EuroWire January 2025

Technology News

Substituting PTFE for less abrasion Mipelon, a spherical UHMW-PE fine powder from Mitsui Chemicals Europe, is designed to offer a high-performance alternative to PTFE in terms of sliding properties, abrasion resistance and chemical resistance in plastics, rubbers, paints and coatings. value is around 30 µm and for XM-330 it is 65 µm.

and the modification of rubber and thermoplastics. Examples include rubber coated rollers, coatings of rubber profiles for the automotive industry, polymer compounds, anti-blocking for films instead of zeolites, and silicon, oils and greases with emergency lubrication.

The coarse particle grades are used for the modification of rubbers and plastic compounds and as filters. In contrast, the finer powder grades are suitable for paints and coatings. Mitsui Chemicals in Japan is currently developing powder grades with a D50 value of less than 5 µm and around 6 µm. The latter is already available for sampling, and commercial availability is planned for the end of 2025.

Mitsui Chemicals Europe GmbH https://eu.mitsuichemicals.com Dreyplas GmbH www.dreyplas.com

Lubrizol has launched four new biomass balance solutions under the thermoplastic polyurethane portfolio commercialised as ESTANE® RNW TPU. These materials have the same quality and performance as the standard petroleum-based resins while using more sustainable mass balanced feedstocks. The four new ESTANE grades – RNW90 58300, RNW90 58887, RNW85 GP52DT and RNW60 ZHF90AT2 TPU – are fully commercially available, with ESTANE RNW60 ZHF90AT2 TPU being consistently applied in cable applications that are flame retardant. The TPU series has a product carbon footprint reduction up to 59 per cent. Advanced Materials The limiting factor in the substitution of PTFE is the lower melting temperature of UHMW-PE, which is around 135°C. While Mipelon can generally be used at temperatures of up to 120°C, the speciality grade PM200C is suitable as an additive in hydrocarbon oil for temperatures up to 200°C. Unlike PE powder, it does not tend to swell, even at higher temperatures, and retains its shape and function. It is also characterised by improved dispersing behaviour in plastic masterbatches. In many cases, the same dosage results in a lower coefficient of sliding friction and improved abrasion resistance than with PTFE, which enables economical use. In addition, the lower density of 0.97g/cm³ helps to reduce weight. Mitsui Chemicals Europe sells Mipelon directly and via its distributor Dreyplas, which also supports customer-specific developments. Mipelon, with a molecular weight of around 2mn g/mol, is characterised by the very small size of the special spherical particles. The average particle size (D50) for the PM-200 type is around 10 µm, which is claimed to be the smallest size in the world for this product group. For the XM-220 type, the D50

In general, the spherical particles with smooth surface and narrow particle size distribution support good dispersion. Mipelon’s particle size distribution is narrower than that of PTFE, and it also has a lower proportion of coarse particles. In addition, the material exhibits lower coefficient of friction (COF) and abrasion values under long-term stress, not only compared to PTFE, but also compared to PA11, PA12 and PE waxes.

Spherical Mipelon UHMW-PE fine powder can substitute PTFE as a modifier

Mipelon has high chemical resistance to acids, alkalis and organic chemicals, and absorbs virtually no water or moisture. Most types are suitable for food contact applications in accordance with EU and US legislation. Typical applications include coatings, including electrostatic powder coatings, water- or solvent based spray coatings and dip coatings;

New biomass balance products

The materials provide the same quality and performance while using bio and/or biomass balanced feedstocks. “Lubrizol is leading sustainability by offering our own solutions as ESTANE RNW TPU and ESTANE ECO TPU and supporting our customers’ target of carbon reduction by positioning our portfolio in material replacement projects,” said Rogerio Colucci, business director EMEAI at Lubrizol. “The new biomass balance product line is an example of working in collaboration with customers and our focus on market trends.” Lubrizol Corp www.lubrizol.com

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January 2025