Performance Polymers
The antistatic additive provides a solution for electrostatic charging of plastics, giving materials longlasting antistatic properties. Supplied as masterbatch, the material is easy to process.
Hearing the crackling of your hair when you take off a pullover made of synthetic fiber can be slightly disconcerting. But in industrial applications electrostatic charging of plastics can even cause damage to components. The addition of TPU pellets eliminates the problem, giving materials longlasting antistatic properties.
This additive is supplied as masterbatch, and is easy to process. The TPU pellets provide significant advantages over comparable solutions currently available: They can be used in a wide variety of plastics to provide permanent antistatic properties. The material also has very good compatibility with standard plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
With Elastostat®, BASF provides a highly specialized product, but one that is easy to use in both injection molding and extrusion. Additionally, it is color-neutral, so there are no color restrictions. Users can add the pellets without any need for additional compounding.
The antistatic action of the TPU masterbatch – and its compatibility with various plastics with a wide range of addition rates – have been studied in detail by BASF experts.
Tests used a ring electrode as in IEC 60093 – the standard that defines the internationally recognized test method for surface resistivity of solid, electrically insulating materials. The surface resistivity measured depends on the size, shape and arrangement of the test electrodes.
To improve comparability a conversion factor was applied to the test results so that they are based on one particular arrangement. This gives a surface resistivity that is about ten times the measured value.
Tests on the effect of various addition rates of Elastostat® in specific high-usage plastics – PP and high- and low-density PE for example, have shown that material with excellent antistatic properties is produced by adding just 10 percent of Elastostat®.
With these specific properties, Elastostat® is particularly interesting for applications such as industrial packaging made of polyolefins, for which an antistatic finish is indispensable when transporting flammable liquids or dust-like goods.
In the extrusion process, the TPU masterbatch can be added to packaging films or conveyor hoses, for example, to make them antistatic and prevent electrostatic charging of the goods being transported.
Another application is in so-called 'IBCs' (intermediate bulk containers), which are frequently used for industrial transport.
Together with users, BASF is constantly working on the further development of the Elastostat® product range. But already now the antistatic additive offers a permanent solution with easy processing - and this for all common standard plastics.
| Product name | Food contact | Polymers | Applications |
| Elastostat 10-02 |
FDA EU10/2011 |
HD-PE PP LD-PE PS / ABS |
IBC / Canisters / Buckets / Films for packaging / Big bags / Plastic reel systems / Sheeting |
| Elastostat 15-01 |
FDA EU10/2011 |
TPU | Conveyor hoses / Transportation belts / Shoe soles |
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