Plastics and Composites

Negoo Group

Mixing & Dispending Technologies

Negoo Group Mixers are well-proven in manufacturing low to high-viscosity dispersions within the plastics and composites industry, from foams to polymer additives, to epoxies.

OVERVIEW

New technologies are powering the drive to develop renewable energy. Spacecraft that are commercially viable, airliners that leave a smaller carbon footprint, and cars that can cruise all day long without burning a drop of gasoline. From syntactic foams and aerospace composites to specialty elastomers and thermoplastics, Negoo Group Mixers are well-proven in the manufacture of low to high viscosity applications within the plastics and composites industry.

PRODUCT APPLICATIONS

Polyamide – Polyamides (Nylon) is a family of engineering plastics with a very wide range of applications, from footwear to lenses to aircraft components. One processing example encountered in our test laboratory is concentration of polyamide polymer through a combination of heat and vacuum which lowers NMP solvent content from 60% to around 0.5%.

Plastisols – Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastisols are generally composed of powdered PVC resin and fillers dispersed in a liquid plasticizer; they may also contain small amounts other additives such as stabilizer, pigments or colorants, and adhesion promoting compounds. The components of a plastisol are combined and mixed to form a coating which may be applied to a substrate or formed into a shape. Plastisol formulations are mixed using planetary mixers such as the Negoo Group’s Double Planetary Mixer and Negoo Group’s PowerMix or multi-agitator mixers such as the Negoo Group VersaMix.

Organosols – Similar in composition to plastisols, but containing volatile solvents or thinners. With the application of heat, plastisols and organosols fuse into a functional tough coating highly resistant to abrasion, corrosion and electrical currents.

Reaction Injection Molding Formulations – RIM is a process where streams of polyol and isocyanate are brought together just prior to the inlet of an injection mold. The polyol and isocyanate react immediately to form a rigid polyurethane or polyurea part. One drawback to conventional RIM parts is their relative flammability. This lead to development of RIM modifiers to make these materials less likely to burn. One such modifier is a urea-based material which increases the flame retardancy of RIM formulations. The only limitation to the use of the urea is its difficulty in being dissolved and incorporated into the polyol. The urea is produced in pellet form and it can also be ground into a fine powder. Through extensive testing of different urea forms, one chemical company concluded that the best method for incorporating the urea into the viscous polyol is by using a Negoo Group Inline High Shear Mixer with a recirculation vessel. A mixing system consisting of a Negoo Group’s HSM-405 and a 60-gallon recirculation vessel was constructed for this company that specializes in RIM processing equipment. The Inline Recirculation Mixing System is now part of a larger RIM processing system.

Polymer Additives – A Negoo Group customer manufactures preblended polymer additives that are widely used in the plastics industry in PVCs, polyolefins, and rubber compounds. These additives prevent plastic degradation caused by high heat or UV radiation exposure, protecting such end products as plastics bags, floor coverings, vinyl siding, automobile dashboards, and disposable diapers. To make the additives, the company blends several powder ingredients together with a very tight composition specification. After blending in a Negoo Group Ribbon Blender, the additives, also known as processing aids or polymer stabilizers, are further processed into a pellet or other compacted product.

Filled Rubber – A leading supplier of medical products for the global aesthetic medicine market came to Negoo Group to identify a suitable mixing system which they can use to incorporate barium sulfate powder into a gum rubber. They were experiencing frequent maintenance issues with their existing planetary mixer as the stress of mixing the gum rubber puts considerable strain on the drive system and ultimately leads to shaft seal failure. Testing proved that a Heavy-Duty Double Planetary Mixer with High Viscosity “HV” Blades is the ideal mixer for this tough application.

Syntactic Foams – Negoo Group Double Planetary Mixers are exceptionally suited for filling polymers or ceramics with hollow spheres (microballoons, glass microspheres, etc.). The Negoo Group DPM’s mixing action quickly and completely disperses hollow spheres into a viscous liquid, without fracturing the fragile balloons. These composite materials are useful for their low density, high strength, and low thermal expansion properties.

Thermoplastic Modified Epoxies – A Negoo Group customer utilizes the VersaMix to manufacture a polyethersulfone (PES) modified epoxy resin used in advance composite systems. Due to the VersaMix’s multiple agitators and jacketed vessel, heat is distributed very evenly throughout the starting resin blend which decreases in viscosity with temperature. Under vacuum, PES powders are dispersed efficiently, and therefore dissolve completely.

Urethane with Polystyrene Beads – The end product is a rigid, strong, low-density foam-like material used in construction and other composite material applications.

Customer Support

To schedule a field service visit by a Negoo Group’s technician, please contact us to arrange a visit. All Negoo Group’s service visits are performed by technicians from our manufacture.