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As one of the most cost-effective material solutions, calcium carbonate filler is widely used in various applications, which include non-woven fabric. In this article, let’s discover amazing benefits of calcium carbonate filler in non woven and interesting usage tips to help you make full use of it. 

Being first introduced in the early 1930s, non woven fabric was initially considered as a cotton waste-utilizing method. Not until the first commercial production launched in the United States in 1942, the market for non-woven has witnessed tremendous growth.

What is non woven fabric?

Non woven fabric is a sheet or a web structure that is bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments (by perforating films) mechanically, thermally or chemically. Typically, it offers specific functions such as absorbency, liquid repellency, resilience, stretch, softness, strength, flame retardancy, washability, cushioning, thermal insulation, acoustic insulation and  filtration. These properties are then mixed and matched to create specific fabrics that suit end products’ requirements.

Thanks to these outstanding properties, non woven fabric is widely used in several applications. Generally, they are divided into 4 main categories:

• Disposable nonwovens: this type of nonwovens are mostly made for single use products or reusable ones (such as dust cloths – which may be laundered and reused a few times).
• General applications: include personal hygiene products, such as diapers and sanitary napkins; medical products such as surgical gowns and drapes; surgical and industrial masks, bandages, wipes and towels; bibs and even costumes for special events.
• Durable nonwovens: widely used in both household goods and home furnishings, such as for draperies, furniture upholstery, mattress padding, towels, table cloths, blankets and carpet backing and clothing and apparel, such as for caps, linings, interlinings, interfacings and the reinforcement of other fabrics.
• Other industrial uses: such as filters, insulation, packing materials, roadbed stabilization sheeting or road-building materials, geo-textiles and roofing products.

Vital role of calcium carbonate filler in non woven

With a view to optimizing the production of non woven, calcium carbonate filler has been taken into use. Being made of calcium carbonate powder (CaCO3), plastic resins and other specific additives, calcium carbonate filler is one of the most effective material solutions to non woven manufacturing. The application of this material offers end-products several benefits:

Cost reduction

Containing CaCO3 powder, which is a reasonable substance compared to virgin resin, calcium carbonate filler helps manufacturers save a significant amount of material expenses. Thus, it lessens the dependence on fossil resin as well as minimizing the negative impacts of the global market on the manufacturers. Besides, the decrease of raw material price definitely gives them a leg up in a competitive market.

Properties enhancement

The introduction of calcium carbonate filler in non woven can improve matte, enhance opacity, increase strength, and provide a cotton-soft feel for comfort. As CaCO3 modifies the fiber, it also helps soften and give a more matte appearance to the fabric surface.

Specifically, the natural whiteness of CaCO3 limits the formation of yellowness on the fabric surface. Plus, by increasing the opacity in fibers, it also enhances the covering power of the web.

Furthermore, this material significantly improves the air filtration and oil absorption ability of the end products. It also disperses well in resins and incorporates easily during extrusion.

Productivity improvement

As CaCO3 is a good thermal conductive, it reduces processing temperature and shortens the products cycle, thus saving energy consumption as well as increasing productivity.

Environmental friendliness

Last but not least, an outstanding advantage of calcium carbonate filler is its environmental harmlessness. Compared to fossil resin, which releases a great amount of carbon footprint during its manufacturing process, the production of filler masterbatch is far more environmentally friendly. Also, it is an ideal alternative to non-renewable materials, thus opening up sustainable development for nonwoven manufacturers.

How to apply calcium carbonate filler in non woven effectively?

Normally, polypropylene (PP) calcium carbonate filler is applied in non woven fabric to attain the compatibility to the resin. To achieve the best result, there are certain factors that should be taken into consideration.

The thickness of the fabric

This factor determines the dosage rate of calcium carbonate filler that needs to be added into the combination. In particular, the recommended usage rate for thin fabric is from 5 to 20%, for medium fabric is 20-35% and it reaches up to 60% for thick fabric. In case an extremely good dispersion and stability are required, filler masterbatch is typically applied with a loading rate of 78-80% and melt flow index from 20-40g/10 min.

The melt flow index (MFI)

The melt flow index (MFI) is a measure of the ease of flow of the melt of a thermoplastic polymer at a certain temperature and loading rate. For non woven fabric, this index varies among different levels of fabric thickness. In which, the thinner fabric requires a higher MFI while a lower MFI is recommended for the thicker ones.

An important note for manufacturers is that any changes in the dosage rate of calcium carbonate filler in non woven products should be made gradually. Also, you need to consider carefully before making any adjustments to machine parameters.

Common problems in non woven manufacturing process: causes and solutions

Fiber drop 

This phenomenon is normally caused by the following factors:

Stone powder is stuck in the die head of the extruder, which makes the yarn not run into a stream, thus resulting in uneven yarn output and yarn drop. To solve this problem, an easy way is to clean the extruder die and make sure you prevent its occurrence next time.

Filter mesh is clogged which leads to the uneven yarn pressure and yarn drop. By cleaning the filter net and figuring out what causes the mesh, manufacturers can come up with an appropriate solution.

Slow MFI of the calcium carbonate filler leads to the unstable flow. As mentioned above, MFI is a vital index that determines the efficiency of the manufacturing process. To fix this, manufacturers may need to make some adjustments to the extruder’s temperature. However, in the long run, it’s recommended to innovate the filler formulation for better MFI.

Machine parameters are not suitable for production materials. In this situation, the only way is to adjust machine parameters.

Fiber is too soft or too hard

When it comes to the mechanical properties of end products, the main cause lies in the formula of calcium carbonate filler in non woven fabric. A large amount of filler masterbatch may lead to the lack of stiffness of the fabric, while hard surfaces of end-products mainly result from the absence of some groups of additives.

