Ciba Innovations Enhancing Plastics Properties at K Show

Ciba presents innovations to enhance plastics appearance and performance at K 2007 plastics trade show in Dusseldorf.

With the overall theme “Your business – our effects”, Ciba is showing a host of new solutions for the plastics industry at K 2007 in Düsseldorf from October 24-31, at stand No. A27 in Hall 06. The new products announced most recently include a non-phenolic stabilizer for polypropylene fiber, a light stabilizer for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resins, a range of effect pigments, and a versatile colored pigment class suitable for numerous demanding applications. Further highlights, already announced, are antioxidants, a new clarifier, an additive that boosts scratch resistance, colored pigments and pigment preparations. Besides products, Ciba is presenting the extended services and support it offers customers, with Product Safety & Registration experts available throughout the Fair to provide advice on topics such as REACH and food compliance.

“Our innovation for the plastics industry is driven by market demands and consumer trends,“ said Giordano Righini, Global Head of Ciba’s Plastic Additives Segment. “Visitors to the Ciba stand at K 2007 will discover effects that enable our customers to deliver the increasingly efficient and sophisticated products consumers want.”

A new stabilizer system designed to provide Durability & Protection to plastics, Ciba* IRGASTAB* FS 533 is suitable for polypropylene bulk continuous filaments and staple fiber. Phenol-free, the product allows manufacturers to reduce the amount of down-graded material resulting from the gas fading that can occur with phenol-containing products. IRGASTAB FS 533 improves long-term thermal and light stability in durable fiber applications such as carpet, upholstery and geotextiles. The product has low peroxide interaction during visbreaking in polypropylene controlled rheology grades.

A further innovation developed to protect and enhance plastics, Ciba TINUVIN* PUR 866 light stabilizer is ideal for transparent and light-colored TPU applications, because, unlike many other light stabilizers, it does not affect the initial color of TPU after compounding and injection molding. Transparent and light colored TPU resins are especially prone to discoloration when exposed to sunlight. By reducing discoloration, TINUVIN* PUR 866 allows TPU products to maintain their visual appeal, and thus protect the product’s brand. Typical uses for TPU in sports and leisure applications include high-performance sport shoes, transparent TPU films used in ski boots and outdoor clothing, in-line skates, logos and badges, and transparent air cushions.

Based on completely new pigment chemistry, Ciba CROMOPHTAL* Yellow 4GV and its polyethylene-based preparation, Ciba MICROLEN* Yellow 4GV-PG, extend the available color space in polyolefin, ABS and polyamide applications. This highly versatile, fully organic, green-shade yellow pigment is listed by the FDA as food contact compliant. Non-warping, the pigment has very high color strength and excellent color retention in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) outdoor applications. It retains its outstanding heat stability and light fastness even in shading concentrations. The plastics industry is already benefiting from this new pigment class thanks to its unique combination of high-performance features.

Designed to add Color & Appeal to plastics, Ciba XYMARA Nordic* is a new range of novel effect pigments suitable for a wide variety of items, including packaging, household, and leisure goods. XYMARA Nordic reflects the natural shades and effects of frost, gold, heather, ocean, pine and sunset. The versatile products provide novel styling options and allow the creation of unique new shades and designs, lending brilliance, sparkle and glitter, and increasing transparency or emphasizing opacity, as required.

A new range of pigment preparations that enhance Processing Efficiency, Ciba MICROLEN* MP low-dusting, free-flowing micro-granules provide an alternative to powder pigments, setting new standards in terms of bulk yield, easy handling, hygienic working conditions and consistent results, as well as accelerating formulating processes. The pigments are suitable for polyolefins, most rubber compounds and numerous engineering plastics. They are especially recommended for use in masterbatches and compounds for moldings, sheets, profiles, pipes, fibers, and films.

As previously announced, new effects being exhibited at the K 2007 plastics show are grouped according to aspects they enhance, such as Durability & Protection, Functionality & Performance, Color & Appeal and Processing Efficiency.

In the Durability & Protection section, additives on show at K 2007 include a new antioxidant, Ciba IRGATEC* NC 66, which allows the benefits of polyolefin nanocomposites to be fully exploited because it improves processing stability, enables hotter and faster processing, reduces yellowing during ageing, enhances long-term thermal and light stability, and reduces odor during processing.

Besides Ciba CROMOPHTAL Yellow 4GV and Ciba MICROLEN Yellow 4GV-PG, new additions to the range of fully organic, heavy-metal-free pigments that perform reliably in outdoor non-warping applications are Ciba MICROLEN Yellow 3RLW-PG, Ciba MICROLEN Blue GBLW-PG and Ciba MICROLEN Green GFLW-PG.

In the Functionality & Performance group, highlights featuring at the K include Ciba IRGACLEAR* XT 386, a clarifier for polypropylene that offers outstanding “see-through” clarity at low concentration, and shows organoleptic excellence, resulting from high thermal and chemical stability, as well as high extraction resistance. A further highlight is Ciba IRGASURF* SR 100, which boosts scratch resistance of automotive polypropylene/thermoplastic polyolefin compounds, helping to meet the most demanding new OEM requirements and enabling broader use of these compounds in automotive interior applications.

Specific product forms of Ciba’s additives range are known to improve Processing Efficiency. Pigments that improve processing efficiency include new Ciba MICROLEN MP micro-granules (described in paragraph 7 above) and Ciba XYMARA* MC mono-concentrate effect pigments for polyolefins, which combine the advantages of dust-free processing with a range of shimmering pearlescent effects. Ciba MICRANYL* and Ciba MICROLITH* for PVC and Ciba FILOFIN* for polypropylene fibers complete Ciba’s selection of predispersed pigments.

Besides the Ciba XYMARA Nordic range of effect pigments, a highlight amongst the products designed to add Color & Appeal is the new-generation diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole pigment Ciba CROMOPHTAL* DPP Red TFP. With its high transparency, brilliance and color strength, this “hot” new red is particularly recommended for polyolefin packaging and PVC applications. CROMOPHTAL DPP Red TFP can be combined with effect pigments for colorful glitter and gleam or with a special clarifier from Ciba for attractive transparent shades in polypropylene applications.

In addition to new plastics products and efficient processes, Ciba has extended the choice of Services & Technical Support it offers customers. Its recently introduced Plastics Techline service, which provides information on products and applications, is one example of the Company’s commitment to providing practical solutions that add value for customers. Ciba will be showing how it helps customers meet the many, increasingly stringent regulations, providing advice on Environment, Health & Safety and other regulatory matters, including FDA-listing and REACH, helping to ensure regulatory compliance during manufacture, handling and use, and to enhance consumer safety.

* XYMARA, Nordic, Ciba, TINUVIN, CROMOPHTAL, MICROLEN, MICRANYL, FILOFIN, IRGATEC, IRGASURF and IRGASTAB are registered and/or applied trademarks of Ciba (SWX:CIBN), a leading global company creating effects that improve the quality of life – adding performance, protection, color and strength to plastics, paper, automobiles, buildings, home and personal care products and much more.

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