Clariant offered Chinaplas 2016 visitors insight into the Value for People its local focus is bringing to the region – from product innovations centered on the specific needs of its plastics processors and product developers, to new on-the-ground investments to progress Clariant's commitment to becoming a China Insider.Clariant's tailored support for Greater China and South East Asia's plastics and related market segments was reflected at Chinaplas in its new products, extensive portfolios, and pioneering concepts and solutions from its Additives, Masterbatches and Pigments Business Units. All are aimed at addressing the trend in the region for high quality, high performance and safe use for consumers - both domestic and worldwide - and a move towards more sustainable production.
Featured highlights for the plastics industry at this year's event focused on the major regional manufacturing segment E&E, as well as packaging, automotive and general plastics applications.
Additives to make applications more environmentally sustainable, with improved performance functionality, safety and ease of processing
New at Chinaplas 2016:
- New Exolit OP 945 halogen-free flame retardant for flexible printed circuit boards. It provides a step-forward for the E&E industry's miniturization goals, responding to the segment need for safe and effective flame retardant protection for thin parts and adhesive layers. It passes UL 94 V-0 and VW1 tests and provides good electrical and mechanical properties.
- Chinaplas 2016 marks a new step in the global roll-out of AddWorks, the Clariant brand of tailor-made and easy-to-feed plastic additives solutions. Each AddWorks addresses specific needs in various segments of the plastics industry – such as Agriculture, Automotive & Transportation, Packaging and Textile & Fibers. Each AddWorks solution combines Clariant’s expertise in additive chemistry with application technology.
- At Chinaplas, Clariant is launching two AddWorks solutions specifically to support China and SEA's flexible packaging film industry – AddWorks PKG 902 to increase the recycled content without loss of film quality or production line efficiency, and AddWorks LXR 408, a long-lasting anti-static solution. These two solutions apply to BOPP, cast PP or PE blown film flexible packaging applications. Both are aiming at optimising the flexible film unit cost structure through quality improvements and raw material savings.
- Launch of new grade Licocene PE 3101 TP as a nucleating agent for expanded polystyrene (EPS) applications. Licocene PE 3101 TP is a metallocene polyethylene (PE) homopolymer that has a high degree of crystallinity and low molecular weight distribution. It acts therefore as an efficient and cost effective cell regulating nucleating agent in EPS polymerization.
Highlights included:
- Low Halogen controlled colorants: Clariant has extended its range of low halogen organic pigments and polymer soluble dyes to now offer two of the very few colorants that are stable in polyamide applications and meet specifications for the halogen levels of the electronics industry. Polymer soluble dye Solvaperm Red 2G-LHC and pigment PV Fast Orange 6RL-LHC are opening up color choice in the E&E industry. PV Fast Orange 6RL is a strong orange pigment with high performance in terms of good temperature stability and stability in polyamide applications. It is ideal for power tools, circuit breakers and power plugs.
- Lead Chromate replacement: Clariant is improving product safety and letting consumers enjoy long-lasting bright colors for plastic products through its high-performing colorants based on a unique lead chromate-free pigment - PV Fast Yellow H4G. It has a very bright shade, high light and weather fastness. The pigment is FDA approved and compliant with the Chinese National Standard GB9685.
- New Polysynthren Black H - a pure and clean black shade with novel recycling benefits - for engineering resins and transparent PET applications. Polysynthren Black H is fully Infra Red transparent, allowing precise sorting of black materials during recycling. It is ideal for achieving a transparent grey shade for motorcycle windscreens in PMMA or PC, for example.
Clariant has recently extended support for pigment customers in the region with investment in a state-of-the-art Technical Center for Plastics Applications at its Shanghai location.
Masterbatches and specialty compounds focused on product quality, safety and environmentally-friendly solutions
Clariant brought its masterbatches and specialty compounds offering color and special performance functions to life through examples that touch the daily life of people in China, including:- Product safety for Electrical Connectors and Consumer Electronics - UL registered masterbatches and compounds for both low and medium voltage electrical connectors applications and for consumer durable goods goods such as small kitchen appliances, computers, printers, mobile and personal electronics. Clariant's current lisitng covers approximately 20,000 different polymer grades that are included in UL's Prospectors database. Clariant's global listings supports both standard and engineering plastics in meeting flammability-resistance standards set by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- Product quality in HDPE bottles used in packaging and automotive - Hydrocerol foaming agents allow less use of plastic resin to enable HDPE bottles to be lighter in weight and with good visual appeal. Hydrocerol masterbatches support the automotive industry in achieving more sustainable production and improved part performance by allowing weight reduction, raw material savings, improved thermal and acoustic insulation, increased wall stiffness and enhanced surface textures, whilst minimizing warpage and sink marks.
- Sustainable clothing manufacture: masterbatches and combibatch solutions for fibers used in the manufacture of sports clothing help to reduce water consumption by 99.9% and energy consumption by 98% compared to conventional bath dying.
Shanghai application laboratory investment: following recent upgrades to its automotive laboratory, Clariant is currently adding technical capabilities which will also support its activities in specialty additives and in engineering and high temperature polymer applications.
