EuroWire May 2017

Feature Compounds, masterbatches & additives Feature

Compounds, masterbatches & additives

I f an article or paper on masterbatches is accom- panied by photos, one of them is sure to picture open containers of pigments in vivid candy colours, making for the most attractive illustrations in wiremaking. To the eye of an expert, this will not blunt the

vital importance of these concentrated mixtures of additives which – together with compounds – call for the most exquisitely precise transmission and distribution of extrusion and pelletising power. A leading provider of thermoplastic elastomers

describes a masterbatch as a “package” for colouring plastics. It is a package that has been perfected over many decades for wire- makers who have come to rely on its contents for some very exacting attributes, not even excluding electrical conductivity and UV resistance.

Photo courtesy of Dow Corning USA

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May 2017