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Without additives, plastics often degrade during processing and over time tend to lose impact strength and discolor, and some become statically charged, to list just a few problems. Additives not only overcome or greatly minimize these and other limitations inherent in compounded plastics but some can also impart improved performance properties to the final product.
Incorporating additives in a polymer requires a balance between the properties of the polymer and those of the additive. Formulating a plastic for enhanced UV light resistance, for example, can affect the color stability and retention of the polymer's functional characteristics. Similarly, incorporating antioxidants in a polymer melt can inhibit the cross-linking ability of a peroxide catalyst. Thus, additives should possess not only a specific functionality but should also have no significant detrimental effect on other additives or the formulated plastic. Because of these considerations, the development of a resin formulation that includes four or five additive function types requires a significant technical development effort to achieve the best balance of properties in the final product.
This report discusses ten of the major functional classes of plastics additives used to enhance the processing and/or performance characteristics of the resin. The following classes of plastics additives are covered:
- Antioxidants
- Antistatic agents
- Peroxide catalysts
- Polyurethane catalysts
- Chemical blowing agents
- Flame retardants
- Heat stabilizers
- Impact modifiers and processing aids
- Lubricants
- Ultraviolet light stabilizers
The demand for plastics additives is directly affected by regional consumption of various types of plastics as well as other issues and trends affecting the chemical industry in general. For example, environmental, cost and competitive pressures on a wide range of plastic end-use markets have resulted in greater demand for less toxic, more efficient and lower-cost additives. In response, additive suppliers have introduced reformulations and modifications of various additives as well as new packaging and additive delivery systems. Through 2004, environmental/regulatory issues as well as plastics growth (in particular, substitution among polymer types) will continue to be particularly critical factors affecting the demand for a number of plastics additives.
The 1999 value of the total consumption of these products in North America, Western Europe and Japan was $6.5 billion, based on the average exchange rates in effect during 1999. Overall growth in the con sumption of plastics additives is expected to average 3.2% over 1999-2004, but will be highest in North America, where it is expected to average about 4.5% per year. Growth in Western Europe is expected to average 2.6% per year over the same period and growth in Japan is projected at 1.4% per year.
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