The choice of a correct antistatic is crucial and is determined by a wide range of factors such as polymer type, processing conditions, and end application. By careful selection of the correct blend of antistatic ingredients, Pure Polymers has developed a dynamic range of products to cover the whole spectrum of requirements.
Masterbatches can be fast-acting to reduce dust attraction in food packaging and display applications and can be formulated to give longer-term effects in demanding applications such as flooring.
Combinations with antiblock and slip products for use in the film industry allow cost-effective and high performance to be available for polyethylene and polypropylene film extruders.
Sheet Film, Fibres, Injection Moulding, and others.
• Experience with antistatic technologies
• Products for film, fibre, sheet & moldings
• Products tailored for specific performance applications
• Combination masterbatches for the complete solution
Internal antistatic additives are substances that are added to polymers/plastic articles during thermoforming or compounding in order to minimize the natural tendency of most plastics to accumulate static charge.
Generally, these additives work by migrating to the surface of the polymer, usually in a molecular or multi-molecular layer, and attracting water molecules from the atmosphere. The water lowers the surface resistivity from the approximate value of 1015 – 1014 ohms for most polymers (including styrenics and polyolefins) to 108 – 1011 ohms.
The additive molecule normally consists of a hydrophobic part, which confers a level of compatibility with the polymer, and a hydrophilic part that attracts the water that forms the surface conductive path. The type of additive used depends on achieving appropriate compatibility with the polymer in question, an appropriate rate of migration, an appropriate persistence of effect, and the ability to undergo the manufacturing process, both of the additive concentrate and subsequent conversion into the finished product.
The speed of the antistatic effect and its duration can be optimized through careful choice of the additive. The migration rate is determined by a number of factors including the relative compatibility of the additive and the polymer, polymer crystallinity, total additive formulation, concentration of antistatic present, and temperature.
