January 2011

Biocides for beating the bugs

Asian market trends analysed

Reviewing the latest mixers

Faster extruder turnarounds

contents
05 Industry news
page 9

09 Assessing Asia’s plastics compounding markets

Asia’s compounding industry continues to grow, but it has not been immune to the
global downturn. A new study from AMI identifies the key trends.

16 Winning the battle against bacteria

Lilli Sherman reviews the latest biocides and antimicrobials that are designed to
page 16

prolong the life of plastics and to help banish bacteria and disease.

24 Searching for the perfect mix

We look at the latest continuous and batch mixers from Farrel, Henschel, Mixaco, MTI,
Plas Mec and TPEI, which have a strong focus on saving energy.
page 24

30 Top tips for efficient twin-screw turnarounds

Aimplas changes the screws in its compounding extruders once per day. Luis Roca
Blay shares the organisation’s procedures for rapid turnarounds.

33 Biosourcing: the potential for green growth

Dr Sally Humphreys reports from the recent EuropaBio Forum in Scotland on the huge
page 33

potential for producing chemicals from biomass.

37 New products: machinery and equipment

38 New products: polymers and additives

page 38

40 Compounder of the Month: Colorant Chromatics

42 Dates for your diary

coming next issue

❙ Minerals in compounding ❙ Clarifiers and nucleating agents ❙ Plastics recycling technology
➤ Click here to make sure you get your copy

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Contributing editors: Lilli Sherman E-mail: editorial@compoundingworld.com
Nadya Anscombe E-mail: editorial@compoundingworld.com
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www.compoundingworld.com  January 2011 | compounding world 

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PolyOne buys Brazilian compounders
PolyOne has acquired Uniplen
Industria de Polimeros, a
leading Brazilian compounder
of engineered materials and a
distributor of thermoplastics.
The deal, which was an-
nounced on 3 January, is for
US$21 million cash upfront
with further payments over the
next three years based on
meeting performance targets.
Located in Sao Paulo,
Uniplen produces compounds
based on ABS, SAN, POM, PP
and PMMA. It had revenues of
US$34 million in 2010.
PolyOne’s acquisition of the
business follows its purchase
of Polimaster of Brazil in
Borealis eliminates
painting for Peugeot
Mexichem acquires AlphaGary
Mexichem has acquired the
AlphaGary thermoplastics
compounding business from
Rockwood Holdings for
US$300 million. The deal was
completed on 7 January.
Headquartered in Mexico,
Mexichem manufactures PVC
and related chemicals, and is
said to be the largest manu-
facturer of plastics pipes in
Latin America. It has sales of
www.compoundingworld.com 
October 2010. This small
specialty colour business is
located in Novo Hamburgo, Rio
Grande do Sul, and has a
turnover of US$4 million.
PolyOne’s president,
chairman and CEO, Stephen
Newlin said: “We now have
specialty engineered materials,
colour masterbatch and
distribution capabilities in
Brazil, providing the necessary
critical mass to serve our global
customers in the region”.
The company’s CFO, Robert
Patterson added: “We will
continue to seek opportunities
that increase our presence in
high-growth regions, such as
more than US$30 billion,
10,000 employees and 95
plants in 19 countries.
AlphaGary has compound-
ing plants in the USA, Canada
and the UK, manufacturing
materials for the wire and
cable industry, medical
applications and other uses. It
particularly focuses on PVC,
TPE and TPO compounds.
AlphaGary had net sales of
Stephen Newlin says
PolyOne is now positioned
to serve its global
customers in Brazil
Brazil, Asia and the Middle
East, as well as in attractive
end markets such as consum-
er and healthcare”.
l PolyOne has also announced
the opening of its new
innovation centre in Gaggenau,
Borealis has developed an
innovative PP compound with
a metallic effect for the front
grill on Peugeot’s restyled
206+ hatchback car. The
Daplen grade contains a
special pigment to produce
the required metallic appear-
ance without the need for
painting. High flow properties
help to reduce weld lines to a
minimum.
❙ www.borealisgroup.com
US$225 million for the 12
months to 30 September 2010
and US$33.5 million in
adjusted EBITDA.
Mexichem says that the
acquisition will deliver benefits
in terms of geographic
diversification, vertical integra-
tion, distribution channels,
new product development and
operational aefficiencies.
❙ www.mexichem.com
January 2011 | compounding world
news
Germany. It has invested more
than E1 million in the facility
which will provide customers
with materials development,
process optimisation and
colour matching services.
❙ www.polyone.com
Cereplast
opens in
Germany
Cereplast, the American
supplier of bioplastics
compounds, has opened its
European headquarters in
Bönen, Germany. It says
that the new office will
support the rapid expansion
of its operations in Europe.
The company’s chairman
and CEO, Frederic Scheer
says that Cereplast plans to
open a manufacturing plant
in Europe in 2012 with a
capacity of at least 90,000
tonnes/year. This is double
the size of its US facility.
Last year Cereplast
announced deals with
RI.ME of Italy for master-
batch production and with
Sezersan Ambalaj of Turkey
covering twist film.
❙ www.cereplast.com

 news
New US company formed
to make WPC compounds
A new company has been
established to produce wood-
plastic composite (WPC)
compounds and profiles in the
USA. Called Polymera, it has
acquired manufacturing
equipment that was going to
shipped offshore, plus a 15,000
m facility in Hebron, Ohio.
2
The company will supply
wood and natural composites
based on PVC, PP or PE as
agglomerates, compounds, or
as profiles produced using its
twin-screw extrusion lines. It
says that it will have the
capacity to produce more than
22,000 tonnes/year of standard
or custom-formulated WPC
compounds.
Polymera’s management
team has extensive plastics and
WPC experience. Its president,
Maan Said has a background of
more than 25 years in polymer
BASF to double Chinese
compounding capacity
BASF is planning to more than
double its compounding
capacity for engineering
plastics in China. It is adding
lines for processing PA and
PBT at its Pudong site that will
increase its capacity from
45,000 to 110,000 tonnes/year.
The expansion will be
carried out in two phases, with
the first scheduled to be
completed by 2013 and the
second by 2015. More than 50
new jobs will be created as a
result of the investment.
 compounding world | January 2011
Polymera’s Herb Hutchison
says that the company will
fill a gap in the WPC
compounds market
manufacturing and investment
banking. The new company’s
general manager, Herb
Hutchison has more than 30
years of plastics experience
and has been very active in
developing the WPC market,
most recently with Cincinnati
Milacron Extrusion. Matt Kollar
is vice president of engineering
and has 25 years of industry
experience, including the
BASF says that Asian
consumption of PA and PBT
compounds was more than
900,000 tonnes in 2010, with
China accounting for more
than half of this total. It adds
that demand for engineering
plastics in Asia is expected to
grow at about 8% per annum
over the next five years.
Hermann Althoff, senior
vice president of BASF’s
engineering plastics unit in
Asia Pacific, said: “In recent
years, we have successfully
opening of three WPC facilities.
“Our objective is to help
extrusion, injection and
compression moulding
companies that would like to
enter the WPC market but do
not yet have the volume to
justify very large investments
in upstream blending and
materials handling systems,”
explained Hutchison.
❙ www.polymera.com
developed many new applica-
tions for our customers in
China, especially in the
automotive and electrical/elec-
tronic industries. We are
convinced that we will continue
to drive this trend”.
BASF also has compound-
ing plants located in Malaysia,
South Korea and India. It says
that total capacity in Asia will
exceed 200,000 tonnes/year
when the Pudong expansion is
completed.
❙ www.basf.com
Teknor
adds line
in Texas
Teknor Apex is adding a
new twin-screw compound-
ing line at its plant in
Jacksonville, Texas, USA,
for the production of highly-
filled compounds, specialty
alloys and other advanced
formulations. The new line
is scheduled to be commis-
sioned this quarter and it
will have a capacity of 2,275
tonnes/year.
It will be the third line at
Teknor Apex’s Jacksonville
plant and it will be used by
the company’s Specialty
Compounding Division to
supply materials both direct
to processors and to other
suppliers on a toll com-
pounding basis.
“Versatility is a key
advantage of the new
Teknor Apex compounding
line at Jacksonville,” said
Stephan Pronovost, who is
business director for the
company’s Specialty
Compounding Division. The
extruder will have multiple
feed options and the ability
to handle a wide range of
fillers and fibre reinforce-
ments.
l Teknor Apex has also
announced that its plant in
St Albans, Vermont, USA,
has received ISO-13485 cer-
tification covering quality
management in medical
manufacturing. The facility
produces the company’s
Medalist TPE compounds
for medical applications.
❙ www.teknorapex.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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 Compounding in Asia | markets feature

