Trade-offs include a

low CTI, high specific gravity, high smoke density and,

not surprisingly, corrosive smoke.

Other chemistries include three cited by BASF:

melamine polyphosphate, which contains nitrogen;

nitrogen/phosphorous compounds; and magnesium

hydroxide.

Martin Klatt, head of plastic safety and regulatory

affairs at BASF, discussed these at AMI’s Fire Retard-

ants in Plastics conference in Denver, CO, USA, last

summer. He indicated that like any additive, selection of

FRs involves trade-offs. Magnesium hydroxide, for

example, has high thermal stability, good electrical

properties, low smoke density and colour neutrality in

parts. But it requires relatively high loadings, is high in

density and affects mechanical properties.

Some chemistries work better in PA 66 than in PA 6,

owing in part to the inherent flame-retardant properties

of the former. Nitrogen/phosphorous compounds, which

BASF supplies in 25% glass fibre-reinforced grades of

its Ultramid PA 66, provide good toughness and

electrical properties, and have no colour issues, Klatt

said, though trade-offs include high loadings and

processability issues.

Suppliers also tout innovative chemistries as FR

options. FRX Polymers developed phosphorous-based

polymeric formulations for PA 6. Maggie Baumann,

marketing adviser, says the material, called Nofia, uses

a catalyst and two monomers, bisphenol A and dimethyl

phenyl phosphinate, to form under heat and pressure a

homopolymer of polyphosphinate. The homopolymer is

combined with diphenyl carbonate and building blocks

to produce a polymeric FR.

Nofia is used at loadings of 10-20%, or as a copoly-

mer at loadings of 20-50%. “An end-user can replace a

copolymer with our material,” Baumann says.

Benefits include permanent flame retardance.

“Because it’s in polymeric form, there is no migration”

of component materials, she explains. Nofia grades are

processable – they have high melt flow and high melt

strength, and thus “can be extruded or injection

moulded without dramatically rebuilding a polymer.”

This micro

switch is

moulded using

BASF’s

Ultramid

A3U40G5 25%

glass-rein-

forced PA 66

Engine

components,

such as this

thermo-switch

control module

moulded using

Invista PA 66

for the Audi A7,

must resist

increasingly

high continu-

ous-use

temperatures

PH

OTO

: A2M

AC1

AU

TOM

OTI

Ve B

eNC

HM

AR

KIN

G

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Flame retardants | additives feature

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Importantly, the grades deliver a UL90 V-0 fire rating in

thin-wall parts. Since it is based on phosphorous, the

material generates low smoke. It is transparent, and

has no toxic by-products, Baumann adds.

Nyco, a producer of wollastonite mineral reinforce-

ments, is offering the material as a way of extending

properties of FRs. “I’m not sure if it would reduce the

need for a flame retardant, but could be feasible as a

partial substitute,” says Gary Phillips, vice president of

marketing and application development.

One reason is that wollastonite fibres have a high

melting point of 1,540°C. Phillips says that when the

fibres are silanated for resin compatibility, “a tight fibre/

resin matrix” develops, which extends FR properties

and increases structural strength. The company’s

Nyglos wollastonite fibres are acid scavengers that slow

polymer degradation in a fire. They can help achieve

UL94 V-0 ratings in some applications, he adds, and

meet UL94 V-1, 2 or 3 in others.

The fibres replace milled glass and 10-15% of

chopped glass in reinforced PA. When replacing milled

glass, they reportedly improve surface appearance in

parts. Three grades are available: Nyglos 12 is 195

microns long and 15 microns in diameter; Nyglos 8 is

156 microns long and 12 microns in diameter; and

Nyglos 4W is 63 microns long and 7 microns in diameter.

Targets include under-the-hood electrical connec-

tors. A high-temperature additive applied to the fibres

enhances thermal stability for such applications and

resists scorching during compounding. Nyco says that

the fibres recrystallize rapidly with chopped glass,

which improves cycle times.

One benefit apart from their properties is price – the

fibres are about one-third less expensive than most

conventional flame retardants, Phillips says.

A well-established technology for coupling agents

could be an option for increasing loadings of FR

additives without affecting processing. Kenrich

Petrochemicals offers the titanates and zirconates it

supplies as coupling agents for use with conventional

FRs, to increase their loading and performance.

According to Kenrich president Salvatore Monte, the

company’s Ken-React organometallic coupling agents

“proton coordinate to form 1.5-nanometer atomic

monolayers on the flame retardant/filler particulate/fibre

surface, as well as catalytically react with the polymer to

change morphology and flow.” As a result, the monolay-

ers “electrochemically deagglomerate the flame

When micro

circuit breakers

are moulded in

light colours it

restricts the

use of FR

additives to

colour-compat-

ible chemistries

Ph

OTO

: Rh

Od

IA



retardant, ridding the matrix of water and air voids and

creating a continuous phase”. This is said to dramatically

lower compound viscosity, thereby “reducing resin

demand for a given pigment-to-binder ratio.” The chief

benefi t, Monte notes, is that more fl ame retardant can be

added without sacrifi cing processability.

Monte states, for example, that “when 50% melamine

cyanurate is dispersed in mineral oil, the in-situ addition

of 0.7% Ken-React KR 238NF” reduced Brookfi eld

viscosity to 30,000 cps at 25°C from 1.6 million cps.

Impact of product trendsMarket trends infl uence additive formulations. Among

the most signifi cant are the downsizing and miniaturi-

zation of electrical and electronic devices. As parts

become smaller, thinner and more densely packed in

assemblies, FR additives must meet challenging fi re

and smoke requirements, as well as resist arcing and

short-term bursts of electromagnetic energy, maintain

dielectric strength, and withstand high continuous-use

temperatures and heat aging. Where higher-heat

lead-free soldering is used for regulatory reasons in

circuit boards and other applications, FR additives must

maintain properties without decomposing.

“Like everything else in the electronics industry,

form factor is becoming smaller,” says LeeAnn

Dombrowski, electrical and electronics market segment

manager at BASF. “As a result, FR additives have to be

even more effective than before, as fl ame resistance

has to perform the same but with thinner cross

sections. Materials for connectors in the appliance

segment are now looking at glow wire certifi cations at

0.4 mm thickness versus 0.75 mm previously.”

This is the new normal for many electrical and

electronic parts, affi rms James Mitchell, global

business director for the fi re resistance business unit of

Rhodia, a resin producer (mostly PA 66) and compound-

er that is part of the Solvay Group. Mitchell highlights

the diffi culty of working with a wall thickness of 0.4 mm

by saying that such a material is virtually fi lm.

There is also the ongoing issue of reducing cycle

times, which raises performance questions. “Faster

cycle times demand faster crystallization capability [in

polyamide] while maintaining good dimensional

tolerance,” remarks Invista’s Gopal. FR additives must

be tailored for these changes as well.

Many of these challenges impact other applications.

In automotive, greater under-the-hood use of engineer-

ing PAs and higher underhood temperatures generated

by small, fuel-effi cient engines raise performance

requirements of FRs. Similarly, the use of PA in

high-voltage components of electric and hybrid

vehicles, such as batteries, power electronics and other

types of electric vehicle specialty equipment (EVSE),

raises heat, mechanical and other performance

requirements for additives.

BASF’s Dombrowski says that while automotive

components have typically been rated at UL94 HB, “we

will continue to see more applications requiring UL94

V-2 or V-0 fl ammability ratings due to the introduction

of high-voltage components.” Additional concerns

include the interaction of FR additives with UV stabiliz-

ers, since EVSE components such as vehicle chargers

have signifi cant outdoor exposure.

The green infl uenceEnvironmental considerations play an ongoing role in

FR chemistry, as OEMs continue to move away from

halogens in formulations. Specifying a fl ame retardant

chemistry for PA is sometimes helped by the inherent

properties of the polymer. PA 66 has inherent UL94 V-2

performance, and is generally credited with outstanding

tensile strength at elevated temperature and good

processability, both of which aid in fi nding compatible

FRs and facilitating product development. Some resin

producers are tweaking PA 6 formulations to improve

mechanical properties such as modulus, bringing the

stiffness of grades near that of PA 66, which also

broadens additive selection.

Importantly, regulation of FR additives is becoming a

global standard. OEMs and other manufacturers don’t

need to worry about complying with different regulatory

rules when specifying FRs. “Flame retardants is the

only fully global business in engineering polymers,”

says Rhodia’s Mitchell. “The regulatory standards in

China are as high as in Europe and elsewhere. A lot of

what’s produced in one country is shipped around the

world. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when it

A nitrogen/phosphorous FR compound

was specifi ed for this UL94 V-0

generator cover moulded

by Bosch using PA 66

from BASF

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comes to flame retardant additive use in products.”

“Green is reality,” Mitchell adds, noting that

European initiatives such as RoHS (restrictions on

hazardous substances) and other standards are

enforced in much of the world.

One coming trend will be development of FR

additives for recycled PA resins. Mitchell and others

report that customers are asking about reclaim as a

matter of sustainability, and Rhodia and other resin

producers say they are working with formulations that

incorporate some recycled PA. But there are challeng-

es. One is getting FRs certified for use with recyclate;

another is assuring the integrity of reclaimed resins.

“We can source recycled materials,” Mitchell remarks,

“but contaminants and UL certification are problems.”

Suppliers are commercializing FRs that meet

demands for improved performance, stability and

processability. Following are representative examples,

all non-halogenated.

Rhodia is working on polymer technologies that

significantly reduce FR loadings to enhance processing

and mechanical performance of PAs. One example is

the new Technyl alloy AT20 V25, based on red phospho-

rus, which substantially reduces FR concentration while

helping to improve FR properties and processability.

Work is also underway to reduce moisture uptake and

increase the dimensional stability of FRs. These proper-

ties are important in thin-wall electrical parts used in

humid environments. An example is the new Technyl

XA1426, which is extending PA use by reducing moisture

uptake 40% in a 30% glass-reinforced UL94 V-0 grade.

BASF recently added Ultramid A3U40 G5, a 25%

glass-filled PA 66, which achieves a V-0 rating at 0.4

mm wall thickness and is glow wire-certified. Devel-

oped for household appliances, connectors, low-voltage

switchgear and railway applications, it has high flow,

can be fabricated in complex shapes, and exhibits low

smoke toxicity and density.

