ADDITIVES / MASTERBATCHES
Well-deserved make over Recently, a fast food outlet in the US was exposed using a plasticenhancing chemical additive in several food items. This has made plastic additives a health villain in the eyes of the public. Yet for the plastics industry, additives are “heroes”, since the enhancers provide throngs of excellent properties to conventional plastics to serve a broader range of applications, says Angelica Buan in this report.
Last year, Songwon launched its Songxtend stabilisation package for polymers
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MARCH / APRIL 2014
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he chemical compound azodicarbonamide (ADCA), which is used as a blowing agent to enhance the elasticity of foamed plastics for yoga mats and shoes, is also used as a food additive, as a flour bleaching and improving agent. Though permitted in the US and Canada, at levels up to 45 ppm, it is banned in Australia and Europe. Its usage in food products has suddenly been highlighted, with plastic additives becoming an issue as hot as the plastic bag ban. Meanwhile, based on the current discussion about ADCA and new regulations aiming to improve indoor air quality, new “kickers” or activators are required to ensure that the level of ADCA in the final product does not exceed the limit of 0.1%. Taking this lead, German firm Baerlocher has introduced a new generation of low-VOC “kickers” for foamed PVC. It has been shown to reduce organic emissions and fogging effects, helping manufacturers of automotive components, flooring, and wall coverings. “Kickers” can raise or lower the decomposition temperature of chemical foaming agents (CFAs) and also serve as stabilisers. Based on mixed-metals, the activators support the industry to meet the requirements set by REACH and ISO16000 and conform to Germany’s AgBB and France’s Emissions dans l’air interieur regulations. Market growth envisaged Based on the latest technical research by BCC Research, the additives market will witness an accelerated use of the chemical enhancers. The value will, thus, rise from US$43.4 billion in 2013 to an estimated US$47.7 billion in 2015. The sector is anticipated to grow to nearly US$60.3 billion by 2020, and post a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% from 2015 to 2020, according to the study. Nevertheless, the safety concerns attributed to plastics use often cascade to the raw material components, including additives. In cases when human health and environment-related risks are highlighted, the plastics industry bears the brunt, of either replacing the additives or proving that the additives used are harmless, says the study. Shifting trends in the stabiliser market Replacements are happening, especially in heat and light stabilisers that are used to ensure safe processing and to protect products against premature ageing and weathering, for PVC pipes/profiles and other building products. At present, the global market for stabilisers is undergoing highly dynamic changes as the market shares of individual product groups are shifting considerably, says a study by research firm Ceresana. Holding a market share of 55%, Asia Pacific is the largest sales market for stabilisers globally, followed by Western Europe. Meanwhile, the increasing substitution of lead-based stabilisers for calcium or tin have seen some suppliers divesting their stabiliser businesses to smaller companies specialised in the production of speciality chemicals. Ceresana forecasts the value of the global market for stabilisers to increase to US$5.3 billion in 2021. Figuring largely in stabilisers are compounds based on calcium (calciumzinc and organo-calcium), lead and tin stabilisers as well as liquid and light stabilisers (HALS, benzophenone, benzotriazole). After cadmium-based products disappeared almost completely from the market over the last decade, recent years have seen an increasing substitution of lead-based products as well as a shift from the more expensive tin-based ones, especially in Europe and China.