Performance Reinforcing Agent for Polyolefins

16-Jul-09

Due to the recent introduction of more stringent federal standards for improved vehicle fuel efficiency, weight reduction promises to become even more imperative for the automotive industry. To help automakers and suppliers achieve greater weight-out, Milliken Chemical, a division of Milliken & Company, is introducing Hyperform HPR-803 high performance reinforcing agent for polyolefins. New Hyperform HPR-803 reduces weight by up to 15% vs. traditional mineral-filled systems while delivering an outstanding balance of stiffness and impact strength. Further, the new Milliken agent offers comparable surface finish to talc-filled compounds that cannot be achieved with chopped glass fiber reinforcement. The company's continuing innovation is enabling customers to improve the appearance, performance, and productivity of their products, and expand potential polyolefin application areas. The new fuel efficiency standards mandate an average of 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and 30 mpg for trucks by 2016. According to the American Plastics Council, a 10% weight reduction translates into a 7% improvement in gas mileage. Complementing Milliken's other Hyperform additives, including the company's Hyperform hyper-nucleating agent, the new reinforcing agent was developed to meet the needs of the automotive and appliance industries. Advantages of using Hyperform HPR-803 include: Replacing high loadings of heavy mineral fillers, such as talc, with lower loadings for comparable performance. This can reduce the weight of polyolefin parts by up to 15 percent. Offering improved stiffness vs. talc and other minerals at higher loadings. Providing high heat deflection temperatures (HDT) exceeding high levels of talc. Offering an improved surface finish that surpasses chopped glass fiber. By utilizing Hyperform HPR-803 reinforcement as a replacement for chopped glass fiber, customers can expand applications for PP and other polyolefins beyond current "hidden" structural automotive and appliance parts to encompass highly visible components such as bumpers and door panels. And by replacing talc and other mineral reinforcements with the new Milliken technology, customers can achieve significant lightweighting of parts while maintaining or exceeding existing performance properties.