Also new is Ultramid B3U30G6, a 30% glass-filled PA

6 for similar applications and miniature circuit break-

ers, which are popular in Europe. It has high modulus

(similar to PA 66), is compatible with light colours, and

achieves UL94 V-2 at 0.8 mm.

Invista formally launched an FR portfolio in October

at Fakuma in Germany. Based on its proprietary Torzen

Marathon process technology, the materials reportedly

provide 30°C higher continuous-use temperature than

conventional PA 66 resins and 40-50% greater flow.

DSM recently launched Stanyl grades SC50 and

MC50. Target markets include integrated and miniature

electronics. Both are glass-reinforced. Grade SC50 has

a UL94 V-0 rating, and MC50 is UL94 V-2. The materials

have high-flow properties, thin-wall strength, and meet

glow wire ignition temperature requirements.

On the additives front, Clariant has been investing to

meet the fast growing demand for its Exolit OP non-

halogenated organo-phosphorous flame retardants

which are used in PA formulations. In October, the

company opened a second production line for the additive

at its plant at Hürth-Knapsack near Cologne in Germany.

The new line doubles the site’s total capacity for FRs

based on DEPAL (diethyl phosphinic acid aluminium

salt). The company says that the expansion was driven by

Clariant has

doubled Exolit

FR capacity at

its Hürth-

Knapsack plant

to meet

burgeoning

demand for

non-halogenat-

ed products


the growing demand for halogen-free fl ame retardants in

the electronics and electrical engineering market.

“The environmental and safety awareness of our

customers has increased considerably, resulting in

growing demand for our non-halogenated fl ame

retardants,” says Michael Grosskopf, head of Clariant’s

additives business unit. “Key customers are indicating

that their requirements will see further strong increas-

es in the years ahead.”

Applications for Exolit OP include switches, plugs,

PC fans, and structural and housing components.

Smartphones, washing machines and airplane parts are

among the wide range of products that contain the

product.

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Lab compounders | machinery feature

Mikell Knights reviews the latest developments inlab-scale extruders and kneaders for carrying out research work, formulation development, customer trialsand small-scale production

Laboratory compounders continue to proliferate, from

bench-top models with outputs measured in grams of

material through to stand-alone units that can be used

for small production runs.

Machinery makers are responding to demands for

quicker machine changeovers and wider processing

fl exibility. In addition, they are developing lab machines

that are capable of handling sensitive bio-based resins,

higher additive loadings, or very expensive medical or

pharmaceutical grade materials.

Over the following eight pages, we review the latest

lab compounder developments from B&P, Brabender,

Buss, Coperion, Entek, Feddem, KraussMaffei Berstorff,

Leistritz, Randcastle, Steer and Thermo Fisher.

B&P Process Equipment has upgraded the controls

of its TriVolution-60 Tri-Kneader pilot demonstration

line located at its technology centre. The 30 mm

laboratory scale Tri-Kneader has also been commer-

cialized and B&P now offers the model in three output

versions.

The line is designed to process 80% of jobs typically

run on a twin-screw extruder, and all of the formula-

tions that can be handled by traditional reciprocating

co-kneaders. It now features new PLC controls, new

wiring and a new touch-screen interface all mounted

integral to the machine base making a completely

self-contained system, says Michael Lazorchak, global

product manager for mixing systems at B&P.

The model, which features a 30 mm extruder with

reciprocating kneader technology, is now offered in a

light-duty version with 300 screw rpm and able to

process 3-15 kg/h of HFFR (halogen-free, fl ame-retard-

ant compounds); a standard 450 rpm version handles

5-30 kg/h; and a heavy duty 600 rpm version is designed

for 10-50 kg/h. The three versions are being offered on

every model in the line, allowing for systems to be

cost-effective and yet custom-engineered to the

process.

B&P is planning to build its fi rst TriVolution 30

Tri-Kneader for a customer, and will build a second unit

for its technology centre as a demonstration model. The

company is also planning to create a bench-top

TriVolution Tri-Kneader.

The Tri-Kneader provides three axial oscillations of

the shaft for each revolution, instead of the single

stroke per revolution used in traditional kneaders. It

Small machines for big ideas


machinery feature | Lab compounders

features a single screw with its mixing flights interact-

ing with stationary pins on the barrel wall to provide the

required mixing interface. In traditional designs, there

are three or four flights providing mixing interfaces

each time the screw rotates. B&P says that the

Tri-Kneader can have a maximum of 12 flights interfac-

ing six times to provide up to 72 pin/flight interfaces in a

single revolution, thus improving mixing levels.

Lazorchak presented a paper at AMI’s ‘Minerals in

Compounding’ conference last month in Atlanta, GA,

USA, that illustrated the TriVolution Tri-Kneader’s

ability to compound mineral formulations with greater

efficiency and control, as well as handling loadings

greater than 60%.

❙ www.bpprocess.com

Brabender now offers removable barrel liners for its

TSE lab-scale twin-screw extruders. This development

brings much shorter machine downtime and changeo-

ver times, says Kevin Van Allen, vice president sales

and marketing for the company’s US chemical division.

The barrel liner, now available for its TSE 20/40 lab

compounder, reduces changeover time from two hours

to about 15 minutes. Screw swap out takes about 15

minutes, Van Allen says, adding; “Processors

running colour concentrates will find it tremen-

dously shortens downtime.”

The TSE 20/40 is a

stand-alone co-rotating

unit with a segmented screw

and clamshell barrel. The

standard design is a 20 mm

diameter screw and 40:1 L/D.

Users that require shorter

barrel and screw lengths can

sheath the first 10D of the

screw with a special blank

sleeve. The material feed device

is attached on a downstream

port on the barrel and the

screw configuration adjusted accordingly.

This method can be used to change the unit to 30:1

or 20:1 L/D. Metering or venting ports are located at

10D, 20D and 30D, with side feeding capability at 12D

and 22D.

The TSE 20/40 is offered with a 7.5 hp motor and 600

rpm screw speed, or with a 16 hp, 1,200 rpm drive. The

latter is said to process throughputs from as little at

250 g/h up to 20 kg/h depending on material.

Brabender is also developing a lower-cost bench-top

version of its KETSE 12/36 twin-screw mini-compound-

er, slated for release during the second quarter of 2013.

The standalone KETSE 12/36 features a 12 mm

diameter screw with 36D processing length and a 3.2

hp, 600 rpm drive. Van Allen says this unit has an

updated control system that is more user-friendly and

allows for better tracking of motor load. A removable

barrel liner is also an option.

❙ www.brabender.com

Buss has been busy this year introducing its latest MX

30 four-flight laboratory kneader at trade shows around

the world, including Wire in Germany, NPE in the USA,

Chinaplas in China and Plast in Italy. The company

reports high levels of interest from compounders and

took orders for its first production series.

Featuring a 30 mm diameter screw, the MX 30 is the

smallest machine in the MX range and according to

Buss is the first laboratory kneader to feature four

flight technology. It has a maximum screw speed of 800

rpm and is rated for outputs of 5 to 25 kg/h. The

maximum processing temperature is 280oC.

Like the larger machines of the MX Series, the MX 30

is particularly suitable for the compounding of heat-

and shear-sensitive polymers and for the production of

compounds with high loadings of reinforcing

materials and other fillers. It is equipped with

a discharge extruder, a pelletizer and a

user-friendly control system,

offering the same process

versatility as larger models in

the MX Series.

Buss says that processing

parameters obtained with the MX

30 can be reliably scaled-up and

applied to larger MX kneaders

because of the lab machine’s high

conveying stability and linear

output-to-speed ratio. In addition

to being used as a laboratory

extruder for formulation and

product development, the MX

30 is also suitable for custom-

B&P’s Tri-

Kneader

provides three

axial oscilla-

tions of the

shaft for each

revolution,

instead of the

single stroke

used in

traditional

kneaders

Brabender is

adding

removable

barrel liners

for its TSE

lab-scale

extruders to

speed up

changeovers



er trials and for small-scale production of a wide range

of compounds.

❙ www.busscorp.com

Coperion says its ZSK Megalab line is aimed at users

looking for quick changeovers and production-machine

features in a unit that works mostly in a laboratory. Its

newest model, the ZSK Megalab 18, joins the existing

26 mm and 32 mm models in the line.

The ZSK 18 Megalab is developed especially for

processing small batch sizes while offering features

similar to production units for scalability. It features 18

mm parallel co-rotating intermeshing screws with a

1.55 OD/ID screw ratio. The screw geometry

features feeding, mixing and kneading elements

similar to those used on full-scale

production models.

Each barrel and screw

section is 4D. The barrel has

an improved heating and water

cooling system for temperature

control to +/- 1oC. Coperion offers

the Megalab models with a standard

length of 40D standard, with

options to extend the unit up to

60D. A quick-release design

with two retaining bolts allows

for easy removal of the screws

and die-head.

The compact unit is supplied

on a mobile base frame which

incorporates all the major compo-

nents. “Plug and play” features help to make installa-

tion and start-up swift, says the company.

The ZSK 18 can process batches as small as 200 g

up to throughput rates of 40 kg/hr. “It has a specific

torque of 11.3, and with its screw diameter, could be

used as a pilot production unit when you have a very

specialized product program,” says Bernd

Ormanns, business segment manager, engineering

plastics.

He adds that the ZSK 26, 32 and 34 (a high volume

version of the 32) provide enough throughput to be used

as pilot lines if a processor has a production line facing

a difficulty. Users can achieve throughput rates up to

140 kg/h depending on the formulation.

Coperion also offers a special GMP version of the

ZSK 18 Megalab for pharmacutical compounding

applications. It is completely clad in stainless steel and

is equipped with leak-proof cooling water couplings.

❙ www.coperion.com

Entek says that its entry into twin-screw extruders for

laboratory tasks, the E 27 Max, allows users to test out

recipes and determine if they can actually process a

formula. “Compounders are willing to try out more

expensive materials and new, complex formulations

because they feel the smaller machines deliver more

reliable results,” says Dean Elliott, Entek’s laboratory

manager.

