Aussie Offers Nanoadditives For Mar/Scruff Resistance

Australian plastic additives startup TenasiTech Pty. Ltd. (U.S. office in Boston) has been expanding into global marketing of its patented nanoadditives, first developed six years ago at Queensland University. Solid-TT is a family of surface-treated nanoclays that have been shown to provide enhanced mar/scruff resistance to acrylic polymers and to have significant potential for use in other polar polymers.

Solid-TT is positioned as a less costly alternative to hardcoating in applications where the latter’s higher performance is not required. It also reportedly provides more consistent results than hardcoating, resulting in fewer rejects.

The company has been manufacturing the additives via toll compounding in the U.S. for the last three years. Solid-TT additives are tailored with surface modifications that enhance dispersion in highly polar plastics. TenasiTech’s initial focus has been on acrylic in molded auto door pillars and sheet for building interior decoration, for which trials at OEMs are underway.

The company is ready to move into PC and PET for automotive, consumer electronics, and industrial electronics applications such as touchscreens and control panels. Its nanoadditives are also being tested with nylon 12, other nylons, and TPUs.