Why use this technology? Plastics and elastomers generally age rapidly under the effects of heat, shear stress and mechanical loading in an oxygen environment. Antioxidants are used to combat this degradation. They extend the product's life and appearance, maintaining its strength, stiffness or flexibility, and protecting against: Degradation during processing Discoloration Heat aging Polymer producers, masterbatch producers, compounders and converters need antioxidants that protect the polymer during processing, are easy to use, are cost efficient and are compliant with regulatory / environmental requirements. OEMs too look for cost efficiency and regulatory, safety and environmental compliance, while demanding high quality polymers that will look better, for longer. This Antioxidant Technology Center explains how antioxidants help users along the polymer value chain to maintain the mechanical and optical properties of the polymer and how product form can influence production efficiency and productivity. Click on the images below to find out more: Processing efficiency Protecting polymer architecture and preventing discoloration using antioxidants Durability & protection Extended product lifetime using antioxidants Production efficiency Safer addition of additives and improved productivity using different product forms Compliance in use Global regulatory, environmental & food contact compliance

Where can it go? Antioxidants are used to protect a broad range of plastics from mechanical and optical property degradation. They interrupt the degradation process in different ways, according to their structure. The following pages contain examples of several applications where Chemtura antioxidants are widely used, the type of stabilization required and the benefits they bring for each application. Click on the images below to find out more about these popular applications and how antioxidant technology helps achieve processing efficiency, extended life and appearance: Polyolefins Elastomers, tires and latex Engineering plastics Wire & cable Polyols & PURs