Biobased Mold Release for PP Automotive Formulations

Denmark’s Palsgaard, a major supplier of plant-based additives for the plastics industry has been working with polymer compounders in Malaysia to run a comparative study and successfully qualify the superior performance of its Einar 201 mold release agent vs. incumbent additives in PP formulations for injection molded automotive applications. The study was actively supported by Palsgaard’s Polymer Application Center to accelerate the time-to-market of various specific automotive PP compounds.

Einar 201 is a renewable mold release additive based on vegetable oils. As a high-quality glycerol monostearate (GMS) and efficient performer at low, adjustable loading levels, it is available in powder and pellet form and can be incorporated in customized additive masterbatches designed for a wide range of different injection molding PP compounds, including high-impact grades. In addition to its reportedly excellent mold release, this mold release agent also provides very good denesting and slip effect for automated downstream stacking and handling of molded products, while ensuring clean and anti-dust surface aesthetics throughout processing, assembly and final use. Moreover, typical automotive applications molded in PP with Einar 201, such as door trims, dashboards and bumpers, benefit from further properties, including high heat resistance and low volatility (low odor).

Said Palsgaard’s global business director for biospecialty additives Ulrik Aunskjaer, “Masterbatch manufacturers, polypropylene compounders and processors are increasingly seeking more sustainable additive solutions to help them eliminate regulatory concerns and meet their targets of reducing the Scope 3 carbon footprint of their operations without compromising performance or cost efficiency. More than just a perfect renewable drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based products, our Einar 201 mold release additive is also produced in completely CO₂-neutral factories, worldwide, which lends it an overall superior sustainability profile across the entire value chain from production and compounding to processing.”