Clariant Develops Stabilizer package for Low VOC emission automotive interiors

Clariant has come up with a new additive package in order to make automotive interiors more compliant with OEM requirements when it comes to heat resistance and light stability. Called AddWorks ATR 146, the package sets a new benchmark and goes a long way towards making interiors last longer and healthier due to the lower level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

AddWorks ATR 146 will soon be commercially available and is a new low dosage, sulfur-free stabilizer for filled polypropylene (TPO) compounds which are used in automotive interiors. According to Clariant, the stabilizer offers the automotive industry the twin benefits of high performance and reduced VOC emission, while exceeding OEMs’ requirements with regard to heat stability.

AddWorks ATR 146 is capable of delivering outstanding levels of heat stability to TPO compounds, and even after 700 hours and temperatures as high as 150 degrees C, there are no reports of surface cracking when dosed as low as 0.3%. This performance level by and large exceeds conventional OE requirements and is far better than that offered by alternatives that are currently used. The stabilizer’s  excellent light stability performance protects vehicles in the long run against discoloration.

In addition to outstanding UV and heat protection, AddWorks ATR 146 offers motorists the benefit of high resistance to extraction media like water or detergents, and can hence be used in TPO-based parts like dashboards, door panels, instrument panels and pillars to help them for a longer period of time when compared to traditional stabilizers.

AddWorks ATR 146 has high level of compatibility with the PP polymer and an intrinsically high stability that can help reduce blooming and VOC emissions from an injected part. Less VOC emissions means that automotive interiors will be healthier and odorless.

Speakign about the new stabilizer, Emilie Meddah, Global Segment Leader for Automotive Applications at Clariant said “Today, over 50% of plastics in vehicle interiors are made of polypropylene. With AddWorks ATR 146, we are excited to offer Tier Ones and OEMs the opportunity to go beyond the most stringent requirements for heat stability, light stability and VOC emissions with a low dosage solution.”

He concluded by stating that the development of the new stabilizer aligns well with the emerging trend in the automotive segment for durability and lower VOC environments, thus setting the new benchmark for the next generation of automotive interiors.