Palsgaard to present safety-boosting plant-based additives for plastics at K 2022

06 Jul 2022 --- Plant-based emulsifiers and polymer additives company Palsgaard is preparing to showcase new antifouling additives for PE and PP polymerization at the K 2022 trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany. Branded Einar 981, the additive has been developed to remove “severe concerns” about the ethoxylated amine chemistry currently used in plastic production.

“Polyolefin producers are under growing pressure from converters and brand owners to abandon the use of ethoxylated amines in their polymerization processes and switch to safer products without any regulatory concerns,” says Ulrik Aunskjær, global business director for Bio Specialty Additives at Palsgaard. 

“Einar 981 is our answer to meet this challenge with a highly sustainable, renewable and food-grade antifouling process aid demonstrating our expertise in customer and market-focused renewable polymer additives.”

The additive is supplied as a clear, pumpable liquid for existing dosing systems. It eliminates static build-up during polymerization and prevents fouling of reactor walls, thus helping PP and PE producers maintain the cooling efficiency of the reactor. 

Einar additives are exclusively based on renewable plant sources also used in food additives.Protecting plastics 
Palsgaard says that its expertise in the chemistry of renewable anti-static polymer additives has enabled the company to create high antifouling efficiency at low concentration (100-300 ppm) without any negative effects on catalyst mileage productivity or final polymer performance.

The active compound of Einar 981 is a polyglycerol ester blend of fatty acids derived from RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil. 

As a non-toxic and food-contact approved antifouling additive, the product offers a “drop-in regulatory-compliant solution to replace incumbent ethoxylated amines,” says the company, and can also be used as a more efficient alternative to sorbitan monooleate. 

This flexibility makes Einar 981 an “ideal process additive” in the polymerization of PP and PE materials for sensitive applications, including medical devices and baby food containers.

Away from fossil fuels 
Palsgaard’s new Einar additive is one of a wide portfolio serving as anti-fog and anti-static surfactants, dispersing aids, aging modifiers, EPS coatings and mold release agents. 

At K 2022, the company will introduce new plant-based innovations in its growing portfolio, developed and optimized at Palsgaard’s Polymer Application Centre in Denmark to help customers stay ahead of increasingly stringent regulations, such as on food contact, without compromising performance or quality. 

All of these products provide a drop-in replacement for fossil-based additives in existing polymer formulations and have a perfect fit in new responsible packaging solutions, says the company. 

“As the plastics industry is transforming from a linear to a circular economy, there is a fast-growing demand for renewable alternatives to conventional fossil-based formulations,” highlights Aunskjær. 

“Beyond the more basic raw materials feedstock, this also applies to functional additives, where common synthetic chemistry is under increasing regulatory pressure while consumers demand more natural, safe and healthy ingredients in the polymers in which their products are packaged. At Palsgaard, we address these issues with a full range of plant-based, food-grade polymer additives, backed by advanced customer and application support.”An example of Einar additives.

K 2022 
At K 2022, Palsgaard will also update visitors on investments made into the future of its polymer additives business. 

After the commissioning of a new emulsifier pellet line with a capacity of 10,000 metric tons in 2020, the Juelsminde site will receive a state-of-the-art spray tower, which is expected to go on stream in the fourth quarter of 2023 and add 30,000 metric tons to Palsgaard’s existing spray capacity. 

This development will be complemented by multiple new reaction, distillation and esterification plants, altogether doubling the company’s overall production capacity by 2024, claims the company. 

In addition, new sales offices in Brazil, the US and China will strengthen the support of customers in these regions, as Palsgaard delivers on its strategy to develop long-term close partnerships and grow its global service capacities.

Palsgaard will be showcasing at K 2022 in Düsseldorf from October 19-26 in Hall 7, Level 1, Booth D20. 

Edited

By Louis Gore-Langton