English
Plasticizers
Stabilizers
Fillers
Crosslinking Agents
1. Plasticizers
Plasticizers are used to increase the flexibility, plasticity, and processing properties of plastics and rubber. In plastic processing, many resins such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have relatively high hardness and are difficult to process. By adding plasticizers, the glass transition temperature of the resin can be reduced, enabling it to be processed and molded at lower temperatures. This also gives plastic products the properties of softness and elasticity. Phthalate esters are commonly used plasticizers and are widely used in products such as PVC plastic films, artificial leather, and plastic pipes. In the rubber industry, plasticizers can enhance the plasticity and fluidity of rubber, reduce the difficulty of mixing and molding processes, and improve the cold resistance and aging resistance of rubber products.
2. Stabilizers
Stabilizers are used to prevent plastics and rubbers from aging and degrading due to heat, light, oxygen and other factors during processing, storage and use. In plastic processing, heat stabilizers can inhibit the decomposition of plastics during high-temperature processing. For example, lead salts and organic tin-based heat stabilizers are widely used in PVC processing. Light stabilizers can absorb or reflect ultraviolet rays to prevent plastics from aging due to ultraviolet radiation. Hindered amine-based light stabilizers are common types of light stabilizers. In the rubber industry, antioxidants can prevent rubber from aging and extend the service life of rubber products. In the production of automotive tires, adding antioxidants can improve the aging resistance of tires, ensuring their safety and reliability during long-term use.
3. Fillers
Fillers are used to reduce the cost of plastics and rubbers and improve their certain properties. In plastics, adding fillers such as calcium carbonate and talc can increase the hardness, rigidity and dimensional stability of plastic products, reduce the shrinkage rate, and lower production costs. In the rubber industry, carbon black is an important filler, which not only reduces the cost of rubber but also significantly improves the strength, wear resistance and aging resistance of rubber. In tire manufacturing, the large use of carbon black as a filler can increase the service life and performance of tires. In addition, some functional fillers such as nanomaterials can also give plastics and rubbers special properties, such as antibacterial and flame retardant.
4. Crosslinking Agents
Crosslinking agents are used to form crosslink structures between plastic and rubber molecules, improving the strength, heat resistance, solvent resistance and other properties of the materials. In the rubber vulcanization process, sulfur and other crosslinking agents react with rubber molecules to form a crosslink network, converting the rubber from a linear structure to a three-dimensional network structure, thereby improving the strength, elasticity and wear resistance of the rubber. In plastic processing, crosslinking agents such as peroxides can be used for crosslinking modification of polyethylene plastics, improving the heat resistance and mechanical properties of plastics. In insulating materials for power cables, cross-linked polyethylene has excellent electrical properties and heat resistance, and is widely used in high-voltage cables and other fields.