Weak mechanical properties

The main causes of this problem may be the incompatibility between the type of calcium carbonate filler used in non woven or the oversized stone powder particle, which ends up with the poor bonding force of the fabric. Hence, manufacturers should recheck the filler masterbatch formula to ensure that it suits their end products best.

“What are suitable filler masterbatches for packaging ?” – If you are working in the packaging field, it must be a common question to help you find the suitable material for your end-products. In fact, the application of calcium carbonate filler in the packaging industry depends on many criteria, which makes it more challenging for plastic enterprises to find the right fits. In this article, let’s discover the top 4 most recommended types of filler masterbatches for packaging industry.

Filler masterbatch (also known as calcium carbonate filler) is an effective material solution for the plastic industry since it helps plastic enterprises significantly reduce production cost. As one of the biggest sectors in the plastic industry, packaging field is also one of the largest contributors to filler masterbatch consumption. The types of calcium carbonate fillers consumed vary among end-products because of the differences regarding their properties and technical requirements. This list below will summarize the top 4 most common types of filler masterbatches for packaging industry.

1. How does filler masterbatch benefit the packaging industry?

Filler masterbatch or calcium carbonate filler is one of the most important plastic fillers. It is the combination of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which takes up over 70% of total weight, plastic resins and other specific additives. As CaCO3 is more reasonable than plastic resin, the application of CaCO3 into plastic combination reduces the amount of resins required, thus helping plastic enterprises save production cost. Besides, calcium carbonate also introduces various benefits to end-products such as shortening product’s cycle (thanks to CaCO3’s good thermal conductivity), and improving product’s mechanical properties (impact strength, tear resistance,…). For that reason, filler masterbatch is widely used in many applications in packaging fields such as shopping bags, wrapping films, roll bags, garbage bags,…

The thing is, why do we need to figure out appropriate types of calcium carbonate fillers? As each product has different technical requirements, only certain compatible types of filler masterbatch can meet those standards. As such, it is quite risky for plastic enterprises to randomly choose any types of filler masterbatch for packaging because it may result in end-product’s quality degradation.

2. Common types of filler masterbatch for packaging

PE filler masterbatch

PE calcium carbonate filler is made of PE resin, CaCO3 and other additives. It is a familiar type of filler masterbatch for packaging, especially in blown film thanks to its appropriate mechanical properties such as high ductility, impact strength and low friction. Most importantly, the application of PE calcium carbonate filler considerably reduces production cost, which lowers the price of end-products. Some common applications of PE filler masterbatch in blown film include shopping bags, T-shirt bags, garbage bags,… Furthermore, PE calcium carbonate filler is also used in manufacturing PP woven sack, multi-layer films,…

PP filler masterbatch

As the name suggests, PP filler masterbatch is composed of polypropylene resin, CaCO3 and other additives. It’s properties are similar to polyethylene, but it is slightly harder and more heat resistant. Hence, PP filler masterbatch is commonly used in PP woven sack and non woven products with a view to decreasing production cost and minimizing environmental effects of the manufacturing process.

Transparent filler masterbatch

Another type of filler masterbatch for packaging is transparent filler, which is the combination of BaSO4 (Barium sulfate) or Na2SO4 (Sodium sulfate), plastic resins and other special additives. It can take both Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) as plastic carriers. Most plastic manufacturers use transparent filler to improve certain end-products’ properties such as stiffness, mechanical properties (bend strength, impact strength), tear resistance and most importantly, the whiteness. Thanks to the two components – barium sulfate/sodium sulfate, end-products are offered a beautiful brightness and transparency. Also, the use of transparent filler shortens the time required for each product cycle, thus facilitating production efficiency.

Thanks to these advantages, this material is widely used in many applications such as packaging films, containers, bottles, cans,…

Bio filler masterbatch

It would be such a pity if we miss bio filler masterbatch in this list. It is such an effective material solution to the packaging industry. Unlike other types of calcium carbonate fillers which include fossil resins, bio filler is mainly made of CaCO3 and bioplastic. This composition makes it completely environmentally – friendly, thus cutting down on the amount of waste released during plastic manufacturing production. Not only is it safe for the environment, bio filler masterbatch also offers end-products a firm structure and high tear resistance. Unlike other kinds of bioplastic, which easily go soggy in liquids, products made of bio filler masterbatch are tougher and more endurable even in the water. This advantage makes bio filler masterbatch specifically suitable for single-use products (cutleries, glasses, boxes, packaging films,…), which are consumed in bulk annually worldwide.

What else? Bio filler can also act as a processing aid when it comes to blown film process. This material can prevent the adhesion among film layers, thus streamlining this process as well as boosting production efficiency.

3. Things to note when choosing filler masterbatch for packaging

To figure out the most appropriate type of filler masterbatches for packaging, plastic enterprises need to consider the following questions:

• What is your end-product? Each type of product has different technical requirements that only a certain number of calcium carbonate fillers can meet. Hence, the filler masterbatch added must be compatible with the end-products.
• Which type of resin is used? As we all know, the processing temperature varies among different carriers, so it would be a disaster if your embedded material has a lower melting point than your resins.
• What is the thickness of your packaging film? It’s extremely important to let your supplier know whether your film is thick or not. If it has to be thick, then the usage rate of filler masterbatch should be greater than that of the thinner one, which is normally around 15-35%. The more amount of calcium carbonate filler is used, the thicker the film gets.
• How transparent is your film layer? If the film layer is required to be highly transparent, a larger amount of calcium carbonate filler should come into use and vice versa. As calcium carbonate filler more or less decreases the level of transparency of end-products, plastic enterprises should use it mindfully. In some cases, transparent filler will be an effective alternative to accelerate the level of brightness and transparency.

