Do you know the difference between polyethylene wax and paraffin wax in masterbatch processing? If you are a manufacturer of color masterbatch or a friend who is interested in color masterbatch, then follow the footsteps of Sainuo. Today’s article is sure to benefit you a lot.

The color masterbatch is a pigment concentrate with resin as the carrier. The resin has high melt viscosity and poor compatibility with the surface of the pigment, so the wetting is poor, and it is difficult to penetrate into the pores of the agglomerate to break the agglomerate; that is, in the agglomerate After being broken, the resin melt cannot quickly wet and protect the nascent surface, and the collision and contact with each other will cause the particles to re-aggregate. This problem can be solved by adding polyethylene wax.

In the field of masterbatch production, the addition of paraffin wax and polyethylene wax can improve the fluidity of materials, improve the wettability and dispersibility of pigments and other additives, and then improve processing performance and production efficiency to varying degrees. The pigment dispersion is good, the coloring power of the masterbatch is high, the coloring quality of the product is good, and the coloring product is low.

Therefore, many manufacturers use paraffin wax with a melting point of about 60 ° C as a dispersant or use it together with polyethylene wax to increase production and reduce costs. Now let’s observe the performance difference between the two from the perspective of practical application of masterbatch processing.

1.Physical and chemical properties
Paraffin wax: English name Paraffin Wax , white solid, density 0.87- 0.92g/cm3, melting point 55- 65℃
Polyethylene Wax: English name Polyethylene Wax, white solid, density 0.91-0.95g/cm3, melting point 90-115℃

2.Thermal stability
The lubricating and dispersing agent used for the masterbatch must be able to withstand the processing temperature during the manufacture of the masterbatch and the molding of the colored product. If it vaporizes or decomposes, it will have an adverse effect on the masterbatch or the colored product.
The processing temperature of masterbatch and products is generally between 160-220℃. In this temperature range, general polyethylene wax can withstand, but paraffin wax is difficult to withstand. We carried out isothermal weight loss experiments on polyethylene wax and paraffin wax with a melting point of 60°C, and found that, below 200°C, paraffin lost 9.57% of its weight in 4 minutes, and in 10 minutes, the weight loss reached 20%. Only from the point of view of heat resistance, polyethylene wax can show good heat resistance, while paraffin wax is difficult to guarantee, so paraffin wax is not suitable for use as color masterbatch dispersant.

3.Dispersion performance
In order to compare and measure the dispersion properties of polyethylene wax and paraffin wax, black masterbatches were prepared with different concentrations of the two, respectively, and the blackness test of the film was carried out.
The experimental results found that in the addition ratio of 0-7%, with the increase of polyethylene wax content of black masterbatch, the film blackness increased steadily by 36.7%, indicating that the higher the polyethylene wax content, the better the dispersion performance of carbon black. However, in the same addition ratio, with the increase of paraffin, the blackness of the black masterbatch decreased by 19.9%, indicating that the higher the paraffin content, the worse the dispersion performance of carbon black.
This is because paraffin waxes wet carbon black more easily than polyethylene waxes, but at the same time greatly reduce the viscosity of the system. Too low viscosity greatly weakens the transmission of shear force, and the dispersion is disturbed. The role of agglomeration cohesion. Therefore, the comparison of the experimental results shows that polyethylene wax has a good lubricating and dispersing effect on carbon black, while in the color masterbatch, the carbon black added with paraffin wax will be significantly worse.

Qingdao Sainuo Chemical Co.,Ltd. We are manufacturer for PE wax, PP wax, OPE wax, EVA wax, PEMA, EBS,Zinc/Calcium Stearate…. Our products have passed the REACH, ROHS, PAHS, FDA testing.

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