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Rapra Conference Proceedings, 2006 - Cologne, Germany, 21-22 March 2006

The Second International Conference

Fillers are used in polymers for a variety of reasons: cost reduction, improved processing, density control, optical effects, thermal conductivity, control of thermal expansion, electrical properties, magnetic properties, flame retardancy and improved mechanical properties, such as hardness and tear resistance. Each filler type has different properties and these in turn are influenced by the particle size, shape and surface chemistry.

The filler market in Europe and NAFTA is estimated at about 7.5 million tonnes, with a value of about 3 to 4 billion Euro. The size of the high-performance filler market is estimated at between 0.5 and 1 M tonnes with a value between 400 and 600 M Euro. Filler surface modifiers are important in many applications and are dominated by fatty acids and organosilanes. Significant market growth is taking place in several areas, particularly in composites using nanofillers, natural fibres or fire-retardant fillers.

This conference focused on developments in High Performance Fillers from established materials to the latest innovations. There were presentations on many different types of fillers from flash calcined clays (Imerys), diatomaceous earths and perlites (World Minerals), aluminas (Sasol), natural fibres (Queens’s University Belfast), titanium oxides (Oxonica), mica (Quartzwerke), wollastonite (RT Vanderbilt), pigments (Eckhart) and glass foam (Trovotech) to nanographite (State University of Michigan), POSS (Hybrid Plastics) and nanocomposites (Prof Camino, Prof Kenig, S Dunger). BASF AG and Electrolux discussed filler interactions with other compounding ingredients, whilst surface modification with silanes was presented by Dow Corning.

Contents

SESSION 1: TRENDS IN FILLERS AND COUPLING AGENTS

• Paper 1 - Filler and filler modifier markets and trends
  Prof Roger Rothon, Rothon Consultants, UK
• Paper 2 - Improved compatibility of fillers through selected surface treatment with organo silanes
  Manfred Gloeggler, Dow Corning GmbH, Germany, & Stuart Poultney, Dow Corning Ltd., Wales

SESSION 2: EMERGING FILLERS

• Paper 3 - TiO2 extension in polymers by opacifying calcined clays
  David Whiteman & Cesar Agra-Gutierrez, Imerys Minerals Ltd., UK
• Paper 4 - New applications for siliceous mineral products within polymer systems
  Julian Danvers, World Minerals, France, & Prof Roger Rothon, Rothon Consultants, UK
• Paper 5 - Synthetic boehmite aluminas and hydrotalcites as performance filler
  Olaf Torno, Sasol Germany GmbH, Germany
• Paper 6 - Enhancing the performance of natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites
  Prof Peter Hornsby, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Paper 7 - Introducing reinforcing polymer fillers with added functionalities made out of glass foam
  Dr Thurid Moenke-Wedler & Hans-Jürgen Voß, Trovotech GmbH, Germany
• Paper 8 - Stabilisation of polymers using micronised manganese doped titanium dioxide
  Dr Robin McIntyre & Gareth Wakefield, Oxonica Materials Ltd., UK

SESSION 3: ESTABLISHED NICHE FILLERS

• Paper 9 - Mica high performance fillers for polypropylene and polyamide
  Dr Jörg Zilles, Quarzwerke GmbH, Germany
• Paper 10 - Wollastonite – strength in legacy
  Sara Robinson, RT Vanderbilt Company Inc., USA
• Paper 11 - Special effect pigments for plastics
  Martin Schaal, Eckart GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
• Paper 12 - The use of glass micro-spheres as functional fillers for performances enhancement into polymer systems and resins
  Jean-Philippe Curdy, Potters Europe, UK

SESSION 4: FILLER INTERACTIONS

• Paper 13 - Filler impact resistance interactions
  Dr Chris DeArmitt, BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Germany
• Paper 14 - Filler antioxidant interactions in polypropylene and a model liquid (squalane)
  Kevin Breese, Electrolux Home Products Italy SpA, Italy

SESSION 5: NANOCOMPOSITES

• Paper 15 - Nanographite: a multifunctional nanomaterial for polymers and composites
  Prof Lawrence Drzal & Hiroyuki Fukushima, Michigan State University, USA
• Paper 16 - POSS as promising fire retardants in polymer nanocomposites
  Prof Giovanni Camino, Alberto Fina, & Daniela Tabuani, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
• Paper 17 - Carbon nanotubes: reviewing their multi-functional properties for polymers
  Olivier Decroly & Michael Claes, Nanocyl SA, Belgium
• Paper 18 - The use of metal atoms trapped in nanocages to enhance filler performance
  Joseph Lichtenhan, Hybrid Plastics Inc., USA
• Paper 19 - Reinforcement of delicate polymer structures by high anisotropic nanofillers
  Siljana Lietz, J Sandler, K Hedicke, E Bosch & V Altstädt, University of Bayreuth, Germany
• Paper 20 - Nano fillers for enhancement of mechanical and thermal performance of adhesives
  Prof Sam Kenig, Israel Plastics & Rubber Center, & Prof Hanna Dodiuk, Shenkar College of Engineering & Design, Israel