Great Lakes Delivers Solutions and Real Cost Savings with Lines of Polymer Additives Blends

30-10-2001: Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (NYSE:GLK) offers a safer and more cost-effective alternative to powder and liquid polymer additives through their patented custom, pre-mixed blends.

Great Lakes is the recognised leader in blends technology due largely to its Anox™ NDB (No Dust Blend) polymer stabiliser and Fyrebloc®, 100% active, flame retardant blends. Great Lakes' patented blends technology creates products that are cleaner, easier, and safer to handle resulting in lower processing and operational costs.

Great Lakes delivers value-added, working solutions by providing a pre-mixed additive that takes the place of several individual additives. The custom blend is incorporated in the polymer mix in the same manner as separate additives, yet it is accomplished in one simple, accurate addition. The Anox™ NDB mix can incorporate antioxidants, UV stabilisers, as well as third party additives into a single, specialised blend. The Fyrebloc® range combines antimony oxide and flame retardants in granule or pellet form. These ready-to-go blends offer enormous benefits to the customer, which can translate to real cost savings.

In today's competitive environment, polymer manufacturers look for every opportunity to lower their production costs, particularly by negotiating with suppliers regarding product price, rebates, packaging, and logistics. Great Lakes' additive solutions are another area where polymer producers can impact their bottom line. Pre-mixed blends offer added value by increasing productivity, improving workplace health and safety, reducing costs, and improving product quality.

Increased productivity: The low-dust form of the free flowing NDB pellet allows faster cleandown between grade changes, ease of handling, and reduced down time due to inaccurate feeding or dust related issues such as blockage of feed pipes. The entire additive handling process from supply to polymer manufacture is significantly simplified, particularly due to the ability to introduce additives often considered "difficult" into the pre-mixed blend.

Another advantage of the NDB form is the "alloy effect", which can be achieved when polymer additives are combined in one blend offering superior features due to additive synergies. This effect improves the dispersion and homogeneity of the polymer while increasing productivity and reducing costs. And, since Anox NDB and Fyrebloc blend compositions are guaranteed, quality control is more accurate and less time consuming since polymer manufacturers must check only a single additive opposed to up to four separate additives.

Improved Workplace Health and Safety: Anox NDB and Fyrebloc are low dust products with high abrasion resistance and good flow properties. The consequent reduction in dust allows customers to enjoy a cleaner working environment, much lower exposure to airborne hazardous materials, and a reduced risk of explosion.

Reducing Costs: In addition to the cost benefits associated with increased productivity and improved workplace health and safety, even greater cost savings are possible due to the use of only one feeder as opposed to the number of feeders necessary when introducing several, independent additives. By removing several steps from the processing operation, energy costs are also reduced. The low dust nature of the pelletised blend results in a minimal amount of product lost into the air extraction system, and waste disposal costs are also lower. In addition, a customised blend reduces the number of suppliers needed and limits storage requirements.

Improved Product Quality: Product quality is positively impacted since the low dust feature of the blend reduces the risk of additive cross-contamination. Using homogenous, consistent composition pellets increases the feed accuracy and greatly reduces the risk of over- or under-dosing associated with multiple additives.