Plasticisers are a group of chemical compounds (primarily ester based, such as pthalates and benzoates) that are used to modify the Tg (Glass transition temperature) of Plastics and other polymer based systems, thus changing their flexibility at lower temperatures so as to make them ‘soft’ and malleable.

Other chemical families are now being used in increasing volumes in an effort to move away from the more traditional phthalate based systems and there is also a drive to work with more environmentally friendly systems that offer improved biodegradability at end of product life.

Applications and Uses:

While the primary use for plasticisers continues to be within the Rubber and Plastics, particularly PVC, they are also used to add flexibility to Decorative and Industrial coatings as well as Construction materials such as concretes, tile adhesives, grouts and cementitious wall coatings. In these applications, the plasticiser enables lower water volumes to be added (thus increasing product strength) without impacting on the workability of the wet material.

More diverse applications include use within solid rockets or similar, where the plasticiser will not only improve the behaviour of the solid fuel but also potentially act as a secondary fuel to boost the overall efficiency of the system and produce a significantly better energy to weight ratio. The push towards increased environmental  responsibility has seen the development of new chemistries for all applications.

Availability:

MegaChem (UK) Ltd is able to offer a comprehensive range of products to suit a wide variety of applications. Many of these products are stocked in the UK and are available for standard or express delivery. TDS, SDS and samples will be made available on request.

Please call us on + 44 (0) 1291 422747 or contact us for more information.

All products supplied by MegaChem (UK) Ltd comply fully with REACH and CLP legislation.