Plastics Additives & Compounding

Latest News

Smithers Rapra appoints new business manager
Mike Nichols has been appointed business manager – Physical Testing for independent polymer consultants Smithers Rapra.
New director for Dutch compounder
Frank Heinen has been appointed commercial director at Transmare Compounding in Roermond, The Netherlands.
Board changes at Clariant
Clariant has made changes to its executive committee.
Global Thermoplastics integrated with Fortis
Global Thermoplastics, LP, a manufacturer of engineered compounds for plastic moulding applications based in Texas, USA, has been acquired by a US private equity fund.
Antioxidant PE improves life of implants
Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation, has developed two new grades of GUR® ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) incorporating vitamin E biocompatible antioxidant for sampling and testing in orthopaedic implants.

Implementing REACH - the challenges ahead
The European Parliament has adopted the proposals for the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals. Plastics Additives & Compounding reports on what is now required to comply with REACH.
Members' Content
Advances in PVC heat and light stabilization
Stabilizers play a key role in the PVC industry, where the market is driven by both regulatory and cost-performance issues. Jennifer Markarian reviews some of the latest developments in heat and light stabilization for PVC.
Wire and cable compounding: meeting the production requirements
Compounding for wire and cable applications makes a number of varied demands on extrusion machinery. Jennifer Markarian looks at some of the equipment on the market and discusses some of the issues that need to be considered by the wire and cable manufacturer.
Members' Content
Biopolymers present new market opportunities for additives in packaging
Biopolymers are produced from renewable resources, such as corn or starch, and are being touted as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. The biopolymer industry is emerging, with new products being introduced and commercial plants starting up, although supply is currently still limited. Jennifer Markarian reports on the current state on the biopolymer market and the increasingly important role of additives.