Polymer Additives

Additives are selected depending on the type of polymers to which they will be added or the application for
which they will be used. Appropriate selection of additives helps develop value-added plastics with
improved durability as well as other advantages. Built around products we have developed ourselves, we
offer a range of additives that can be used for a wide variety of applications.
1) Antioxidants
- An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is
a chemical reaction involving the loss of electrons or an increase in oxidation state. Oxidation
reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When the
chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell. Antioxidants terminate
these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation
reactions.
a) Hindered Phenols
- Hindered phenols are radical scavengers which prevent thermal degradation of
many organics and polymeric materials. Its effectiveness increases in combination
with phosphites, thioethers and light stabilizers.
b) Phosphites
- Phosphites are excellent peroxide decomposers, halogen acceptors and masking
agents. Phosphites provide good heat stability, colour stability, process stability
and weather ability to polymers.
c) Blend type oxidants
- The development of speciality blends of phenolic antioxidants and phosphites for
the polymer industry and it could be used in a wide variety of applications. The
ratio of phenolic antioxidants and phosphites can be tailored to meet specific
requirement.
d) Thioethers
- Thioethers decompose polymer peroxide to inert substance. Particularly,
thioethers exhibit remarkable synergism in combination with hindered phenols.

2) UV Absorbers (UVA) / Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers (HALS)

- There are two types of light stabilizer: Ultraviolet Absorbers (UVAs) and Hindered Amine Light
Stabilizers (HALSs). The former converts light energy into harmless thermal energy. The latter
scavenge radicals generated by photo degradation.
a) UV Absorbers
- UV absorbers convert photochemical energy of light into harmless heat.
b) Hindered amine light stabilizers
- Hindered amine light stabilizers (HALSs) show excellent UV protection by
scavenging radicals generated by photo degradation.
3) Nucleating Agents/Clarifiers
- Nucleating agents (Nucleators) improve mechanical properties such as stiffness
heat distortion temperature, and enhance crystallization rate. It give high degree of
crystallinity to polymer resulting in increased mechanical properties such as
hardness, elasticity modulus etc, and improve optical properties such as
transparency. Nucleating agents are widely used to modify the properties of
various polymers. The rate of crystallization and the size of the crystals have a
strong impact on the mechanical and optical properties after conversion of the
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plastic, especially (but not exclusive) in polypropylene.

Clarifying agents (Clarifiers) improve transparency of crystalline polymers by
generating fine crystalline structures. It is used to remove suspended solids from

liquids by inducing flocculation.

4) Metal Deactivators
- Metal deactivators prevent oxidative degradation caused by copper or other metal
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catalysts.
Metal deactivators, or metal deactivating agents (MDA) are fuel additives and oil
additives used to stabilize fluids by deactivating (usually by sequestering)
metal ions, mostly introduced by the action of naturally occurring acids in the fuel
and acids generated in lubricants by oxidative processes with the metallic parts of
the systems. Fuels desulfurized by copper sweetening also contain a significant

trace amounts of copper.

5) Flame Retardants
- Plastics are used for various applications and therefore require all kinds of
properties. In amongst is the requirement for flame retardancy which is
increasingly needed for plastics used for electronic applications and building
materials. "ADK STAB Oligomeric Phosphate Flame Retardants and Intumescent

Flame Retardants" are Halogen Free products reducing the impact on

environmental load and provide excellent flame retardancy. Most of the resins
show flammability, it is necessary to add flame retardants to the electrical and
electronic applications which require flame retardancy. Halogen-free flame
retardants have environmentally friendly characteristics because they give
excellent flame retardancy and suppresses smoke level, without dioxin.