“Processors are pushing the envelope regarding how

much pigment, or how much additive can be used, and

they are using small volumes of more expensive

materials for medical, military, and pharmaceutical appli-

cations,” Elliott adds. “If they can produce a stable

formula it will transfer to a larger production machine.”

Customers are also using Entek’s lab compounders to

investigate biomaterials and soluble polymers, says John

Effmann, the company’s director of sales and marketing.

The E 27 Max is the smallest model in Entek’s

six-model E Max line. The unit features a 27 mm

diameter screw with 1.47 OD/ID ratio, and a choice of

three motors and three screw speeds: 15 hp for 400

rpm; 20 hp for 600 rpm; and 40 hp for

1200 rpm.

The parallel, co-rotating

intermeshing twin-screw unit is

designed with a segmented barrel,

with each barrel segment 4D in

length. The unit is offered in lengths

from 28D -52D. It can compound PE

pellets with colour, additives and fillers

at a rate from 20-45 kg/h with a standard

20 hp, 600 rpm drive.

Entek is developing new feed elements

Coperion’s ZSK

18 Megalab is

supplied on a

mobile base

frame,

incorporating

all the major

components

Buss’s new MX 30 has been

generating interest

at exhibitions

during 2012

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POLYMERS FOR ELECTRICITY AND ELECTRONICS: MATERIALS, PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS

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Lab compounders | machinery feature

and new mixing elements that will better handle low

bulk density materials. Elliott says the new kneading

block mixing element, called the Ultimate Kneader, will

improve dispersion while lowering energy consumption.

❙ www.entek-mfg.com

Feddem extended its Multi-Task Standard (MTS) series

of intermeshing, co-rotating twin-screw compounders

with the launch of its smallest model at this year’s

Fakuma show in Germany.

The FED 26 MTS unit is designed for lab-scale to

pilot production, and shares many design features with

the four larger units in the series. The new unit has a

26.6 mm screw diameter with a 1.55 OD/ID ratio and

typical barrel lengths of 32, 42 or 52D. The extruder can

achieve processing temperatures up to 400oC, and has

drive power of 28 KW and screw speeds up to 1200 rpm.

The unit can be used for small batch processing for

material development, processing just 1 to 3 kg of

material if required. Throughput rates range from 10 up

to 150 kg/h, depending on the material

formulation. For example, Feddem

says that the 26 MTS can process 50%

glass-filled PA 66 at rates of 100 kg/h,

45% glass-filled PET at 90 kg/h, and

POM at 80 kg/h.

The company highlights the

versatility of the MTS line and its

ability to process a wide range of

formulations without changing the

screw configuration. “This is a

primary philosophy of the company, that a processor

can handle a wide variety of different compound grades

and recipes with one screw design, without having to

open the machine or change the screw,” says Dieter

Gross, Feddem’s managing director.

“With this machine we have focused on the typical

masterbatch producer or compounder with a wide

product portfolio that processes two or three formula-

tions on a machine every day and

requires changeover times as

short as possible,” he adds.

Feddem offers a multi-

tasking screw design for a

wide variety of different

technical compounds, and

a different multi-tasking

screw design for a wide

variety of different

masterbatches.

The MTS line employs

specially designed melting

and mixing elements on its

Entek’s E 27

Max is being

used to develop

high-cost

resins and

bioplastics

Feddem has

entered the

lab-scale

market with

the FED 26

MTS machine



standard screw that eliminate the requirement for a

kneading block. The allows for processing of a wide

variety of materials with one screw design.

Compared to a classic kneading block based

configuration, there is much less shear with Feddem’s

screw design and more mixing is used to heat up the

material. “We use more heating energy than shear

energy; there are more mixing elements in a given L/D

versus a conventional twin-screw compounder,”

explains Gross. He claims that the combination of

lower shear and extended mixing zones delivers a

better resultant mix, and can also help to retain

longer glass fibre lengths in reinforced compounds.

According to Gross, “more than 90% of the

formulations and recipes developed for compound

extrusion can be processed without kneading blocks,

and that includes masterbatch production from a

premix.” He concedes that some recipes, such as

calcium carbonate filled PP or PE, require kneading

blocks and Feddem does supply equipment for such

applications.

❙ www.feddem.com

KraussMaffei Berstorff recently launched a new

counter-rotating twin-screw lab extruder for proces-

sors looking to reformulate their PVC recipes for the

production of pipe, profile or sheet products. Its new

KMD 35-26/L is said to be the smallest extruder of its

type on the market, and features 35 mm screws and

machine lengths of 26 or 32D.

“The model is ideal for processors looking to find out

how to save on stabilizer, or to adjust the amount of

filler without compromising material strength,” says

Martin Mack, vice president, research and development,

in the extrusion division of KraussMaffei Berstorff in

Florence, Kentucky, USA. Processors benefit from

enormous cost savings when they can test the formula-

tion on a small scale, and this machine provides a scale

KraussMaffei

Berstorff’s new

KMD 35-26/L

can be used to

develop recipes

for PVC pipe,

profile or sheet

Leistritz says

that its Nano 16

has the lowest

free volume

available of any

twin-screw

extruder

down of the production process that creates premium

quality end product without producing large numbers of

rejects. “The behaviour and flow is similar to what

occurs on a larger production machine,” Mack says.

Different screw geometries are offered for pipe, profile

and sheet extrusion, and it is suitable for all commercially

available hard and soft PVC mixtures. The new model can

produce profiles and sheets at 15-40 kg/h, and pipe at

30-70 kg/h. “Counter-rotating units are not modular like

our co-rotating units; you cannot adjust screw geometry

by pulling off an element then adding an extra mixing

element. There is no splined shaft and everything is rigid

for maximum strength,” Mack says.

The unit is designed with internal screw tempering

and barrel air cooling, and features several transduc-

ers mounted on the barrel. The unit is a low-speed,

high-torque and high-pressure system, delivering screw

speeds from 50- 80 rpm and pressure from 500 to 5000

psi. The unit uses KraussMaffei Berstorff’s C5 control

system.

❙ www.berstorff.com

Leistritz offers a range of lab-scale machines from the

Nano-16 for processing tiny volumes of pharmaceutical

materials, through to the ZSE 27 Maxx capable of

delivering more than 300 kg/h. It also has a lab extruder

that can be switched from co-rotating to counter-rotat-

ing operation.

The Nano-16 was primarily developed for the

pharmaceutical industry, where a low volume machine

is needed for early stage development. “Processors had

grams of new material available to them, and with other

conventional lab units, a feeder could not reach a steady

state (for accurate testing) with less than 200 g,” says

Charlie Martin, president and general manager at

BU

SS K

NEA

DER

TEC

HN

OLO

GY

Cutting-Edge Compounding TechnologyMX and quantec® BUSS Kneader Series

BUSS innovative 4-flight screw technology sets new benchmarks in the economical

processing of temperature and shear sensitive plastics such as PVC and high grade

cable compounds:

> 2.5 times higher throughputs

> Enhanced mixing quality and dispersion

> Energy savings up to 25%

Buss AG

Hohenrainstrasse 104133 PrattelnSwitzerland

Phone +41 61 825 66 00Fax +41 61 825 68 [email protected]

quantec® 96 EV-10C



American Leistritz Extruder. The Nano-16 can process

batch sizes of 50 g or smaller, and the polymer

compounding industry is starting to take notice of the

model for high-value formulation developments.

The unit integrates a twin-screw extruder with a

unique micro-plunger feeder that simulates a continu-

ous extrusion process for batch samples from 20 g to

100 g. The 16 mm diameter screw has the lowest free

volume available for a twin-screw extruder, claims the

company.

The micro-feeder plunger delivers material to the

feed barrel for precision feeding at extremely low rates,

and it can meter materials in virtually any form,

including powders, micro-pellets, pastes, slurries, and

granules.

At the other end of the lab scale, Leistritz’s ZSE 27

Maxx has 28.3 mm diameter screws with a high-volume

1.66 OD/ID confi guration. The company reports that

would be best processed on a co- or counter-rotating

extruder when scaled up to full production.

� www.leistritz.com

Randcastle says that compounding with a

single rotor or single screw featuring its

spiral-fl uted extensional mixer (SFEM)

technology delivers high levels of product

mixing for smaller volumes of material. The

company offers the SFEM technology on its

expanded line of micro-batch mixers, and the

mixing elements can be scaled up for use on its

single-screw extruder.

“Initially one would think that it impossible to get

material elongation using one shaft until there is the

realization that there are two forces at work on the

material; pressure fl ow and drag fl ow,” says Randcas-

tle’s president Keith Luker.

Rather than designing screw fl ights that wrap

around the screw in a helical manner, Randcastle

instead splits a certain section of the rotor into two

design halves. Each half of the rotor at that section

features a melt channel with drag fl ows similar in

depth, pitch and length, but designed to move material

in a direction exactly opposite to the melt channel

design on the other half.

Grooves at each end of this special section allow

pressure fl ow and drag fl ow forces to create elongation

and mixing. Material washes over the geometry in the

section, creating fl ow that is dominantly elongational,

says Luker.

A paper delivered at the SPE Antec 2011 conference

by Dow Chemical and Randcastle showed that the use

of SFEM elements can deliver better mixing than a

twin-screw. Luker says that the SFEM elements mixed

eight times better than the twin-screw, and 1,000 times

better than a conventional single-screw extruder.

� www.randcastle.com

American Leistritz Extruder. The Nano-16 can process

would be best processed on a co- or counter-rotating

extruder when scaled up to full production.

single rotor or single screw featuring its

spiral-fl uted extensional mixer (SFEM)

technology delivers high levels of product

mixing for smaller volumes of material. The

company offers the SFEM technology on its

expanded line of micro-batch mixers, and the

mixing elements can be scaled up for use on its

single-screw extruder.

“Initially one would think that it impossible to get

material elongation using one shaft until there is the

realization that there are two forces at work on the

material; pressure fl ow and drag fl ow,” says Randcas-

tle’s president Keith Luker. Randcastle’s

batch mixer

uses the

company’s

SFEM technol-

ogy to deliver

very high

levels of

mixing

Steer’s new

OMicron 10

model can

process

high-end

polymers in

batch sizes as

small as 15 g

customers are achieving throughputs of more than 300

kg/h with the machine which bridges the gap between

lab and production models. For example, Innovative

Polymer Compounds (IPC) of Ireland is using a ZSE 27

Maxx for the production of compounds for medical

applications in its Class 100,000

clean room, as reported in last

month’s Compounding World.