Most polymers are commonly subject to oxidation, leading to the degradation of end-products. In order for strengthening end-products’ quality, antioxidant plastic additives have been introduced to the plastic manufacturing process. In this article, let’s discover how this powerful substance works and its impacts on our plastic industry.

Plastic products, while durable and flexible, are always put at risk of degradation due to a large number of environmental factors (such as oxygen, UV light, high temperature,…) throughout their lifecycle. That’s why the use of plastic additives plays an indispensable part in plastic manufacturing, in which antioxidant plastic additives may be the most familiar name.

1. Antioxidants and its application in the plastic industry

Antioxidant plastic additives are commonly used to prevent negative impacts of oxidation on plastic products. As we all know, oxidation is a common phenomenon taking place when free radicals react to a material’s molecules, thus activating a chemical chain reaction. This eventually ends up with the degradation of products itself.

In the plastic industry, oxidation is even more harmful as it occurs in both stages of a plastic product: first during the manufacturing process and then throughout its lifecycle.

In the first stage, this phenomenon takes place when oxygen is introduced into the molecular structure of the polymer, resulting in chemical chain reactions and a permanent change within the plastic, most typically in molecular weight reduction. This process speeds up in thermoforming (blown film, film casting, blown molding,…) and injection molding, which leads to severe consequences such as mechanical properties degradation on final products. In order to minimize these negative impacts, antioxidant plastic additives must be added during the manufacturing process and act as a process stabilizer to prevent oxidation from transforming plastic components.

When it comes to the other stage, which is also the longer one, antioxidant plastic additives are introduced to protect end-products from harmful environmental factors as well as enhancing their durability over their lives. Besides, certain products are more vulnerable to oxidation than others, which can be mainly explained by their plastic resins. The resistance ability to oxidation of various resins are illustrated in the table below:

Normally, plastic products that are likely to contain antioxidant plastic additives include:

• Pipes and fittings in the building & construction industry: As most of these are used outdoors, they have to be exposed to external environmental factors within a long period, which tend to lead to the presence of oxidation. Thereby, the application of antioxidants into these is very vital.
• Polyethylene (PE) films (for construction or food industry): Though PE films are not the most severely affected by oxidation over their lifecycle, they are the most impacted during manufacturing. Oxidation is the main element causing mechanical degradation for PE films.Polypropylene (PP) products: Similarly, PP products also contain antioxidant plastic additives to protect products from negative effects of oxidation.

2. Common types of antioxidant plastic additives

As mentioned above, oxidation takes place in both stages of a plastic product, which means the use of antioxidant plastic additives is also corresponding to this. Basically, this substance is divided into 3 main categories in order to serve specific function.

• Primary: This type is mainly used for end-products during their service lives to protect themself from oxidation and other harmful environmental factors. Normally, antioxidant plastic additives of this group are phenolic-based.

• Secondary: Secondary antioxidant plastic additives act as a process stabilizer to protect the polymer from being degraded by oxidation during the manufacturing process, especially when the polymer undergoes multiple thermal methods (blown film, injection molding,…). Typical chemistries employed include phosphites or thioesters.

• Primary & Secondary combination: Not only are primary and secondary antioxidants used separately, they are also used with each other to optimize the benefits gained. By this way, plastic products are protected both during the processing step and throughout its lifecycle. That means plastic manufacturers can reap lots of benefits as they are provided with high-quality outputs, while end-users are also satisfied with better long-lasting end-products.

Depending on characteristics of end-products and their uses, plastic manufacturers can choose appropriate types of antioxidant plastic additives. For example, packaging products should use antioxidants during the manufacturing process as their oxidation mainly takes place during this process. Whereas, outdoor plastic products should take primary and secondary antioxidants as it occurs in both manufacturing process and service life.

3. How to use antioxidant plastic additives correctly?

As a large number of plastic products go to food-contact applications, the concern regarding customers’ health safety has been arising. According to scientific research, the migration of plastic additives from polymer packaging into food actually happened, which more or less pose a health threat to consumers. Therefore, the determination of additives content in polymers is an important component of the safety assessment of food packaging materials, the quantification and specific migration levels (SMLs) of these additives are also very important for the quality control of food. As such, when it comes to the amount of antioxidant plastic additives used, plastic manufacturers should take it very seriously to ensure the outputs are completely harmless to human beings.

Besides, the technical requirements and uses of end-products should also be taken into consideration to figure out the most suitable components for your products.

As static electricity on plastic surfaces has recently occurred on a large scale, it raises concerns about a fire or explosion of flammable materials, which poses a threat on end-users’ lives. Hence, the use of antistatic additives for plastic have played a vital part not only in improving the quality of plastic products, but also in ensuring our safety. 

Static electricity is a phenomenon in which a large amount of electric charges are accumulated on the surface of plastic products, resulting in the formation of spark discharges. In particular conditions, these may cause a fire or explosion, especially for household appliances which are exposed to other electric sources at a high frequency. Besides, the build-up of electric charges also attracts dust (on products’ surface) or accelerates its decomposition, thus shortening products’ lifecycle. Not only does static electricity take place in the products’ service lives, it also arises during the manufacturing process such as injection moulding, blow moulding,…leading to slower processing speed as well as contaminated materials. For that reason, the use of antistatic additives for plastic has never been so important to our plastic industry.

1. What are antistatic additives?

Antistatic additives are substances added to plastic products with a view to eliminating the accumulation of electric charge on their surfaces. Basically, these substances work by balancing the number of electrons between plastic surface and other materials via their ionization. Antistatic agents are composed of two ends – a hydrophobic organic end and a hydrophilic end. When being added to plastic, the hydrophobic end will migrate to cover the surface of plastic products. It subsequently absorbs moisture and conducts the ionization, which helps balance the amount of electric charge on the plastic surface.

