Plastic additives are critical ingredients that modify the physical, chemical, or aesthetic properties of plastic materials. These additives can include stabilizers, flame retardants, plasticizers, pigments, and UV absorbers, all of which need to be consistently and uniformly incorporated into the final product. However, many of these powders are difficult to process due to their fine particle sizes, tendency to agglomerate, or sensitivity to contamination. That’s where toll processing becomes an ideal solution.
At Elcan Industries, we specialize in toll processing plastic additives to meet tight particle size requirements while maintaining material integrity. Our advanced sieving and classification equipment allows us to process a wide range of additives with high accuracy and minimal product loss.
Challenges in Processing Plastic Additives
Plastic additives are often highly engineered materials that must meet strict performance standards. Many of these powders are prone to:
- Agglomeration during storage or processing
- Particle size inconsistencies
- Contamination from other materials
- Flowability issues during mixing or extrusion
Whether you’re working with talc, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, or more advanced additives like UV blockers or flame retardants, having the right processing capabilities is key to downstream success. Even minor inconsistencies in powder size or purity can negatively impact melt flow, dispersion, or color uniformity.
How Elcan Supports the Plastics Materials Industry
Elcan offers toll processing services using advanced screening and air classification technologies that can classify powders down to tight micron ranges. Our Hi-Sifter sieving machine is capable of separating powders at sizes as fine as 10 microns without relying on ultrasonics. The high-energy motion of the Hi-Sifter prevents material from sitting on the screen surface, which reduces blinding and increases throughput.
For even finer separations, our Elbow-Jet Air Classifier uses airflow and the Coanda effect to classify powders down to 0.5 microns without using any rotating parts. This design eliminates potential wear and contamination, which is critical for additives used in high-performance plastic applications.
We regularly toll process plastic additives for use in:
- Polypropylene and polyethylene compounds
- Engineering plastics
- Masterbatches and concentrates
- Additive packages for blown film, injection molding, or extrusion
Types of Plastic Additives We Process at Elcan Industries
We process a variety of plastic additives used in applications from commodity resins to high-performance engineering plastics. These include:
- Fillers – Used to improve stiffness, reduce cost, or adjust density. Examples include calcium carbonate, talc, and clay.
- Colorants and Pigments – Provide specific colors or optical effects. Examples include titanium dioxide for white coloration, organic pigments for vibrant colors, and carbon black for black coloration and UV protection.
- Stabilizers – Protect plastics from heat, light, and oxidation during processing and end use. This category includes UV stabilizers, antioxidants, and heat stabilizers.
- Flame Retardants – Reduce the flammability of plastic products. Common materials include aluminum trihydrate, magnesium hydroxide, and brominated flame retardants.
- Plasticizers – Increase flexibility and softness, often used in PVC products. Examples include adipates and other non-phthalate options.
- Antimicrobial Additives – Prevent microbial growth on the surface of plastic products. Common choices include silver-based additives and zinc pyrithione.
- Conductive Additives – Give plastics conductivity or static dissipation properties. Examples include conductive carbon black, carbon nanotubes, and metal powders
Sub 10 Micron Sieving Capabilities
Elcan Industries is one of the only toll processors in North America capable of consistently screening powders below 10 microns. This is a key advantage when dealing with high-performance additives that require uniform dispersions at very fine sizes. Other toll processors often struggle with material in the 1–10 micron range, but our combination of sieving and air classification gives us full control over fine particle separations.
Contract Manufacturing Experience
Our facility is equipped to handle both R&D trials and full-scale production batches. Whether you’re scaling up a new formulation or outsourcing overflow work, we can help bring your additive material to spec. All processing takes place at our ISO 9001-certified toll processing facility in Tuckahoe, NY, where we maintain strict quality control standards and material traceability throughout the entire process.
Call today to schedule your trial!
