Metallocene waxes enchance pigment dispersion in Polyolefins

Techno - commercial information on plastics Industry - News on Plastics Industry - Plastemart.com

Polyolefins, being nonpolar are difficult to colour. Typically PE waxes are needed to enhance pigment dispersion. These PE Waxes are so far being manufactured using Ziegler-Natta catalysts. These catalysts generally produce waxes with broader molecular structure/variations. These variations lead to wide variations in melting points and viscocities. Pigment dispersions with the conventional waxes therefore could show variations.

Recently PE as well as PP Waxes have been developed by companies using metallocence single site catalysts. These waxes have a more well defined molecular structure on account of excellent control in polymerization. Some waxes developed with propylene and ethylene to achieve better polarity have been evaluated as replacements for the conventional waxes for manufacture of colour concentrates along with the conventional PP carrier. These Metallocence PP/PE waxes have been found to enhance the dispersion of some difficult colourants like red and yellow. Infact these 'difficult to disperse' pigments would be used at higher concentrations without affecting dispersion adversely.

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