ADDITIVE: Trinity offers new additive for plastic film industry

NEWFOUNDLAND - Trinity Resources has introduced a new antiblock additive to the plastic film industry. Altiblock™ is produced from the company’s pyrophyllite deposit. This is a new, alternative product for plastic film manufacturers. An antiblocking mineral additive prevents two layers of plastic film from sticking together (for example in a garbage bag)

Pyrophyllite is a hydrous aluminum silicate mineral, and Altiblock^TM offers a natural blend of talc-like platy particles and irregular, blocky particle shapes to provide optimal blocking, clarity, film strength, barrier resistance and improved thermal efficiency of the film.

“The morphology of Altiblock™ combines the best attributes of talc, nepheline syenite and DE in one product," said John Hurley, president and CEO of Trinity Resources.

Trinity’s Altiblock™ offers:

• Very low iron content (<0.2% Fe₂O₃). A higher iron content can accelerate degradation of the organic components or the film resin . Altiblock™ antiblocking additives are produced from a consistent, naturally low iron containing ore, thus reducing organic degradation.
• Lower hardness compared to diatomaceous earth or nepheline syenite. Altiblock’s mohs hardness is comparable to talc and much lower than diatomaceous earth and nepheline syenite. A higher hardness can accelerate machine wear for processors.
• A refractive index comparable to the best antiblock products. Refractive index differences between inorganic particles and the surrounding polyolefin determine the additives impact on clarity or haze. Altiblock™ has a refractive index close to nepheline syenite, the highest clarity in the market. Altiblock™ outperforms talc and diatomaceous earth on clarity.
• Specific gravity can impact film yield for the film producer. As denser materials are added to a nominal 0.920 gm/cc polyolefin, apparent throughput is increased (kg/h) meaning that if gauge is held constant, a given area of film will weigh more.
• Low moisture content . The moisture content of Altiblock products is typically less than 0.2% which means reduced gassing and venting issue and improved shelf life.

Trinity’s Altiblock™ is available in four distinct sizes including 2, 4, 6 and 9 micron sizes with distinct morphology and particle size distribution curves. For a talc replacement Altiblock™ D400 can greatly improve block force and clarity, and for a diatomaceous earth replacement Altiblock™ D900 can improve clarity while being equivalent in block force.

Trinity Resources is a private company, owning and operating a world-class pyrophyllite deposit in Newfoundland, Canada. The company is currently mining, milling and shipping their pyrophyllite products to markets worldwide. For a list of Trinity's Canadian and European distributors visit our website or click here.