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Nanoclay Wire & Cable Formulation Issues

Problem

A leading wire and cable company emailed me with a problem. They were working on a polyolefin-based flame-reterdant cable formulation that contained magnesium hydroxide (MDH) plus a nano-clay where the nanoclay was added to improve char integrity. After extrusion of the compound, they noticed that the nanoclay gave a an undesirable green tinge to the product. They had tried adding more process stabilizer and everything else they could think of, but the color would not go away.

Action

The company was not a client but the question came from a friend, so in that spirit I suggested an additive he should try. It was one I’d used before to prevent discoloration in plastics due to nanoclay.

Solution

The next morning I was delighted to receive an email saying that the discoloration was completely prevented using the additive I had recommended. They were extremely happy with the solution but not prepared to reward me for the work, so instead I am posting it here so at least I can get some benefit from the success story.

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