Plastics Additives

Additives are materials that are added to the primary resin during either compounding or processing to improve the polymer’s processability, performance or appearance. Additives include colorants; heat stabilizers; process aids; fillers; compatibilizers; blowing agents; lubricants; slip agents.

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Cargill Polymer Processing Aid Offers an Alternative to Fluoropolymers

Incroflo uses biobased feedstocks and improves extrusion outcomes.

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Injection Molding 22 Oct 2022

Understanding the ‘Science’ of Color

And as with all sciences, there are fundamentals that must be considered to do color right. Here’s a helpful start.

Injection Molding 1 Feb 2019

What’s With All the Static?

Static buildup on polymers can cause a variety of problems, some rather unpleasant. Yet there’s an inexpensive way to eliminate it, and we have data as proof.

Additives 30 Nov 2018

Part 11: A Processor's Most Important Job

It’s the processor’s job to ensure molded parts contain enough stabilizer to perform to the expectations of the end use.

Commodity Resins 25 Sep 2017

How to Prevent Stress Whitening in PP Copolymers

A look at causes, detection, and prevention.

best practices 25 Feb 2017

Extruding with Fillers

You can use the reference point from processing unfilled polymer to determine whether you can run filled resin on your current system.

Additives 31 Mar 2015

Materials: Analyzing Filler Content

The process is considered simple. But things aren’t always as they seem.

Latest Additives News And Updates

Commodity Resins 10 Sep 2025

OQ Introduces Clarified Random Copolymer Polypropylene Grade for Injection Molding

OQ’s Luban RP2251T uses Milliken clarifier.

sustainability 9 Sep 2025

CAI Announces Flame-Retardant Masterbatch

ST-FR309 provides fire protection for polyester-based materials.

sustainability 8 Sep 2025

BASF Additive Enhances Chemical Resistance of Greenhouse Films

BASF expands additive portfolio for agriculture applications.

Automotive 22 Aug 2025

Struktol RP 17 and RP 53 Additives for Odor Control

Additives engineered to optimize processing, improve quality and facilitate increase in recycled content.

Additives 14 Jul 2025

Avient Introduces Oxygen Scavenging Additive

ColorMatrix Amosorb Oxyloop to enhance recyclability.

sustainability 4 Jul 2025

Kisuma Setogem RD for PP Nucleation and Acid Scavenging

Kisuma Chemicals has introduced a dual-purpose product for polypropylene producers.

Imperial Industries welded resin storage silos

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Biopolymers 4 Sep 2025

PT Tech Days Kicks Off Tuesday With Sustainable Materials

Presenters on September 9 will focus on alternatives that enable more sustainable plastic products.

Additives 19 Aug 2025

Graphene Turns 20: Two Decades of Innovation in Graphene-Enhanced Polymers

First isolated in 2004 and earnings its inventors the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, graphene has only been on the scene for two decades but its growth and impact in plastics is undeniable.

Additives 16 Jul 2025

Replacing PFAS, a Transition in Processing Lubricants

Chemical manufacturers, polymer compounders and converters are making moves toward PFAS-free.

sustainability 7 Apr 2025

Calcium Carbonate From Carbon Capture for Brighter Plastics and Greener Steel

CarbonFree is converting steel slag and blast furnace exhaust into an important plastic compounding additive.

NPE 15 Jul 2024

Additives Boast Sustainability Without Sacrificing Performance

Sustainability continues to dominate new additives technology, but upping performance is also evident. Most of the new additives have been targeted to commodity resins and particularly polyolefins.

Additives 1 May 2024

Struktol Showcasing a Range of Specialty Additives

NPE2024: Focus is on additives for plastics including PVC and WPC industries.

FAQ: Additives

What to consider when adding color?

There are several key items that are essential in developing a colorant package for any polymer. The first of these is the avoidance of any chemical incompatibility between the chemistry of the polymer and the chemistry of the colorant system. Chemical reactions proceed more rapidly at higher temperatures, and melt processing involves significantly elevated temperatures and large inputs of mechanical energy. Therefore, any chemical interactions that may occur between a polymer and a colorant system will happen very rapidly during the injection molding process.

How much stabilizer should processors use?

The material supplier will incorporate a certain amount of the stabilization package in the material, making this the starting point for that material. It is now the processor’s job to handle the material during processing so that the molded part contains enough stabilizer to perform to the expectations of the end user. The molding process will always consume some amount of the antioxidant in the material. This is expected. But the amount of stabilizer that is consumed will depend upon the process conditions, most notably the melt temperature and the time the material spends in the molten state. Lower melt temperatures and shorter residence times will produce parts that retain a higher level of stabilization, and these parts will be more capable of handling the application environment. If melt temperatures become elevated or residence times become extended, the molded part will be less capable of managing the application demands.

Biodegradable CFAs Molding and Extrusion

Plastics Additives

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Latest Additives News And Updates

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FAQ: Additives

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