Surface Treated Magnesium HydroxideSpecialty Halogen-Free Fire Retardant for Polyolefin Injection Molding Applications

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E Serious questions for compounders of injection molded plastics to ponder: • Do you have injection-molder customers who produce plastic pallets?

• Do they in turn have customers with warehouses full of plastic pallets?

• Have their customers considered the liability of potential fire hazards by having all of this plastic under one roof?

• Were you aware that non-toxic, non-halogen fire retardant chemistry is available to allow you to produce fire retardant / low smoke compounds for injection molded plastics?

Here’s our solution:

Vertex® 60 SV surface treated magnesium hydroxide (MDH)

is designed to impart outstanding fire retardance and smoke suppression in polyolefin injection molding applications, while maintaining or improving processing and mechanical property performance.

It is ideal for applications including fire retardant (FR) garbage bins, containers, plastic pallets and industrial electrical boxes used in regulated areas such as hospitals, schools, warehouses and office buildings. Another specialty application for Vertex 60 SV is automotive plastic parts.

What is Important for Fire Retardant Polyolefin Injection Molding Applications?• Ease of processing – Low viscosity at high shear rates – Fast molding speeds• Heat stability when processing at > 230˚C• Excellent balance of mechanical properties of the finished part• Fire retardance: Low rate of heat release and low-smoke generation• Environmentally friendly ingredients

Meeting Stringent Fire Retardance RequirementsIn the past, fire retardant additives containing halogens like bromine and chlorine were used to impart fire retardance in many injection molded polyolefin parts. With recent concerns about halogens, customers are looking for alternative ways to achieve fire retardance and also reduce smoke generation. These smoke requirements are difficult to achieve with halogens, because compounds with halogenated additives generate dark smoke upon burning.

While these recent regulatory and market changes have narrowed the fire retardant additive choices, Huber Engineered Materials has introduced a new magnesium hydroxide product specifically designed to work well in polyolefin injection molding applications – Vertex® 60 SV surface treated magnesium hydroxide.

Capillary Rheology

65% High-Density Polyethylene (HPDE) + 35% MDH (210°C Process Temperature)Injection molded polyolefin parts require very high shear rates to adequately fill the mold cavity. The significantly improved rheology performance of Vertex® 60 SV surface treated MDH makes it the clear choice when searching for a halogen-free fire retardant for injection molded parts such as pallets, containers, trays and bins.

65% High-Density Polyethylene (HPDE) + 35% MDH (210°C Process Temperature)The improved toughness of the Vertex 60 SV surface treated MDH compound makes it ideal for applications with high impact strength and high flexural modulus requirements.

Huber Magnesium Hydroxide Mechanical Property Comparison

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic Acid Melt Pressure (psi) 60 100 75 Extruder Torque (%) 10 15 12

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Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic acid Tensile Stress @ Yield (psi) 3,140 3,029 2,600 Flexural Stress @ Yield (psi) 2,510 2,477 2,343 1% Secant Modulus (psi) 149,005 133,282 128,427

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Vertex® 60 SV MDH

Vertex® 60 MDH

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Typical Physical PropertiesSpecific Gravity (g/cm3) 2.36Color WhiteRefractive Index 1.58Mohs Hardness 2.5325 Mesh Residue, % 0.3Median Particle Size by Laser Light Scattering (µ, LLS-Microns) 3.0Specific Surface Area (BET, m2/g) 12Decomposition Temperature 330˚CFree Moisture @105˚C, % 0.25

Chemical CompositionMagnesium Hydroxide Mg(OH)2, % ≥99 (Untreated Base)Calcium, % ≤0.6 Chloride, % ≤0.3 Iron, % ≤0.08 Loss on Ignition (1200˚C), % 31 (Untreated Base)

Vertex® 60 SV MDH

Vertex® 60 MDH

Vertex® 60 HST MDH

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic Acid Melt Pressure (psi) 60 100 75 Extruder Torque (%) 10 15 12

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Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH

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Viscosity @ 10,000 1/s

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic acid Tensile Stress @ Yield (psi) 3,140 3,029 2,600 Flexural Stress @ Yield (psi) 2,510 2,477 2,343 1% Secant Modulus (psi) 149,005 133,282 128,427

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Vertex® 60 MDH

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Typical Physical PropertiesSpecific Gravity (g/cm3) 2.36Color WhiteRefractive Index 1.58Mohs Hardness 2.5325 Mesh Residue, % 0.3Median Particle Size by Laser Light Scattering (µ, LLS-Microns) 3.0Specific Surface Area (BET, m2/g) 12Decomposition Temperature 330˚CFree Moisture @105˚C, % 0.25

Chemical CompositionMagnesium Hydroxide Mg(OH)2, % ≥99 (Untreated Base)Calcium, % ≤0.6 Chloride, % ≤0.3 Iron, % ≤0.08 Loss on Ignition (1200˚C), % 31 (Untreated Base)

Vertex® 60 SV MDH

Vertex® 60 MDH

Vertex® 60 HST MDH

Formulating with Vertex® 60 SV Magnesium Hydroxide (MDH)

Formulating with Vertex® 60 SV Magnesium HydroxideVertex 60 SV surface treated MDH offers the formulator a number of benefits in polyolefin injection molding applications where stringent fire retardance and smoke suppression requirements are necessary.

