Can Specialty Compounding Enhance Plastic?

What are the main properties that a specialty compounding supplier can enhance? Before addressing the different properties, it's essential to understand what specialty compounding is and what suppliers can offer manufacturers. Compounding applies to several industries, but when referring to plastics, compounding is a means of mixing/blending base polymers with specific additives to create plastic properties. In essence, specialty compounding is the process of creating plastic parts that have highly specialized characteristics based on their application and environment. Specialty compounding suppliers create highly specialized pellets packaged and sent for plastic processing such as blow molding, injection molding, or more.

The most enhanced properties of specialty compounding include:

Aesthetic properties: modern manufacturing requires an artistic touch: not just functionality. Whether for branding purposes or for creating a feel, specialty compounding allows for plastic to take on unique colors and even unique finishes that resemble other materials (marble, stone, wood, etc.).

Antistatic properties: additives are added to the base material to minimize static electricity building upon the surface of the plastic. When necessary, plastic can be endowed to prevent it entirely.

Flame retardance properties: plastic parts can be made that either delay, slow down, or prevent combustion. Its specialty compounding allows for plastic to be particular to the manufacturer's needs. Depending on these needs, additives are chosen to help avoid ignition and plastic burning. This type of plastic is often found in the electronics industry.

Related Reading Specialty & Color Compounding

• Understanding the Basics of Color Masterbatching
  One of the most common ways plastic gets colored is through the color masterbatch (masterbatching) manufacturing process. To best understand this process, we'd like to highlight a few of the most important concepts and terms used about masterbatching.
• Why do Companies Use Color Masterbatching?
• What Can Plastic Additives Offer My Design?