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Anti-blocking additives (Anti Block) play a role in preventing and treating the adhesion of the material surface after processing. They are commonly used in the production of packaging, food films, bags or packaging materials. In addition, anti-stick additives have a positive impact on the quality of the final product. In this article, EuroPlas will introduce an overview of anti-stick additives and their effects and applications in various industries.

1. Overview of anti-blocking additives

Anti-blocking additives (Anti Block) are auxiliary materials that solve the problem of clumping, clumping or adhesion on the surface of plastic products after processing. The main ingredients of anti-blocking plastic additives include: Silicon dioxide (SiO2), Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), Talc as well as surfactants. Specifically as follows:

• SiO2: Their main role is to become a thin film covering the surface of the plastic particles to minimize friction as well as prevent adhesion when processing at high temperatures for a long time.

• CaCO3: The compound not only prevents clumping but also increases the hardness of the material structure and the gloss of the product surface. The mixture is combined with Talc to increase the ability to prevent clumping as well as more effective anti-blocking for products with complex structures. 

Anti-blocking plastic additives prevent adhesion, clumping and caking of product surfaces

• Finally, manufacturers use additional surfactants to reduce the maximum tension of the product surface, which helps prevent cracking, breaking or shark skin.

The basic working principle of anti-blocking additives is to create a coating layer on the surface with a certain roughness to reduce the contact area of the plastic surface as well as prevent them from sticking together due to the heat of melting.

2. What is the role of anti-blocking additives in the plastic industry?

Anti-blocking additives have 3 main roles: Preventing adhesion - caking and clumping, improving surface quality and product properties as well as increasing the processing efficiency of the factory. Refer to the details now!

2.1. Prevent adhesion - clumping and agglomeration

This is the most important role of anti-blocking additives. The combination of SiO2 and CaCO3 will form a rough film covering the surface of the plastic material. Therefore, the plastic particles not only reduce the contact area and friction coefficient but also do not adhere tightly to each other under the influence of high temperature. If the friction coefficient is too high, the plastic layers will have difficulty sliding past each other and form agglomeration or clumping. That is why anti-stick additives are added to protect the product surface as well as reduce the friction coefficient.

2.2. Improve surface quality

The surface of the product determines the aesthetics, texture and quality of the entire processing process. Because plastic is usually produced in large quantities, the clumping, agglomeration or adhesion will greatly affect the surface of the finished product after the processing is completed. In particular, if the surface has errors, almost the entire batch must be discarded. Therefore, anti-blocking additives help increase the gloss and smoothness of products with complex structures. In addition, surfactants will also be used to maximize the tension and durability of the product. Moreover, the rough coating layer created by anti-blocking additives is very thin, so it does not affect the aesthetics of the product.

Anti-blocking additives improve product surface quality

Read more: What are plastic additives? 8 most common plastic additives in plastic industry

2.3. Increase the processing efficiency of the factory

In the case of crystallization or clumping of the plastic mixture, the equipment will have to consume more energy to operate throughout the processing process. Not only that, the plastic particles sticking together will affect the parts in the equipment such as the gears, plastic nozzles or the walls of the tank. Therefore, anti-blocking additives are the perfect choice for the high-pressure and large-volume processing of factories. Currently, the recommended density of anti-stick additives is from 1 - 2% so that they can best demonstrate their characteristics and not affect other additives.

3. Which industries are using anti-blocking additives?

Thanks to the above characteristics, anti-blocking additives are applied in a variety of important industrial fields such as: Food wrapping film, household appliances, extrusion, blow molding and injection molding industries

• Food wrapping film: The wrapping film is very thin, so the processing process is very complicated, they often appear to automatically adhere to each other and are very difficult to separate. The main reason for this problem is that the PE plastic granules used to make wrapping film have low weight and elasticity. Therefore, anti-blocking additives play a role in separating the layers of the wrapping film roll. In addition, everyday items such as plastic shopping bags, packaging and many applications in the packaging industry are incorporating anti-stick additives

• Household items: Products such as plastic bags and plastic cups used in daily life are also combined with anti-blocking additives to increase durability. For large-sized products, anti-blocking additives will solve the problem of clumping and adhesion of plastic parts to the machine mold and improve surface quality.

anti-blocking additives are widely used in the field of film production.

• Extrusion field: Most types of films such as agricultural films, food wraps, and industrial wraps are produced by extrusion. Anti-blocking additives play a role in preventing adhesion and adhesion of film layers during processing. In general, additives will effectively affect the entire extrusion process because they have almost completely eliminated the coefficients of friction between the product surface and the mold wall.

• Injection molding: Injection molding is a manufacturing process used to produce plastic parts and products in large quantities. It involves injecting molten plastic material into a mold cavity under high pressure. They are used in the automotive, electronics, consumer goods or medical fields. Anti-blocking additives are used in injection molding to prevent interaction and adhesion between the product surface and the mold wall. Injection molding is a manufacturing process used to produce plastic parts and products in large quantities. It involves injecting molten plastic material into a mold cavity under high pressure. At the same time, they can increase the life, prevent wear and tear and save on mold maintenance costs.

• Blow molding field: Blow molding is a type of plastic forming technique used to create hollow plastic products from thermoplastic materials. The method is commonly used in the medical, marine, sports equipment or toy fields. Blow molded products tend to adhere to the mold wall and stick together. Therefore, the appearance of anti-stick additives will eliminate defects & weaknesses of the product surface. In addition, durability is also significantly improved thanks to the rough coating from the anti-blocking additives Manufacturers will not have difficulty in separating the mold and maintaining equipment after the processing process.

In general, key plastic manufacturing fields all use anti-stick additives to maximize product quality as well as optimize the entire mass production process. In addition to anti-blocking additives, we can conveniently combine them with other additives such as: Fire retardant additives, anti-oxidation plastic additives, etc. to produce the most perfect products.

Through the above analysis, customers have a detailed understanding of the structure, operating principles, roles and practical applications of anti-stick additives. In particular, customers need to carefully select a supplier of quality anti-blocking additives to ensure the integrity of the product's elements. Please refer to EuroPlas' anti-stick plastic additives!

4. About EuroPlas' anti-blocking additives

EuroPlas is one of the few businesses that can produce both anti-stick and anti-slip additives in the Vietnamese market, because the structure and input materials of these two lines of additives are quite different. We are proud to have more than 15 years of experience in producing high-quality anti-stick additives for the polyolefin film industry.

The main advantage of EuroPlas anti-blocking additives is to reduce the coefficient of friction on the film surface as well as improve the handling capacity of the equipment system while ensuring that all the optical properties of the material are preserved. EuroPlas also provides customer care services, production consulting and a team of experts with many years of experience ready to bring the best solutions to businesses in the plastics industry.

Anti-blocking additives at EuroPlas are recommended to be used at a rate of 1 - 2%.

EuroPlas anti-blocking additives are recommended to be used at a ratio of 1 - 2% and stored in dry, cool conditions to achieve the highest performance. In addition, we also support cross-border transportation by sea or road to continuously meet the needs of our customers.

Through the above article, EuroPlas has compiled complete information on the characteristics, roles and applications of anti-blocking additives  in key industries. Please continue to follow EuroPlas to update the earliest news about the global plastic market & products.