Processing Parameters – Twin-Screw ExtruderNote the significant improvement below in process parameters of Huber’s Vertex 60 SV surface treated magnesium hydroxide compared to untreated and fatty acid treated magnesium hydroxide products.

65% High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) + 35% MDH (210˚C Process Temperature) Vertex 60 SV surface treated MDH offers significant processing benefits vs. untreated and fatty acid treated MDH. Note the 40% reduction in extruder melt pressure and 32% reduction in extruder torque vs. untreated MDH.

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic Acid Melt Pressure (psi) 60 100 75 Extruder Torque (%) 10 15 12

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Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH

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Viscosity @ 10,000 1/s

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic acid Tensile Stress @ Yield (psi) 3,140 3,029 2,600 Flexural Stress @ Yield (psi) 2,510 2,477 2,343 1% Secant Modulus (psi) 149,005 133,282 128,427

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Vertex® 60 MDH

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Typical Physical PropertiesSpecific Gravity (g/cm3) 2.36Color WhiteRefractive Index 1.58Mohs Hardness 2.5325 Mesh Residue, % 0.3Median Particle Size by Laser Light Scattering (µ, LLS-Microns) 3.0Specific Surface Area (BET, m2/g) 12Decomposition Temperature 330˚CFree Moisture @105˚C, % 0.25

Chemical CompositionMagnesium Hydroxide Mg(OH)2, % ≥99 (Untreated Base)Calcium, % ≤0.6 Chloride, % ≤0.3 Iron, % ≤0.08 Loss on Ignition (1200˚C), % 31 (Untreated Base)

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Vertex® 60 MDH

Vertex® 60 HST MDH

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Halogen FR Pallet FormulaVertex® 60 MDHVertex® 60 HST MDHVertex® 60 SV MDH

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Halogen FR Pallet FormulaVertex® 60 MDHVertex® 60 HST MDHVertex® 60 SV MDH

Rate of Heat Release (50 kW/m2)

Rate of Smoke Generation (50 kW/m2)

The top graph shows the rate of heat release, a measure of flammability. The higher the curve, the more flammable. The bottom graph shows smoke generation, and the higher the curve, the more smoke is generated. Note the significant improvement when using the non-halogen fire retardant from Huber, Vertex 60 SV MDH.

There are halogenated compounds that impart some degree of fire retardance to plastic pallets. But halogens have some serious drawbacks:

1. They are toxic. When plastic containing brominated compounds burns, it produces HBr (Hydrogen Bromide), a highly toxic compound that can kill if inhaled at sufficient quantities.

2. They produce dark smoke.

3. They require the use of a synergist, antimony trioxide (ATO). Antimony oxide is a heavy metal which has impurities such as arsenic.

4. They burn at higher rates than plastic compounds using Huber’s Vertex® 60 SV magnesium hydroxide.

Evaluating Halogen Compounds in Plastic Pallets

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THERE ARE NO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Refer to Huber’s Standard Conditions of Sale for the only express warranties applicable to the Huber products. Products incorporating Huber products are not warranted by Huber. In no event is Huber liable for consequential damages. Vertex® is used, applied for, or registered as a trademark of J.M. Huber Corporation for magnesium hydroxide in various countries around the world. ©2020 J.M. Huber Corporation MDH/Vertex60SV/PolyolefinInjectionMolding/Rev1/Sept2020

Vertex® 60 SV Surface Treated Magnesium Hydroxide (MDH)

About Huber Engineered MaterialsHuber is your fire retardant and smoke suppressant expert with over 30 years of experience offering product use guidance and a dedicated technical team for strong customer service focus and support. Contact us today for more information about Vertex 60 SV surface treated magnesium hydroxide and to order a sample.

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic Acid Melt Pressure (psi) 60 100 75 Extruder Torque (%) 10 15 12

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Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH

Viscosity @ 6,900 1/s

Viscosity @ 10,000 1/s

Vertex® 60 SV MDH Vertex® 60 MDH Vertex® 60 HST MDH Surface Treatment Proprietary None Stearic acid Tensile Stress @ Yield (psi) 3,140 3,029 2,600 Flexural Stress @ Yield (psi) 2,510 2,477 2,343 1% Secant Modulus (psi) 149,005 133,282 128,427

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Vertex® 60 SV MDH

Vertex® 60 MDH

Vertex® 60 HST MDH

Typical Physical PropertiesSpecific Gravity (g/cm3) 2.36Color WhiteRefractive Index 1.58Mohs Hardness 2.5325 Mesh Residue, % 0.3Median Particle Size by Laser Light Scattering (µ, LLS-Microns) 3.0Specific Surface Area (BET, m2/g) 12Decomposition Temperature 330˚CFree Moisture @105˚C, % 0.25

Chemical CompositionMagnesium Hydroxide Mg(OH)2, % ≥99 (Untreated Base)Calcium, % ≤0.6 Chloride, % ≤0.3 Iron, % ≤0.08 Loss on Ignition (1200˚C), % 31 (Untreated Base)

Vertex® 60 SV MDH

Vertex® 60 MDH

Vertex® 60 HST MDH

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