2. Common types of antistatic additives for plastic

Based on the applications and the time by which they are applied, antistatic agents can be separated into two different groups: external and internal antistatic agents.

• External antistatic additives: The name “external” comes from the way they are used. External antistatic additives for plastic are applied onto the end-products’ surface by techniques such as spraying or dipping. Though it seems to be easy and time-saving to use this type of antistatic additive, it won’t last long. External antistatic additives work effectively for just around 6 weeks. After that, the protective layer they created will be gradually abraded by the influence of other mechanical factors. Hence, the application of external antistatic additives is temporary and most suitable for products with short lifecycle.
• Internal antistatic additives: Unlike its counterpart, internal antistatic additives are used during the plastic manufacturing process to prevent the electric charge on the surface of polymer. After being added to the plastic, their hydrophobic end will migrate to the surface of the material and form a water absorbing layer. In which, their ionization takes place to discharge static electricity. By this way, internal antistatic additives are more long-lasting and hence, are more preferable by most plastic manufacturers.

Generally, regardless of types, applications or mechanism of action, effective antistatic additives for plastic must ensure these 3 main criteria:

• Hydrophilic and hygroscopic properties – to make sure they are able to form a hygroscopic
• The ability to migrate towards the surface of the material – to create a hygroscopic layer
• The ability of ionization in water – the presence of ion helps balance the number of electrons between polymer surface and equipment or other materials’ surface, thus eliminating the electric charge phenomenon.

3. How do antistatic additives benefit our plastic industry?

Thanks to their benefits, antistatic additives are widely used in various applications.

Food packaging films

Among various plastic resins, polyethylene (PE) is the most commonly used material for food packaging film production. Thanks to its outstanding mechanical properties ( tensile strength, smelless, tasteless and a waxy structure with a milky colour), polyethylene is also used in the production of foils, packaging, containers, bottles, as well as drinking water pipes. As it has a surface resistance of around 1015Ω, packaging films made of PE resin are highly prone to static electricity phenomenon. This not only attracts a large amount of dust on the film surface, but also results in the adhesion of film layers, which severely afflicts the quality of the content. Therefore, the use of internal antistatic is the key factor dedicating to the quality of packaging films.

Household appliances

Let’s imagine your vacuum’s plastic cover is in the lack of antistatic agents, what would happen? First of all, it could be very dusty as the electric charge accumulated on the vacuum’s surface highly attracts the contaminants in the air. The excessive friction between its cover and the air or other materials easily degrades the plastic surface. Furthermore, the electric charge on its surface can spark discharges, which may result in a fire or explosion of flammable materials. This is very risky as most modern families have more than one electric device at home. As such, the use of antistatic additives for plastic can be considered as an indispensable technical standard for household appliances.

Plastic manufacturing process

Static electricity during the plastic manufacturing process can result in numerous consequences such as adhesive film layers (blown films), products’ quality degradation, dusty films, electric shock for workers and even fire/explosion in the presence of flammable materials. As such, the use of antistatic additives for plastic during this process largely contributes to the quality of end-products as well as the safety of the production.

Plastic filler has now become an indispensable part of the plastic industry. Calcium carbonate, talc, barium sulfate, sodium sulfate,…are the most well-known plastic fillers. They are added to plastic due to its various functions such as cutting cost, improving certain properties of end-products.

For a lot of people, it may seem a bit surprised when the fact that a great number of plastic products containing plastic fillers is revealed. And it is true. Up to 70% of plastic products are composed of organic or inorganic fillers. So, what exactly plastic filler is and why it is so essential that many plastic products make use of it?

1. What is plastic filler and why is it added to plastic products?

Plastic fillers are particles added to plastic products with a view to cutting production cost and improving some specific properties of the end products. As such, plastic fillers can enhance the tensile strength and toughness, boost the heat resistance and increase the quality of color together with plastic’s clarity.

In nature, there are two groups of plastic fillers:

• The inorganic (also known as mineral) fillers such as calcium carbonate (limestone), magnesium silicates (talc), calcium sulfate (gypsum), mica, calcium silicate, barium sulfate and kaolin (China clay).
• The organic plastic fillers such as tree bark flour, nut flours, chicken feathers, and rice hulls.

Dựa trên yêu cầu của sản phẩm cuối cùng, chất độn nhựa được sử dụng là khác nhau. Nói chung, các chất vô cơ phổ biến hơn trong sản xuất nhựa do thành phần hóa học đơn giản của chúng, giúp cho việc chế biến và trộn với các thành phần khác dễ dàng hơn và tốn ít thời gian hơn. Trong bài viết này, chúng tôi muốn thảo luận thêm về chất độn nhựa vô cơ, có liên quan trực tiếp đến ngành nhựa của chúng ta.

2. Top 4 chất độn nhựa phổ biến và ứng dụng của chúng

Nhựa là một trong những phân khúc tiêu thụ số lượng vật liệu độn lớn nhất. Trong số rất nhiều loại chất độn nhựa, dưới đây là 4 chất liệu phổ biến nhất được ứng dụng trong ngành nhựa.

Chất độn canxi cacbonat

Loại phụ kiện nhựa này chắc hẳn rất quen thuộc với tất cả các hãng nhựa. Như vậy, chất độn canxi cacbonat là một trong những chất độn nhựa phổ biến nhất. Trong tự nhiên, vật phẩm này là thành phần chính của vỏ động vật sống như vỏ trứng, vỏ sò và ngọc trai. Ngoài ra, nguồn canxi cacbonat được biết đến nhiều nhất là mỏ đá, quặng đá vôi hoặc đá cẩm thạch. Là chất độn nhựa, canxi cacbonat có thể làm giảm sức bền tổng thể nhưng nó làm tăng mô đun kéo và mật độ. Nó cũng cung cấp độ mờ và độ bóng bề mặt, cải thiện độ bền va đập và là chất hỗ trợ xử lý, giúp quá trình sản xuất hiệu quả hơn.

