Seven SmartBatch (color + effect additive) solutions combined to improve vehicle interior air quality (VAIC)

Air Emissions

Air Pockets: unsightly, cause a weakened product  

The air-filled Airbump panels, manufactured from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), can compress up to 20 mm, and bounce back to shape in an instant.

UltraTuf LED sheet is made using BPA-free Eastman Spectar™ Stratus copolyester, which has received UL GREENGUARD Certification for Indoor Air Quality.

This technology enhances the ability of clinicians to make visual confirmation of fluid flow and can allow for detection of potentially harmful air bubbles that might cause embolisms, while patients can experience greater comfort via use of a single catheter.

OnFlex™ LO Low VOC / FOG & Odor TPEs: Engineered thermoplastic elastomers that help meet Vehicle Interior Air Quality (VIAQ) standards for automotive interior components including HVAC flaps, interior trays and fasteners and clips

Consumer concerns and industry regulations have made vehicle interior air quality a major focus for automotive manufacturers,” said Woonkeat Moh, general manager, GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers Asia and Specialty Engineered Materials Asia for PolyOne.

19500-021 GREEN LC PLASTISOL PX-21460-B YELLOW PLASTISOL 19500-040 BLUE LC PLASTISOL

From a product-type viewpoint, flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and poly(urethane)-foam-based applications have used biocides for decades.[8,9] PVC is especially vulnerable to attack from fungi and bacteria due to extensive plasticizer usage in flexible applications.[ 10] Poly(urethane) foams are another notable consumer of biocides because of their porous nature, which pro- vides an ideal environment for microbes to grow.[11,12] Therefore, it is not surprising that many applications based on these two materials have significant usage of biocides; commonly, oxybisphenoxarsine or lower toxic- ity alternatives such as zinc pyrithione (ZPT) antimicro- bials are employed.[10] Specific example applications include kitchen and bath accessories, swimming pool liners, carpet backing, sleep solutions like mattresses and pillows, roofing membranes, and tiles. To reduce the incidence of device-associated infections, antimicrobial technologies have been utilized in a variety of ways ranging from bulk-imbedded additives to sur- face grafting techniques.[13,14] In particular, silver-based additive technologies are frequently explored for healthcare applications due to their favorable toxicological profiles and broader regulatory approvals, while silver nanoparticles with controlled, long-term release profiles continue to be a very active and promising area of biomedi- cal research.[15-19] In textile segments such as sports active- wear, biocides are used to prevent the growth of odor- causing bacteria from perspiration.[20,21] Additionally, high-end recreational products such as boats utilize bio- cides to preserve the aesthetics of PVC products used for seat covers since bacterial growth may lead to pink staining caused by specific bacterial metabolites.[22,23] With respect to the mechanism of action, many antimicrobial products work by attacking enzymes common to a variety of microbes, interfering with membrane transport processes (e.g., importing environmental copper into the cells) as well as interfering with iron metabolism pathways.[24,25] Herein, an assortment of both rigid and flexible resins/ compounds will be evaluated for susceptibility to determine whether particular resin chemistries or compounds are inherently vulnerable to microbial growth and subsequent degradation or other deleterious effects. For TPE compounds tested containing 1000–1500 ppm of ZPT, all exhibited ≥3-log reductions (99.9%) in E. coli and ≥4-log reductions (99.99%) in TABLE 2 ASTM G21 results for control and ZPT-loaded Versaflex™ and OnFlex™ TPE line products Sample Market application ZPT loading (ppm) 28-day ratinga GP 2810-40N Consumer overmold 0 4 1000 0 3000 0 CE 3120-65 Consumer electronics 0 4 1500 0 3000 0 LO 7120-45B Automotive and HVAC 0 4 1500 0 3000 0 CL2242 Medical 0 4 1500 2 3000 0 HC BT218 Medical 0 2 1500 0 3000 0 G2705N Consumer health/medical 0 4 1500 0 3000 0 Abbreviations: ASTM, American Society for Testing and Materials; HVAC, heating, ventilating, and air- conditioning; TPE, thermoplastic elastomer; ZPT, zinc pyrithione. aNumerical rating according to ASTM G21-15 where 0 indicates no growth and 4 indicates heavy growth (61%–100% sample coverage).