The Importance of Antioxidant Additives in the Plastics Industry

Sep. 15, 2022

The plastic antioxidants market is expected to register a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. The major factors driving the plastic antioxidants market are the replacement of conventional materials by plastics and increasing demand for polypropylene. On the flip side, stringent regulations imposed on plastic usage and unfavorable conditions arising due to the COVID-19 outbreak are the major restraints hindering the market growth.

Increasing applications of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene in various industries, such as electrical and electronics, home appliances, and automobiles, is expected to offer various lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market.

By polymer resin, the polypropylene segment is expected to dominate the plastic antioxidant market, owing to its susceptibility to oxidation and thermal degradation.

Plastic Antioxidants

Increasing Demand for Polypropylene Resin

Plastic antioxidants are additives that are added during plastic production to eliminate thermal and oxidation degradation, and they help in increasing the shelf-life of products.

The usage of plastic antioxidants in polypropylene polymer resin is projected to be the highest during the forecast period, owing to the increasing use of polypropylene in packaging applications, which is likely to drive the plastic antioxidant market.

Polypropylene resins are also used in heavy-duty sacks, hygiene films, compounding, and others, which is increasing the demand for polypropylene, and consequently, the demand for plastic antioxidants is increasing.

The plastic packaging market value was estimated at USD 345.91 billion in 2019. It is expected to register a CAGR of over 3% during the forecast period and reach a value of USD 426.47 billion by 2025, which would increase the demand for polypropylene for packaging applications, thus stimulating the demand in the plastic antioxidant market.

Owing to the above-mentioned factors, the plastic antioxidant market is expected to grow rapidly over the forecast period.

Antioxidant 1076 Cas 2082-79-3

The importance of antioxidant additives in the plastics industry

Antioxidant polymer additives are essential because they help prevent the process known as oxidation. By doing so, they stabilize the quality of plastic products and slow down the degradation process.

As you may already know, oxidation is the process by which oxygen comes into contact with a material and affects that material. This effect is usually a form of degradation that occurs as a result of free radicals reacting with the material's molecules, triggering a chemical chain reaction. Oxidation is more common than you might think. Think back to the last time you saw fruit gradually turn brown, or when the meat in your refrigerator started to smell different.

In many ways, oxidation can act on polymers in the same way. However, while the oxidation process is essentially the same, the effects on polymers are very different from those on apples or peaches. First, plastic products are manufactured at extreme temperatures. This can damage the original polymers because they are exposed to a process called thermal oxidation. For that process to succeed - and for the polymer to remain stable - antioxidants must be introduced into the manufacturing process.

Antioxidant 1010 CAS 6683-19-8

But that's not all. After they are manufactured, plastics are still susceptible to oxidation. Some plastics are more fragile than others, but oxidation can negatively affect the external quality and life cycle of a product. Antioxidant masterbatches can help inhibit the harmful oxidation process.