Asia’s compounding industry continues to grow, but it has not been

immune to the global downturn and some markets are stronger
than others. A new study from AMI identifies the key trends

Assessing Asia’s plastics

compounding markets
Demand for compounds in Asia is estimated to have
reached nearly 11 million tonnes in 2010 with the
market having grown by nearly 7% on the previous year,
according to data from Applied Market Information
(AMI). Its database of more than 1,000 compounders in
Asia has recently been updated for a new report.
According to AMI, the sector experienced a slowdown
in its growth rate over the five-year period since it last
surveyed the market. Demand growth to 2010 averaged
5.5%/year compared with more than 9% in the previous
five year-period (2000-2005). The slowdown reflects the
impact of the global economic recession during 2008
and 2009, which put a halt on growth for many coun-
tries. In general, demand is being driven by the use of
compounds for building products (pipes and building
profiles), automotive components, household appli-
ances, electronic equipment, and wire and cable.
Colour trends Fast-track to
Colour compounds account for the largest share of the the future:
market at over 4.7 million tonnes for 2010. This is a Shanghai’s
particularly significant sector in Asia because of the large Nanjing Road is
consumption of styrenics (PS and ABS) for electrical and one of the
electronic products, toys and consumer goods. However, world’s busiest
some of the more modern ABS plants, particularly those shopping
in Taiwan and Korea, operate a continuous process which streets and is a
gives little or no background colour, compared with older beacon for
batch processes. This means that the processor can China’s growing
achieve greater consistency of colour using a master- domestic
batch or even powder pigments. It also means that the demand for
leading ABS producers in Asia are less involved in consumer
downstream compounding than their competitors in goods
North America and Western Europe.
As a result, growth in this sector has been slower
than for other compound products. In addition to a shift

www.compoundingworld.com  January 2011 | compounding world 

 markets feature | Compounding in Asia
Growing automotive production in the region is helping to drive
demand for compounds. India’s low-cost Tata Nano car has PP
bumpers and numerous ETP under-the-bonnet components
to masterbatch, the sector also suffered from weak
demand for many consumer products during 2008 and
2009, especially those manufactured for export. Another
feature of the market is that powder pigments still
dominate in many processing sectors, particularly toy
manufacturing in China, but also in other industries
where issues of quality or consistency may not be of a
major concern. There are lots of companies supplying
these pigment products which the processor then doses
directly into the moulding or extrusion equipment. This
method persists in Asia mainly on grounds of cost and
tends to be used in products which are for the local
market, rather than those destined for export.
Masterbatch movements
The use of masterbatch has been growing rapidly. It has
been one of the fastest growing sectors of the Asian
compounding industry with demand increasing from
around 575,000 tonnes in 2005 to more than 800,000
tonnes in 2010. Asia represents a diverse market for
masterbatch products with the individual countries
within it ranging from the highly sophisticated and well
developed, such as in Singapore, Taiwan and Korea, to
the relatively small but rapidly developing markets such
as Vietnam.
Methods of colouring vary widely, with tradition,
costs and availability all influencing what processors
may choose. However, there are a number of factors
which are working in favour of masterbatch and
contributing to its growing use. Firstly, many plastics
processors are supplying to Western or Japanese OEMs
which will have a very tight specification in terms of
colour-match and performance. These companies will
often tell the processor which masterbatch to use.
10 compounding world | January 2011
Secondly, even if Asian processors are not directly
supplying to a multinational OEM, many are supplying
export markets in the West and therefore need to
manufacture to the standards and quality that these
markets demand, which again favours masterbatch use.
Colour masterbatch accounts for the largest share of
total masterbatch demand (around 30%), followed by
black, white and then additive masterbatch.
Polyolefins push ahead
The polyolefin technical compound sector refers to
those materials which are filled or reinforced with
glass fibre or minerals, or modified with additives such
as flame retardants or UV stabilizers. Recent growth in
the market has been influenced by the increasing use
in automotive applications and the high level of
investment that has taken place in car manufacturing,
particularly in China. Compounds are used throughout
the car but particularly for front-end modules and
interior trim. The influence of Japanese OEMs has been
significant here as they tend to favour PP and the cost
pressures they have brought to bear have led to PP
replacing more expensive engineering resins in many
applications.
The other large market is in appliances and con-
sumer electronics. Growth in recent years has been
driven by increased penetration of PP compounds in
large consumer appliances such as washing machines
and dryers. The market has been growing rapidly driven
by the shift of Japanese manufacturing of these
products to China and by rising living standards
throughout the region creating increased demand for
these products.
There are also a wide variety of other applications
and markets, some unique to the Asian market. For
example, there is a demand for over 100,000 tonnes/
year of flame retardant PP compounds in China,
exclusively for the manufacture of Christmas tree
lights!
Engineering a change
Engineering polymer compounds include materials
such as ABS, polycarbonate, polyamide, PET/PBT and
acetals which have been modified with various types of
fillers or reinforcement agents. Typically these can be
carbon fibre, glass, minerals, elastomers or flame
retardants. All these different types have been showing
strong growth over recent years as polymers have
increasingly sought to displace traditional materials in
high-specification applications.
In Asia this has mainly been driven by the IT,
computer and mobile communications sectors, where
engineering compounds are used for housings for large
www.compoundingworld.com
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 markets feature | Compounding in Asia

'(&&& processors particularly in the pipe, flooring and cable

Ej^[hi sectors where the manufacturers tend to be using large
;d]_d[[h_d]YecfekdZi
J[Y^d_YWbfeboeb[\_dYecfekdZi volumes of resin. The “free” PVC compound market
'&&&& FL9YecfekdZi
CWij[hXWjY^
therefore tends to be primarily involved in manufactur-
9ebekhYecfekdZi ing special compounds particularly for injection
.&&& moulding, and for smaller processors in other sectors.
J^ekiWdZjedd[i

Overall, the market has been growing strongly, driven

,&&& largely by increased demand for building products,
packaging and wire and cable compounds.
*&&& Finally the “others” sector in this analysis covers
materials such as TPEs, polymer blends and alloys.
This area has been enjoying very strong growth having
(&&&
averaged 12% annual increases since 2005, despite the
recession, largely through growing use in automotive
& and mobile communication products.
(&&& (&&' (&&( (&&) (&&* (&&+ (&&, (&&- (&&. (&&/ (&'&

Growth in compound production in Asia 2000-2010 Leading countries

Source: AMI
and small appliances, consumer products and miscel-
laneous applications. Engineering compounds are also
widely used in automotive applications, such as engine
China’s and transmission parts, exterior components, instru-
manufacturing ment panels, interior and electrical parts and under-
dominance the-bonnet applications. The segment is characterized
creates major by increasing penetration of PA in these under-the-
markets for bonnet applications, PBT growth in the sectors
niche products. traditionally dominated by PA and competition for PA
For example, and PBT from PP in less critical components.
Christmas tree The flame-retardant grades of engineering com-
lights use more pounds find use in the electrical/electronic sector in
than 100,000 connectors, plugs, switches, lighting accessories and
tonnes/year of PCs. This part of the compound market has tended to
flame retardant grow at rates of around 7% per year since 2005 and
PP compounds demand for 2010 is estimated at around 1.8 million
tonnes. Increasingly the market is driven by automotive
developments.
Vinyl analysis
The production of PVC compounds tends to be quite
distinct from all the others, and companies
involved in compounding PVC do not generally
compound other polymers. Whilst all
PVC material has to be compound-
ed, a lot is done in-house by
The region is of course dominated by China which
accounted for two-thirds of compound consumed last
year in Asia. Although a vast national market, in reality
China is a series of regional markets that tend to have
quite differing characteristics. The nature of the market
is also changing as the focus of the economy shifts from
export-led to consumer-led growth. This is reflected in
growing demand for a range of consumer products for
the local market covering everything from cars to
washing machines.
China has a vast compounding industry and AMI’s
database contains information on over 500 major
companies. Markets in China are now characterised by a
growing degree of sophistication and increasing
competition. Although the industry in China was
impacted by the downturn in late 2008, the market
quickly recovered in 2009 as the government introduced
stimulus measures to maintain economic growth and
encourage consumer demand. These ensured that China
remains the main engine for growth in the Asian market.
South Korea is the second largest market accounting
for around 9% of compounding demand in 2010. It has a
well developed market as local processing is relatively
sophisticated, operating to Western standards. AMI’s
database lists over 60 companies, with many of the
leading players integrated into polymer production.
Taiwan is the other leading market although the
trend here has been for much slower growth as plastics

