K 2013 News: Metabolix to Highlight New Performance Additives for PVC
K 2013 is getting closer and closer, and more companies are revealing what products they are planning to showcase at the international trade fair. Metabolix, Inc. will highlight two new performance additives for PVC, one of which recently launched earlier this fall.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a versatile and resource-efficient thermoplastic with a wide range of applications, making it indispensable in virtually all areas of human activity. But the truth is that without additives, PVC would not prove to be a very useful substance. It’s a brittle, stiff, and a thermally unstable material. PVC is often used in compounded products for these reasons. A compounded product typically includes about 20-40% performance additives, which help improve the performance of PVC products, either to soften or color the material, or to increase the product’s lifespan.
Unfortunately, despite its versatility, PVC is also one of the least recycled plastic materials in the world. That is also true for most of its additives, which are not usually made with renewable resources. Additionally, although these additives provide important enhancements to the basic PVC polymer, they can sometimes hinder recycling and reuse. Consequently, there is a lot of research currently underway exploring opportunities to enhance PVC’s and PVC additives’ biodegrading capabilities.
Metabolix, Inc., an innovation-driven bioscience company constantly developing biopolymers as performance additives, released a 100 percent biobased PVC modifier, I6001, last December. I6001 is an effective multi-functional polymeric modifier for semi-rigid and flexible PVC compounds. It improves impact resistance, tear resistance, tensile toughness and plasticization, all while protecting clarity and UV stability. I6001 also promotes shear melting and faster fusion, giving processing advantages over traditional core-shell impact modifiers. According to Bob Engle, Vice President, Commercial Development of Biopolymers at Metabolix, I6001 contributes renewable content while delivering an impressive set of processing advantages and performance characteristics.
The additive will be highlighted at this year’s K Show. The international trade fair takes place every three years and brings thousands of plastics professionals together in order to showcase their ideas and innovations. In 2013, the event will welcome more than 200,000 visitors and 3,100 exhibitors from 60 countries.
At K 2013, Metabolix will also introduce I6003rp, a new biobased polymeric performance additive for recycled PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which represents an extension of the same product line of I6001. I6003rp is an effective biobased polymeric additive for improving recycled PVC value and increasing its reuse in PVC compounds. It improves tensile toughness and tear resistance and provides plastification, while not compromising clarity or UV stability. Also, I6003rp increases scrap reuse rate without compromising hardness or discoloring the PVC.
In a recent video posted on the Metabolix YouTube channel presenting these two PVC performance additives, Bob Engle explains why I6003rp helps with processing recycled PVC. “We see unique benefits in using I6003rp because the processing benefit that it brings in lowering the degradation of material during recycling enables those processors to use more of their generated recycled scrap. This solves a big waste problem these PVC processors face”, Engle says. View the entire video below.
Addressing the Challenges of PVC
At K 2013, which is taking place from October 16th to the 23rd in Dusseldorf, Germany, Metabolix will be showcasing I6003rp and I6001 PVC modifiers, as well as Mvera B5010, a new compostable film grade resin, and a number of additional biobased master batch and bio-composite resin products. If you are interested in these products but can’t make it to K 2013, you can request samples from the company’s website.
