Additives for UV protection
Within the framework of a research project, it was possible to modify UV absorbers and light stabilisers in such a way that they were enriched in a layer of polyamide filaments close to the surface by migration and thus their protective effect was developed in the fibre area primarily exposed to the most stress.
The modifying concept was based on the synthesis of composite additives by chemically linking UV/VIS stabilisers as the active substance with both thermodynamically polymer-incompatible structural components as the migration component and with matrix-affine molecular structures with an anchor function to form an overall additive substrate in each case. The modified stabilisers were processable as composite polymer additives in a conventional polymer matrix manner.
Through a balanced combination of migration components and anchor elements adapted to the respective stabiliser molecule, an enrichment of the active substances in the surface area of the filaments was achieved, while at the same time a complete blooming or a later extraction of the modified additives in the use phase was avoided. Weathering and exposure tests as well as degradation studies demonstrated an increased light protection effect of some additives compared to commercially stabilised reference materials. The project successfully tested a new active principle for internal textile finishing. This resulted in higher efficiency, a better degree of utilisation and a longer effectiveness of the additives.
Research and development services
- Design and synthesis of related additives
- Production of masterbatches or compounds
- Testing in the injection moulding process
- (test specimen production possible with as little as 8 grams of polymer)
- Film extrusion and characterisation
- Evaluation of effects using melt spinning technology