12 compounding world | January 2011 www.compoundingworld.com

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 Compounding in Asia | markets feature

processing has been relocating to the Chinese mainland

and elsewhere in Asia, limiting local demand for China accounted for two-thirds of compounded
compounds. In line with the trends in processing, thermoplastics consumed in Asia last year
Taiwanese companies have also been expanding their
production in China and elsewhere in the region.
Thailand is now nearly on a par with Taiwan in
terms of market requirements due to growing demand
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 additives feature | Antimicrobials and biocides
Lilli Sherman reviews the latest biocides and
antimicrobial additives that are designed to prolong
the life of plastics and help banish bacteria and disease
Winning the battle
against bacteria
The level of interest in biocides and antimicrobial
additives in plastics is at an all-time high and is poised
to grow still further. Key drivers include the traditional
Biosafe aim of providing longer lifetimes for plastics products
additives by protecting them from fungi, bacteria, mould and
exhibit their mildew. Plus there is the major trend of incorporating
effectiveness in antimicrobials in hygienic products designed to stop the
the bottom spread of bacteria and disease, particularly in hospitals
sample of this and healthcare facilities, as well as other public places
laboratory test. and in the home.
The control Kathy Hall, director of marketing at Microban
sample (top) International, notes that ‘hospital acquired infections’
without Biosafe (HAIs) are a serious health threat associated with
shows micro- approximately 100,000 deaths per year in the USA alone.
bial colony Secondary infections following surgery are a major
forming units contributor to increased healthcare costs and experts
estimate the cost of HAIs to be in excess of US$20
billion. As a result, medical device manufactur-
ers are increasingly searching for
innovative technology solutions to help
reduce the rate of secondary infections.
The two major growth market
sectors for antimicrobials in plastics
continue to be healthcare and
consumer goods. Donald
Wagner II, vice president of
business development at
Biosafe, highlights the diversity
of applications in the latter.
Examples are as varied as
household appliances, water-filter
16 compounding world | January 2011
components and
countertops, through to
automotive interiors and
also wood-plastic composites.
Meanwhile, the traditional organic biocides continue
to be used in large volumes, with OBPA (oxybisphenox-
arsine), which is primarily used in flexible PVC, still
accounting for nearly two-thirds of the biocide con-
sumption in plastics. But things are changing. OBPA’s
growth continues to be restricted by ill-perceived
concerns about its organic arsenic content, which is
known to be far less toxic than the more familiar
inorganic arsenic. The other two primary series of
biocides, OIT and DCOIT, are now being made in new
non-phthalate versions by the likes of Akcros.
There are also issues regarding OBPA’s future use in
Europe, driven primarily by the Biocidal Product Directive
98/8/EC, which aims to harmonise the European market
for biocidal products and their active substances. Emilia
Schmid, industry manager biocides at International
Specialty Products (ISP), explains: “The goal is to
enhance human health and safety for the environment by
the use of biocides in EU and EFTA states. The principle
is to assess existing and new active substances used in a
range of biocidal applications (23 different product types).
If the active substance/product type combination has
been assessed as safe for use, biocidal products
consisting of this active substance may be registered
under EU level. Safe use of an active substance/product
type combination is linked with a BPD Annex I inclusion,
which has a two-year window for applicants to register
www.compoundingworld.com
existing biocidal products within the EU.”
According to Schmid, there is recent evidence that
OBPA in not likely to be included in BPD Annex I and its
use is likely to be limited or excluded from the Biocide
Product Directive within the next 18 to 24 months. “Today
the market has a choice of other biocides, which show
equal or even superior performance than OBPA and at the
same time are heavy-metal free, in particular, arsenic-
free, and subsequently do not cause an additional risk to
human health and the environment,” she adds.
ISP offers its Plastiguard and Fungitrol antimicrobials,
available in powder, pellet or liquid forms, as ‘cost-
effective’ alternatives to OBPA and DCOIT/OIT. Based on
either folpet or IPBC, these organic additives are metal-
and phthalate-free. In addition to performing well against
microorganisms, they have been shown to meet the
physical properties required in high-performance plastics
and special application technologies, according to ISP.
The company also claims that the additives offer
thermal and UV stability, resist leaching, and have been
shown to offer long-term efficacy in both indoor and
outdoor applications. In addition, they can be used in a
wide range of polymers, including TPUs, styrenics, PVC,
polyolefins, TPOs, PC, acrylics, and WPCs.
Another new-generation, non-toxic, permanent
organic-based antimicrobial additive that has been
getting increasing play within its two-year commercial
presence is Biosafe HM-4100 from Biosafe. Based on a
cationic quaternary ammonium salt, it is a crystalline
powder based on polymer technology that is thermally
stable in injection moulding and extrusion. It has been
www.compoundingworld.com 
positioned as a relatively low-cost alternative to silver- ISP’s Fungitrol
based antimicrobials (about 25-50 cents/lb versus 75 and Plastiguard
cents to $1.50/lb with typical usage levels of 0.25% to phthalate-free
0.50%). Last October, the US Patent Office issued Biosafe biocides can be
an allowance for a composition of matter patent on the used in PVC
siloxane polymer that is the keystone to the company’s and TPOs. They
proprietary technology. Commercial applications include are UV-stable
medical devices, portable electronics, computer and resist pink
keyboards, building products and sporting goods. The staining and
plastics used include PMMA , POM, PEBA and TPU. yellowing
Biosafe has been shown to provide a durable surface
treatment that protects against contamination by
bacteria, mould, mildew and fungi without migrating or
leaching or discoloration. According to Wagner, it has
also demonstrated effectiveness against harmful
bacteria and viruses in medical products. Among the
microbes involved in tests required for submission to
the US FDA were MRSA, VRE, Influenza A and staphylo-
coccus aureus. In protecting against the latter, for
example, Biosafe has demonstrated a “kill” in excess of
99.999% within five minutes - far faster that the
industry standard of a 24-hour test.
RTP Company is the ‘preferred’ compounder to
produce Biosafe HM-4100 masterbatches. According to
colour & additives marketing specialist Mike Chappell,
its use has been primarily in TPU consumer and
medical applications.
Silver continues to shine
Global demand for the inorganic, silver-based anti-
microbial additive systems continues to grow at a rapid
January 2011 | compounding world 17
 additives feature | Antimicrobials and biocides

Agion’s silver- higher cost and that they generally make plastics
based anti- difficult to colour. RTP provides both masterbatches and
microbials are compounds that incorporate antimicrobials as well as
being used to colorants, flame-retardant and wear-resistant addi-
protect the tives, so is well placed to comment on the progress
clear PC tubes being made in this area. Chappell explains: “We work
in bird-feeders with various suppliers of silver-based antimicrobials
made by Wild and we find that most of these additives have come a
Birds Unlimited long way. For example, there is a dramatic improvement
in colourability. We are also seeing efficiency improve-
ments.” He notes that whereas previous recent
guidelines with these additives called for typical use
levels of 1% to 2% active silver additive, many of today’s
products allow for use levels of 0.5% and even less,
depending on the application.
“Our approach is to incorporate these antimicrobials
in accordance with the customer’s specific application
and associated EPA and/or FDA regulations”, adds
Chappell. “We do testing based on a range of additive
use levels, which often leads to savings for the custom-
er. We have seen a huge interest in antimicrobial
masterbatches and compounds, starting with the
medical/hospital sector, but also for applications in
public spaces, such as hand rails and consumer goods
including hand-held electronic devices as OEMs aim to
differentiate their products.”
rate with an estimated annual growth above 10%. The Commenting on the higher pricing of silver-based
products include colloidal silver, silver salts, silver antimicrobials, Agion’s Geary notes that as suppliers’
zeolite/ion exchange resins, complex glasses containing volumes go up, lower prices can be expected. He says
metal ions, and nanosilvers. the company is currently creating cost savings by
Joseph Geary, vice president of professional assisting its customers. A key example is the medical
services at Agion Technologies, explains: “We have had arena. “The time and effort involved coupled with more
a broad interest in silver-based antimicrobials across- stringent FDA regulations make this a tough market. As
the-board in all our markets, despite the recessionary a result, we formed a new Medical Device Market
economy”. Such products are very effective at continu- Acceleration Program (MedMAP), that is designed to
ously inhibiting the growth of all types of bacteria, effectively accelerate this process. We believe we are
mould and fungi. Moreover, they are used in a very among the first antimicrobial additives suppliers
wide range of plastics, including all currently to offer such a program in which
the major commodity and we partner with our customers in the
engineering thermoplastics. medical/hospital arena from the initial
Their high-temperature stability development and design stages all the way
Toy manufac- is a key factor in their versatility. to testing for FDA approval.”
turer Verdes is Geary, notes that Agion’s custom- Applications in this area include PVC
using Agion ised products incorporate silver and TPU catheters; PTFE extruded
silver-based ions in a zeolite crystal carrier, products such as tubing; and, newer
additives to which makes them highly compat- applications such as injection-moulded
provide ible with nearly all plastics and they PC needleless connectors or valves for
antimicrobial are touted for their ion exchange intravenous systems. There is also
protection for process which controls the release increased interest in similar valves made
its foamed of the silver as needed, thus of TPU or PVC. Brand new applications
LLDPE play and extending a product’s life. that are now undergoing testing include
learning Disadvantages traditionally cited PEEK implants for spinal injuries.
shapes for silver-based additives is their Agion antimicrobial additives are also

