Additives as Nucleating Agents & Clarifiers for Plastics Applications

Additives are added to plastics materials not only for the stabilisation of the articles, but also to influence the morphology of the polymers after processing. Nucleating agents for example can be used to reduce the cycle time during processing while at the same time they lead to improved mechanical properties of the final article. Special nucleating agents quite significantly increase the clarity of semi-crystalline polymers. They are then also called clarifiers. Applications Irgastab® NA 287 can be used for the injection moulding of thin walled packaging, caps and closures. It also finds use in automotive and furniture applications as well as appliances, crates, boxes, the thermoforming of trays, cups and tubs and general blow moulding products. Irgaclear® XT 386 is ideally suited for polypropylene random copolymer applications such as thin-wall injection moulding of transparent food containers and extrusion and injection stretch blow moulding of bottles.