Plastics additives to be discussed in Germany

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 12, 2006

Rapra Technology will hold its 12th annual conference on developments in plastics additives on 17th and 18th October 2006 at the Renaissance Hotel in Cologne, Germany.

Rapra Technology will hold its 12th annual conference on developments in plastics additives on 17th and 18th October 2006 at the Renaissance Hotel in Cologne, Germany.

These meetings have proved popular because the additives business is a rapidly changing one.

The two-day programmes are usually very well filled and with 24 half-hour presentations, the 2006 meeting will be no exception.

There will be some unusual papers this year, notably one from Alqemia/Kafrit Industries, Israel on how additives can combat the methods used by counterfeiters and "pirates" who are thought to cost businesses (including conventional manufacturers) US $450 billion a year by copying merchandise.

It's a sign of the times, but Addcon has increasingly needed to highlight European legislative changes.

In addition to Rapra's own paper on EU food contact legislation, Dr Hector Galicia of Springborn Smithers Laboratories (Europe), will outline the latest developments with Reach.

Omya will describe how additive chemicals are distributed in practice for sale and use; and Townsend, making its eleventh appearance at Addcon, will bring delegates up to date on additives for the polyolefin sector.

Three companies (Mayzo, Rika International and Adeka of Japan) will focus on nucleating and clarifying agents for polypropylene.

Rika claims the first nonsorbitol compound to exhibit excellent clarity in both homo-PP and random copolymer resins.

Mayzo's product is a beta nucleating masterbatch and Adeka says that its new product accelerates the crystallisation rate significantly, resulting in a product with improved haze, stiffness, processability, and productivity in moulding.

Denmark's Danisco will discuss antistatic and antifog additives, and DuPont will introduce a new permanent antistatic agent that is claimed not to suffer from the usual compatibility problems in polyolefin formulations intended for flexible film, bottles and injection mouldings.

Croda will present a paper about developments in slip agents and a Spanish university will discuss the use of room temperature ionic liquids as lubricants for polymers and nanocomposites.

Membrana/Accurel Systems will disclose how the company's porous, sponge-like polymer based carriers can turn difficult- to- handle additives into dry, free-flowing additive super concentrates.

Potters Europe will update delegates on microspheres, the hollow versions of which can reduce product weight; and Kenrich Petrochemicals will explain titanate and zirconate coupling agents for fillers.

Flame retardants are not forgotten; PTFE-based anti-dripping additives are discussed by 3M Belgium, and the flame retardant potential of nanoclays in PVC, EVA and polyethylene will be highlighted by Kabelwerk Eupen.