The last couple of years have witnessed an ever increasing cost of polymers globally. Increasing competition from low cost Asian processors coupled with higher polymer prices have compelled the North American and European plastics processors to look for ways and means to become more competitive. For this, one of the important areas that these processors have worked upon is to reduce manufacturing costs by increasing output.

Increasing outputs have caused a plethora of problems regarding quality, rough surface finish, etc. with most of the commonly used polymers like PE, PVC, etc. The industry has certainly benefited from some of the processing aids being used for the last two decades. Though reasonably effective, some of these processing aids could not perform when output requirements increased significantly, and have been replaced by more effective and improved versions of the earlier products.

Generally the linear Polyethylenes like LLDPE and HDPE, as well as the recently introduced Metallocene LLDPE grades are more prone to formation of melt fracture. The earlier versions of fluroelastomers used were required at higher dosage levels. Besides, some of them caused the problem of higher conditioning time before they became effective, translating into a higher wastage level. Their performance was negatively affected when polymers contained other additives like antiblocking agents or UV stabilizers. Both Dynenon and Atofina have introduced product grades that are more efficient and more tolerant to other additives. Processors making films from low MFR LLDPE and HDPE have benefited significantly with the these newer grades that are structurally more stable compared to the first generation products.

Similarly, rigid PVC products have been benefited with the newer Acrylic based polymer processing aids that have very high molecular weights compared to the older versions. Most of the rigid PVC processors presently use a blend of process aids having 1-2 million molecular weights along with 3-6 million molecular weights. These high molecular weight processing aids originally developed for stabilization of foam cells are increasingly used for PVC profiles, sheets and bottles.

The mineral oils have been used in many polymers either to enhance the lubricity or increase softness of products like TPE. Newer mineral oil products of higher molecular weights that have been found more efficient because of lower volatility, are more widely used in the newer TPEs made from SBS, SEBS or PP/PE. Crompton has introduced Hydrobrite 1000 mineral oil.

Dupont's Fluroguard oils have found an increasing usage where abrasion resistance is more critical. Dupont also has Elvaloy AC products that are copolymers of butyl, ethyl and methyl acrylates. They enhance the dispersion of pigments in engineering polymers.

Vitro Co. in the form of viscosity modifier has specially developed a very interesting product from naturally found Alumino sillicate glass. This product is found to be very effective by the wire and cable industry.