The processing units of the

ZSE 27 Maxx are interchangeable

with the company’s Micro 27 GL/GG

modular twin-screw extruder which

can operate in both co-rotation and

counter-rotation modes. The

operating mode is selected using a

switch in the gearbox. Leistritz says

that this is a unique feature that allows

users to decide whether a formulation

�



Thermo Fisher

Scientific’s

Process 11 is

the company’s

smallest

twin-screw

co-rotating

extruder

Steer has introduced a second model into its OMicron

line of laboratory twin-screw extruders designed to

process special, high-end polymers in batch sizes as

small as 15 g. The new OMicron 10 has a screw

diameter of 10 mm and joins the existing 12 mm model.

It has a 1.55 OD/ID ratio and throughputs range from

0.15 to 1 kg/hr. The machine is typically supplied with an

L/D ratio of 30-36.

Steer’s OMicron models are offered with a clamshell

design that allows processors to stop the process, open

the machine and immediately inspect what is happening

to the material at any point in the process. Traditional

segmented barrel designs are also offered for process-

ing materials under high pressures or for running

liquids.

The OMicron line employs special screw geometry

created by the company to improve material processing

at low volumes. For example, Steer’s proprietary

‘shovel’ elements, which assist the processing of

difficult-to-feed density materials with low bulk

densities, are available for its laboratory machines as

well as its production lines.

Quick change features with this model allow the user

to go from operation to screw removal in a matter of

seconds, says Robert Roden, technology manager at

Steer America. The company plans to add this ease of

accessibility and ease of cleaning technology to the

other lab lines.

The Omicron is the smallest of Steer’s four lines of

laboratory extruders. The AlphaLab series comes in two

models with 18 or 20 mm diameter screws, a 1.46 OD/

ID ratio, 1,200 rpm screw speed, and throughputs from

5-40 kg/h. They are designed for processing specialty

polymers, alloys and blends, mineral-filled polymers,

additive- and colour-masterbatches and flame retard-

ant compounds.

Steer also offers its OmegaLab series, designed for

applications such as automotive compounds, polymer

blends, shear-sensitive materials, fibre-grade polyester

or PE masterbatches. Three sizes are offered – the

Omega 20, 25 and 30 – featuring 1.71 OD/ID, 1,200 rpm

screw speed and throughputs ranging from 5 -100 kg/h.

The OmegaLab is offered with special screw

configurations for handling a range of renewable resins,

reinforcements and fillers. For example, Steer was

awarded a contract in North America to develop and

commercialize a manufacturing process for a product

compounded from chicken feathers and PP. Proprietary

mixing elements help the OmegaLab line to achieve the

required mixing, while avoiding excessive shear levels,

says Roden.

“You cannot put too much energy in a biopolymer too

fast so you need the machine length to gently heat it.

Some think a long residence time burns the material,

but it is really about the amount of energy put into the

mix,” says Janit Panchal, who is taking over the

technology manager role at Steer America as Roden is

transferring to Steer India in Bangalore to focus on new

equipment development.

The fourth of Steer’s lab lines is the Mega series,

designed to handle more conventional polymer blends

and colour compounds, as well as short fibre reinforced

thermoplastics. Three models are offered - the Mega20/

Lab, Mega25/Lab and Mega 32 – featuring 1.55 OD/ID

and throughputs from 5 to 100 kg/h.

❙ www.steerworld.com

Thermo Fisher Scientific recently introduced its

Process 11, a new bench-top twin-screw co-rotating

extruder for small-scale experiments. It has 11 mm

diameter segmented screws and can deliver through-

puts from 20 to 2,500 g/h.

The space-saving unit, which is the smallest from

the company, has a user-friendly touch screen with

integrated feeder control, and all electronics reside in

the extruder housing. A removable top barrel half

allows users to stop and inspect material along the

screw shaft and enables them to modify the screw

design with individual screw elements in order to

optimize the process. The removable barrel also

simplifies screw and barrel cleaning, and offers optional

barrel designs to suit the application.

Atmospheric venting ports are standard with an

option to add a vacuum stack. Due to the small

dimensions of the unit, top feeders are used in place of

side feeding. Split feeding from a secondary or tertiary

feeding port is possible.

Process results and conditions generated from the

Process 11 can be successfully scaled up to Thermo

Fisher Scientific’s 16 mm and 24 mm lines.

❙ www.thermoscientific.com/mc

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The Good Regrind GuideRegrind is typically a term that applies to plastic components/products, which have been mechanically, reduced in size to particles less than 10mm in diameter.

The source of these plastic components can be pre-consumer waste such as process scrap, or less commonly post-consumer waste (Typically this source of material is handled by specialist recycling companies).

This process takes place in a device called a grinder, in which the plastic components are fed in through the throat of the grinder and then pass into a chamber that typically contains rotating knifes which mechanically cut the plastic component dimensions to a size small enough to pass through a screen. This regrind may then be: -

1. Fed directly back into the manufacturing process on a continuous basis

2. Fed directly back into the manufacturing process on a batch basis

3. Used in another manufacturing process such as a component for a compounded material containing the regrind (and other ingredients).

Given that thermoplastics are by definition capable of being heated and re-shaped many times the use of regrind would appear to be an obvious solution to achieve greater rates of operational efficiency through the use of process scrap and/or reject components.

However care must be taken to ensure that the use of regrind does not significantly impact on either processing and/or the performance

of the product being manufactured and in order to determine the possibility to use regrind the following factors must be considered: -

DegradationThermoplastic raw materials are inherently unstable at processing temperatures. The extent of degradation will be dependent upon: -

• Type of polymer

• The use of stabilsers

• Thermal history (Time spent at processing temperature)

• Presence of other materials such as pigments and fillers

In the case of ‘closed loop’ type recycling operations it is worth considering the addition of additional staibisers during the manufacturing process.

The degree of degradation when processing a standard MFR 4 PPHP by injection moulding and subsequent granulation is depicted in the graph where the melt flow (an approximate measure of degradation) is increased by 13% after two cycles.

ContaminationAs most plastics are incompatible great care should be taken not to mix material types.

It is therefore essential that no purgings, or scrap product resulting from material changes are recycled and it is vital that machinery is thoroughly cleaned between material types. Other sources of contamination include: -

• Oil

• Dirt / Rubbish

• Masterbatch

All contaminated material should be eliminated from any recycling process and disposed of. Failure to do so will result in the contamination of more material and further scrap.

DustThe mechanical abrasion that constitutes the regrind process tends to result in dust. Ideally this should be removed and disposed of. In the case of some polymers dust will significantly affect the physical properties of the end product.

Fibre FillersThe mechanical abrasion that takes place in the regrind process dramatically affects the physical properties of plastics that contain glass, carbon or other fiber reinforcement.

In addition to reducing the length of the fibers, any chemical coupling agent (size) will also be affected, and since the fibres depend upon their interface with the plastic that surrounds them the grinding process can dramatically reduce physical properties.

Plastribution is the UK’s leading distributor of plastics raw materials, delivering reliability, know-how and true business partnership to the world’s best polymer suppliers and our UK customers.

In the event that you require further information about the shrinkage of polymers, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Plastribution team for further information by emailing [email protected] or phone 0845 3454560

© Plastribution Limited. All rights reserved. 2012

Food and Medical ApplicationsIn both these cases special consideration should be given to the use of regrind. Normally in medical applications regrind is not used. In the case of food packaging careful evaluation must be undertaken to ensure that compliance with required standards are maintained as well as overall suitability for any given application.

It is strongly advised that if there is any cause for concern about the use of regrind then further advice should be sought from the material supplier. Where it is not desirable to use regrind the scrap can be sold to specialists companies who will recycle the waste.

4.6

4.4

4.2

4

3.8

3.6

Pass Number

MFR

g/1

0min

PP Processing Degradation

0 1 2

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International conference on manufacturing conventional plastics from sustainable sources

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Green polymer chemistry | conference reportP

HO

TO: U

NIC

A

Opinions may differ on whether the world has yet

reached the point of peak oil production, but most agree

oil prices will continue to rise and alternatives will have

to be found in the future to fossil-based fuels and

chemical feedstocks. Renewable and sustainable

sourcing for plastics is one key area of development and

AMI’s Green Polymer Chemistry conference, which took

place in Cologne earlier this year, brought experts from

agriculture, chemical engineering, biotechnology and the

polymer industry together with sustainability managers

from major consumer brand owners and the automotive

industry to discuss all aspects of this challenging sector.

LMC International’s senior research economist Dr

Sarah Hickingbottom presented an analysis of the

global agricultural feedstocks market at the event. Her

data showed that worldwide, corn wheat and cassava

production amounted to 1.7bn metric tonnes in 2010/11,

and sugarcane and sugar beet totalled 160m tonnes

(the leading sugar producer is Brazil). On the vegetable

oil side, palm predominates at 48m tonnes (85% grown

in Malaysia and Indonesia). Palm oil is unique in being

harvested from trees rather than from seeds, which is

the case for other vegetable oils.

Hickingbottom said the agricultural industry is

already seeing a “battle for acres” emerging on a global

scale. This began in 2002 along with the drive to use

bioethanol/biofuel, which has increased demand on

arable land to grow the required feedstocks. By 2010,

the area of land under cultivation had expanded

worldwide by 70m hectares. But biofuels are not the

only demand driver. The rise in per capita income

across Asia means that consumers are eating more

meat, creating a corresponding increase in demand

for animal feed.

Bio-based plastics and other fi ne chemicals

are now also being produced from

agricultural feedstocks and the

challenge is to fi nd sources that are

sustainable in this global marketplace

both fi nancially and environmentally.

