Dust Less Blends

The composition of the DLB is affected by the high tolerance of the weighting system used in its preparation and the dosing accuracy of each component. Due to the manufacturing practises uses it is normal that the precision level for each component is of the same order of magnitude as the error limits of the analytical methods used to determine that particular component.

The advantages of the consistent, accurate and homogeneous composition of DLB's are numerous and contribute to polymer quality, productivity improvements and cost savings. One such advantage is that, due to the consistency of the ratio of additives fed and dispersed into the polymer, no loss in performance due to differences in relative additive concentrations will occur.

Correct additives (or grade of a particular additive) may not be selected or the wrong amounts of each additive may erroneously be added to the mixer. It is quite common, in production plants, that the highest incidence of non-conformance (or human error) occurs during the night shift or in the very early morning. The consequences of this could easily be 'off spec' polymer. This type of human error can be virtually eliminated by using DLB's as only one additive is required, which can be labeled with the same name as the polymer grade it goes into.

Finally, it is normal during polymer production to mix batches of several hundred tones of the final polymer (after extrusion) in order to get a more homogenous product. This operation helps reduce the impact of any inconsistencies in the polymer produced. If DLB's are used rather than powder additives, then all of the benefits in terms of reduced 'off spec' material, more consistent polymer properties etc. should be seen i. e. greater consistency in the properties of the polymer is observed. In such a scenario, the time of post-polymerisation homogenization can be significantly reduced, resulting in a productivity gain.