Natural-Fiber Filled PE-Composites Offering Mechanical And Dimensional Stability

Muttenz, Switzerland — The Pigments & Additives Division of Clariant offers a large portfolio of tailored composite products. At the Wood Plastics Composites Conference (WPC 2005) in Vienna, Austria, from December 5-7, 2005, the Division's Plastic Business will present its innovative adhesion promoter for PE and natural fibers.

TP Licocene® PE MA 4351 is a highly polar polyethylene wax grafted with maleic anhydride for effective bonding and compatibilization in natural-fiber filled PE composites. The wax, which is produced by way of metallocene catalysis and offered as a fine grain or a granule, optimally matches the required application properties.

Due to its chemical structure, the reactive anhydride forms new, stable bonds between materials of varying polarity. This gives the new additive extraordinary adhesion properties and optimal effectiveness. The low melting viscosity of TP Licocene® PE MA 4351 also supports the effectiveness, with the result that natural fibers are optimally wetted by the coupling agent. Compared to systems without additives, the mechanical properties of the finished components are also significantly improved. Especially in highly filled applications, TP Licocene® PE MA 4351 offers considerably higher e-module, tensile strength, and bending stress. At the same time, the undesired effect of water absorption, which easily occurs due to the WPCs' natural fiber content, is significantly reduced. This guarantees optimal dimensional stability for components made of natural-fiber filled PE components.

SOURCE: Clariant