Plastic Additive Selection, Application and Troubleshooting

Introduction

Plastic additives are a diverse group of specialty chemicals that are either incorporated into the plastic product prior to or during processing, or applied to the surface of the product when processing has been completed. These additives aid in the actual processing of the plastic end product (e.g., blowing agents, mold release agents, lubricants, organic peroxides) or improve the characteristics of the final product (antimicrobials, odorants, colorants, antistatic agents, impact modifiers, and UV stabilizers).

Plastics additives account for 15 to 20% by weight of the total volume of plastics products marketed. The growth in use of these additives is relatively strong and continuous. However, environmental constraints have imposed rigorous performance requirements on many products, adding expenses to the development costs of these materials.

Objectives

This course provides the basic and specific information needed to employ the best additives in manufacturing situations. The course starts with a presentation of the structures of polymers for a better understanding of the ways to stabilize a plastic material against degradation due to thermal, mechanical or UV-degradation or other detrimental mechanisms. A presentation of the most common plastic materials and how they should be handled during processing is included. This is important in order to obtain the desired properties for a product. However, the quality and the short as well as the long-term properties can be improved by the correct choice of additives. This will be highlighted during the extensive presentation of available additives on the market and the mechanisms for their function. Further, the course will cover the analytical tools (DSC, Mass Spectrometry) and many of other instrumental techniques for identification and structure elucidation of plastics additives, e.g., antioxidants, stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments, UV-stabilizers.

This state-of-the-art course is designed to provide an overview of many additives used to produce the huge array of today’s commercial polymeric materials. However, the participants will also learn which tools are available for trouble-shooting. Discoloration and poor UV-resistance are only two examples of common problems, which are often encountered. The aid of statistical methods will also be presented as well as alternatives to additives. Environmental issues are dealt with due to detrimental migration of additives, health risks with halogenated additives as well as consequences of plastic recycling and the restabilization of polymers with additives. Discussions will include additive functionality and how to select additives to meet the desired end-product properties and manufacturing process requirements.

Training Methodology

The training methodology is interactive with group exercises and is suitable for all employees involved in process, maintenance and operations management. The pace and level of the training workshop is customized to the understanding of the delegates. Ongoing back-up and support is available after the training on request to the supplier, and the training course is also available for in-house presentation as well as for “Competency Transfer”.

Who Should Attend?

This course is very important for Process Engineers, Chemists, Laboratory team, Practitioners in plastics production, plastics processing, plastics additives; Researchers in the area of polymer degradation and Spectroscopists. Further, the course is important for Procurers, Purchasers, Sales & Marketing Engineers in the field of plastics and polymers. Furthermore, management team in the manufacturing plants of plastics and polymers are encouraged to attend this comprehensive course which will give them invaluable technical information on plastics additives and polymers.

Course Outline

Upon the successful completion of this course, participants will: -

• Have enough information needed to employ the best additives in different manufacturing situations
• Learn details of the most common plastics additives (Antioxidants; Light Stabilizers like UV-absorbers and Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers; Fillers like Micas and Carbon Black, Pigments/ Colorants/ Dyes; Flame retardants/Smoke Suppressants; Slip/Anti-Blocking Agents; Antacids; Stearates; Metal Deactivators; Plasticizers; Blowing and Foaming Agents; Antibacterials/Fungicides; Anti-Fogging Agents; Anti-Static Agents;) Know the currently available trademarked additives and their trade names.
• Be able to select additives to meet the desired end-product properties and manufacturing process requirements.
• Learn the application of FTIR, DSC and Mass Spectrometry and many other instrumental techniques for identification and structure elucidation of plastics additives, e.g., antioxidants, stabilizers, plasticizers, pigments.
• Be guided to the best and updated references in the Plastics Additives Technology (manufacturers, books, software, databases etc).