Maleated Coupling Agents for Wood Plastic Composites & Other Plastic Additives

UMEX products are coupling agents based on modified low molecular weight polypropylene containing pendant maleic anhydride groups. The non-polar polypropylene backbone provides affinity for polyolefin resins while the hydrophilic carboxylic anhydride groups provide affinity for reinforcing fillers such as glass fiber, carbon fiber and wood flour.  This structure also serves to compatibilize blends of polyolefins with high-polarity resins such as nylon and PET.  Our unique technology permits a higher degree of acid modification than conventional  maleated coupling agents.  An advantage of the high acid-number UMEX products is that they can be used at lower loadings than conventional products, thus yielding cost savings

Polypropylene/Nylon-6 Blend Compatibilization with UMEX

Polymer Alloys

Perhaps the most exciting application is that of “polymer alloys”. Polyolefins are non-polar and crystalline, so they tend to have poor compatibility with other polymers and, thus, generally make poor polymer alloys. UMEX is based on a polyolefin backbone with bonded pendant maleic anhydride groups. When preparing a polymer alloy of polyolefin resin and nylon, UMEX is a useful compatibilizer. The maleic anhydride groups from UMEX and the amino end groups and amide linkages of the nylon react, resulting in a reduction of interfacial tension between the resins, leading to a state of micro-dispersion. UMEX is available for use with not only nylon but also other high polarity resins such as PET to improve their compatibility with polypropylene resins. Additional information is contained in our whitepaper.