Một trong những ưu điểm nổi bật nhất của chất độn canxi cacbonat là nó giúp các doanh nghiệp nhựa giảm chi phí sản xuất tổng thể. So với nhựa nguyên sinh, canxi cacbonat ổn định và hợp lý hơn nhiều do không bị ảnh hưởng bởi sự biến động của giá xăng dầu. Bên cạnh đó, sự sẵn có rộng lớn của vật liệu này cũng giúp nó có một vị thế vượt trội so với nhựa truyền thống, vì nó dễ dàng được khai thác và chế biến.

Tất cả những điều được xem xét, chất độn canxi cacbonat được ứng dụng rộng rãi trong nhiều loại nhựa như polyolefin, polypropylene, polyethylene, nhựa sinh học,…

Calcium carbonate with Polyethylene	Calcium carbonate with polypropylene	Calcium carbonate with polystyrene	Calcium carbonate with bioplastic
PE – Base film (roll bags, T-shirt bags, garbage bags)	PP Woven sacks	Blow molding, Injection molding	Biodegradable cutleries
Injection Moulding (houseware, tanks, toys)	Extrusion, Injection/Blow Moulding	Refrigerator liners	Biodegradable films and bags
Extrusion (pipe, bar)	PP raffia	Silk screen-printing, sign and display	Biodegradable sheets
Blow moulding (HDPE pipes, bottles, container, cans)	PP non-woven	Vacuum forming	Other compostable applications

Chất độn talc

Talc (tên khoa học là magie silicat ngậm nước) là khoáng chất mềm nhất trên thị trường. Công thức hóa học của nó là Mg3Si4O10 (OH) 2. Ban đầu, talc chủ yếu được thêm vào polypropylene để tăng độ cứng. Tuy nhiên, việc sử dụng bột talc đã được cải thiện đáng kể trong thập kỷ qua. Nó cũng được sử dụng trong polyetylen và polyamit. Nhờ chất liệu này mà sản phẩm nhựa có khả năng chịu nhiệt, ổn định, định hình tốt và bền hơn. Ngoài ra, bột talc cũng tương đối hợp lý so với nhựa nguyên sinh. Bên cạnh đó, nó phù hợp với hầu hết các quy trình sản xuất truyền thống như thổi túi, ép phun, ép đùn, ép nén,… mà không yêu cầu về thiết bị hay công nghệ sản xuất.

Do đó, nó thường được trộn với polypropylene để thay thế nhiều bộ phận kim loại trong các ứng dụng ô tô như cản va, ống dẫn nhựa nội thất và các tấm lót. Ngoài ra, mặt hàng này còn được sử dụng trong các thiết bị gia dụng và phần cứng bằng nhựa được chế tạo. Phụ gia chống khối cũng là một ứng dụng phổ biến của talc trong màng polyetylen để giúp kéo hai mặt của túi nhựa ra xa nhau dễ dàng hơn.

Chất độn bari sulfat

Bari sunfat là một hợp chất vô cơ không mùi và không tan trong nước. Nó thường được sử dụng làm chất độn nhựa để tăng mật độ của polyme trong các ứng dụng giảm chấn khối lượng dao động. Trong nhựa polypropylene và polystyrene, nó được sử dụng làm chất độn với tỷ lệ lên đến 70%. Nó có tác dụng tăng khả năng chống axit, kiềm và độ mờ đục. Các vật liệu tổng hợp như vậy cũng được sử dụng làm vật liệu che chắn tia X do khả năng bức xạ nâng cao của chúng. Vật liệu tổng hợp có tỷ lệ trọng lượng cao (70-80%) của bari sulfat hoạt động tốt hơn so với các tấm chắn thép thường được sử dụng.

Chất độn natri sulfat

Natri sunfat (còn được gọi là natri sunfat hoặc sunfat của sôđa) là một loại hợp chất vô cơ có công thức là Na2SO4. Vật liệu này có màu trắng, không độc, không mùi, không vị và có khả năng hòa tan cao trong nước. Một ưu điểm nổi bật của natri sunfat là độ trong (trong hơn canxi cacbonat) và giá thành hợp lý (rẻ hơn bari sulfat). Vì vậy, natri sunfat được sử dụng rộng rãi như một chất độn nhựa hiệu quả.

Như vậy, natri sunfat cải thiện đáng kể độ trong và bóng của sản phẩm nhựa. Ngoài ra, nó củng cố các đặc tính cơ học của sản phẩm cuối cùng với độ phân tán tuyệt vời, độ bền cao và tính ổn định mạnh mẽ. Hơn nữa, việc sử dụng natri sulfat làm chất độn nhựa rất được khuyến khích nhờ các thành phần thân thiện với môi trường, hầu như không gây ra bất kỳ mối đe dọa nào đối với môi trường của chúng ta.

Plastic filler talc is undoubtedly one of the most common plastic fillers. Thanks to its outstanding mechanical characteristics, plastic talc filler has been widely used in many fields such as injection molding, extrusion molding, blown film,… as well as providing end-products with multiple advantages. 

Plastic filler talc is a well-known plastic filler. It is unexaggerated to say that the application of plastic fillers has revolutionized the plastic industry which once acknowledged the use of primary resins only. In particular, using plastic fillers helps plastic enterprises save a large amount of expense on input materials as most of them are at relatively low price compared with primary plastic. Therefore, plastic filler is an ideal alternative to a part of primary plastic. Besides, changing to plastic filler also minimizes the possibility of being negatively impacted by market fluctuation for plastic enterprises, thus paving the way for their sustainable development.