18 compounding world | January 2011 www.compoundingworld.com

 The international conference and exhibition for the plastic cable industry

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 additives feature | Antimicrobials and biocides
PolyOne brushes away problems
PolyOne worked with a well-known manufacturer of private
label toothbrushes and dental care products for national chain
drug stores to help it overcome production problems it was
experiencing in its moulding operations. At the time it was using
antimicrobial additives that required high let-down ratios.
PolyOne successfully developed antimicrobial formulations that
performed well at lower loadings for both clear and opaque
toothbrushes. It also designed a universal carrier that works
across a variety of olefins, elastomers and other resins. The
lower let-down ratios represent a 30% cost saving, equivalent to
US$30,000. In addition, lead times have been reduced enabling
the customer to improve management of inventory levels.
getting more use in components for water filters and
tubing for ice machines. The outside of these machines’
funnels are typically made of PVC or TPU with HDPE,
ABS or PC on the inside which ideally should be treated
with antimicrobials in order to eliminate biofilm build-
up on their surfaces, explains Geary.
In the consumer goods arena, Agion reports on
brand new applications including the “very successful”
launch of new bird-feeders from Wild Birds Unlimited.
These integrate antimicrobial protection in the clear PC
feeder tube, preventing fungus build-up and extending
the life of the product. Another recent application is in
foamed LLDPE play and learning shapes from the toy
manufacturer Verdes.
Thomas Research Associates (TRA) has been also
working is some new applications areas. The company’s
regulatory affairs manager Tom Aroella reports on a
programme of greenhouse films treated with the TRA’s
Ultra-Fresh silver-based antimicrobial technology that
was successfully launched in Greece a year ago. These
films are composed of three layers, each with different
properties that give the final product superior qualities.
The inclusion of the Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial treat-
ment in the two outer layers has been shown to keep
the film free of mildew, despite the high humidity inside
the greenhouse. This creates better growing conditions
by allowing the light in and preventing fungal contami-
nation problems. TRA hopes to expand the application
outside of Greece this year, according to Aroella.
Another program also started last year involves
the incorporation of TRA’s Ultra-Fresh treat-
ments in plastic electrical conduit used to run
cables along the baseboard of hospitals,
clinics and other similar facilities.
“There is a desire among commercial and
institutional customers for products with
20 compounding world | January 2011
antimicrobial protection to help keep public and work
areas cleaner longer,” explains Aroella. “Specific
applications include washroom fixtures, handles,
switches, chair handles, tables, counter surfaces and
building materials such as wall coverings. People are
becoming more critical about their immediate environ-
ment and wanting it to be clean and this is reflected in a
growing demand for products that will assist in doing
just that.”
TRA is currently working with a number of appliance
manufacturers who are looking to provide added value
in their products by introducing Ultra-Fresh protection,
according to Aroella. Another application where Ultra-
Fresh treatment has been used is in artificial turf. In
addition to treating the underside to provide antifungal
protection, there have been more recent moves to
provide antibacterial protection for the playing surface
which is exposed to players’ sweat and spit.
Aroella says that in the past year TRA has obtained
food-contact and potable-water use approvals for a
number of its silver-based antimicrobials. In addition,
TRA is actively working in the US Silver Task Force
which was formed to respond to the EPA’s review of all
silver antimicrobials.
Mixed and synergistic technologies
Within the past year, Microban has been working on
technologies to help medical device manufacturers
address the important issue of secondary infections.
“Our experience with a broad range of antimicrobial
technologies and materials puts us in a unique position
to be able to help medical device manufacturers get to
market more quickly with more effective technologies,”
claims Dr. Ivan Ong, vice president of R&D for Microban.
The company says that it has recently made signifi-
cant advances in the development of ‘synergistic
www.compoundingworld.com
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 additives feature | Antimicrobials and biocides
PolyOne is antimicrobial technologies’ for use in silicone and POM.
targeting Class These materials are commonly used in catheter tubing
I, II and III and connector components, and are said to be a frequent
medical source of hospital-acquired infections. Laboratory results
devices plus using these antimicrobial technologies demonstrate a
medical significant reduction in the growth of harmful bacteria
packaging and that are commonly the cause of HAIs, says Dr. Ong.
other health- PolyOne has expanded its healthcare solutions
care applica- portfolio with the introduction of WithStand antimicro-
tions with its bial technology, initially launched in the US last May.
WithStand The new additives technology was developed to provide
antimicrobial antimicrobial characteristics to Class I, II, and III
technology medical devices, medical packaging and other health-
care-related applications. The company’s global
healthcare marketing director Larry Johnson says that
the serious issue of microbe growth in healthcare
settings has led to manufacturers looking for ways to
combat surface microbe growth on plastic parts in
medical devices, hospital furnishings and other
healthcare applications.
The WithStand technology is offered as an additives
concentrate or as a built-in component in compounds
for healthcare applications. PolyOne can produce
custom-formulations using organic and inorganic
antimicrobial technologies. These include several silver-
ion based additives, silane-based products, nano-silver
particles, triclosan, copper, and other organic additives.
Moreover, the technology is designed to deliver perform-
ance across a broad spectrum of resins ranging from
specialty engineered thermoplastics to PVC compounds
and thermoplastics elastomers such as TPUs.
The company’s aim is to provide customers with a
‘one-stop’ solution that simplifies the material selection
and development process they need to navigate to meet
performance and regulatory requirements, according to
22 compounding world | January 2011
Johnson. More specifically, PolyOne WithStand services
aim to reduce time to market and help to maintain quality
levels for products that require antimicrobial protection.
Already available in America and Europe, WithStand
technology will be launched in Asia in March.
Akcros Chemicals has continued to strongly promote
its isothiazolinone-based biocides for the plastics
market with Intercide OBF and Intercide DBF, based on
OIT and DCOIT respectively. They are now offered in
both phthalate and non-phthalate liquid forms. Dean
Nichols, EU biocides product manager, explains: “We
continue to see a growing trend towards the non-
phthalate carriers, but also an interest in pelletized-
based biocides. They are more costly to produce but
they are inherently safer to handle for the customer
than liquid biocides”. As a result, Akcros developments
in 2010 included DCOIT as well as zinc pyrithione in EVA
carrier pellet form. These can be used in PVC and also
other extruded plastics applications as the lower
temperatures of extrusion ensure better stability of the
active ingredient.
The most recent project has been to examine DCOIT
in an LDPE pellet. “This broadens the applications for
these Akcros biocides beyond our traditional PVC
market into other areas of increasing demand, such as
specialized roofing materials”, explains Nichols. “Our
non-plastics business continues to grow, but proposed
EU legislation changes underway (under biocidal
product regulation product type 09) will now enable us to
use the algicides on our Intercide TB and DN for specific
plastics applications.” Previously, these would only be
permitted for coating applications (product type 07).
Akcros has also been enhancing its technical
support in this area. It introduced a new microbiological
facility at its Eccles, UK, plant in 2009. Since then,
demand has continued to increase including work on
non-PVC plastics applications, so the biocide laboratory
facilities are being upgraded with extra equipment and
staff. “This service has proved very valuable for many
customers that want to closely examine the interaction
of several raw materials in a formulation on a final
product’s heat stability, colour, bond strength or
microbiological efficacy,” explains Nichols.
Click on the links for more information:
❙ www.agion-tech.com
❙ www.akcros.com
❙ www.biosafe.com
❙ www.ispcorp.com
❙ www.microban.com
❙ www.polyone.com
❙ www.rtpcompany.com
❙ www.ultra-fresh.com
www.compoundingworld.com
 market information

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 machinery round-up | Focus on mixers

Searching for the perfect mix

Mixer manufacturers have been busy developing new machinery to deliver high-quality homogenous products quickly, effectively
and more efficiently. On the following pages we look at the latest products from a selection of leading suppliers. They include a
number of innovative continuous and batch mixers that made their debut at the K show in Düsseldorf in October/November last year.

