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Over 200 visitors to Interface Polymers stand at Compounding World Expo 2018

Interface Polymers Ltd. exhibited for the first time and gave an open forum presentation at Compounding Word Expo 2018, which ran from 27 – 28 June in Essen, Germany. Being an international exhibition for plastics additives and compounding, co-located with the Plastics Recycling World Exhibition, the show was the ideal event for Interface Polymers to showcase its patented, new ‘game-changing’ block copolymer POLARFIN^®additive technology, which modifies the surface chemistry of polyolefin-based materialsto overcome polyolefin compatibility problems and improve surface functionality.

The show was a great success for the Interface Polymers team of commercial and technical people. Both days were very busy, with more than 200 visitors to the stand. There was interest from people working in a broad range of industries with compatibility problems, from packaging films and moulded parts to long fibre thermoplastics (LFT). POLARFIN can be used for a variety of applications depending on the product type, formulation and matrix to  enable permanent interlayer surface adhesion, increase polymer chain entanglement, improve polar particle and fibre matrix adhesion, or provide a tailored dispersion in a polyolefin or polar polymer matrix. There were also visitors from the Plastics Recycling World Exhibition, as POLARFIN can be used as a surface functionality improving additive, not only for virgin materials, but also to help the global environment by enabling the recycling of incompatible plastics, such as PE with PS/ PA/ PET.

The stand was particularly busy on day 1 after the presentation given by Simon Waddington, Business Development Director for Interface Polymers, which attracted an audience of over 140 people, with standing room only for some. The presentation titled: ‘Introducing new additive technologies for overcoming polyolefin compatibility problems and improving surface functionality’, included a ‘live’ demonstration using Super Glue to successfully bond two polypropylene (PP) discs containing POLARFIN additive together that could not be pulled apart.

This innovative additive technology is offering companies new opportunities to significantly improve the performance and cost competitiveness of polyolefin-based materials. POLARFIN additives can be used across a diverse range of market applications and material types, including: masterbatchesand compounds; thermoplastic composites; filled polymers; sheet and film products.   According to Interface Polymers’ processing guidelines, its additives can easily be incorporated into a formulation and used with existing polymer conversion processes, such as extrusion, injection or compression moulding, with little or no need to modify existing production equipment. Specific grades of POLARFIN additive can also reduce processing costs, as well as providing enhanced surface properties and beneficial attributes that add value to end use applications.

The company is on a steep growth curve, having expanded its in-house R & D team at the start of the year, in response to growing customer-led market demands for polyolefin surface functionality and polymer matrix compatibility solutions which can offer enhanced material performance across a wide range of applications in the packaging, construction, agriculture, automotive and recycling sectors.

Busy Interface Polymers stand with visitors at Compounding World Expo 2018

Simon W presenting to a large audience on day 1 at Compounding World Expo 2018

POLARFIN^® is an internationally patented technology and registered trademark of Interface Polymers Ltd.

Interface Polymers expands R & D Team to meet demand for polyolefin surface functionality solutions

Interface Polymers Ltd is expanding its additive technology R & D team with two new full-time positions at its main laboratory and testing facilities in Loughborough, UK. Launched in February 2016 to develop and commercialize its new Polarfin^® block copolymer additive range, the University of Warwick spin-out company is on a steep growth curve, responding to demand for polyolefin compatibility and surface functionality solutions across a wide range of applications in the packaging, construction, agriculture, automotive and recycling sectors.

The additional roles have been created to accelerate development of new additive solutions for specific market opportunities with global potential, such as film packaging and new composite materials. Phil Smith, CEO of Interface Polymers commented: “This is a very exciting time for the business with so much interest in our game- changing additive technology. We are looking forward to the new starters joining us in the New Year and helping to develop Polarfin^® additive solutions for a number of attractive market opportunities that we are working on with our first wave of customers”.

According to the company, its Polarfin^® additive technology can be easily incorporated into a polymer formulation and used with existing polymer conversion processes with little, if any, change to existing production equipment. It works by modifying the surface chemistry of polyolefin-based materials to enable interfacial bonding or other desirable surface properties such as anti-fog performance. For example, Polarfin^® additives enable permanent interlayer surface adhesion, not possible before without costly, energy-intensive ‘functionalising’ methods such as: flame torching, chemical etching, corona discharge and plasma treatments. Many of the Polarfin^® additive grades currently being commercialized bring the added benefit of reducing processing costs in addition to the main advantage of providing enhanced surface properties in end-use applications.

The new R & D appointments, which start in January 2018, will substantially expand the company’s new product development (NPD) and in-house testing resources whilst also adding expertise in downstream polymer processing methods such as multi-layer extrusion and film-blowing. Dr Christopher Kay, Chief Scientific Officer and founder of Interface Polymers, explains: “After encouraging discussions with interested customers across a diverse range of markets and application areas, we now have a large number of very interesting NPD opportunities. The addition of polymer processing expertise to the R & D team is now essential. These new roles will build upon our strengths in polymer synthesis and enable us to both speed up product development and optimize downstream processing guidelines in collaboration with our customers.”

The two new Interface Polymers R & D appointments are:

Dr Luke Hollingbery, who joins as Senior Polymer Development Engineer, bringing commercial NPD experience and a rigorous academic approach, having spent more than 20 years in the Materials Department at Loughborough University working for a minerals company on application development and polymer processing.

Mr Shaun Morris, an MSc Chemistry graduate from the University of Warwick, is taking on the new role of Polymer Development Scientist, providing considerable expertise as a synthetic chemist able to successfully formulate new compounds from initial ideas or market needs in a short cycle time.