Renewable process oil for polymer, TPE and elastomer applications

H&R Group, Am Sandtorkai 64, 20457 Hamburg, Germany

*Contact: [email protected]

Elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are used in many areas of everyday life. While elastomers are cross-linked materials, TPEs can be melted again. Depending on the polymer matrix and application process oils based on mineral oil are generally also used within the formulation to produce suitable compounds.

Typical mineral oil-based process oils for non-polar elastomers such as EPDM are paraffinic process oils. TPEs like TPS and TPV compounds usually also contain high purity paraffinic process oils in order to achieve the appropriate product properties.

However, the classic requirements for elastomer and TPE compounds (e.g. processability, technical and regulatory properties) have now been supplemented by additional characteristics. The newer requirements for innovative elastomer and TPE compounds also involve ensuring that the raw materials used have a low product carbon footprint (PCF), among other things. A well-known example of a raw material produced in nature is natural rubber (NR), which is successfully used in many elastomer products.

Benefits of 100% bio-based process oil VIVA-B-FIX 10227:

• 100% bio-based carbon content (ASTM D 6866)
• Very low fogging and very low VOC
• Colorless appearance
• Low odor
• High UV stability
• Good processability
• Paraffinic structure with very high purity
• Significant lower product carbon footprint compared to standard fossil oils
• Potential target compounds based on for example: EPDM, TPS, TPV

Renewable process oil VIVA-B-FIX 10227 with 100% bio-based carbon content

Is it also possible to produce a pure process oil based on biomass? The answer is yes. H&R Group provides customers the very pure process oil VIVA-B-FIX 10227 for some time now. VIVA-B-FIX 10227 has a bio-based carbon content according to ASTM D 6866 of 100%, is almost 100% paraffinic and has a negative product carbon footprint according to DIN EN ISO 14067. The bio-based VIVA-B-FIX 10227 is not comparable with bio-based esters, it is a paraffinic product of very high purity. As H&R was already able to demonstrate in 2021 [1], VIVA-B-FIX 10227 is a high-quality process oil for TPE compounds (example: for TPE compounds based on SEBS or SBS).

VIVA-B-FIX 10227 has excellent UV stability, very good thermal ageing resistance, very low fogging values, low odor, very good processability and is colorless. Due to its very good UV stability, VIVA-B-FIX 10227 is also very well suited as a process oil in colored and white TPS, TPV and EPDM compounds, as the paraffinic structure ensures high color stability. It can also be used in other TPE, polymer and elastomer-based compound applications depending on the compound requirements. A food contact substance notification (FCN) is now also available for VIVA-B-FIX for TPE and elastomer applications, which also highlights the high purity. Further details can be provided on request [2].

Table 1 to 3 summarize examples of TPS compounds containing the 100% bio-based process oil VIVA-B-FIX 10227 in comparison to a fossil reference white oil.

Table 1: Oil Product data for 100% bio-based process oil VIVA-B-FIX 10227 and mineral oil-based reference white oil.

The figures above are typical values. They do not represent a product specification, nor do they constitute any guaranteed quality. Any divergences will not constitute a warranty claim. *Product Carbon Footprint data according to DIN EN ISO 14067 available on request.        

Table 2: Examples for TPS-compound formulation containing VIVA-B-FIX 10227 and reference white oil, table 1 [1]:

Table 3: TPS-compound Properties, formulation illustrated in table 2 [1].

The bio-based VIVA-B-FIX 10227 shows also very good properties in EPDM compounds (sulfur or peroxide crosslinked). Due to its paraffinic structure, VIVA-B-FIX 10227 offers some advantages in peroxide crosslinked EPDM. It reaches a high delta torque and has very low compression set values (Table 4 and 5). High performance sulfur crosslinked EPDM compounds can also be prepared with VIVA-B-FIX 10227.

Table 4: EPDM compound formulations (content in phr): comparison of reference white oil with the 100% bio-based VIVA-B-FIX 10227.

Table 5: Test results of the peroxide cross-linked EPDM compounds listed in Table 4. Comparison of reference white oil with the 100% bio-based VIVA-B-FIX 10227.

Acknowledgement:

Thanks to all H&R colleagues from product safety, R&D, product development, product management and production who have contributed to the product development.

References:

[1]        Presentation, 30Nov. 2021 Thermoplastic Elastomers World Summit, Berlin,                 H&R GmbH & Co. KG , C. Bergmann, Contribution of renewable process oils for low carbon footprint applications thermoplastic elastomers, (Information about VIVA-B-FIX 10227 in TPS compounds).

[2]        Food Contact Notification (FCN) Information for VIVA-B-FIX available on request (status March 2024).