Hickingbottom said more land is

certainly available for cultivation in areas

Inside the green revolution

December 2012 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 49

Hickingbottom said the agricultural industry is

already seeing a “battle for acres” emerging on a global

scale. This began in 2002 along with the drive to use

bioethanol/biofuel, which has increased demand on

arable land to grow the required feedstocks. By 2010,

the area of land under cultivation had expanded

worldwide by 70m hectares. But biofuels are not the

only demand driver. The rise in per capita income

across Asia means that consumers are eating more

meat, creating a corresponding increase in demand

Bio-based plastics and other fi ne chemicals

sustainable in this global marketplace

certainly available for cultivation in areas

The fi rst Green Polymer Chemistry conference provideda fascinating insight into efforts to develop renewable andsustainable polymers. AMI’s Dr Sally Humphreys reports

Ford is using

12% soy-based

polyols

in its US

seating

foams


conference report | Green polymer chemistry

around the Black Sea, South America and South East

Asia if conversion proves cost-effective.

Brand owners and retailers have studied sustainable

sourcing extensively. Unilever’s global director of

sustainable sourcing development Dr Jan Kees Vis has

been involved in projects including the Sustainable

Palm Oil roundtable and said the company’s aim is to

double its size “while reducing our environmental

impact”. Unilever’s plans include a

commitment to source 100% of its

agricultural raw materials

sustainably. At present, palm oil

is the top material at 1.4m

tonnes annual consumption,

primarily for surfactants, then

paper, soy and sugar, followed

by other oils.

Unilever has put together a

Sustainable Agriculture Code

and wants to use products

with certifi cation, such as

Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade. But

there are many other issues, such as the need to

ensure the security of food supplies. Vis said brand

owners such as Unilever will in future be asking

questions of suppliers about the sustainability, not just

renewable sourcing, of new products.

The automotive industry is also pushing forward in

the sustainability arena. Ford Motor Company’s Maira

Magnani, who is a reseach engineer within the car

maker’s Advanced Materials & Processes group at its

research centre at Aachen in Germany, detailed some of

the fi rm’s notable new developments in renewable

sourcing, including the use of a soy polyol-based

polyurethane foam which cut carbon dioxide emissions

by approximately 14.3m tonnes.

All Ford cars produced in the US currently use a

minimum of 12% soy content polyol, with the aim to

increase this to 25%. One problem faced by car makers

with regard to renewable materials is the large number of

cars produced, currently 4.8m a year, which means any

“green” option must be available in considerable quantity.

In the case of soy, the United Soybean Board was keen to

fi nd a use for the oil, which is effectively an unavoidable

side-product of bean production for animal feed.

Braskem has exploited Brazil’s position as the

world’s number one producer of sugar cane to position

itself as the leading producer of bio-based polyethylene

and polypropylene. The polymer producer has current

annual production capacities for its “green” polymers of

200,000 tonnes and 30,000 tonnes respectively.

The company’s commercial director for renewable

materials Fabio Magalhães Carneiro said 86.5 tonnes of

sugar cane is required to produce 7200 litres of ethanol,

which yields three tonnes of polyethylene. That means ap-

proximately 65,000 hectares of sugarcane is required to

meet its 200,000 tonne PE production capacity at present.

Data from the country’s sugar cane industry

association UNICA shows Brazil currently farms more

than 7.5m hectares of sugar cane, around 2% of its

available arable land. Braskem’s current PE production

would require less than 1% of total production.

Competition between food and feedstocks is one of

the challenges faced by developers of bio-based

chemicals and plastics. One way of tackling the problem

is to develop technologies capable of producing

chemical raw materials from non-food cellulose. There

have been several technology breakthroughs in the past

few years in these so-called second generation

technologies.

Italy’s M&G Group built a pilot plant in 2009 using its

around the Black Sea, South America and South East

by approximately 14.3m tonnes.

minimum of 12% soy content polyol, with the aim to

increase this to 25%. One problem faced by car makers

with regard to renewable materials is the large number of

cars produced, currently 4.8m a year, which means any

“green” option must be available in considerable quantity.

In the case of soy, the United Soybean Board was keen to

fi nd a use for the oil, which is effectively an unavoidable

side-product of bean production for animal feed.

world’s number one producer of sugar cane to position

itself as the leading producer of bio-based polyethylene

and polypropylene. The polymer producer has current

annual production capacities for its “green” polymers of

200,000 tonnes and 30,000 tonnes respectively.

materials Fabio Magalhães Carneiro said 86.5 tonnes of

sugar cane is required to produce 7200 litres of ethanol,

Italy’s M&G Group built a pilot plant in 2009 using its

GLOBAL PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL FEEDSTOCKS 2000-2011 (CALCULATED IN EQUIVALENT ETHANOL LITRES)Source: LMC International

GLOBAL AVAILABILITY OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS BY MAIN TYPE AND REGIONSource: Süd Chemie, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

double its size “while reducing our environmental

impact”. Unilever’s plans include a

commitment to source 100% of its

agricultural raw materials

sustainably. At present, palm oil

is the top material at 1.4m

tonnes annual consumption,

primarily for surfactants, then

paper, soy and sugar, followed

by other oils.

Sustainable Agriculture Code

and wants to use products

with certifi cation, such as

Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade. But

BASF is

working with

blends of PCC

derived from

CO2 and starch

based PHB as

an ABS

replacement

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Proesa technology, which generates C5 and C6 sugars

in a continuous process from bio-mass cellulose. Chief

technology offi cer Dario Giordano said the plant has

now been in operation for 400 days continuously and

many enzymes and 15 types of biomass feedstock have

been tested. It is now building a new demonstration unit

at Crescentino in Italy that will have capacity to make

40,000 tonnes of cellulosic ethanol and will generate 15

MW of power from lignin by-products.

Meanwhile, the VTT Technical Research Centre of

Finland has examined the feedstock potential of the

country’s forests, where growth is expected to rise by

25% over the next fi ve years due to the effects of global

warming. VTT’s Professor Ali Harlin, industrial biomate-

rials research programme leader, said it has piloted

manufacture of ethanol from lignocellulose with

paper-making partner UPM. Biomethane can also be

used in the olefi n supply chain by conversion of

methanol to olefi ns (MTO) and VTT has also experiment-

ed with wood oils and the manufacture of LDPE from

tall oil.

German company Süd-Chemie has partnered with

Sabic in the development of the SunLiquid process,

which takes lignocelluose feedstocks and converts

them to second generation sugars or ethanol for use in

production of monomers for plastics such as PE and

PET. According to Professor Andre Koltermann, group

vice president of Süd Chemie’s corporate R&D unit,

global biomass production amounts to between 120 and

165bn tonnes a year. Asia’s rice growing industry is the

biggest potential source, contributing around 750m

tonnes of rice straw a year.

Koltermann said the SunLiquid process can produce

one tonne of ethanol from four tonnes of straw, which is

the typical straw yield from one hectare of farmed

wheat. The process is energy neutral and almost carbon

neutral, offering an approximate 95% reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions compared to ethanol

produced by petrochemical means. It has been running

a 1,000 tonne/year demonstration plant since the

beginning of this year.

China-based Cathay Industrial Biotech, which claims

to be the largest global producer of biobutanol at more

than 7m gallons last year, is also moving into lignocel-

lulose technology. The company’s director of interna-

tional development Charlie Liu said it has developed a

process to produce a bio-based PA5 monomer. The

monomer is based on lysine converted via decarboxyla-

tion to pentamethylenediamine, which can be combined

with a biobased di-acid to produce a variety of PA5,X

polymers including PA5,10, PA5,6, and PA5,4.

Indian company Petron Scientech has developed an

ethanol to ethylene technology with a claimed conver-

sion rate of near 100% and close to 99% ethylene

selectivity. Wim van der Zande, director of the com-

pany’s Netherlands-based operations, said the process

is highly endothermic so heat recovery is built into its

reactors.

Petron Scientech has also supplied technology to

companies such as Oswal in India to maximise its use of

sugar cane – the sugar is sold, bagasse is sent to fuel

power stations, and the molasses used to make

industrial ethanol. Greencol Taiwan (a JV between

CMFC and Toyota Tshuho) has also taken the Indian

company’s technology to produce mono ethylene glycol

(MEG) monomer for bio-PET production at a new

100,000 tonne plant due to start up this year.

Production of bio-based MEG is already commercial

– Coca-Cola being the most prominent user in its

PlantBottle polymers. However, a fully bio-based PET

requires the development of a commercial route for the

purifi ed terephthalic acid (PTA) component. One solution

to this challenge could be Avantium’s development of

PEF from furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) synthesised by

dehydration and oxidation from carbohydrates. According

to new business development director Dirk den Ouden,

FDCA produced using its YXY Technology could act as a

drop-in replacement for PTA to produce polyethylene

production of monomers for plastics such as PE and

PET. According to Professor Andre Koltermann, group

vice president of Süd Chemie’s corporate R&D unit,

global biomass production amounts to between 120 and

165bn tonnes a year. Asia’s rice growing industry is the

biggest potential source, contributing around 750m

tonnes of rice straw a year.

one tonne of ethanol from four tonnes of straw, which is

the typical straw yield from one hectare of farmed

wheat. The process is energy neutral and almost carbon

neutral, offering an approximate 95% reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions compared to ethanol

produced by petrochemical means. It has been running

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF PEF AGAINST PET (NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS)Source: Avantium, Copernicus Institute at Utrecht University

Braskem’s

‘green’ HDPE

unit in Brazil

has a capacity

of 200,000

tonnes,

equivalent to

65,000 Hectares

of sugar cane

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25-27 February 2013Austria Trend Savoyen Hotel, Vienna, Austria

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furanoate (PEF). It could also be used as a feedstock in

production of polyurethanes and polyamides.

Avantium’s partners include Teijin, Coca-Cola,

Solvay, Rhodia and Danone. The PEF-based material is

said to have been successfully tested on commercial

blow moulding, fibre and film lines and is claimed to

provide a higher gas barrier than PET. A pilot PEF plant

is being constructed at Chemelot in the Netherlands

with an annual capacity of 40 tonnes.

Work underway at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis

is focused on the development of catalysts for produc-

tion of monomers from vegetable oils. Institute group

leader Angela Köckritz said the German vegetable oil

market comprises 5.16m tonnes of rape seed oil and

50,000 tonnes of sunflower oil, with imports of sunflow-

er, linseed, soybean oil (from USA), castor oil (from

India), palm and coconut oil (from Malaysia and

Indonesia).