Mixaco makes savings

for Salamander
Mixaco Maschinenbau has announced
that the first customer for its innovative
EC Revolution cooling mixer is Salaman-
der Industrie Produckte. A heating-
cooler mixer systems using an EC
Revolution is being installed at Salaman-
der’s PVC profile plant in Papenburg,
Germany, this month – January 2011.
According to Mixaco, the cooling
mixer breaks new ground because it
doesn’t need tools as it is equipped with
water-cooled modular cooling elements.
This design improves energy efficiency
and simplifies maintenance. Salamander
is expecting energy savings of up to
E10,000 per year from the EC Revolu-
tion, helping to give a short payback on
its investment.
The cooling mixer rotates around its
horizontal axis and is gentle on materi-
als. The optimised water flow and the
large interior cooling elements create a
larger cooling area than that found in
conventional cooling mixers. It also
reduces the cooler’s size and power
requirements.
❙ www.mixaco.de
Mixaco’s EC Revolution cooling
mixer has been selected by
Salamander for PVC treatment

Farrel adds CP550 for customer trials

Farrel, which is part of the HF
Mixing Group, has installed
one of its next-generation
CP550 Compact Processors at
its laboratory in the UK for
customer trials and develop-
ments. The complete line
features gravimetric feeders
and a choice of a strand die
system or a Gala underwater
pelletizer for compound
granulation.
The machine is the latest
addition to its CP Series II
range and it boasts a number
of refinements compared to
the original CP 550. These are
designed to enhance the line’s
production capacity,
processing capabilities and
operational life. Its capacity
is typically in the range of
350 to 700 kg/hour,
depending on the formula-
tion and the required
mixing intensity.
The CP550 consists of a
twin-rotor Farrel Continu-
ous Mixer (FCM) that feeds into
a single-stage hot-feed
extruder or an optional two-
stage vented barrel. The
integrated system can be used
to demonstrate product quality
and processing conditions that
can be directly scaled up from
a test environment to the
production line.
Farrel says that the CP550
is particularly suited to the
production of black, white and
mineral-filled masterbatches,
PVC compounding and other
applications that require high
intensity mixing.
❙ www.hf-mixinggroup.com

24 compounding world | January 2011 www.compoundingworld.com

 This Combiwood HC system from
Plas Mec can be used for making
Plas Mec mixes up
wood and plastics
Plas Mec of Italy has developed
a range of mixer systems for
the production of wood-plastic
composites (WPCs). The
company’s WPC Series
machines can be configured for
the production of PVC-based
WPC dry-blends or polyolefin-
based WPC agglomerates.
They increase the bulk
density of the compounds,
extract the moisture from the
wood fibres and ensure good
distribution of additives. The
latter can include colour
pigments, UV stabilisers,
flame retardants and biocides.
Moisture levels of up to 16%
can be reduced to residual
levels of less than 1%.
The systems for compound-
ing PVC-based products have a
heating mixer, typically operat-
ing at 120-130˚C, coupled with
a cooling mixer with a double-
jacketed vessel.
Systems for producing
WPCs based on PE or PP can
www.compoundingworld.com
WPCs based on PVC or PE/PP
be based on a heating mixer,
operating at around 160-170˚C,
combined with an air cooling
system to produce an agglom-
erate with a maximum particle
size below 10 mm. Alterna-
tively, a heating and cooling
mixer with a chopper can be
used to produce a similarly
sized agglomerate.
The systems for both PVC
and PE/PP are all built around
Plas Mec’s TRM/FV heating
mixers which are offered with
total capacities of 100 to 2,000
litres.
The Combiwood HC system
for PVC or PE/PP adds an HEC
cooling mixer, while the
Combiwood RFV features an
RFV cooling mixer and can
also handle the same range of
materials. The Combiwood HW
system is specifically for PE/
PP-based WPCs and features a
TRM/FV along with an RWP air
cooling system.
❙ www.plasmec.it
 PVC Formulation 2011
Market trends and technical developments in PVC additives and compounding

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 Focus on mixers | machinery round-up

MTI focuses on energy

MTI Mischtechnik used the recent K 2010
exhibition to promote its Eco-Line heating/
cooling mixer and its innovative Cool Tec
cooling mixer, both designed to minimise
energy consumption. They can be used to
produce dry blends and wood-plastic
composite compounds cost effectively but
without compromising product quality.
The Eco-Line machines are designed
for batch sizes from 60 to 1,000 kg and can
be used for throughputs up to 7,500 kg/h.
Typical applications include the com-
pounding of rigid PVC for pipe and profiles,
or highly-filled flexible PVC formulations.
MTI’s other new launch is the Cool Tec
system, a cooling mixer for a wide range
of polymer applications. It is a built
around a new cooling technology
developed in conjunction with
Reisner, a leading manufac-
turer of cooling and
refrigeration equipment.
This is claimed to give a 30%
higher cooling capacity than
MTI’s standard equipment, and
helps to deliver energy
savings of up to 25%. MTI’s Eco-Line heating/cooling mixer
❙ www.mti-mixer.de can process PVC at up to 7,500 kg/h

TPEI adds lab-scale continuous mixer

Technical Process and
Engineering Inc (TPEI) of the
USA has developed a lab-scale
version of its FR Free Rotor
Mixer line for compounding
applications. The 1FRE line
includes an E-mixer and J-
Block Feed Throat extruder
arranged in a T-formation to
align the mixer discharge to
the screw.
It has been launched in
response to customer requests
for smaller lot sizes, particu-
larly when compounding high-
cost materials such as
nanocomposites, bio-based
plastics and medical grade
compounds. Users can use the
1FRE to carry out trials with as
little as 1 lb (0.45 kg) of
material or to achieve
continuous production rates up
to 50 lb/h (23 kg/h).
The mixer has three zones
of cooling and heating, while
the extruder has two zones of
heating and cooling. The
combined system can process
a wide range of thermoplastics
and rubbers and is particularly
suited to achieving high fill
rates up to 90%, according to
the company.
Designed to run with 240 V
single-phase power, the mixer
can be simply wheeled into
position for ease of installation
and it can be set up for either
strand or underwater pelletiz-
ing. Alternatively, material can
be taken direct from the mixer
for moulding into plates.
TPEI says that configuration
changes can be done in 30
minutes for multiple trial runs,
and the line has direct scale-
up to larger compounding
lines with capacities as high as
15,000 lb/h (6,800 kg/h).
❙ www.tpei.com

