Polymer additives: Characteristics
Why food-contact approval can make or break an additive
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.Buyers judge purity, volatility, colour, compatibility, food-contact approval, dust-free forms and long-term heat ageing. Additives must survive 250-300 C in processing (indicative).
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting range and form | powder, pastille or granule | dosing and dust | indicative |
| Hydrolytic stability (phosphites) | grade-specific | storage life | indicative |
| Food-contact approval | EU 10/2011, FDA | packaging market access | indicative |
Commercial grades
- AO 1010, AO 1076 phenolics
- AO 168 phosphite
- HALS (monomeric, polymeric)
- Benzotriazole and triazine UV absorbers
- Ca-Zn one-packs
- Methyl and octyl tin mercaptides
- Clarifiers and nucleators
- Slip and antiblock