Compound CaCO3 is surely the most popular filler used in plastic industry. Compound CaCO3 is the main component of filler masterbatch – one of the most effective solutions solving many economic problems in the plastic processing at the same time. Thus, gaining expertise and experience in manufacturing and processing calcium carbonate masterbatch is a vital mission for every company in this field. This article mentions several common problems that manufacturers usually encounter with. Keep reading to know solutions for those issues!
Products made of compound CaCO3 and the unsatisfactory appearance problem
Appearance of the finished masterbatch is the criteria that almost all manufacturers concern. Ideally, before proceeding any production, manufacturer should do the research to establish the standard formula. Without this preparation, quality of the filler masterbatch, especially their appearanceis not guaranteed. Dissimilarity and un-uniformity usually happen to the products if the content of compound CaCO3 consisting in masterbatch is too high. Sometimes, this situation is so bad that they can cause the broken granules. These results are the consequences of the stable operation processes of the extruder machine. There are a lot of factors that can affect the activities of the extruder machine such as the unstable temperature during procedures, workers feed materials unstably or the bad compound CaCO3 granules are not filtered fully.
In order to solve this problem, manufacturers are recommended to carefully and regularly check the production machine, especially cutting knives and cutting speed. Temperature of products should also be checked before cutting.
Scratches on the surface of compound CaCO3 granules is unacceptable in producing masterbatch
Friction caused by the interaction between materials and the cylinder of extruder machine will likely result in the scratched surface of the products. Solution for this problem is coating a thin layer of lubricant on the inner surface of the cylinder, which contact with the compound CaCO3 mixture. Another reason caused this issue is the defective of extrusion hole. Thus, workers and staffs working in the filler masterbatch factories should check the machine regularly, especially the extrusion hole.
Some concerns on the compound CaCO3 dispersion that manufacturers usually meet
Uneven compound CaCO3 dispersion causes spots in the product surfaces which will result in the broken plastic film (is that masterbatch is utilized in film blowing) or torn film (in lamination process). Moreover, uneven dispersion also makes the filter getting stuck and has to be replaced. There are multiple reasons causing this problem, coming not only from filler masterbatch producers but also from the end user. Regarding to manufacturers’ causes, it could be the undispersed materials, high humidity of materials or too low temperature during procession. Similarly, if end users (plastic-based products manufacturers) do not use the compound CaCO3 properly in their production, quality of the final products can be affected. Common mistakes include low quality processing machine and unstable processing temperature. Moreover, if they combine the CaCO3 filler with incompatible resin, bad pigments dispersion can also happen.
Solutions for uneven dispersions in using compound CaCO3
In order to solve this problem, the most effective solution is controlling all processing stages. For example, before mixing base resin with filler masterbatch, their properties, especially chemical properties, should be well investigated to find the compatible and suitable for your products. If quality of materials is not assured, stop using the current one and changing to another type is the best solution. During the processing, humidity and temperature need to be controlled strictly. Both machines and materials should be in the dried condition before mixing. If the processing temperature is too low, too high or unstable, workers should adjust the machine setup.
Manufacturing products from compound CaCO3 by blown film and the related problems
Fisheyes is the name of a common problem in plastic film production by film blowing method in which the film surface has many white glossy spots that look like fish eyes. In addition, film is too soft to be pull or stretch and under processing they are easily broken. These failures are caused due to long delivery or the compound CaCO3 stock was left in bad conditions for a long time. Materials obtaining moisture could also lead to the fisheyes existence.
