New surfactant technology provides ease of use, cost reduction in dispersion of additives in plastics

13-Aug-08

The scientific team at Zeox Performace Materials (ZPM) has developed a new class of surfactant technology based on a newly developed molecular structure known as Lipotrope®. The materials under the name, Lipotrope® are expected to find broad industrial applications including the dispersion of water-soluble dyes and other additives into plastics and as key components in the production of high-performance polymer nanocomposites. Lipotrope® increases the efficiency of the polymer additives and can also modify the surfaces of silicate minerals that enhance dispersion to be readily achieved in polyethylene and polypropylene homopolymers. Evolved from 20 years of research at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago and the ZPM, these surfactants are applied through a solid-state process, thereby reducing processing costs, process complexity and environmental impact.