These vegetable oils can be used in the synthesis of

polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polyacrylate and

epoxy resin, said Köckritz. Emery Oleochemicals has

achieved ozonolysis of oleic acid, which can be used in

polyamide 6,9. Evonik has chemical pathways for the

production of ricinoleic acid to give polyamide 10,10 and

6,10. Arkema has a polyamide 11 produced from

11-undecanoic acid from castor oil. BASF has made a

polyamide 6,10 and a variety of polyols from sources

such as castor oil.

Royal DSM is producing a polyamide 4,10, thermo-

plastic copolyester and unsaturated polyester resin

from bio-sources. Director of sustainability Frederic

Petit said DSM is also a partner in the Biosuccinium

project with Roquette, which intends to produce

succinic acid using a yeast-based process.

The two companies hope to begin large scale

production in a 10,000 tonne/year unit in Italy this year.

Plans are also in hand to make bio-based adipic acid,

which is a precursor for polyamide 66.

There is also a great deal of interest in technologies

to synthesise polymers from carbon dioxide. Several

companies worldwide are involved in the production of

polypropylene carbonate from CO2, including BASF and

Bayer MaterialScience in Europe, Novomer in the USA,

SK Innovation in Korea, and Mengxi in China.

BASF is motivated by low monomer costs, reducing

CO2 emissions trading and the abundant feedstock

from power plants. It is testing the polypropylene

carbonate materials in several applications, including

using it in blends with PLA as an ABS replacement in

electrical appliances, in agricultural films and in paper

coatings. BASF research chemist Dr Anna Brym said

one issue that must be dealt with is the low activity of

catalysts, as well as the need to remove the catalyst

after polymerisation.

Bayer MaterialScience has generated polyether-

polycarbonate polyols from CO2 for use in polyurethane.

The CO2 supply is scrubbed at the coal-fired power

plant where it is captured from the flue gases and then

reacted with propylene oxide. It has taken the company

time to reduce the by-products and improve catalyst use

towards its “dream production” target level but some

slab stock foam has been produced and tested, said Dr

Christoph Gürtler, head of the company’s new catalytic

processes competence centre.

Green Polymer Chemistry 2013The first Green Polymer Chemistry conference provided

a unique opportunity for agro-economic and bio-based

polymer experts to gather and debate the key issues

around this novel technology. The second event, Green

Polymer Chemistry 2013, will be held in Cologne,

Germany from 19-21 March 2013. For more information

or to book your place contact Rebecca Utteridge:

[email protected] or visit www.bit.ly/Green2013

Above left:

Bayer Material-

Science’s PCC

from CO2 plant

at Leverkusen.

Above right:

Development of

bio-based

polyols in

Ford’s US

laboratory

Images courtesy of: Albemarle Martinswerk and LyondellBasell

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Polymers and additives | products

biomaterials

pvc plasticizers

consortium tests almond shell masterbatch

Galata extends Drapex plasticizer range

AIJU – Spain’s toy research institute – is

co-ordinating a project that aims to

develop masterbatches using

agricultural waste products, such

as almond shells, together with

biodegradable polymer carriers.

Target applications include toys

and furniture, say the researchers.

Partners in the three-year project, which is

funded by the Spanish Life+ programme,

include masterbatch maker IQAP, toy manufac-

turer Injusa, and injection moulder Perez Cerda

Plastics. The first meeting took place in October.

❙ www.aiju.info

masterbatch

americhem launches black nigrosine masterbatchesColour and additive systems

supplier Americhem has a

new line of highly concen-

trated low-aniline nigrosine

black masterbatches, which

are available in PA 6 and 6,6

carriers at concentrations up

to 40%. Compared to carbon

black, the new products are

said to provide a deeper

black, higher gloss and

minimal stress whitening.

Due to their minimal

impact on physical properties

and suitability for use with

glass reinforced polyamides,

Americhem says the new

masterbatches are likely to

find applications in sectors

such as under-the-hood

automotive parts. They can

also be combined with

carbon black where high UV

stability is required.

Americhem has also

Belgium-based Cappelle

Pigments has introduced a

new bismuth vanadate

pigment – Lysopac Yellow

6619B – intended for use in

technical polymer com-

pounds up to 300°C.

The 6619B pigment offers

a green-yellow shade

providing high light fastness

as well as the thermal

stability required for

polymers such as PA and PC.

It is said to be easy to

disperse in the polymer.

Also new is Lysopac

Yellow 6618B. Providing

thermal resistance to 230°C,

the grade provides improved

reflow in powder coating

applications.

❙ www.cappelle.be

cappelle targets technical polymers

piGments

introduced ePVC – a precol-

oured capstock compound for

the decking and exterior

profile market.

According to the company,

the ePVC capstock compound

provides improved strength

and weathering resistance

along with better colour

retention, scratch and mar

resistance and impact

performance. The com-

pounds also reduce moisture

penetration into exterior

profiles, reducing risk of rot.

The ePVC compounds

have undergone extensive

weather testing. They can

also be used with Amer-

ichem’s nGrain simulated

woodgrain effect.

❙ www.americhem.com

Galata Chemicals has added

Drapex Alpha 200C to its family

of natural oil-based primary

plasticisers.

spanish researchers plan to

develop masterbatches

containing almond shells

target applications include under-the-hood components

Intended for use in white

and clear PVC formulations or

applications requiring high

levels of performance, the

200˚C grade is said to provide

improved extraction resist-

ance, reduced VOCs and better

processing. The company says

the plasticizer is pitched at

applications requiring the

performance of trimellitates.

❙ www.galatachemicals.com


products | Polymers and additives

functional fillers

The latest additions to the

functional filler product line

from Quarzwerke subsidiary

Mineral Engineers allow

users to modify thermal

conductivity and optical

performance.

The company has

developed a range of

modified mineral fillers

based on a naturally-occur-

ring alumina-silicate

designed to impart thermal

conductivity in polymer

compounds when used at

moderate to high volume

fractions. The mineral filler

is processed to particle sizes

between 5 and 30 microns,

then coated using a special

surface treatment.

Mineral Engineers says

the new fillers are likely to

find applications in the

electronics sector where

increasing energy density

requires more effective heat

dissipation without sacrific-

pvc plasticizers

polyone lifts bio-content for reflex 300Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).

The new grade is certified

99% bio-based under the

USDA BioPreferred pro-

gramme. It is said to be

suitable for a range of

applications, including

healthcare tubing and

connectors, electrical plugs

and insulators, gaskets, seals,

flooring and toys.

“We continue to see

increased marketplace

Bio-based polymers devel-

oper Metabolix has introduced

a series of polyhydroxyal-

kanoate (PHA) copolymers

that it says could be used as

modifiers in rigid and flexible

PVC formulations.


the copolymers can be used

as low extractable plasticiz-

ers or as processing aids to

prevent excessive shear

heating. Certain copolymer

grades have also been found

to act as impact modifiers in

transparent formulations.

Metabolix worked with

AlphaGary to validate the

materials. AlphaGary is

beginning to test the

polymeric PHA modifiers in

some current high-value

applications.

Metabolix hopes to ship

the first production samples

early next year.

❙ www.metabolix.com

Bio-based modifiers for pvc

pvc additives

Modified mineral filler can raise thermal performance

ing electrical insulation. It says

the fillers are engineered to

minimise any negative impact

on both mechanical perfor-

mance and processing and it is

applying for patents on the

new materials.

Also new from the company

is Silglow, a modified fused

silica that is anorganically

treated to provide glow-in-the-

dark performance. According

to the company, the materials

are charged when exposed to

natural daylight or artificial

illumination and release a

strong glow in darkness.

Silglow fillers provide a

luminance of more than 20

mcd/m2 after 60 minutes,

making them suitable for

applications such as road

markings, warning signs and

guide lighting. The materials

are characterised by a

density of 2.2 g/cm3,

hardness of 6.5 mohs and are

available in grain sizes from

0.1 to 5.0 mm.

❙ www.hpfminerals.com

demand for renewable

technology for plasticizers,”

according to Rob Rosenau,

president of PolyOne

Performance Products and

Solutions.

“Our reFlex 300 bioplasti-

cizer enables customers to

expand their offerings with

differentiated alternatives

that heed consumer calls for

eco-conscious solutions.”

❙ www.polyone.com

PolyOne has introduced reFlex

300, a 99% bio-based plasti-

cizer that is claimed to provide

a one-for-one replacement for

general purpose phthalate

plasticizers in flexible PVC

applications.

It is the second product in

the company’s newly-intro-

duced reFlex range, which is

the result of a development

alliance between PolyOne and

agricultural products group

a new thermally conductive filler from Mineral engineers can

assist heat dissipation in electronic devices

target applications for

reflex 300 include

healthcare tubing

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Market trends and technical developments in PVC additives and compounding

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PVC Formulation 2013

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Sabine Prack – Conference Coordinator [email protected] Ph: +44 117 924 9442 Fax: +44(0)117 311 1534

CLICK HEREFOR DETAILS


products | Polymers and additives

reinforcements

US-based glass reinforce-

ment maker AGY has

introduced a new high-mod-

ulus glass fibre and extended

its range of sizings for

thermoplastic composite

applications.

Developed using AGY’s

Modular Direct Melt (MDM)

manufacturing method and a

proprietary S-glass formula-

tion, the new S-3 UHM glass

fibre provides a tensile

modulus of 99 GPa, which the

company says is a 40%

improvement over traditional

E-glass products.

According to AGY presi-

dent Drew Walker, the new

grade will allow material

formulators to use glass in

conductive compounds

rtp meets AteX pump challengeAOD air-operated diaphragm

pump, which is manufactured

in RTP’s Series 100 PP.

While the pump meets the

requirements of the interna-

tional ATEX Directive for use in

potentially explosive require-

ments, All-Flo sales and

marketing manager Paul

McGarry says certain national

US compounder RTP Company

has developed a special

electrically conductive version

of its 100 Series glass-rein-

forced PP for an all-polymer

diaphragm pump that meets

the most stringent require-

ments for use in potentially

explosive environments.

