Plastic Additives – The Pioneer in Enhancing Product Quality

Plastic Additives are defined as the additive materials that are added in the various plastic polymers with the basic purpose of enhancing their properties and improving their performance. The types of plastic additives used also depend on the application the plastic is being used for. The plastic additives are used in a plethora of industries such as in automotive, construction, packaging, transportation, and others for a variety of purposes.

There are different types of plastics that plastics additives are used to improve their properties. The plastics include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is a type of thermoplastic material. In addition, plastic additives are used for enhancing the properties of other plastics such as polyethylene, polyurethanes, polyamide among other plastics.

Plastic Additives Market, By Type Segment

Plastic additives are gaining popularity quickly due to the various functions they are able to perform in order to upgrade and enhance the properties of plastic materials.  Different types of these proteins are used to enhance the properties of plastics or to provide the plastics adequate protection such as flame retardants, antioxidants, biostabilizers, antistatic agents, plasticizers, fragrances, and others. plastic additives cater to end-user industries like Chemicals and Materials and Manufacturing among others. The sub-segments under type are discussed below.

Biostabilizers

Biostabilizers are a type of biological additives that are added to the plastics of different types of plastics such as PVC, polyethylene among others in order to prevent the degradation of the plastic and to help it retain its properties and quality.

Antistatic Agents

The addition of antistatic agents to polymers in order to minimize the build-up of static electricity/charge in plastic materials is important. Due to the build-up of static charges in the surface hampers the processing procedures and can pose serious hygiene and aesthetic issue. There are both internal and external antistatic agents. With external antistatic agents, the procedure followed is coating the plastic via spraying or through the immersion method. The internal antistatic agents migrate to the surface after being mixed in the polymer. Conductive fillers are also used to solve the purpose of antistatic agents. These properties of the antistatic agents are increasing the demand for plastic additives and bolstering the plastic additives market growth.

Antioxidants

To inhibit the degradation of plastics that is caused by thermochemical r thermomechanical oxidative conditions. Antioxidants are able to elongate the product's life, coupled with enhancing the appearance and the maintenance of the properties such as strength, stiffness, and flexibility. The most commonly used antioxidants include amines, phenolics, phosphites, and thioesters.

Flame Retardants

Flame-retardants are a group of various chemicals, which are added to the plastic materials. The activation of the flame-retardants is carried out through the presence of an ignition source. Their purpose is to slow down or prevent the further development of ignition by different chemical and physical methods. They may be added as a copolymer during the process of polymerization of plastic or at a later stage as a surface finish material. The flame-retardants are of two types reactive and active, both of which are further divided into classes such as minerals, organophosphorus compounds, organic compounds, and organohalogen compounds

Plasticizers

These are referred to as the additives for plastic, which are most commonly phthalate esters in different PVC applications. Approximately 90% of the existing plasticizers are used as additives for PVC. When they are used in this plastic material, they provide the material with increased flexibility and durability. The most important uses they find are in cables and films. For the plastics such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), the more the amount of the plasticizer is added the lower the cold flex temperature is. The presence of the plasticizers in plastic materials is able to facilitate the improvement of characteristics such as increase n flexibility and durability. Moreover, plasticizers make it possible, for the chances of achieving improved compound processing characteristics, thereby improving the quality of the end-use product. The Ester plasticizer is one of the most commonly used plasticizers, as it is able to provide good performance as per its price.

Product Launches in Plastic Additives Market

The number of industries that are making the use of plastics is getting increasingly concerned about the quality of the end-use product, which is driving them to demand plastic additives in order to improve the product and enhance its overall properties. This is a factor, contributing to the increase in the plastic additives market size. Moreover, the market players are highly involved and participating in the market to improve and enhanced Plastic Additives products and to encourage the use of such products among the people. For example, recently on February 13, 20202, Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., has announced that they have successfully developed two new grades of epoxy resins, which have characteristics such as enhanced viscosity, which has the ability to facilitate easier processing. They also have developed a new grade of polyethersulfone (PES), which is a type of thermoplastic material. The purpose of the PES additive is to boost the fracture toughness and resistance to micro-cracks for the carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites. The launch of these products was specifically to cater to the aerospace industry, which requires stiff, lightweight and strong materials that can handle rapid changes in the temperature, can withstand exposure to chemicals and provide long service life with enhanced resistance to fatigue.

Conclusion:

Currently, plasticizers and antioxidants of plastic additives is expected to hold a significant share in this market and is anticipated to witness a  fast growth rate in the upcoming years due to the burgeoning demand from the chemical and materials as well as the manufacturing industries.  With respect to current market trends, it is anticipated that the fragrances type of additives for plastics will flourish in the upcoming years with demand being generated owing to the high amount of usage in the manufacturing and packaging industry. There is a growing need for a well-developed and good-quality product, which has good durability among other characteristics. This is one of the major factors, which will continue to play a role in driving this market. In addition, it will attract many new entrants who will bring new and better changes and enhancement in plastic additives. Thus, the market will remain competitive in the upcoming years and it is projected to show modest growth in the upcoming years.