Fighting friction and winning the war against wear

Europe/Africa/Asia/Australia North & South America

Superior Graphite Europe Ltd Superior Graphite Company
Box 13000 10th South Riverside Plaza, Suite 1470
S-85013 Sundsvall Sweden Chicago, Illinois, 60606, USA
Tel: +46 60 14 41 18 Tel: +1 312 559 2999
Fax: +46 60 13 41 28 Fax: +1 312 559 9064
customerserviceEU@superiorgraphite.com customerserviceUSA@superiorgraphite.com
www.superiorgraphite.com
 machinery round-up | Focus on mixers
Henschel boosts efficiency
Henschel Mixing Technology
used K 2010 to highlight its
latest developments designed
to increase the efficiency of
mixing processes. The
company, which is a division of
Zeppelin Reimelt, showed two
new machines - its EFF 1700
horizontal cooler mixer for
PVC dry-blends and the CMI
container mixer for products
such as masterbatches and
ABS. Both have been opti-
mised for maximum opera-
tional and energy efficiency.
The EEF 1700 achieves its
efficient cooling performance
thanks to a newly designed
vessel systems and cooled
mixing tool with enlarged
surfaces. The complete inner
chamber of the mixer and the
mixing tool are equipped with a
double-walled heat exchanger.
A special laser welding
technique followed by forming
and inflating processes are
used to create the Thermplate
mixing vessel with its double-
wall plate system for heat
The CMI container mixer
reduces cleaning costs and
times for sensitive products
28 compounding world | January 2011
transfer. Water, steam and
thermal oils can be used as the
temperature-control medium.
There are three cooling
circuits located in the vessel
itself, in the side walls, the lid
and the spiral tool. The various
double-walled chambers are
quickly cooled by the “turbu-
lent” cooling system. In
addition, the patented mixing
tool is designed to offer an
increased surface area for
cooling.
The vessel is completely
manufactured from stainless
steel and can withstand
pressures up to 10 bar.
Polished surfaces in the
product chamber help to
prevent caking.
The horizontal cooler mixer
can be operated as a single
machine or integrated into an
existing production line. It has
also proved its effectiveness in
the manufacturing of PVC. The
production of PVC dry-blends
requires blending the polymer
with fillers and additives in a
heating mixer, followed by
subsequent cooling in a
downstream cooling mixer.
Because of cooling capacity
Henschel’s latest horizontal cooling mixer
provides efficient production of PVC
and time requirements, the
cooling mixer has typically
been 2.5 times the size of the
heating mixer. Henschel says
that the efficiency of its design
allows a considerably smaller
cooling mixer to be used.
In addition, the company
points out that the geometry of
the vessel, mixing tool and
discharge outlet have been
designed to provide short filling
and discharge times. These
allow ten batches per hour to
be achieved, instead of seven.
Henschel’s other new
product, the Container Mixer
Inliner (CMI), was developed to
reduce set-up and cleaning
times in the paint industry,
but it can also be used for
other applications such as
mixing ABS or master-
batches. It uses a plastic
bag as an inner liner. This
can be used for multiple
mixes leading up to the
next colour change, or it
can be used for each batch
as the packaging for the
mixed product. The system
is particularly useful for
products where cleaning
dry-blends
is critical as the costs
associated with this can be
reduced considerably.
The 75 litre container has an
effective capacity of 60 litres,
enabling quick and reliable
processing of batches of 25-30
kg. The patented mixing
method involves a rotating
mixing tool that is supported by
the counter-revolving mixing
drum at an inclination of 120˚.
The mixing container has a
honeycomb structure to
improve the clinging effect of
the rotating container, quickly
delivering homogenised
product simply through the
rotation of the container.
Cleaning can be carried out
easily and quickly. A dry
cleaning process will be
sufficient for most recipe and
colour changes, with more
thorough wet cleaning used at
a later stage. The shaft seal
has been designed for single-
use to avoid contamination,
while the mixing head can be
turned through 90˚ for easy
operator access.
❙ www.reimelt-henschel.com
www.compoundingworld.com
 TPEI Compounding Lines
Featuring Free Rotor™ Continuous
Mixers & J-Block™ Extruders

For over 25 years TPEI has

been in the forefront of
innovation in the design and
manufacture of state-of-the-
art compounding machinery
for the plastics and rubber
processing industries.

High Output, Low Maintenance Compounding Lines

• E-mixer™ designs for hard to feed and fluffy materials.
• Patented sealing arrangement for mixer.
• Fully automated grease lubricated and water cooled bearing blocks.
• Proprietary J-Block™ extruder technology.
• T-orientation of mixer to extruder.
• Ubangi™ flow channels used in extruder dies and adaptors.
• Compounding rates from 50lbs/h to 15,000 lbs/h.

 24/7 Service & Technical Support 

Whatever your needs, if we don’t stock it, we’ll build it!

892 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive West

Lehighton, PA 18235
Ph: (570) 386-4777
Fax: (570) 386-4120
Email: tpeguest@ptd.net
www.tpei.com
 processing feature | Cleaning lab compounders
1 2
Aimplas changes the screws in its lab compounders once per day
on average. Its head of compounding Luis Roca Blay shares
the organisation’s procedures for rapid turnarounds
Top tips for efficient
twin-screw turnarounds
1: Screws Lab-scale twin-screw co-rotating extruders are widely
completely used by companies, universities and research centres to
dirty after develop new formulations. They can produce compounds
working with very good properties, close to those obtained with
2: Screws and industrial-size extruders, but at a much lower cost
venting plugs because of savings in materials, time and manpower.
after pyrolysis The main twin-screw extruder manufacturers cater
for this market with machines with screw diameters
typically between 16 and 27 mm (a number of new
developments in this market were covered in last
month’s Compounding World).
These machines are designed for quick modifica-
tions of the screw configuration to identify the optimum
design for particular applications. Such fine-tuning of
the machine and the formulation would be extremely
time-consuming and costly on an industrial-scale
compounding line.
At Aimplas, the Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico,
located in Valencia, Spain, we have three lab-scale
machines and on average we make six to eight screw
changes per week. Because of these frequent changeo-
vers, we have implemented a screw cleaning protocol.
This ensures that once one set of trials is finished, the
30 compounding world | January 2011
screw can be easily disassembled and prepared for the
next project with the minimum waste of time.
Step-by-step process
The first step is to purge the machine, especially if we
have been working with technical materials that can
degrade quickly if they are kept within the barrel.
Another problem that can appear is the formation of a
thin frozen layer stuck to the screw surface, making the
screw elements very difficult to disassemble.
To avoid these problems, it is recommended to purge
with an appropriate purging material, typically selected
to suit the processing temperatures of the material to
be purged. An alternative is to use high-viscosity LDPE
or a highly filled material, such as PS or LDPE, to purge
the extruder – their abrasive action will remove most of
the contamination.
Once the screw is purged, it should be possible
disassemble it relatively easily. However, there are
occasions where the material penetrates to the shaft
and the upstream screw elements become blocked.
This can happen when the screws are worn or when
processing highly-filled compounds, creating high
www.compoundingworld.com
 Cleaning lab compounders | processing feature

3 4

5 6

pressures and viscosities. In such cases, and where
very high levels of screw cleaning are required, we can
raise the barrel temperatures to 425˚C (after checking
that the screws are designed to handle such tempera-
tures!). This can create a type of in-situ pyrolysis for two
hours. We can also use pyrolysis ovens where the
dimensions of the components allow this. After that the
screw is completely free of plastic and has cooled down,
disassembly can take place.
After the second step of disassembly, the third step
in the process is cleaning. This is very important
because if each screw element is not thoroughly
cleaned then we can waste a lot of time. For example, if
the contact faces are not perfectly cleaned, then they
can create gaps where the plastic can penetrate to the
shaft, making the next disassembly difficult. In addition,
contamination of the contact faces can cause misalign-
ment of the elements, leading to potential damage.
Another important consideration during the cleaning
step is the hollow part of the screw element. It is quite
common to have degraded particles that have solidified
here and hinder or prevent the sliding of the screw
element along the shaft. We have two methods for dealing
with this problem. The first is using some soft metal 3: Hand brush
brush to rub each screw element removing the contami- cleaning
nants until it is clean enough. We can also use a hand drill 4: Circular
with a circular brush to clean out the hollow centre. brush cleaning
An alternative method is to immerse all the screw 5: Screws after
elements and other dirty components, such as venting ultrasonic bath
plugs, in an ultrasonic bath with some cleaning agents for 6: Shaft
one hour. After that, the screw elements will be com- lubrication
pletely cleaned and ready for easy assembly (image 5). before
The final step is assembly. We recommend using assembly
diagrams to simplify screw assembly. It is also impor-
tant to check that the screw configuration is compatible
with parts such as venting plugs, and to confirm this
during the design phase rather than during assembly. It
is also very important to paint both shafts with the
adequate grease (image 6) to help the assembly process
and especially the subsequent disassembly.
About the author
Luis Roca Blay is head of compounding at Aimplas,
located in Valencia, Spain. The organisation carries out
R&D relating to plastics materials and processes.
❙ www.aimplas.es

