BASF Plastic Additives Product Portfolio for Functional Additives
Plastics & Rubber

Plastics & Rubber

Functional additives

While more standard plastic additives such as thermal and light stabilizers define the longevity of a plastic application, functional additives provide various effects which give a specially wanted functionality to the finished good.

Functional additive substances are added during the manufacturing process, in general through masterbatches and compounds but also very efficiently by direct dosing during the manufacturing of the finished end use article.

They influence specific properties of the final application by giving the new product characteristics like flame retardancy or improved mechanical strength, clarity, or brilliance amongst others. In doing so, they help plastic to expand its range of application and value. Functional additives offered by BASF include flame retardants, antistatic agents, surface modifiers, rheology control and anti-scratch additives, clarifiers, and nucleating agents.

Flame retardants prevent ignition or spread of flame in plastic material.  Plastics are used in building and construction, electrical and transport applications that must meet stringent fire safety standards.

Plastics insulate and so can build up static charges on the surface which disturb processing procedures and can be an issue for hygiene and aesthetics. Antistatic agents help polymers or plastics applications to prevent the buildup of static electric charge in plastic materials.

Clarifiers and nucleating agents, depending on their use enhance the clarity and brilliance of transparent finished goods, or positively influence mechanical properties as well as having a positive influence on processing speed and production efficiency.

Anti-scratch additives reduce not only the scratch width, depth, and visibility, but the highly stable additives offer no negative impact on parts including low visible bloom, low odor and maintained gloss.

Rheology modifier allows a controlled degradation of polypropylene during extrusion processing and significantly increases the melt flow rate with the possibility to tailor melt-flows to the needs of specific processes and applications.

Fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) or optical brighteners are colorless to weakly-colored organic compounds that, when applied to a plastic, absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit most of the absorbed energy in the visible violet-to-blue fluorescent light. The objectives for using fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) in plastics are the following:

  • Improvement or masking of the initial color of plastics, which are often slightly yellowish
  • Production of brilliant white end use articles
  • Increase of the brilliancy of colored and black pigmented articles
  • Use as tracer molecules

Functional Additives Portfolio

Results: 10

Irgatec

Irgatec® CR 76 IC

Irgatec® CR 76 IC is an alternative to peroxide-based polymer modifiers designed to enable a controlled degradation of polypropylene during processing leading to a narrow molecular weight distribution. It especially well suited for nonwoven fabrics due to enhanced mechanical and barrier properties allowing potential downgauging (reduced use of material) in addition to better airflow and thermal durability.
Flamestab

Flamestab® NOR® 116

Flamestab® NOR® 116 is a non-halogenated flame retardant with a unique chemistry that combines flame retardancy and light & long-term stabilization into one molecule at low dosing concentrations.  Flamestab® NOR® 116 is melt processable and designed especially for polyolefin fibers, nonwovens, tapes, and films.

Irgaclear® XT 386

Irgaclear® XT 386 is a high efficiency, latest generation clarifier designed to help create a large number of non visible small-crystallites during the cooling of the polypropylene melt at low concentration. Irgaclear® XT 386 is suited for injection molded, thermoformed polypropylene food, and storage containers as well as blow molded bottles.
Polypropylene rolls for packaging. Best used for promoting chemical products and recycled products.; Shutterstock ID 1368725375; purchase_order: 20220705; job: Präsentation; client: BASF SE, EV/K, Katharina Sinsch; other: BASF SE, GBH/IM, Matthias Baque

Irgastat® P 16

Irgastat® P 16 is a polymeric systems based on polyamide/polyether block amides designed to act as an anti-static agent. Irgastat® P 16 is suitable for use in electronic and industrial packaging, housings and parts of business machines.
Polypropylene rolls for packaging. Best used for promoting chemical products and recycled products.; Shutterstock ID 1368725375; purchase_order: 20220705; job: Präsentation; client: BASF SE, EV/K, Katharina Sinsch; other: BASF SE, GBH/IM, Matthias Baque

Irgastat® P 18

Irgastat® P 18 FCA is a polymeric system based on a polyamide/polyether block amide designed to act as an anti-static agent. Irgastat® P 18 FCA is suitable for use in electronic and industrial packaging, housings and parts of business machines and also thermoplastic polymers, transparent film, fiber or molded applications.