Plastics Newsletter - April

High Performance Conductive Blacks for Plastics

Polymer Materials are inherently electrically insulating materials, meaning they do not conduct electricity. To make plastic materials conductive, a special type of carbon black is utilized. Once a certain concentration of Carbon Black Pigments is exceeded, the resistivity drops drastically by several units to the power of 10 (Percolation). After Percolation, the resistance continues to decline slower with increasing Carbon Black Pigment concentration. Orion Engineered Carbons offers one of the best solutions on the market for electrical conductivity.

Orion’s PRINTEX Kappa 70 & PRINTEX Kappa 20 are recommended for modifying the antistatic and electrical conductivity characteristics of polymers. The required level of Carbon Black Pigments is depending on the type of Conductive Black used in the polymer system, the processing method and the requirements which must be met. Conductive polymer materials are used for packaging of sensitive electronic components, such as cable compounds for conductor shielding and jacketing, in floor coverings, carpet backings, conveyor belts, air conduits and in injection hoses for explosives. Applications for these carbon blacks include wire & cable, electronic packaging, ATEX (atmospheric explosion), ESD (Electro-static Discharge), and EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference)/RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) Protection applications. PRINTEX Kappa 70 & PRINTEX Kappa 20 helps to strike a balance between electrical conductivity, process ability, and performance. Some of the benefits include:

• Outstanding dispersibility, mechanical stability, and viscosity properties
• Highly conductive Carbon Black at low concentrations
• No negative impact on rheological properties

For more info about PRINTEX Kappa 70 & PRINTEX Kappa 20 call your Barentz Account Manager today at (440) 937-1000.

Printex Product Info

Plastics Newsletter - April

Market Updates

From leading global freight companies - “For the month of May, loadings on the trans-Pacific routes are basically sold out. Price doesn’t even matter anymore. Shipping volumes are still rising now at multiples of times seen during pre-pandemic levels.”

Freightos Baltic Daily Index assessed the Asia-West Coast rates near all-time highs.

Earlier in 2021, some of the premium shipping charges came down as container availability in Asia improved. That has since changed based on the Ever Given incident in the Suez Canal which pulled container equipment from the market. “Container shortages are challenged again and will take time before coming back to normal.”

Announcement this week of a “Notice of Strike Action” effective April 26, 2021 for the Port of Montreal. Expected delays, increased costs and required rerouting if this action sustains.

Polypropylene – recent market rates have shown some downward movement, however this “decrease” requires context:

• All PP manufacturers are still on FM except one who is still on allocation
• The PP market is still out of balance – demand is far exceeding supply (consumer demand is still not slowing down)
• Generics are still very tight -especially random and no break copolymer – many generics are hand to mouth and priced when inventory arrives.

Continued resin increases across all product groups: PE, PS, ABS, PC, PVC, PA6/PA66, PBT, PET

Plastics Newsletter - April

Formulate Around Supply Shortages

Can’t get your hands on that last additive for an overdue production run?

Need to cobble together a formulation with additives sitting in your warehouse?

Barentz offers formulation consultation to help you design around the supply shortages that are gripping the polymer additives market globally. With our extensive portfolio of Antioxidants, Stabilizers, UV Absorbers, Lubricants, and other specialty additives, we can find the right solution for you.

Times are tough – let’s get through this together! Contact your Barentz account manager to start a conversation with our technical team.

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