Handbook of Fillers

Citation

(1999), "Handbook of Fillers", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928bae.002

Handbook of Fillers

Handbook of Fillers

George Wypych

Keywords Filling, Publication

This handbook contains information based on the analysis of over 1,400 research papers, mostly published from 1994 to 1997, and technical data received from over 160 fillermanufacturers and equipment manufacturing.

This edition has 80 per cent of new material compared to the first edition. The book is designed to be a single source of information for an experienced practitioner as well as a reference text for students and those new to the fields where fillers are used.

The level of interest in the subject of fillers has increased significantly since the publication of our first edition of this book. Today, several hundred papers are published each year on this subject, compared to less than 100 just a few years ago. This interest is stimulated by the fact that materials can be improved almost beyond recognition by new grades of fillers available. Also, fillers are no longer thought of as cost-saving additives but rather as structural additives which do reduce cost and add value because of reinforcement or other unique properties in value added products. This reference book is a powerful tool for today's challenges, which can only be met by those equipped with extensive information.

The book offers comprehensive coverage of the subject and provides the information on three groups of relevant topics: existing fillers, their effect on filled materials, and their use in practical applications. This handbook covers in one volume the information required to market and develop fillers and use them for new and existing products. Most importantly, the data and information are based on the practice and research of industry worldwide.

One third of the book covers the grades of fillers available in the world market. Fillers are divided into 73 groups and their properties are analyzed. These groups include a full variety of products used by today's industry to change optical properties and color, improve surface characteristics and dimensional stability, change thermal, magnetic and electrical properties, improve mechanical properties, durability, and rheology, affect chemical reactivity, biodegradability and performance of other additives.

Approximately half of the 184 tables included in the handbook are used in this part of the book to give data which help in the selection of a filler for a given application. The data are based on specifications of several thousand grades of fillers and is the most comprehensive set of data on fillers ever published. Tables provide information on chemical composition, physical, chemical, optical, and electrical properties. The morphology of fillers, in addition to the numerical and other data, is illustrated by 90 SEM and TEM micrographs. The commercial section includes manufacturers, brand names, and major applications along with the list of polymers in which a particular filler is most frequently used. This part answers the question put forward in the beginning. The fillers are so versatile because there are many groups designed to perform different functions in modern materials.

The second third of the book discusses the effects of filler incorporation. Here, ten chapters are devoted to what the filler does in the compounded materials. These chapters cover the mechanical properties of compounded materials, the effect of the filler on material rheology, the morphology of the filled system, the material durability, flammability and recycling, how the interphase is organized, chemical interactions, interaction with and effect on other additives, the analytical methods of testing fillers and filled materials, how fillers are used in various materials and material combinations. This part is designed to provide new information to both the advanced practitioner and novice alike. It is also designed to show that material properties can be tailored to the needs of products by following known principles and practical results. Many of the 525 figures included in the handbook illustrate this part and provide examples. Different, sometimes controversial views, observations and theories are presented in the most current research. These chapters attempt to explain and reconcile the controversies. This part of the handbook is of great value to understand complex issues of filler application. The application of research findings helps to avoid costly mistakes and gives background to engineering products based on the data and confirmed relationships between the filler properties and the properties of the product. The handbook is not overloaded with equations but does give important relationships in fillers applications and provides assistance in characterizing the properties of filled materials.

The last third of the book is concerned with application of fillers on an industrial scale. Several chapters discuss filler transportation, storage, processing and equipment used for these purposes. Others deal with the quality control of fillers, formulation with fillers, different processing methods, groups of products, and heatlh and safety issues. Using the schematic diagrams and drawings, the principle of action of the most modern elements of equipment used for fillers handling is explained. This is designed to assist industrial engineers to evaluate advances in the processing technology. It is also invaluable for chemists who design formulations for industrial processes and students in chemical engineering who must learn how modern industry operates in practical applications. Current uses are explained and future uses explored. This leads to future predictions of expected market changes for various groups of fillers and groups of products.

This is an invaluable reference source which brings together in a single volume all the fundamental aspects and the latest advances in fillers technology and products they are used for. This book should not be missed by these whose functions and industrial affiliations are listed on the first page of this information. It is not only the content of these 900+ pages of the latest information but the clear organization of the book and the plain language used to explain these complicated subjects that makes this book easy to read and understand.

Details are available from ChemTec Publishing. Tel: +1 (416) 265-2603; Fax: +1 (416) 265-1399; E-mail: chemtec@interlog.com; Web: http://www.interlog.com/~chemtec/