GRANIC
Calcium carbonate-filled masterbatch brings higher elasticity in blow moulding and film applications
Calcium carbonate and talc filled masterbatch producers Granic and Gestora Catalana de Residuos (Barcelona / Spain; www.granic.es) have introduced a grade developed for HDPE blow moulding applications. “Granic” 762 uses a very low melt flow copolymer HDPE base carrier resin with a calcium carbonate content of 80%. The base carrier resin is claimed to bring a higher e-modulus to finished products than previously achievable with an LLDPE carrier and the use of ultrafine calcium carbonate granules in the polymer matrix permits the downgauging of wall thickness in blow moulded articles such as bottles and containers.
The calcium carbonate used has very high whiteness, allowing the level of titanium dioxide required to produce blow-moulded white bottles and white films to be reduced. A loading of “Granic” 762 of up to 10% is possible, depending on wall thickness, in natural HDPE bottles and films without any discernible change in visual appearance, the producer said. The masterbatch is also suitable for use in the production of coloured bottles.
Victor Oliva, commercial director at Gestora Catalana de Residuos, said: “Our full commercial introduction of “Granic 762” was in April this year, and already several big customers are placing regular orders that can be measured in truck loads. We see a huge potential in this material, with a major producer of probiotic yogurt-type drinks already trialling its use in Europe and Latin-America.”
Granic said the additive can be added to almost all types of polymers, including PE, PP and PS derivatives, at dosages of up to 60% depending on application.
Chris Green, business development manager at Plastribution (Ashby, Leicestershire / UK; www.plastribution.co.uk), which is the product’s sole distributor in the UK, said the previous use of LLDPE-based grades at higher addition rates “was found to reduce modulus and tensile properties in some cases and to cause some issues in processing, particularly with very large blow mouldings. The new grade addresses these issues by utilising a low melt flow HDPE carrier that will have no adverse effect at higher loadings over 15% or more.”
The calcium carbonate used has very high whiteness, allowing the level of titanium dioxide required to produce blow-moulded white bottles and white films to be reduced. A loading of “Granic” 762 of up to 10% is possible, depending on wall thickness, in natural HDPE bottles and films without any discernible change in visual appearance, the producer said. The masterbatch is also suitable for use in the production of coloured bottles.
Victor Oliva, commercial director at Gestora Catalana de Residuos, said: “Our full commercial introduction of “Granic 762” was in April this year, and already several big customers are placing regular orders that can be measured in truck loads. We see a huge potential in this material, with a major producer of probiotic yogurt-type drinks already trialling its use in Europe and Latin-America.”
Granic said the additive can be added to almost all types of polymers, including PE, PP and PS derivatives, at dosages of up to 60% depending on application.
Chris Green, business development manager at Plastribution (Ashby, Leicestershire / UK; www.plastribution.co.uk), which is the product’s sole distributor in the UK, said the previous use of LLDPE-based grades at higher addition rates “was found to reduce modulus and tensile properties in some cases and to cause some issues in processing, particularly with very large blow mouldings. The new grade addresses these issues by utilising a low melt flow HDPE carrier that will have no adverse effect at higher loadings over 15% or more.”
07.08.2012 Plasteurope.com [223020-0]
Published on 07.08.2012