California Plastics can help create a variety of engineering thermoplastics. Compounding is the melting and mixing of polymers with various substances. This technique alters the plastic’s physical, thermal, electrical, and aesthetic properties. In plastic manufacturing, plastics compounding and polymer processing constitute an important step on the path towards a final product. Manufacturing and delivering plastic compound solutions is a combination of art and science. While technical and scientific material knowledge is essential for creating custom compounds to exact specifications and performance characteristics, you still need a team with years of real-world formulation expertise to get the job done right.
A wide range of characteristics such as conductivity, flame retardance, wear resistance, structural, and precolored qualities can be accomplished by integrating an extensive range of additives, fillers, and reinforcers to the plastic resin blend. Our engineers choose the additives based on your specific performance requirements. Glass fibers, for example, can be added at varying quantities to boost stiffness in a resin that is too flexible.
Common Applications Of Plastic Compounding
Without compounding, plastic wouldn’t be nearly as versatile and readily available to serve our multitude of needs. There are many characteristics and behaviors of plastics that can be modified with compounding. Some of the factors that are specifically compounded for include:
Color selection is typically a priority when mixing plastic. When you consider all of the plastic things you use, you’ll notice that it comes in an almost infinite variety of colors.
Plastics melt and frequently catch fire when exposed to heat. Polymers can be treated with fire retardants to help prevent combustion, which is very useful in construction and other industries.
Consider the plastic products you use on a regular basis; you’ll notice differences in strength and flexibility. Each of these plastics has been compounded to meet this particular need.
Some plastics can benefit from being compounded to prevent germ growth on their surface. These plastic additives are particularly common in the manufacturing of medical devices.
If plastic items are exposed to UV radiation, the plastic can be compounded to provide further protection against UV rays, which can cause the material to degrade over time.