The pump is produced by

All-Flo, a well-established

supplier of polymer-based

pumps for applications

such as mining where the

light weight and improved

corrosion and wear

resistance is a major

benefit over metallic

alternatives. One of its

most popular models for

mining applications is the

All-Flo It 1 inch (25 mm)

Plastics Color Corporation

(PCC) is now marketing its

SoluPLAs TN 920259 blue

tint masterbatch, originally

developed for Ingeo PLA

producer NatureWorks,

directly as a new addition to

its SoluPLAs family of PLA

enhancers.

Aside from the TN 920259

colour concentrate, the

SoluPLAs product line

includes additives for

modifying the clarity, UV

protection and acoustics of

bio-based PLA resins.

❙ www.plasticscolor.com

pcc goesdirect withpLA blue pigment

mAsterbAtch

AGY develops high modulus s-glassapplications that would have

previously required more

costly alternatives. “It brings a

new level of tensile modulus to

the arena of glass fibre without

losing any of the unique

properties that glass brings as

a component of composites

such as electrical and thermal

insulation, and high impact

absorption and low coloration

of the resin system,” he says.

The introduction of the new

glass follows an updating of

the AGY sizing options, with a

number of new sizing systems

being made available to

improve compatibility with a

range of engineering thermo-

plastics, including PA 6 and

6,6, PA 11, PA 12, PBT, PC, PEI,

impact performance

compared with traditional

chopped products. This could

result in higher performance

compounds or allow glass

content to be reduced to

make weight savings without

sacrificing performance, says

the company.

“We expect these sizings,

combined with our S-2 Glass

technologies, to open up new

applications in the automo-

tive, aerospace and industrial

markets,” says Walker.

The sizings are available

on directly sized rovings or as

chopped fibre in lengths from

3.2 mm (0.125 inch) to 6.4

mm (0.25 inch).

❙ www.agy.com

markets and end-users have

their own more demanding

specifications. One of these

customers asked for a

special design using

conductive polymers.

Working in partnership

with All-Flo and its injection

moulding partner – Ohio-

based Royal Plastics – RTP

developed an RTP 100

Series compound using a

carbon powder additive.

“Not only did RTP

Company provide a conduc-

tive material that had the

properties and met the

requirements, it had the

same processability and

worked with our existing

moulds,” says McGarry.

❙ www.rtpcompany.com

PEKK and PEEK.

The new sizings are said to

have been evaluated on a

range of fibres from low

diameter E-glass to S-2 types

and are claimed to provide

improved mechanical and

AGY is producing glass fibre with a tensile

modulus of99 Gpa

This month’s freebrochure downloads

Simply click on the brochure cover or link to download a PDF of the full publication

If you would like your brochure to be included on this page, please contact Claire Bishop. [email protected]. Tel: +44 (0)20 8686 8139

AGC: Fluon MPC compounds

This eight-page brochure from AGC Chemicals covers the company’s Fluon MPC melt processable fl uoropolymer compounds, which are used to pigment and enhance ECTFE, ETFE, FEP, MFA, PFA and PVDF.

� Click here to download

Plastribution: know-how

In the third edition of Plastribution’s know-how magazine you can fi nd out more about the newest additions to the company’s product portfolio , including the latest resin options for LED applications.


www.plastribution.co.uk

0845 34 54 560

Issue 03 October 2012

the magazine

In this issue

The Olympic torch – Momentum 13

Joining the App revolution 14

Recycle with industry know-how 16

Nylon replaces metal in cars 32

More efficient LEDsDon’t be left in the dark, turn to page 24 and find out more.

Nyco: engineered reinforcements

This brochure from Nyco covers the company’s Wollastonite engineered reinforcements for polymer applications. The specialty mineral provides excellent balance in stiffness and impact, plus Class A surface appearance.


v

W o l l a s t o n i t e : E n g i n e e r e d R e i n f o r c e m e n t s f o r P o l y m e r A p p l i c a t i o n s

A S p e c i a l t y M i n e r a l T h a t P r o v i d e s E x c e l l e n t B a l a n c e i n S t i f f n e s s a n d I m p a c t

• IMPROvEd MEChANICAl PROPERTIES • IMPROvEd MElT STRENGTh

• lOWER dENSITY – ThIN WAll COMPOSITES • ClASS A SURFACE APPEARANCE

• CONdUCTIvE MOdIFIEd

PlASTICS

Steer: EPZ screw elements

This 20-page brochure from Steer Engineering features its wide range of screw elements including many innovative designs developed by the company. It also covers replacement barrels and shafts.


Imerys: Jetfi ne talcs

This eight-page technical brochure from Imerys Talc covers the company’s Jetfi ne talcs for high-performance polypropylene and engineering thermoplastics compounds. It includes property comparisons for different formulations.


• Unique ultrafine milling technology

• Improved TPO and ETP impact strength at very low temperatures

• Excellent dimensional stability

• Reduced part thickness

Jetfine® talcs for high performance polypropylene and engineering thermoplastics

Poly.ERP: case study

This 16-page case study from Kirchhoff Datensysteme examines the development of its Poly.ERP customised ERP system for compounders and how it was successfully implemented at Polymer Chemie.



Images courtesy of: Automatik Plastics Machinery, ExxonMobil Chemical

New opportunities and expanding markets

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A S I A 2 013

18-20 March 2013Marina Bay Sands Hotel,

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Machinery and software | products

instrumentation

Dynisco performs better under pressure

extruDers

Battenfeld-Cincinnati to demonstrate wood-plastic composite capabilitiesBattenfeld-Cincinnati will

demonstrate its latest WPC

processing technology for

solid decking profiles during

AMI’s 9th Wood Plastics

Composites conference in

Vienna, Austria, in February.

The company will be

running its new fiberEX 114

parallel twin-screw extruder

– a high output WPC

production unit that the

company says is well suited

for the extrusion of solid

WPC decking profiles.

Demand for WPC products

is growing at around 20-25%

a year in Europe, says

Battenfeld-Cincinnati. Solid

decking profile is one of the

emerging trends, originally

developing in Germany but

now gaining market share

across Europe.

Compared to traditional

hollow profiles, solid decking

offers the ability to accept

operation worldwide covering

outputs from 20 to 1,000

kg/h. The fiberEX 114

extruder is the second model

in a new range of high-per-

formance WPC extruders,

joining the recently intro-

duced fiberEX 135 model.

Both are claimed to provide

optimal process stability

along with maximum

production outputs and

degassing performance.

AMI’s Wood Plastics

Composites conference

takes place in Vienna on

25-27 February.

For more information,

visit http://bit.ly/WPC2013.

❙ www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com

Dynisco has added two new

pressure transducers to its

range – the Echo series

targets general purpose

extrusion monitoring applica-

tions, while the Vertex units

deliver the additional perfor-

mance required for more

demanding markets such as

the medical sector.

Echo sensors use a proven

sensor design

that offers accuracy to within

±0.5% over pressures ranging

from 0-1,500 psi or 0-10,000

psi. They feature stainless steel

construction on all surfaces in

contact with the melt, while the

diaphragm is coated with

titanium aluminium nitride for

additional durability, enabling

Dynisco to offer a two-year

warranty.

Vertex models are the first

Dynisco units to offer direct

pressure measurement.

Eliminating the typical

mechanical pressure transfer

systems or liquid fill media

means improved precision and

longer service life, according

to the company. The absence

of any liquids also eliminates

leakage risk.

Key to the new Vertex

design is the sensor tip

arrangement, which

incorporates a single highly

robust diaphragm manufac-

tured from high corrosion

resistant Inconel 718 steel

and finished with a DyMax

diamond-hard protective

coating. This new construc-

tion also includes an

improved sensor wall

structure with improved

ability to handle side

stresses.

Vertex accuracy is within

0.25% of full scale over the

standard pressure ranges of

1,500, 3,000, 5,000, 7,500 or

10,000 psi. A four-year

warranty is provided.

❙ www.dynisco.com

diagonal cuts and does not

require injection-moulded

finishing caps. The reduced

surface area also minimises

water absorption.

Battenfeld-Cincinnati has

more than 250 WPC lines in

Dynisco’s Vertex models offer direct

pressure measurement

for demanding

applications

Battenfeld-Cincinnati’s fiberex 114 is

particularly suitable for the extrusion

of solid WPC profiles


products | Machinery and software

materials handling

Conair has introduced two

new developments for its

TrueBlend blending systems

to improve the handling of

flake recyclate and other

difficult-to-feed regrind

materials.

“Certain thin, flaky regrind

– like PET bottle scrap or

thicker film and sheet scrap

– has granules with

relatively large, flat surfaces

so they tend to pack

together and bridge in

conventional hoppers,”

says Conair’s blend

product engineer Jeff

Bickel.

The TrueBlend range uses

two different approaches to

overcome feeding problems.

For smaller throughput

quantities, the units can be

fitted with side feeders with

steeply angled sides that

help prevent regrind from

hanging or bridging. The

material can then flow easily

software

rowa completes its erP integrationthat ‘blending’ only releases a

batch for delivery when all

tests have been completed and

fully documented”, says Wulf

Hagemeister, technical

manager at Rowa Master-

batch.

“Because the system

makes all data for a product

centrally accessible and

interlinked, we can conduct

statistical comparisons of the

performance of different

product batches quickly and

comprehensively. We can thus

Hamburg, Germany-based

compounder Ponachem has

slashed mixing times and

reduced energy consumption

from its 20-year old silo

mixer system after Kreyen-

borg upgraded its pipe auger

to an open mixing screw.

Kreyenborg Plant

Technology replaced the

original pipe auger in the 20

m3 silo with an open mixing

screw incorporating a special

segment design. The result

was that Ponachem gained a

reduction in the required

mixing cycle for its plastic

regrind from 4 hours to just

20 minutes. Similar results

can be achieved with any

free-flowing material, says

Kreyenborg.

❙ www.kreyenborg.de

Kreyenborg upgrades mixer at Ponachem

mixers

Conair improves flake feedingthrough an oversized opening

at the base to a horizontal

auger that positively conveys it

to the mixing chamber.

Where high volume

throughputs have to be

accommodated, the company

uses lift augers positioned at

an angle in a corner of the

regrind bin (pictured). Instead

of forcing the material into the

base of the bin, these lift it to

avoid compaction in the feed

zone. According to Conair,

this allows the flake to flow

easily through into the mixing

chamber.