Among various types of fillers, talc may be one of the most preferable ones. This material can significantly reduce production cost while enhancing many properties of end-products such as thermal resistance, anti-block ability and durability,… thus improving the competitiveness of plastic enterprises. So what is plastic filler talc composed of? and how it is applied? Let’s discover with EuroPlas in this article below.

1. What is plastic filler talc?

Plastic filler talc is the combination of talc powder, plastic resins and necessary additives such as dispersant additives, bonding additives, processing aid additives,… Depending on the end-products’ requirements, manufacturers will choose the additives accordingly. As such, talc powder is nearly the key factor determining the mechanical properties of plastic filler talc. So what’s special about this material?

Talc powder is a metamorphic mineral made of three main components: magie, silic and oxy. In nature, this material exists in large reserves in the form of soapstone (a high-talc rock) and within whiteschist (for example the Franciscan Metamorphic Belt of the Western United States, the Western European Alps, certain areas of the Musgrave Block,…) and blueschist metamorphic terranes.

One special thing about this material is it’s a white soft odourless substance. Besides, it also has no chemical reaction when being directly applied on human’s skin, not to mention oil/moisture/smell absorption ability. Therefore, talc powder is an indispensable component in cosmetics production (skin cream,  commonly used in cosmetic and pharmaceuticals production. This characteristic also brings plastic filler talc a high level of safety, thus making it an ideal choice for many food-contact end-products such as food packaging films, cutleries, single-use dishes,…

2. Talc’s special properties

The reason why this material is widely used as plastic filler talc lies in its outstanding properties:

• High level of softness: talc is also known with another name – “soft stone” as this material’s rigidity is relatively low compared to that of others. This advantage allows plastic products containing talc to be printed easily on the surface, thus making talc the first priority in many fields such as sculpture, household appliance production,…

• Inertness: unlike other substances which might cause allergy for humans when they have skin contact, talc powder is quite safe, making it an indispensable component in cosmetic production. Besides, this characteristic also gives talc filler a plus point when it is mixed with other matters as it hardly afflict their properties.
• Processing aid: Seems a bit surprised but talc powder can assist in processing procedure. Thanks to its low hardness, the processing of plastic filler talc remarkably minimizes abrasion on equipment than harder materials, especially in extrusion.
• Thermal resistance: Talc particle’s platy shape increases the heat resistance as well as reducing shrinkage, thus it is especially suitable for laboratory tabletop surfaces, sinks and countertops. Also, this material enhances end-products’ rigidity such as polypropylene, vinyl, polyethylene, nylon, and polyester.

3. Common applications of plastic filler talc

According to the United States Geological survey, about 26% of talc produced in America goes to the manufacturing of plastic filler talc, making it the largest contributor to talc consumption. That figure, once again, showed a rising trend in using talc as a vital plastic filler.

Talc filler provides end-products with various outstanding mechanical properties such as thermal resistance, rigidity, anti block, abrasion and shrinkage decrease,…Specifically, the use of talc filler doesn’t require any changes in equipment and technology as it can easily meet all requirements of traditional technology method. Another reason for the proliferation of talc filler roots in its reasonable price compared to primary plastic. Therefore, the use of talc filler more or less helps enterprises save a significant amount of input materials expense, thus giving end-products an advantage.

Thanks to its outstanding mechanical properties, talc filler is widely used in many fields.

Blown films

Extruded products

Injection molding products

Raffia

For many years, humans have been blaming single-use plastic for causing severe pollution to the environment. However, according to a new research published on Oct. 26 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the environmental impacts of single-use plastic are exaggerated.

Stepping into 2021, people’s awareness regarding environmental problems has increased remarkably, thus driving consumers to minimize the use of products which are considered ungreen, one of them is single-use plastic.

However, Shelie Miller – An environmental engineer of University of Michigan recently revealed another approach of single-use plastic in her research paper, which emphasized our five most popular misperceptions about the environmental effects of this item.

People tend to focus on the impact of the packaging, rather than the impact of the product itself, said Shelie Miller – Associate Professor at the School for Environment and Sustainability and Director of the U-M Program in the Environment.

#1 Misperception: Plastic packaging is the main factor in causing environmental pollution

Despite many doubts, a study of  University of Michigan indicated that “Two-thirds of the plastic consumed in the United States in 2017 was used for other purposes (than packaging) including building construction, electronics, furniture, automobiles, home furnishings and various consumer products.” That means there is a large amount of plastic waste coming from other sources rather than from plastic packaging.

#2 Misperception: Plastic is by far the most environmentally polluted compared to other packaging materials

The truth is when it comes to the conclusion of a material’s environmental impact, we need to consider the effects that occurred at every stage of its lifetime. Therefore, the research took advantage of Life-cycle assessment tool to divide lifetime environmental impacts into multiple categories including water and resource depletion, climate change and energy use, solid waste generation, biodiversity loss and ecological toxicity.

There are a wide range of invisible environmental impacts while plastics in its common appearances like cans, bottles, boxes,… are amongst the most visible. Consequently, we believe that plastics have the greatest impact on the environment.

According to some researches, plastic generally has lower overall environmental impacts compared to single-use glass or metal in most categories. Furthermore, manufacturing of glass bottles is too energy- and resource-intensive to be called eco-friendly.

#3 Misperception: Single-use plastics are always worse than Reusable products

Non-reusability is probably the most controversial issue of single-use plastics. However, the research pointed out the environmental impact of a material is tied to its content inside rather than its containers.

Besides, only when being reused enough times, reusable products have lower environmental impacts because its manufacture requires tons of materials and energy.

For example, a paper bag is required to be reused at least seven times to offset the environmental impact of its production (such as natural resources, fossil fuel consumed during transportation,…). That seems to be impossible since not many paper bags would hold up that much.

