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Fillers and their Surface Modifiers in Polymer Applications
Applied Market Information Ltd., Nov 2007, Pages: 110
This report has been written to provide decision makers with an understanding of the fillers (and associated surface modifiers) industry and its main markets in plastics and rubbers (or elastomers). This industry comprises a complex set of businesses which overlap with many other business areas. It also serves of a number of almost self contained and widely differing markets within its overall scope. Many specialists within one of the specialised fillers areas, or the other business areas, need from time to time to look at filler opportunities that are outside of their own expertise. This report has been written to provide an overview of the fillers and surface modifiers businesses and markets for such people. It should have particular relevance for companies seeking new outlets for materials, where their traditional markets are mature or declining. In addition it will be of value to businesses requiring new uses for surplus or waste materials from other industries. The author has deliberately kept technical detail to a minimum and has focused on products and market opportunities. References to important publications providing greater detail have been provided.
The executive summary is followed by a description of the main features of the filler and modifier markets. There are then two chapters which outline the important technical matters influencing the use of fillers, and their surface modification. Next there are two chapters dealing with the production and properties of the main fillers and surface modifiers. This is followed by a description of the markets, broken down by filler type, applications area and polymer type. The future of the industry is then considered, with a brief discussion of supply and demand issues, followed by the main threats and opportunities that have been identified, and environmental and regulatory issues. Finally, the report concludes with listings of companies supplying fillers and modifiers, a glossary of acronyms and abbreviations, and some suggestions for further reading.
Countries covered:
The report has been written from a European perspective, focussing primarily on the companies and markets within the enlarged European Union. However, it is impossible to study an industry such as this in isolation, when many of the markets have a global dimension and the larger companies a global presence; and hence some discussion of other regions and of world markets is also given. The European filler and polymer industries are both sectors of the broader global chemical industry, and the author has attempted to describe their significance in this context, whenever appropriate.
Products mentioned:
The report describes the use of as particulate fillers in polymer matrices. Unlike some other reports in this field, this one covers fillers for all three polymer types, i.e. thermoplastics, thermosets and rubbers. Sealants have also been included, but adhesives and surface coatings have not.
The particulate fillers covered include both natural products such as calcium carbonate and talc, and synthetics such as carbon black, precipitated silica and aluminium hydroxide. Whilst reinforcing fibres such as glass and carbon are beyond the scope of the report, some natural fibres and wood flour are included.
The term filler is taken to mean a material added at fairly high loadings, and so markets where particulate additives are used at low levels, such as pigments are excluded. One exception to this principle is the anti-block market, which uses many of the traditional fillers, albeit at very low levels, and hence it has been included. Similarly, some nanoparticulates are also included, even though they are meant for use at low levels, as their function is to replace traditional fillers used at higher loadings.
The report is also restricted to relatively small particles (under 100 micron); as particles larger than this are usually regarded as aggregates rather than fillers (although there is some overlap especially in polymer concretes and in engineered stone and some types of flooring).
Filler surface modifiers influence the interaction between a filler and a polymer, and hence they are a vital component of many filled systems, and they are included in the report for this reason. The surface modifiers covered are those that are in significant commercial use with fillers and which are capable of forming a chemical attachment to the filler surface. This excludes surfactants, which are only reversibly absorbed. The principal modifiers that are covered are fatty acids, organo-silanes and functionalised polymers.
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