www.compoundingworld.com  January 2011 | compounding world 31

 Changing dynamics
in world supply and demand

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The potential for producing chemicals from biomass
was examined by an impressive array
of leading companies who gathered at the
recent EuropaBio Forum. AMI’s
Dr Sally Humphreys reports
from Edinburgh, Scotland
Biosourcing: the potential
for green growth
The great growth potential of green technology in the
chemical industry was clear to see at the recent Europa-
Bio Forum in Edinburgh, Scotland. Climate change and
diminishing supplies of oil are driving the industry to
look at ways to reduce its global reliance on petroleum.
Stephan Tanda of the managing board of DSM
described history as repeating itself – the planet was
dependent on agriculture in the past and will be so
again when oil runs out. “We are on the verge of a
transformation from a petroleum-based economy to a
bio-based economy,” he said. The Europe 2020 strategy
from the European Commission calls for growth that is
smart and sustainable. And by the year 2020 biotech-
nology should be much more profitable with an
estimated E6 billion of value in the bioplastics market.
Government biofuel mandates and targets in the US
are driving biorefinery development. The biofuel market
has been a big driver of production of bioethanol as an
alternative to petrol. This can be taken further, for
example ethanol can be dehydrated to produce ethylene
www.compoundingworld.com 
Green chemistry | event report
monomers: Braskem is making this process a reality Green
with a new polyethylene production plant using sugar chemistry is
cane feedstock. It is just one example of how the being taken
chemical industry is looking to renewable sourcing of very seriously
standard products using biotechnology. by the major
However, the European industry will need govern- chemical
ment policy in place to reassure venture capitalists that companies and
the billions of Euros needed to develop new plants will a growing range
be a secure investment. In a recent Bloomberg study, of plastics will
the main barrier for biotechnology was the perceived be produced
investment risk. The European Investment Bank has from biomass in
funds set aside for risk sharing in innovative projects. the future
However, Dr Michael Carus of the Nova Institute has
indicated that one key issue is the competition between
biomass as a feedstock for bioenergy and for making
bio-chemicals: a new political-economic framework is
needed to get the right balance and stability.
There is huge biomass potential in the EU, particu-
larly in the new member states and in regions like the
Ukraine. The European Commission is supporting
January 2011 | compounding world 33
 event report | Green chemistry
DSM’s Stephan
Tanda: “We are
on the verge of
a transforma-
tion from a
petroleum-
based economy
to a bio-based
economy”
research into using marginal lands and improving soil
fertility. There are also many existing waste products
that can be used in biorefineries, like excess wheat
straw in the UK and rice straw in Asia, plus industrial
and municipal waste. The conversion to useful chemi-
cals typically involves thermocatalytic and fermentation
processes. Enzymes from nature are selected to give
the highest yields and then mass-produced, often in a
genetically engineered E. coli cell factory. The hunt is on
across the world for new enzymes, for example tree
fungi and termites in Australia are providing new
enzymes that break down lignocellulose.
Genzyme specialises in enzymes and has projects
with major companies such as Cargill, Braskem and
the Dacheng Group in China. It is looking at the
production of acrylic acid with Cargill as the existing
market is worth US$11 billion, and at polypropylene
production with Braskem.
A wide variety of companies are developing new
technology for specific applications. The Goodyear Tire
company is concerned about dependence on one
species of Hevea tree for natural rubber, so it has
collaborated with the Genencor subsidiary of Danisco to
make synthetic isoprene using isoprene synthase acting
on a variety of substrates: sugar cane, corn and
switchgrass. It could also feed into the fuel markets as
Biolsoprene with a high energy content.
Other examples include Croda, which is using marine
organisms to develop chemicals for a variety of market
sectors including cosmetics, and Henkel,which is looking
at all of its markets including adhesives and laundry
agents. DSM is producing succinic acid with Roquette
and using it in polyurethane and engineering plastics.
EcoPaxx, a high temperature polyamide, is made from
castor bean oil and has a negative carbon footprint.
DuPont in the US has a joint venture with Tate & Lyle
to produce PDO in Tennessee. The plant opened in 2006
and is running flat out, so there are plans to expand the
existing 45,000 tons/year capacity by 35% in 2011.
DuPont’s Sorona polymer is made from this PDO for use
in carpets. It offers durability, stain resistance and
34 compounding world | January 2011
softness, “The market will pay for good performance,
but not necessarily for the green label”, commented Jan
Koninckx, global business director, DuPont. This was a
persistent message at the EuropaBio Forum: new
biotechnology needs to make business sense.
Ineos is one of the top five global chemical compa-
nies. It has a pilot plant at Seal Sands in the UK that
takes industrial and municipal waste, and then uses
thermochemical processes to gasify it to syngas. This is
followed by a distillation and fermentation step to
generate ethanol. The anaerobic bacteria convert
syngas efficiently to bioethanol even when the composi-
tion varies. The company is looking for finance to scale
up the process.
In Germany, Süd-Chemie has focused on two
feedstocks: cellulose hydrolysates and sugar beet that
is liquefied by enzymatic hydrolysis. It has a new
Sunliquid process to increase yield. The company is a
minority shareholder in Biocatalysts, which is a
speciality enzyme manufacturer using engineered E.coli
to manufacture enzymes to produce such products.
C-Lecta is another player in the tailored enzyme industry.
Avantium develops bio-based routes to chemicals
and has worked with companies like BP, Eastman and
Sabic to select chemical production processes. The
message from Dirk Den Ouden, its director of new
business development, is: “Be flexible on feedstock, so
you can work in different geographies.” Some chemi-
cals are hard to make, like polyterephthalic acid, one of
the building blocks of PET, however Coca Cola has
replaced the glycol component of PET with sugar-origin
chemical.
Polylactic acid is now established as a bioplastic,
with suppliers such as NatureWorks and Purac. There
is also an active development programme between
BASF and Purac to make succinic acid.
There is a lot of new chemical and biochemical
technology and expertise entering the chemical and
polymer industry markets and this could make dramatic
changes to the industry, substituting petroleum-based
chemistry with renewably-sourced feedstocks. Some-
times this will be a simple change of origin and in other
cases it may lead to new materials. Biotechnology could
solve problems with some waste disposal and lead to a
rise in land use and employment in marginal rural
areas. The message coming from EuropaBio is that the
future is bright green.
❙ www.europabio.org
More information
AMI’s Green Chemistry 2012 conference takes place in
Cologne, Germany, on 20-22 March 2012. Click here for
more details and to register your interest.
www.compoundingworld.com
 COMPOUNDING & PROCESSING 2011
International industry conference on the profitable use of bioplastics

N o va m o nt

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

Pipeline Coating 2011 Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum

The international conference The Grass Yarn AMI’s fifth Grass Yarn &
Pipeline Coating 2011 & Tufters
International conference on pipe coating technology, materials and markets
on pipe coating technology, Forum 2011
Tufters Forum is being held
materials and markets Technical developments and trends
in London, UK, on 22-24
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Plastic pipes conferences Cables 2011

The Sewerage & Drainage AMI’s Cables conference
Pipes 2011 conference takes returns to Cologne,
place on 22-23 February and The international conference and exhibition for the plastic cable industry
Germany, on 15-17 March
is immediately followed by 2011. This brochure features
Plastic Pressure Pipes 2011 the full line-up of expert
on 23-24 February. They are speakers who will be
being held in Düsseldorf, covering a wide range of
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Polymers in Cables 2011 will The eighth AMI conference
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The International Conference and Exhibition for the Plastics Cable Industry cables conference organised the stretch & shrink film industry
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 Machinery and equipment | products

machine maintenance

Clean out your cooling channels

Extruder Experts of Germany
has developed a new system for
cleaning out the cooling
channels in the barrel sections
of twin-screw extruders. Called
Cool and Clean, the technology
is designed to allow the removal
of deposits that build up over
time in such channels, reducing
their heat transfer rates and
impacting on machine perform-
ance and product quality.
The barrel sections are
modified so they have
removable covers on their
flanges – shown in light blue in
the diagram. When the barrel
is dismantled, these can be
removed to provide access to
the cooling channels for
simple inspection and
maintenance. A patented
system ensures full sealing
when the covers are replaced
and the barrel is reassembled.
In traditional designs, the
cooling channels are
effectively closed and cannot
be accessed for physical
cleaning. This means that
they need to be replaced
when excess deposits have
built-up, for example through
calcification. Extruder
Experts says that a 1 mm
thick chalk coating can
reduce heat transfer rates by
close to 50%.
❙ www.extruder-experts.com

materials analysis

Portable device analyses polymers and additives

Gnosys of the UK has developed its new supporting software is already calibrated could be used to identify fillers, glass
TranSpec portable polymer analyser to for a selection of flame retardants and fibres, pigments, antioxidants, light
provide fast and accurate measurement of host polymers that have been tested and stabilisers, plasticisers or process aids.
plastics and additives. Targeted at ratified by Gnosys. The company is ❙ www.gnosysuk.com
compounders and masterbatchers, it uses growing its database and can provide
Raman spectroscopy to provide accurate, support for calibrating other material
real-time, non-destructive identification formulations. For example, the technology
and quantification.
According to Gnosys, its TranSpec
analyser delivers accurate measurements
down to 0.1% by weight in a matter of
seconds, reducing the need for more
laborious analytical methods. The device
operates on the basis of spectral pattern
recognition.
Weighing just 3 kg, the device includes
a portable analyser and test probe. The

AMI Strategy Seminars

These one-day seminars are given by an AMI director and provide invaluable insights into market trends and
industry strategies. They are held in small groups and provide ample opportunities for questions and discussions.

