Technology
Compatibilizers: A Practical Guide
Blending polymers without losing properties — and enabling circular streams.
Compatibilizers reduce interfacial tension between otherwise immiscible polymers, improving stress transfer and blend uniformity. In practice, small dosages unlock toughness, elongation and surface quality for post‑industrial or co‑extruded structures.
Checklist
- Match the backbone to the dominant phase (e.g., PP‑g vs. PE‑g).
- Reactive vs. non‑reactive: pick by melt index and functional groups.
- Dosage: 0.5–3 wt% covers most consumer packaging and molding cases.
- Processing: residence time, screw design, and moisture control.
For recyclability, prefer compatibilizers that don’t introduce foreign polymer families. That’s how blends stay useful across multiple cycles.