Extenders

Extenders
Fillers are defined as materials that are added to a polymer formulation to lower the compound cost or to improve
properties. Such materials can be in the form of solid, liquid or gas. By the appropriate selection of these materials,
not only the economics but also the other properties such as processing and mechanical behavior can be improved.
Fillers have been classified in many different ways, ranging from their shapes to specific characteristics. Broadly,
fillers can be classified into two categories, functional fillers and extenders.
Inexpensive fillers are economically useful as “extenders” that displace more expensive resin needed in a resin
system, without adversely affecting most properties. Indeed, processors often depend on increasing their use of such
fillers during times of high polymer prices.
These materials(extenders) that are added to plastics, rubber, adhesives, paints and varnishes, and other polymeric
materials to facilitate their processing and impart to them the required properties (strength or electrical and
frictional properties), as well as to reduce costs.
But most of these fillers can be seen as “functional” as well. Generally speaking, when properly dispersed in a
polymer matrix, filler particles physically interfere with the continuity of polymer domains and thus also the way
forces are transferred through the material system. Provided that the bulk filler is free of contamination, its particle
size and shape is consistent, and its particles are well dispersed. Filler will affect a compound’s mechanical properties
in predictable ways. Mineral fillers typically increase hardness and stiffness, usually at the expense of impact
resistance. Mineral fillers also help maintain dimensional stability. For example, they counteract PP’s tendency to
distort and warp, a frustrating problem that has caused some processors to refer to PP using the unflattering
nickname “polywarpylene.” Dimensional stability, as well as the scratch resistance that some fillers enhance, will
become even more important in engineering uses of PP for automotive applications and their fit and finish
requirements.
Extenders for polymeric materials that improve the performance of products are usually called active (reinforcing)
extenders; those that have no such effect are called inactive (inert) extenders. Fiber and sheet extenders are also
called reinforcing extenders. The most important active extender is carbon black, which is used in types of rubber
derived from most synthetic elastomers to produce strong and wear-resistant products. The extenders are combined
with polymers in a variety of ways, such as mixing in a roller mill or impregnation with polymer solutions or melts.
The content of extenders in polymeric materials varies greatly; in highly extended compositions it may even exceed
the polymer content.
Properties of extender fillers:

In general, ideal extender filler should
 Be spherical to permit retention of anisotropic properties.
 Have an appropriate particle size distribution for particle packing.
 cause no chemical reactivity with the polymer or the additives
 Have low specific gravity.
 Have desirable refractive index and colour.
 Be low in cost.
The most widely used extenders for polymeric materials are finely dispersed solids, such as carbon black, silica, chalk,
kaolin, talc, mica, and graphite. Glass, asbestos, and synthetic fibers, as well as monocrystalline fibers of some metals
(“whiskers”), are also used. Sheet materials (paper or fabrics) are used in the production of laminated plastics; gases
(CO 2, N2), volatile hydrocarbons, or water are used for foam plastics.
Calcium carbonate
Along with talc, calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) is one of the most used fillers in polyolefins. Calcium carbonate’s
reputation lies more in its role as a bulk extender used for displacing the relative amount of resin needed in an
application. Producers of commodity HDPE bottles and packaging, for example, rely on these fillers for minimizing
raw resin costs. However, fine particles of CaCO3—loaded at 10%–60% and using the proper surface treatment or
coupling agent to bond them to the polymer—also increase stiffness, hardness, and dimensional stability, while
normally lowering tensile and impact strength properties, depending on the grade of CaCO3 and its coating.
Talc
The other most used polyolefin’s filler, talc, is a plentiful, naturally occurring hydrated magnesium silicate mineral
(with composition Mg3Si4O10(OH)2). Relatively soft and slippery, talc has similar effects as calcium carbonate in a PO
matrix, although talc typically increases modulus more and reduces impact strength more. Its mechanical effects are
enhanced by its plate-like particles with high aspect ratio, which is the ratio of a particle’s major dimension (length) to
its minor dimension (width, thickness, or diameter). Talc greatly affects certain properties in both PE and PP. In
particular, in PP, talc is valuable for increasing HDT, and in PE films, it also provides anti-blocking properties.

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Extenders

Properties of extender fillers:

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