MATERIALS
...Continued from front page to the company. It is compatible with a wide range of
and with more than 1000 employees, the additive mas-
terbatch manufacturer also has sales offices and customers
in more than 50 countries across Europe, North America,
South America, Asia and the Middle East.
More information: www.tosaf.com
MATERIALS
Shepherd Color unveils
IR-reflective black pigment
for plastics and coatings
C incinnati-based inorganic pigment manufac-
turer Shepherd Color has developed a new
infrared (IR)-reflective, jet black colorant for use
in plastics and coatings. Introduced as part of
the company’s well-established Arctic® range of
IR-reflecting pigments, Black 10P925 is a chro-
mium iron oxide product (C.I. Pigment Brown 29).
It has been designed to have an optimal balance
of properties to facilitate the recycling of plastic
packaging materials via near-IR sorting systems
but is also suitable for use in building products
such as roofing and siding where high solar
reflectance and low heat build-up are required,
among other applications.
Black is a popular colour for plastic packaging but the
conventional carbon black-based pigments used prevent
the identification of the base polymers by the near-IR sort-
ing equipment used at automated recycling centres. In
contrast, the near-IR reflectivity of Shepherd’s new Black
10P925 pigment enables the recycling of black plastics.
Optimized for masstone coloration and reportedly cost-
effective, the new product possesses a number of other
characteristics advantageous as a pigment for recyclable
plastics, the company notes. It is a single pigment solution,
non-magnetic and capable of surviving multiple extrusions,
Shepherd reports. It offers food packaging compliance in
the key European Union market and is widely listed on
chemical registries for global supply, the company says.
As with all of Shepherd’s Arctic pigment range, Black
10P925 is highly resistant to acid, base, chemical and UV
attack, and offers excellent outdoor durability, according
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Additives for Polymers August 2020
plastics, coatings and inorganic binders, Shepherd reports.
More information: www.shepherdcolor.com
Dow introduces new silicone
surfactants for more-sustainable
PU foam formulations
G lobal materials science company Dow Inc
has introduced a new generation of silicone
surfactants with low levels of cyclics and volatiles
to support innovative and more-sustainable rigid
polyurethane (PU) foam formulations for cold
chain appliances. The new additives will help to
achieve higher energy efficiency and enhanced
aesthetics as well as aiding the transition to
more-sustainable, replacement blowing agents in
these applications, according to the company.
Vorasurf™ RF 5374 Additive helps formulators to
achieve high polyol side solubility, blend stability and clar-
ity, Dow says. It is reported to be particularly useful when
complex cabinet design requires enhanced flow and good
aesthetics in applications that demand high insulation per-
formance, such as cold chain, commercial and domestic
refrigeration appliances. A second innovation, Vorasurf RF
5382 Additive, provides improved system compatibility
to help maximize the insulating performance of pentane-
blown rigid foams, Dow reports. This helps to address
challenging energy efficiency criteria in cold chain appli-
ances and installations. The broadest claims are made for
Vorasurf RF 5388 Additive, which is said to assist formula-
tors in meeting ‘essentially all desired properties’ of appli-
ance foam systems, including higher pentane solubility,
excellent flow and surface aesthetics to avoid liner defects.
It is intended for use in domestic or commercial refrigera-
tors and freezers. Finally, Vorasurf SF 2937 Additive sup-
ports enhanced k-factor in pour-in-place, continuous panel,
closed-cell spray PU and polyisocyanurate insulation foam,
and is suitable for use with a range of traditional blowing
agents and more-sustainable alternatives such as hydrofluo-
roolefins and water-blown systems, the company says.
According to Dow, these innovative products address strong
industry demand for surfactants and other additives support-
ing customers to achieve emerging performance, sustainability
and profitability challenges in rigid PU foams. They extend

the company’s existing wide portfolio of PU additives, includ-
ing silicone surfactants, silicone performance additives and
release agents, developed over decades of collaboration with
the PU industry. ‘We continue to expand our industry-leading
portfolio of polyurethane additives, combining unrivalled pol-
yurethane knowledge, technical customer support capabilities,
and the strongest silicone chemistry history in the industry’,
remarks Justin Weare, North America marketing manager for
Polyurethane Additives at Dow.
In related news, Dow has appointed Univar Solutions as
a distributor of its Vorasurf family of silicone PU additives
across North America. This new partnership will allow North
American customers to benefit from Dow’s product develop-
ment, technical support and manufacturing experience in the
field of PU materials and silicones, the company says.
Elsewhere, Dow and Johnson Matthey have granted
a technology licence to Chinese company Zibo Qixiang
Tengda Chemical Company to use their LP OxoSM
Technology to produce isononyl alcohol (INA) at a new
200 000 tonnes/year manufacturing facility under con-
struction in Zibo City. Among other applications, INA
is used in the production of diisononyl phthalate, diiso-
nonyl adipate and triisononyl trimellitate plasticizers.
Dow operates 109 manufacturing sites in 31 countries
and employs some 36 500 people. It generated sales of
about US$43 billion in 2019.
More information: www.dow.com
Tests confirm antiviral properties Clariant additives for biopolymers
of selected Sanitized additives gain certification for industrial
on polymer surfaces compostability
S wiss antimicrobials producer Sanitized AG
reports that tests conducted at independent
laboratories in accordance with ISO 21702:2019
have confirmed that several of its products are
effective against viruses on non-porous polymer
surfaces. The antiviral efficacy was confirmed
in various polymer carriers, the company says.
Tests were performed using a feline coronavirus
with structures and mechanisms similar to the
SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus responsible for the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Sanitized additives are ‘the perfect tool’ for an antiviral and
antibacterial treatment of different polymer types that play a
August 2020 Additives for Polymers
MATERIALS
central role in healthcare applications, technical applications,
mattress protectors, public transportation, food industry or
everyday necessities, the company says, noting the importance
of comprehensive hygiene management in combatting the
coronavirus crisis. However, it explains that viral tests must be
performed on treated articles in specialized laboratories before
any product’s antiviral properties can be claimed. In addition
to this standard procedure, compliance with local legal regula-
tions is also essential, Sanitized points out.
Earlier impartial testing (in accordance with ISO
18184:2019) using the same model feline coronavirus
also confirmed that the company’s Sanitized T 99-19 and
Sanitized T 11-15 products are effective at reducing the
viral load on polyester fabrics by up to 99%, the company
reports. Patented technology featuring an ammonium silicate
compound is employed in Sanitized T 99-19 while Sanitized
T 11-15 is based on tried and tested silver technology,
according to the company. These additives are ideal for the
antimicrobial treatment of face masks, protective professional
medical clothing, bed linens and mattresses, Sanitized says.
Located in Burgdorf, Switzerland, Sanitized has been
developing and manufacturing antimicrobial additives
for polymers and textiles for more than 80 years. It offers
its active ingredients in powder, liquid, masterbatch and
paste formats, depending on the specific production engi-
neering requirements.
More information: www.sanitized.com
S everal of Clariant’s bio-based processing and
dispersing additives for biopolymers have
received industrial compostability certification.
Test and certification body TÜV Austria Cert GmbH
awarded the OK compost INDUSTRIAL certificate
to the Licocare® RBW Vita range, Licolub® FA 1
and Licowax® C. In addition, Licocare RBW 102 Vita
received the OK biodegradable SOIL label, which
is a key attribute for agricultural applications,
Clariant says. The certifications will support the
development of industrially compostable plastics
and biodegradable coatings for agriculture, accord-
ing to the company.
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