TrueBlend units are

available to handle through-

puts of less than 23 kg/hour

on the smallest TB45 unit to

5,455 kg/hour on the largest

TB3500 models. They can be

supplied with up to 12

ingredient bins.

l Conair has also

introduced the new

TrueFeed LQ liquid feeder

for handling liquid colours

and additives. The unit

uses standard peristaltic

pump dosing but the liquid

container is mounted on a

load cell to provide real-time

loss-in-weight dosing. Conair

claims the improved

accuracy can enable

significant savings on costly

colorants.

❙ www.conairgroup.com

gain important data relating

to the entire product history,

such as the quality of the raw

material deliveries. We can

then assess this data and

integrate our findings into

production planning and

control,” he says.

The LIMS ERP integration

project commenced in

September 2011, with the

roll-out scheduled to take

12 months to complete.

❙ www.rowa-masterbatch.de❙ www.infor.com

Germany’s Rowa Group says

the integration of its Infor

Blending Lab information and

Management System (LIMS)

into its ERP system is now

complete, improving manage-

ment of its quality systems.


the LIMS system allows

customer-specific test profiles

- which may deviate in either

test criteria or in threshold

values - to be created,

recorded and recalled for

subsequent testing. This

speeds up the administration

and management of the entire

testing process. The LIMS

system also allows test

compliance certificates to be

generated for every product

delivery and incorporated into

the documents delivered to the

customer.

“LIMS records all control

results on a product, customer

and batch basis, and manages

them in a central database,

which the ERP accesses. This

means, among other things,

Download the programmes for these forthcoming conferencesSimply click on the brochure cover or link to download a PDF of the full publication

To see our full line-up of more than 25 plastics industry eventsover the next 12 months, please visit www.amiconferences.com

Plastic Closure Innovations

The Plastic Closure Innovations 2013 conference takes place in Cologne, Germany, on 23-25 April. Download the impressive programme that includes speakers from leading producers of caps and closures as well as key end users.

� Click here to downloadFax back to +44 (0)117 311 1534

Hartley’s image and Vosene image courtesy of: GCS * + 19% German VAT

23-25 April 2013Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany


SPECIAL OFFER: Save €100* if you register before 22nd March 2013

PLASTIC CLOSUREINNOVATIONS 2013

Trends and technical developments in the international closures industry

Sponsored by:

AMI is holding the Pipes in Infrastructure 2013 conference in Düsseldorf, Germany, on 9-11 April. Check out the programme which covers market trends and technical developments in plastic pipes for infrastructure applications.

� Click here to downloadFax back to +44 (0)117 311 1534

* + 19% German VAT

Market trends, new products and technical developments in plastic pipes for infrastructure applications


Pipes inIn fras t r ucture

2013

9-11 April 2013Hotel Nikko, Düsseldorf

Germany

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Stretch & Shrink Film

Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum

AMI’s 10th international conference on Stretch & Shrink Film will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 16-18 April 2013. The programme includes detailed market analyses, plus the latest materials, processing and application developments.


The Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum is the international conference covering trends and developments in the artifi cial grass market. The seventh such event is being held in Cologne, Germany on 18-20 February and its infl uential programme includes FIFA.


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The business conference & exhibition for the stretch & shrink film industry

STRETCH & SHRINKFILM 2013

16-18 April 2013InterContinental Hotel,

Berlin, Germany

A N N I V E R S A R Y C O N F E R E N C E

The 10th anniversary conference will be

a celebration of the success of the stretch &

shrink film industry over the past ten years

10th

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The Grass Yarn & Tufters

Forum 2013Trends and developments

18-20 February 2013Maritim Hotel, Cologne,

Germany

heaDLIne sponsor

Media supporter:

Companies attending the previous Polyethylene Films conference accounted for more than 3 billion lbs of PE resin usage. Don’t miss this essential industry event when it returns to Florida’s Daytona Beach on 5-6 February 2013.

� Click here to downloadOrganized by:Applied Market Information LLC

Images courtesy of: Bold text for company name

The international marketing, business and technical conference for the polyethylene film industry

Polyethylene Films 2013

HEADLINE SPONSORS

SPECIAL OFFER: Save $200 if you register before December 14, 2012

February 5-6, 2013The Shores Resort & Spa,

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Pipeline Coating

AMI is holding the fi fth international Pipeline Coating conference on 18-20 February in Vienna, Austria. This event, which attracts a large global audience, covers the latest developments in pipeline protection and coating technologies.

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Pipeline Coating 2013


Sponsored by:

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18-20 February 2013Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen,

Vienna, Austria

Images courtesy of: Bredero shaw and shawCor, Canusa systems and Wasco Coatings Group

International conference on pipeline protection, coating technology, materials and markets

Head offi ce location: Leominster, Massachusetts, USA

Date founded: 1967

CEO: Jean Rosbury

Ownership: Privately owned

No. of employees: 92

Sales 2012: US$20 million

Plant locations: Leominster, MA, USA, and St-Laurent, QC, Canada

Production 2012: 5,000 tonnes

Profi le: F&D Plastics is a family-owned business that started as a grinding fi rm and began masterbatch production in 1993. In 2004, it invested in new extruders and then expanded into Canada by acquiring CEK Colorplast in Lachine, Quebec. In 2008, Canadian production was relocated to a new facility in St-Laurent. During 2010, F&D increased capacity by 37%, installing four new lines. It is among the 50 largest masterbatch producers in North America. In addition to serving the North and South American markets, it has a partner in Malaysia and is looking at developing a sales network in the UK.

Product line: F&D Plastics produces white, black and colour pigments and masterbatches based on polyolefi ns, as well as engineering polymers, recycled material and biopolymers. Its strongest markets include housewares, lawn & garden, hardware and medical. It does some toll compounding for select customers.

Product strengths: F&D focuses on service, price and technical support. It has invested more than US$1.5 million over the past three years to be more competitive in these areas.

F&D Plastics

compounder of the month

Forthcoming featuresThe next issues of Compounding World magazine will have special reports on the following subjects:

JanuaryPolymer foam technologiesPelletizersDispersants and coupling agents

FebruaryThermally-conductive compoundsMaterials handlingAdditives for polyolefi ns

Editorial submissions should be sent to Andy Beevers: [email protected]

For information on advertising in these issues, please contactClaire Bishop: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 8686 8139

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Catch up on our recent issues for FREE

Simply click on the cover to see the full magazine, or download the issue in the relevant Apple or Android app

Compounding World – OctThe October edition of Compounding World contains special features on reinforcing fi bres, titanium dioxide trends, extruder alignment techniques, melt fi ltration systems plus Fakuma show highlights.

� Click here to view

Injection World - Nov/DecThe November/December edition of Injection World has in-depth features on machine setting procedures, automotive applications, machinery market trends, renewable polymers, and hot runner developments.


Compounding World – NovThe November issue of

Compounding World boasts special features on clean

compounding for medical and other demanding applications, developments in carbon black, the latest mixing technologies,

and new materials testing equipment.


Injection World – OctoberInjections World’s October

issue is fi lled with features on the latest trends in caps and closures, advanced medical

device applications, moulding multi-layer optical parts, plus

innovations in thin wall packaging.


Pipe and Profi le – Nov/DecThis edition of Pipe and Profi le

Extrusion is packed with reports on wood-plastic

composites (WPCs), materials handling systems, cross-linked

polyethylene (PEX) for pipe applications, and PVC

plasticizers.


Film and Sheet – NovemberThe November edition of Film and Sheet Extrusion magazine contains special features on BOPP trends, multilayer packaging, bioplastics research, extruder innovations and additives for polyolefi ns.


dates for your diary

Don’t miss a single issueRegister now for your free subscription at:

www.compoundingworld.com

And don’t forget to tell your colleagues, customers and suppliers about the magazine. You can use the e-mail button above

(the @ symbol in the browser) to help spread the word.

7-10 January ArabPlast,Dubai,UAE www.arabplast.info

29 Jan - 1 Feb Interplastica,Moscow,Russia www.interplastica.de

22-25 February GAILPlastasia,Bangalore,India www.plastasia2013.com

6-7 March PlastecSouth,Orlando,FL,USA www.plastecsouth.com

6-8 March PlastBulgaria,Sofia,Bulgaria www.plast.bg

12-15 March Plastimagen,MexicoCity,Mexico www.plastimagen.com.mx

12-15 March Pro-PlasExpo,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica www.proplasafrica.co.za

3-5 April PlastexUzbekistan,Tashkent,Uzbekistan www.plastex.ite-uzbekistan.uz

3-6 April Tiprex,Bangkok,Thailand www.tiprex.com

10-11 April PlastTeknik,Malmo,Sweden www.easyfairs.com

10-12 April PlasticJapan,Tokyo,Japan www.plas.jp/en

7-10 May PlastPol,Kielce,Poland www.plastpol.com

14-16 May Plast-Ex,Toronto,Canada www.plast-ex.org

20-23 May Chinaplas,Guangzhou,China www.chinaplasonline.com

20-24 May Feiplastic,SaoPaolo,Brazil www.feiplastic.com.br

16-23 October K2013,Düsseldorf,Germany www.k-online.de

Global exhibition guide

AMI conferences 29-31 January ThermoplasticConcentrates,CoralSprings,FL,USA

18-20 February TheGrassYarn&TuftersForum,Cologne,Germany

25-27 February Wood-PlasticComposites,Vienna,Austria

5-7 March Cables,Cologne,Germany

12-14 March PVCFormulation,Düsseldorf,Germany

18-20 March MasterbatchAsia,Singapore

19-21 March GreenPolymerChemistry,Cologne,Germany

7-8 May BioplasticsCompounding&Processing,Miami,FL,USA

14-15 May PolymersinCables,Miami,FL,USA

14-16 May PolymerSourcing,Vienna,Austria

3-5 June Masterbatch,Frankfurt,Germany

4-6 June EndofLifePlastics,Cologne,Germany

13-14 June FireRetardantsinPlastics,Denver,CO,USA

For information on allthese events and other

conferences on film,sheet, pipe and

packaging applications, see

www.amiplastics.com

CW December 2012

Documents

Transcript of CW December 2012