Masterbatch is a pigment or dye concentrate encapsulated in a carrier resin, offering superior dispersion, stability, color consistency, safety, and cleanliness compared to direct pigment powder coloring in plastics. It ensures precise dosing, protects pigments from moisture and oxidation, and eliminates dust hazards. Made from pigments, carrier resin, dispersing agents, and optional additives, masterbatch comes in various resin types, grades, and applications, with specialized types providing the best compatibility. It can also deliver functional properties such as UV resistance or flame retardancy, maintains heat stability under normal processing, and is produced through methods like ink dispersion, flushing, or kneading using single- or twin-screw extruders.

The article explains what a triple-screw extruder is and how adding a third screw significantly improves plastic mixing and compounding. Compared to twin-screw extruders, triple-screw extruders offer multiple intermeshing points, resulting in better plasticizing, higher throughput, superior dispersive and distributive mixing, and improved energy efficiency. They excel in producing highly filled masterbatches with greater toughness and uniformity. The design also provides better degassing and even allows in-situ molecular grafting for specialty applications like PP foam beads. While twin-screw extruders remain ideal for precision reactive extrusion and small-batch production, triple-screw extruders are recommended for large-scale, high-capacity manufacturing, especially for materials requiring complex mixing and high filler content. The article concludes that triple-screw technology has strong potential in advanced compounding and future polymer processing.

This article shares practical methods to improve and control the melt flow rate (MFR) of TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) during pelletizing and injection molding. Key strategies include adjusting the oil content in SEBS/SBS base resins, optimizing formulations by selecting higher MFI PP/PS and adjusting fillers and lubricants, and fine-tuning processing conditions such as temperature, screw shear rate, injection speed, and holding time. Together, these approaches help achieve better flowability, stable processing, and high-quality TPE products.

This article explores the blending modification of TPU and PVC to improve material performance and reduce costs. PVC/TPU blends show excellent oil resistance and enhanced flame retardancy, although higher TPU content can reduce solvent resistance. Adding chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) as a third component further improves tear strength, thermal stability, and processability while helping maintain TPU’s flexibility at low temperatures. The blending ratio significantly affects mechanical and shape memory properties, with ratios like TPU/PVC 90/10 offering optimal performance. Combining TPU, PVC, and copolyester (COP) can also produce melt-processable rubber that combines toughness, cost efficiency, and low-temperature flexibility.

This article explores the blend modification of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to reduce costs and enhance performance. Blending TPU with PVC improves flame retardancy, hardness, processability, and weather resistance while lowering production expenses. Compatibility between TPU and PVC is driven by their similar polarity and molecular interactions, especially hydrogen bonding. Polyester-based TPU shows better compatibility than polyether-based TPU. Optimal TPU/PVC ratios balance tensile strength, tear strength, and hardness, with a 90/10 blend ratio often delivering the best mechanical properties. Overall, TPU/PVC blends combine cost-effectiveness with improved functional performance, making them suitable for applications like synthetic leather and flexible plastic products.

Masterbatch is a concentrated blend of colorants, special effect pigments, and functional additives dispersed in a carrier resin. Supplied mainly as pellets, it’s added during plastic manufacturing to provide consistent color, unique finishes, and improved material properties. Masterbatch is widely used in processes like injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding across industries from packaging to automotive. It offers benefits over liquid colors and powders by ensuring cleaner production, precise dosing, and reduced waste. It can also be tailored for recycled polymers and combined with additives like UV stabilizers for enhanced performance. The production process involves blending, extrusion, cooling, and pelletizing to create ready-to-use masterbatch pellets.

This article explains how blending SBS (styrene–butadiene–styrene) with PE (polyethylene) or PS (polystyrene) improves its properties. Adding PE enhances SBS’s abrasion resistance, hardness, weatherability, and tear strength, while maintaining good tensile strength and elongation. Blending with PS increases hardness and melt flow rate but may reduce tensile strength and elongation due to phase separation at higher PS content. Proper oil extension and using grafted compatibilizers can further improve processing and compatibility. These blending techniques help produce TPE/TPR materials and impact modifiers suitable for footwear, automotive parts, and plastic toughening applications.

To prevent common injection molding defects in TPE and TPR products—such as flow marks, sink marks, and gate breakage—manufacturers can improve melt strength by adding 5–15% TPV during pelletizing. TPV modification enhances molecular chain entanglement, improves dimensional stability, and slightly increases hardness while maintaining thermoplastic processability. For best results, TPV should be uniformly blended using a twin-screw extruder, with process adjustments made to account for higher melt viscosity. This approach helps achieve better product quality and reduces defects in thin-walled, complex molded parts like medical grips and precision seals.

This article explains how plastics processors can improve purging efficiency by combining high-quality purging compounds with well-managed processes. It highlights common mistakes—like using cheap virgin resin, choosing purging compounds only by price, and ignoring supplier instructions—that often reduce cleaning effectiveness. The article also emphasizes the importance of consistent training, process monitoring, and choosing the right supplier to reduce downtime, extend equipment life, and improve profitability in extrusion and injection molding operations.

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is a thermoplastic elastomer formed by copolymerizing ethylene and vinyl acetate (VAc). Its properties vary with VAc content—lower content results in plastic-like characteristics, while higher content brings more rubber-like elasticity. EVA is widely used in injection molding, extrusion, and foam applications such as shoe soles, cable insulation, and packaging films. It improves flexibility, toughness, and compatibility when blended with PE or PP and can be modified for enhanced wear and tear resistance.