Minerals Technologies, a global resource and technology company, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Specialty Minerals has unveiled a new line of mineral additives.
The engineered mineral additives have potential applications in bioplastic-based consumer disposable products, including bags, films, signage, gift cards, food and beverage service ware and packaging. The materials are used as cost-effective solutions to increase the processing output of bioplastic compounds and to improve the performance of bioplastic products.
The new mineral additives are MicroTuff AGD 609, UltraTalc 609 and EMforce Bio and these materials are developed specifically to strengthen bioplastic applications. MicroTuff AGD 609 and UltraTalc 609 are nucleating agents used for semi-crystalline biopolymers. These additives improve the melt strength and stiffness or modulus of the bioplastic products that contain polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and polylactic acid (PLA). EMforce Bio material from Minerals Technologies dramatically enhances the ductility and impact resistance of biopolymers like PHA and PLA. In addition, the engineered mineral additive offers down-gauging ability in thermoforming sheets by maintaining product performance. This decreases the amount of plastic required in the production of consumer parts.
Minerals Technologies is a developer, producer and marketer of a wide range of specialty minerals and synthetic mineral and mineral-based products, as well as associated systems and services.
Source: http://www.mineralstech.com/