2Additives for Polymers March 2013

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Axel launches internal mould release additives for DICY-cured epoxy resin

Axel Plastics Research Laboratories of Woodside, NY, USA, has announced two

new internal mould release additives for epoxy resin cured with dicyanamide (DICY): MoldWiz®

INT-1322 and INT-1329. According to the com-pany, DICY-cured epoxies are by nature among the most tenacious in their bonding properties, prompting many manufacturers to search for more-effective ways to release DICY epoxy res-ins, compounds, prepregs and laminates.

MoldWiz INT-1322 and INT-1329 are proprietary synergistic blends, comprised of organic fatty amine and acid derivatives with surface active agents. The products are 100% active and generally effective at addition levels of 0.5-4.0% based on resin system weight and depend-ent on process, fillers etc., Axel reports. MoldWiz INT-1322 has been proven to have no impact on the cure kinetics of immidizole- or amine-accelerated DICY, the company claims. For non-accelerated DICY-cured epoxy resin, it offers INT-1329, which is formulated for the higher process temperatures associated with these DICY systems. Initial evaluations of the two new internal mould release additives indicate that they have a good pot life in resin mixes and provide good release from moulds and substrates, making them ‘equally suitable for use in epoxy resin, epoxy compounds and prepregs’, according to Axel. ‘In the past, many internal mould release formulations proved ineffective, often killing the cure of the DICY resin and leaving the polymer under-cured and tacky’, a company spokesman adds.

Founded in 1941, Axel is an ISO 9001 registered manufacturer of proprietary mould releases and process aid additives. According to the company, all of its prod-ucts are REACH compliant and formulated from raw materials that comply with major worldwide chemical regulatory lists.

Contact: Axel Plastics Research Laboratories Inc, Woodside, NY, USA.

Tel: +1 718 672 8300, Web: www.axelplastics.com

Ampacet unveils black effect masterbatches

US masterbatch firm Ampacet Corp has introduced Nuanced Blacks™, a new line

of effect masterbatches featuring black accentuated with ‘subtle plays’ of colour.

The masterbatch range comprises Apocalyptic Purple, Passion Crush, Machined Green, Hush Hush Gold, Shadowed Brown and Blued Mood. The combination of black with colour offers ‘dramatic, fresh complexity’ and adds mystery to a moulded part, according to Ampacet color insight manager Linda Carroll.

Established in 1937, Ampacet today operates 21 manufacturing sites located in 15 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe, as well as a number of technical and colour development centres. The company is headquartered in Tarrytown, NY, USA, and employs more than 1900 people worldwide.

Contact: Ampacet Corp, Tarrytown, NY, USA. Tel: +1 914 631 6600,

Web: www.ampacet.com

Trinity Resources offers new mineral reinforcing filler & extender for plastics

Newfoundland-based Trinity Resources Ltd has introduced a new series of inert mineral

reinforcing fillers and extenders – Altiplus™ and Altibright™. They are produced from the mineral pyrophyllite (hydrous aluminium silicate), which has the same monoclinic crystal structure as talc (hydrous magnesium silicate). The macrocrystal-line platelet materials have a high aspect ratio and provide a number of ‘excellent properties’ including high brightness, stiffness and chemical resistance, according to the company.

The physical properties of pyrophyllite are the same as talc, while chemical properties are similar to those of clay, Trinity says. Produced from a large deposit located in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, the company’s products are asbestos-free, and reportedly possess ‘consist-ently unique’ high dry brightness (Y 92-96) and high wet

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March 2013 Additives for Polymers3

brightness due to their low levels of iron oxide and other mineral impurities. According to Trinity, the products’ advantageous properties also include high levels of stiff-ness, impact and dimensional stability, combined with thermal stability, chemical resistance, low electrical con-ductivity and ease of dispersion.

Altiplus is produced from high-quality sorted ore to ensure consistency in physical properties, brightness and mineralogy, which makes it ideally suited for natural and colour-sensitive systems, the company claims. It can be used as a reinforcing additive in filled and reinforced poly-olefins, thermoplastic olefins (TPOs), thermoplastic elas-tomers (TPEs) and nylon, Trinity says. Comparative tests performed in an engineered polypropylene automotive compound are reported to have shown mechanical proper-ties and optical characteristics equivalent to those of high-purity Chinese talc. Altiplus grades are available in sizes ranging from 2 to 10 micron median and are supplied in 50-lb and semi-bulk bags. Altibright with 95-96 brightness is available in 1 and 2 micron median grades.

Trinity has appointed Brenntag Canada as its exclusive dis-tributor for the Canadian market, and Maroon Inc to cover the Great Lakes and Ohio areas in the USA. The company has also recently appointed Germany’s S&B Minerals to handle the distribution of its full product range in Northern Europe, and is seeking additional distributors for other regions.

Contact: Trinity Resources Ltd, 250 Minerals Road, Conception Bay

South, Newfoundland A1W5A2, Canada. Tel: +1 709 834 2186,

Fax: +1 709 834 8856, Email: sales@trinityresources.ca,

Web: www.trinityresources.ca

VTT aims to develop plastic composites containing peat fibre

In Finland, the VTT Technical Research Centre has developed methods and product innova-

tions to process the most rapidly renewable sur-face layer of peat instead of using it for energy production. The goal is to develop bio-based composite materials containing peat fibre, for example for the manufacture of consumer prod-ucts and construction materials, at the same time reducing the use of oil-based raw materials in production. The advantages of products con-taining peat fibre are their biological origin, low

cost, water resistance, impact strength, excel-lent fire endurance characteristics and biodegra-dability, according to VTT.

Through its various projects, the research organization has developed materials containing thermoplastic and panel-form peat fibre, as well as pre-processing methods suited to the fibres, it reports. Milled peat can be used as peat fibre because it contains several peat fractions and preferably long fibres, meaning it can function as both a filling material and a rein-forcing material in composite structures, VTT explains.

The amount of raw material necessary for composite prod-ucts would equate to a fraction of current peat production, which is a factor in support of its use in ecological products. Composite production is also an alternative to peat burning, and would preserve jobs in the peat industry.

According to VTT, materials containing peat fibre are suit-able for processing with conventional plastic processing meth-ods, such as compounding, extrusion and injection moulding. Currently no company in Finland is producing or exploiting these kinds of peat composite materials, it says. Material solutions containing peat fibre could be used in construction (boards, moulding, profiles, plate structures), product applica-tions in horticulture and in agriculture and forestry (seedling guards, planters, peat-coloured wall structures, plant sup-ports), consumer products (golf tees, ornaments), biodegrad-able packaging, earth-moving (erosion protectors, biodegrad-able support structures) and funerary products, it suggests.

VTT currently has three patent applications pending relat-ed to peat-containing biocomposites. The development work has been funded in part by the TULI project of the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes.

In related work, VTT researchers have also recently developed a kitchen furniture framework material from plastic polymers reinforced with natural fibre – where the reinforcement can be sawdust, pulp, flax, hemp or peat. The new material is reported to reduce raw materials con-sumption by 25–30% and the carbon footprint of produc-tion by 35–45%. It is significantly stronger than chipboard with excellent moisture resistance, VTT claims. The frames are lighter than those made from conventional materials by nearly a third because they contain more air, explains VTT’s research professor Ali Harlin. ‘Wastage during pro-duction is also reduced’, he says. According to Harlin, the framework would be compression moulded or extruded, resulting in a component of exact dimensions, which does not need to be cut or drilled after production.

VTT has developed the new framework material in cooperation with the Finnish kitchen fitments maker

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