Additives & Colorants

The new EU 10/2011 and REACH mandates shift the focus of plastic compliance toward pigments and additives, affecting NIR recyclability and migration limits.

Enzymatic polymerization of plant sugars allows for precise molecular control to replace persistent polyquaterniums in high-volume fabric care.

Moving beyond Melt Flow Index: select rheological measurements that match the deformation modes of injection molding and film blowing.

In high-loading Glass fiber–reinforced polypropylene composites, dispersion, not chemistry, determines flame-retardant performance.

Social commerce shifts beauty packaging into feeds. Engineers must control gloss, haze, defects, and durability while meeting barrier targets.

Reactive extrusion reduces odor in post-consumer resins by leveraging targeted chemistry and venting to enable higher-quality circular PCR.

Hybrid stabilizers and smart extrusion enhance PVC pipe durability, recyclability, and energy efficiency for a sustainable future.

Whether it’s being used in a university laboratory or a brand owner technical center, the right equipment makes all the difference in executing effective research on materials and processing. And, in the case of academia, the equipment materials engineering students master can have a significant impact on their immediate career prospects.

Dr. Prithu Mukhopadhyay, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology, shares insights on microplastics and their impact.

GLA-based additives improve PLA flexibility and enzymatic breakdown, enabling better lifecycle performance in targeted packaging applications.