#4 Misperception: Recycling and composting should be the highest priority

The 3R well-known model: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is one of the most popular solutions when it comes to environmental protection activities. Yet the fact that reducing and reusing listed ahead of recycling is not highlighted. As a result, consumers often over-emphasize the importance of recycling packaging instead of reducing product consumption and reusing items to extend their lifetime.

It is fundamentally easier for consumers to recycle the packaging of a product than to voluntarily reduce their demand for that product. However, true to be told, the environmental benefits brought by recycling and composting tend to be small when compared with efforts to reduce overall consumption – Shelie Miller

#5 Misperception: “Zero waste” is encouraged to eliminate single-use plastics and minimize the environmental impacts

In fact, reducing waste does not bring us as many benefits as we thought, thus compared to the amount of waste saved, the In other words, environmental protection solutions should address the root of this problem, which means reducing waste and consumption, consider carefully the kinds and quantities of products.

In conclusion, though the use of plastic still comes at the cost of environmental impacts, its flexibility, convenience and competitive price are undeniable. Therefore, instead of over concentrating on completely cutting on the use of plastic, we should use them with mindfulness and careful consideration.

Masterbatch plastic made from PE base resin is a common material in plastic industry. In order to satisfy the dramatically increasing demands of using masterbatch plastic, manufacturers have paid a lot of efforts on researching and establishing more advanced materials. LLDPE, LDPE, MDPE and HDPE are the sub-group of the giant PE masterbatch family. This article aims to summarize and categorize some basic information and knowledge about these three masterbatches.

Definitions of HDPE, MDPE, LDPE and LLDPE masterbatch plastic

HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), MDPE (Medium Density Polyethylene) and LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene) are plastic masterbatch that consist the main ingredient is PE – Polyethylene base resin. PE is a polyolefin, which is a massive group in the polymer world. Besides PE, other members of this polyolefin group can be listed are polymethyl pentene, polypropylene and polypropylene copolymer. The common feature of this group is all resins belonging to it have lower specific gravity compared to water.

The significant differences between these types of PE masterbatches basically come from the cellular structure of the compound, which affects how the molecules bonding with each other and how tightly the material is formed.

The most and least commonly used masterbatch plastic in PE group

LDPE is the most common type of masterbatch plastic in the small group of PE plastic since it is extremely flexible and conforms with a wide variety of different material. This type of masterbatch is widely applied in various fields such as agriculture and construction. However, there was an exited drawback that this LDPE is not strong and dense as other types of plastic as well as easily being punctured and teared under impacts. The group of LDPE and LLDPE accounted for approximately 35% of total polyolefin production in Western Europe with over 22 million tons annually.

In contrast to LDPE, MDPE masterbatches is the least common one among all four types of masterbatch plastic. Regarding to the physical properties, it performs an average in impact strength and stress crack. But on the other hand, MDPE plastic master batch displays excellent chemical resistance.

How LLDPE masterbatch plastic differ from the original LDPE?

LLDPE is popular for having a broad range of short branches. It is considered as the blend form of LDPE in which the masterbatch is more flexible and pliable, more tensile strong, and more conformable in combination with other materials. Similar to LDPE, LLDPE appears naturally in form of translucent or milky color mixture. The outstanding property that made LLDPE an state-of-the-art material among others is its excellent resistance to oxidization, UV light and other natural environmental conditions. Thanks to its structure, LLDPE is also achieve the extreme toughness and durability over other masterbatch plastic. It can withstand high impacts and puncture damage. That is the reason why plastic-based products manufacturers prefer using LLDPE masterbatch in applications such as trash cans, lightning and planting products.

Meet the most rigid masterbatch plastic in in PE resin family

As regard the toughness, HDPE definitely won the first position in this criteria. It is the most rigid masterbatch plastic in the group of PE plastics with good impact strength and chemical resistance. These outstanding features was benefited from the tight molecular structure of the plastic itself. Thus its softening point is the highest, approximately 125 – 135 Celcius degree.  it requires more energy to break these structures. Moreover, thanks to these properties, HDPE masterbatches is considered as the most suitable alternative for making the secondary containment liners for oil tanks, industrial ponds and canal liners where chemical resistance is a need. It is the most commonly used masterbatch plastic in the US market. This is also the one that express best UV-resistance even without adding anti-UV additives into the masterbatch manufacturing. HDPE masterbatch usually appears naturally in milky white or semi-translucent compound depending on the molecule’s density.

Color masterbatch with basic colors are a familiar product in the plastic manufacturing industry. However, recently, the aesthetic needs of people do not only stop at the basic colors. Therefore, color masterbatch with special effects and colors appear to address these diverse needs of users. This article will give you information on some of the batch colors with special effects that MTB can provide.

Fluorescent color masterbatch are widely used in the manufacturing of packaging and toys

Dye fluorescent works in the form of baking powder, which is insoluble like a pigment form when mixed with the base resin. Fluorescent color masterbatch have a very high level of light reflection and the ability to transform UV light into visible colors. Therefore they will make the finished product very colorful. Fluorescent pigments being available in the base resin help plastics emit fluorescence on various colors and achieve excellent thermal stability. The disadvantage of this type of colored batch colors is their low capacitance in resistance in solvents, less durability in strong light environments and must be used at high concentrations to be effective.

Fluorescent color masterbatch are usually produced with base plastics such as LDPE, HDPE, PP, etc. They are widely used in the manufacture of packaging, toys and warning signs by extrusion, injection molding, blow molding and rubber molding methods.

Metallic color masterbatch is the perfect match for various decorative purposes

The most important metallic colorant in the color masterbatch manufacturing industry is aluminum flake pigments. The size of flakes in pigments greatly affects the color display on the final product. Small flakes will reduce the brightness of the color and make the product look darker. Meanwhile, large color flakes reflect more light, so the product also has more iridescence.