The Plastic Industry Strategy Seminar - 19 April 2011, Houston, TX, USA
The Plastic Industry Strategy Seminar - 20 June 2011, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Places are very limited, and these seminars frequently sell out.
Book your place now to avoid disappointment.
Contact: Marissa Hann. mh@amiplastics-na.com +1 610 478 0800
 products | Polymers and additives

masterbatch additives

PCC targets PET projects Dover boosts

Plastics Color Corp (PCC)
has developed new colour
and additive masterbatch
products for PET products.
They conform to 21CFR and
can be specified for food and
pharmaceutical contact
applications, meeting
requirements for light
transmission in containers.
PCC has produced PET
colours for many years, but
just recently put these
products through compliance
testing for FDA condition A-H
and US Pharmacopeia USP-
26. Available in standard and
custom colours, they can be
matched to existing uses.
pvc plasticizers
Lanxess says that Macrolex Red A offers a high tinting strength
Examples include ambers,
blacks, blues and reds.
As reported in the May 2010
edition of Compounding World,
PCC has expanded its clean
compounding capabilities with
a new plant in Sun Valley,
California, USA. This is in
addition to the existing clean
facility at its Asheboro site in
North Carolina.
❙ www.plasticscolor.com
polyolefins
and WPCs
Dover Chemicals launched
two new additive products at
the recent K 2010 exhibition:
Doverphos LGP-11 is a liquid
antioxidant for polyolefin
applications, while Doverlube
5637 is a lubricant package
for wood-plastic composites
(WPCs).
The new Doverphos grade
is described by the company
as high-molecular-weight
“green” liquid antioxidant that
can replace TNPP in most
applications and also offer
some additional benefits. The
additive is alkylphenol-free
and is based on non-toxic bio-
degradable materials.

ISP adds to its Flexidone range

International Specialty while maintaining or improving
Products (ISP) has expanded performance.
its range of PVC plasticizers The new FE grades
based on alkyl pyrrolidone complement ISP’s original
technology with the introduc- Flexidone products that were
tion of Flexidone FSE grades. launched just over a year ago.
They can be used either as the Their processing flexibility
primary plasticizer or as a co- allows manufacturers to use
plasticizer in a formulation lower temperatures and
with other plasticizers to reduce energy costs.
achieve greater cost savings Available in four standard
Hoses and cable sheathing are
among the target applications
for Flexidone FSE
grades, Flexidone FE can be
customised by varying its
fatty ester content. The fast-
gelling standard grades offer
tailored tensile strength,
elongation-at-break,
transparency and cold
flexibility. ISP says that the
additive provides an alterna-
tive to phthalate technologies
and other non-phthalate
products, yielding a stable,
low-viscosity plastisol with
excellent shelf-life and fast-
fusing properties.
According to ISP, lab tests
have shown that Flexidone
333FE and 533FE grades
offer class-leading levels of
viscosity stability after 28
days, enlarging the process-
ing window for many
manufacturers.
❙ www.ispcorp.com
Dover adds that unlike
most traditional phosphites
and antioxidants, LGP-11 is
resistant to migration, even
under aggressive conditions.
It therefore addresses
potential concerns regarding
applications in food and
beverage packaging and other
consumer products. It is also
claimed to offer excellent
thermal and hydrolytic
stability and it resists
blooming in LLDPE films.
The company’s other new
product, Doverlube 5637 , has
been developed for applica-
tions in wood-filled HDPE or
PP. It is claimed to offer
reduced torque and melt
fracture compared to
traditional lubricant pack-
ages. These properties can
result in increased output
rates and improved surface
appearance.
❙ www.doverchem.com

38 compounding world | January 2011 www.compoundingworld.com

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Images courtesy of: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics
12-14 April 2011
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Information Ltd
 compounder of the month

Colorant Chromatics
Head office location: Cham, Switzerland

Date founded: 1979

General Manager: Bjoern Klaas

Ownership: ColorMatrix, US

No. of employees: 50-60

Plant locations: Åland (Finland), Shanghai (China), Bethel (CT, USA)

Profile: Colorant Chromatics was established in 1979 in Sweden, but 20 years later
the headquarters was relocated to Cham, Switzerland. In the early 1980s the
company opened two manufacturing plants in Finland and Connecticut, USA. In
2003, Colorant Chromatics moved into the Chinese market by setting up a plant
in Shanghai. In April 2007, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the USA’s ColorMatrix Group.

Product line: Colorant Chromatics produces a full range of colour masterbatches, specialty
compounds, pigment dispersions and inks for the processors of fluoropolymers
and high-performance plastics. The polymers available include FEP, ETFE,
PFA, PVdF, ECTFE, MFA, THV, PEEK, and PES. In addition to standard colors and
compounds, the company offers special services such as color matching, pre-
colouring, and custom compounding. It also supplies a full range of pigment
dispersions for PTFE extrusion.

Product strengths: Colorant Chromatics’ product are designed to provide wide service
temperatures, low flammability, excellent electrical and mechanical properties,
very good resistance to chemicals and solvents, and high resistance to
weathering.

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

February 2011 March 2011

Clarifiers and nucleating agents Improving wear and friction properties
Plastics recycling technology Pelletizing technology
Minerals in compounding Polymer distribution in America

Editorial submissions should be sent to Andy Beevers: abe@amiplastics.com

For information on advertising in these issues, please contact
Claire Bishop: claire@amimagazines.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8686 8139
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 dates for your diary

Global exhibition guide

25-28 January Interplastica 2011, Moscow, Russia www.interplastica.de
8-10 February PlasTec West, Anaheim, CA, USA www.plastecwest.com
16-18 February Nano Tech 2011, Tokyo, Japan www.nanotechexpo.jp/en
22-24 February Expo Plasticos, Monterrey, Mexico www.expoplasticos.com.mx
15-16 March MassPlastics, Fitchburg, MA, USA www.massplastics.com
26-28 April Plastic, Packaging and Print Asia, Pakistan www.plastpackasia.com
1-5 May ANTEC, Boston, MA, USA www.4spe.org
9-13 May BrasilPlast, Sao Paulo, Brazil www.brasilplast.com.br
12-18 May Interpack, Düsseldorf, Germany www.interpack.com
17-20 May Chinaplas 2011, Guangzhou, China www.chinaplasonline.com
18-19 May PDM 11, London, UK www.pdmevent.com
24-27 May Ausplas, Melbourne, Australia www.ausplas.com
24-27 May Plastpol, Kielce, Poland www.targikielce.pl
24-27 May FIP Solution Plastique, Lyon, France www.f-i-p.com
21-23 June Plast-Ex, Toronto, Canada www.plastexsummit.ca
27-30 June Plasticos 2011, Buenos Aires, Argentina www.banpaku.com.ar
16-19 August PlasTech Brasil, Caixas do Sul, Brazil www.plastechbrasil.com.br
31 Aug – 3 Sept TIPREX, Bangkok, Thailand www.tiprex.com
5-8 September APPLAS, Shanghai, China www.applas.com.cn

AMI conferences
1-3 February Thermoplastics Concentrates 2011, Phoenix, AZ, USA
15-17 February PVC Formulation 2011, Düsseldorf, Germany
22-23 February Sewerage & Drainage Pipe, Düsseldorf, Germany For information on all
23-24 February Plastic Pressure Pipes, Düsseldorf, Germany these events and other
22-24 February Grass Yarn and Tufters Forum, London, UK conferences on film,
15-17 March Cables 2011, Cologne, Germany sheet, pipe and
28-30 March Masterbatch Asia 2011, Singapore packaging applications, see
29-30 March Bioplastics Compounding and Processing, Miami, FL, USA
www.amiplastics.com
31 March – 1 April Polymers in Cables 2011, Miami, FL, USA
7-9 June Masterbatch 2011, Vienna, Austria

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