Polymer Additives & Fillers

Compounders of plastics modify properties of a thermoplastic material by many other methods as well.Plastic compounds can be varied widely as to type and amount of these additives, and every modification produces a compound with different properties. Examples of thermoplastic products are polyethylene squeeze bottles, nylon gears and rollers, acrylic lenses, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) business-machine and appliance housings, polystyrene-foam cups, polycarbonate safety helmets and glazing sheet for bus windows, and polyphenylene sulfide chemical pumps and automotive underhood components.

• Suppliers of Polymer Additives
• Plastic Additives & Fillers Overview
• Polymer Additives: Their Affects and Purpose
• Polymer Additives: Products & Applications

• antimicrobials to control the build up of bacteria, Fungi and Algae on the surface
• antioxidants for higher temperature stability
• antistatics to prevent the build up of static electric charge
• fibers are added to increase strength and stiffness
• plasticizers for flexibility
• lubricants for easier molding or for increasing adhesion and viscosity of the molded parts
• UV stabilizers for resistance to sunlight
• fillers for economy
• flame retardants, smoke suppressants, and conductive fibers or flakes provide special properties for certain applications.

Additives also give specific properties to the finished products.

• Polyolefins such as Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) are simpler polymer structures do use additives such as UV and heat stabilizers, antioxidants and in some applications flame retardants.
• PVC is the most versatile of all plastics because of its blending capability with plasticizers, stabilizers and many other additives. This is important as all PVC polymers need heat stabilizers in order to be able to withstand the processing temperatures. Other additives are also used: rubbery polymers to give brittle PVC better impact strength, and fillers.
• Additives and formulation with copolymers provide varying properties to Polystyrene, already available commercially in 1930s. Furthermore, processing and finishing may give off styrene vapour which is the main degradation product. Reactive degradation products from additives are also created in low concentrations.