Filled Plastics: Key Processing Challenges & Industry Solutions

To fulfill more and more demanding application requirements, filled plastics producers are under constant pressure to raise the level of mechanical performance such as the modulus and heat distortion temperature (HDT) while maintaining viscosity at an acceptable level.

While much effort has focused on the attainment of the desired physical properties of filled systems, less work has been involved with the key processing challenges that are associated.

That's precisely what we will cover today!

We'll focus on the processing issues that are associated with filled systems and how those problems are currently addressed in the plastics industry:

• High melt viscosity
• Processing Sensitivity
• Abrasive nature of inorganic filler materials

The realization that filled systems, particularly ones with high filler loadings, will not behave identically to the unfilled neat polymers has been the primary background for the issues that will be discussed in this article.Before we start detailing the challenges & solutions, let's remind that any processing issues with filled systems can be overcome by understanding that the materials are unique and possess novel processing features compared to the corresponding unfilled polymers. This is particularly true of filled systems that contain increasing levels of the fillers. As additional new applications for such materials are defined, processing schemes will need to be developed for them. In that respect, the ideas that have been presented in this article can be used as staring points to develop the optimum processing scenario for the new materials.