Although it has a significant metallic effect on color masterbatch, but due to the use of large aluminum flakes, it will also have negative effects on some physical properties of the product this type of colorant is usually only at the concentration approximately 10%. In industry, to color plastic products, the manufacturers will combine aluminum flakes with other organic pigments to create a variety of metallic color options.

A note when using aluminum flakes is that they should be dispersed in base resin or liquid color masterbatch because dry aluminum flakes tend to be explosive. In addition, when dispersing aluminum flakes or any color pigments that create other metallic effects on the base resin, minimizing sliding forces to avoid breaking the flake’s structure or deforming flakes leading to the reduction on color effects is recommended. Common applications of iridescence batch colors are blow molding, film molding, film blowing and cosmetic containers manufacturing.

Nacreous color masterbatch has brought sophistication to the plastic products

Nacreous color masterbatch are composed of pigments flakes which are similar to the aluminum flake pigments. However, instead of using aluminum scales for metallic luster, the manufacturers will use thin mica flakes coated with titanium dioxide. This combination makes light passing through the batch colors is partially reflected and partially absorbed. Many pigments flakes react and absorb light at the same time, causing the surface of the colored plastic to have nacre effect. Similar to the using of aluminum flakes, when mixing these nacre flakes into plastic, pay attention to the sliding speed, adjust the speed accordingly in order to not breaking the flakes structure.

Some other special effects in colored plastic beads Masterbatch

In addition to the color masterbatch with special effects as mentioned above, MTB is completely confident that we can do the researches, produce and deliver to you various types of batch colors with many other special effects like pearly, transparent, edge glow, marble, glitter effect, etc. Not only brought a special appearance to the final products, but these masterbatches also reinforce physical strength, improve durability, maximize the hardness and deformation temperature of the base resins. Besides, our products possess outstanding features such as smooth and beautiful surface, clear effect, outstanding color and long life expectancy. Therefore, the MTB color masterbatch is suitable for many purposes from making multipurpose boxes, food and cosmetics containers, wire covers, decoration materials, and furniture to other a wide range of other household items.

Masterbatch has covered the vast majority of our modern world. It’s easy to find a random stuff around you that was made of masterbatch. We all know that plastic have outstanding features over other traditional materials such as wood or glass. But why primary plastic has been replaced with masterbatch? Here are 10 reasons why this material is considered as being even more advanced than the raw plastic!

What is masterbatch? Definition, function and classification of this advanced material

Masterbatch is the concentrated compound, usually appears in solid form as pellets but sometimes they are produced in liquid solution. This type of material consists of primary plastic, compound CaCO3 (or other similar plastic fillers, most of them are in powder form), colorant for plastic and other additives. All these ingredients are heated until melting to form a unique and even solution, then this solution is cooled and cut into granular shape. This material is considered as a plastic additive with 3 main purposes: to reduce the amount of required primary plastic, to color and to impart functional properties to plastic products. Also based on these functions, the masterbatches is divided in to 3 major categories: calcium carbonate filler, color masterbatch and additive masterbatch.

Masterbatch is the perfect solution to creat colorful plastic products

As mentioned above, one of the most important purposes of using masterbatch is due to the economic benefit it brought to the manufacturers. Back to the beginning of plastic industry, nearly all plastic products were made by primary resin, which is produced directly from the petroleum and does not contain other ingredients. However, as the amount of petroleum in natural is dramatically decreased due to the over-exploitation, thus leading to the consequence in which the prices or crude oil keep rising in recent years. By replacing partly the primary plastic in plastic-base products production without affecting the original properties of the pure plastic, masterbatch is highly recommended as an effective solution for a wide range of application.

Pellet form makes masterbatch more convenient to be stored and manipulated

Compared to powdered pigments, if manufacturers use color masterbatch as a colorant for plastic, it will be a lot easier to store them near the production systems without causing a messy working space. Staffs working in these factories can also easily control the amount of used master batch and manipulate the whole manufacturing process, minimizing the chance of using too much amount of materials needed.

Using masterbatch releases less dust to the surrounding environment

Masterbatch, due to its dense and compacted structure of each solid pellet, cause less dust during the production processes, thus help the manufacturers control and eliminate the contamination problems inside the factory. Meanwhile pigments can well disperse into the air during manufacturing stages, this situation potentially causing contamination the adjacent producing lines.

Not only keep working space in factories clean, these dust-free masterbatch is also safer and less likely to cause health risks for workers and consumers compared to the traditional undispersed pigments powder.

Masterbatch manufacturers can more easily control the appearance of products

Masterbatch is believed to enhance the dispersion of colorant for plastic and plastic additives in general up to the optimal level. It offers better color consistency, thus allows manufacturers to easily control and manage the opacity and transparency of the final products. Master batch can have these advanced properties over the pigments because it is specially designed and engineered for the optimal dispersion in a plastic matrix. Thus, less colorant for plastic are required during the processing, helping producers to gain more profits. Moreover, plastic product manufacturers is able to reduce their works since the tasks of research, trial and fixing the errors are now eliminated. Why can these happen? It’s because the masterbatch manufacturers have taken the responsibilities in developing products with standard on color, properties and appearance.

Masterbatch is preferred since it gives final products with superior properties

Last but not least, we cannot deny that fact that masterbatch seems to be able in giving various additional values to the final products over the primary plastic since it contains functional additives concentrates that deliver advantageous characteristics such as anti-UV, anti-blocking, flame retardant, antioxidants, optical brightening, smoother surface, etc. Thanks to this added properites, quality of final products is elevated while their prices is reduced and more attractive to the customers.