What exactly is the PVC processing aid ACR?
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Some ACR products cost over 20,000, and they are said to be of the dimethyl ester type; there’s one that costs only 12,000, and it’s said to be of the styrene type. Why are they all called ACR? ACR must be an abbreviation for acrylic acid, right?
It is produced by the emulsion polymerization of acrylate monomers, and is primarily used to improve the processability of rigid PVC, facilitate the plasticization and melting of PVC resin, reduce processing temperatures, and enhance the appearance quality of the resulting products. The product is a white amorphous powder that is insoluble in water and ethanol, but soluble in ethanol and trichloromethane. The PVC processing aid ACR meets health standards (GB9681-88), making it safe and effective for use.
ACR enhances toughness and wear resistance during plastic processing; its price is not as high now, around 10,000
ACR is divided into impact-resistant type and processable type; its main components are copolymers of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate as well as butyl acrylate. Depending on the ratio of soft to hard monomers, processable and impact-resistant ACR are formed. The primary function of processable ACR is to improve the processing rheology of PVC, facilitate plasticization, and enhance the ductility of the melt.
ACR, CPE, and MBS are three important impact modifiers for PVC rigid products. ACR is an acrylate. I would like to ask: what are the differences in their specific uses for adding ACR, CPE, and MBS?
Simply put, the difference lies in the fact that MBS is a terpolymer of methyl methacrylate, butadiene, and styrene; it is primarily used to toughen transparent PVC. However, due to the presence of double bonds, it has poor weather resistance and tends to age easily. CPE is a product obtained by reacting HDPE with chlorine; it is relatively inexpensive and is the most widely used in China. Compared to ACR impact modifiers, it has a higher glass transition temperature; therefore, the composites obtained by modifying PVC exhibit inferior low-temperature resistance compared to PVC/ACR
CPE is commonly used domestically. Developed countries **mainly use ACR products. In what fields are ACR-based PVC products mainly used?
I have a few questions for everyone: 1. Is the entry barrier high in the PVC additives industry? What will be the future development trends? 2. What is the current capacity utilization and profit situation in this industry? 3. What’s the situation with Niko Chemicals as a company? I hope the experts will kindly share their insights.