{"id":3767,"date":"2024-09-09T14:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T12:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/unkategorisiert\/hebofill-the-end-of-melt-breakage\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T14:46:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:46:38","slug":"hebofill-the-end-of-melt-breakage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/focused-on-boron-nitride\/hebofill-the-end-of-melt-breakage\/","title":{"rendered":"HeBoFill\u00ae \u2013 the end of melt breakage?!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In this blog post, we\u2019ll take a closer look at melt fracture, a problem that the plastics industry faces, particularly in extrusion processes.<\/p>

PFAS Ban \u2013 Boron Nitride as a Substitute<\/h3>

The impending ban on substances in the PFAS family also includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is used in many applications due to its unique friction properties and chemical resistance. Industries that use PTFE as an aid in polymer processing for products such as films, seals, and sliding bearings must seek alternatives to meet the new market demands for PTFE-free products. <\/p>

We asked our product managers, Michaela and Tobias, about the current debate:<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u201cWe need to take a nuanced approach to this issue. Despite all the criticism, many substances in the PFAS class are genuine miracle solutions that serve a legitimate purpose. As with everything in life, it\u2019s the dose that makes the poison. That\u2019s why we need to examine the issue thoroughly and ask ourselves in which areas fluoropolymers can be meaningfully substituted.\u201d
Tobias Dangel<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u201cIn the case of PTFE, it can be said that whenever PTFE is used as an additive in other systems\u2014such as plastics or lubricants\u2014to modify and optimize tribological properties or wear, boron nitride can not only serve as an alternative but, thanks to its additional properties, offer real added value as a polymer processing aid and is also environmentally friendly.\u201d
Michaela Schopp<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Fracture of Plastics: Same Effect, Different Mechanism!<\/h3>

Melt fracture is a common problem in plastics processing that can lead to unwanted cracks and uneven surface textures. This phenomenon occurs particularly with high-viscosity polymers and significantly compromises the quality of the final product. The cause lies in the non-uniform flow velocity of the melt, which in turn is caused by wall friction. As the polymer melt exits, this results in a rough surface (Fig. 4).
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PTFE is often used to reduce melt breakage; it acts as a lubricant and also reduces friction in the processing machinery. PTFE works as follows. Due to its affinity for metal, the PTFE migrates to the metal nozzle and forms a very thin \u201clubricating layer\u201d there. This layer influences the flow velocity of the melt, thereby reducing wall friction and equalizing the flow velocities at the edge and in the center of the melt. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As a substitute for PTFE, boron nitride is the first choice due to its outstanding coefficient of friction, even at high temperatures. The mechanism by which melt fracture is prevented differs from that of PTFE. While PTFE influences friction at the melt front through its affinity for the metal nozzle, boron nitride reduces the shear viscosity of the polymer. The hexagonal BN particles disrupt the cross-linking density of the polymer chains, which reduces the number of interlocks\/interactions between the polymer chains <\/p>

The interactions between hBN and the polymer chains reduce the polymer\u2019s viscosity. This lowers the tensile stresses that can lead to melt fractures while simultaneously improving the polymer\u2019s processability. As little as 100 to a maximum of 1,000 ppm of hexagonal boron nitride powder is sufficient to produce the aforementioned effects. Our HeBoFill\u00ae BL-SP 020 powder can be a suitable alternative here.
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Unlike PTFE, hBN offers additional benefits:
– Less stringing
– Reduced need for nozzle cleaning
– Increased machine uptime
– Lower processing temperatures possible
– Maintenance of higher shear rates
– Extended service life of nozzles and other processing components in the extrusion process
– Reduced wear<\/p>

Overlap of the properties of boron nitride and PTFE<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Boron nitride in contact with food<\/h3>

For the production of packaging, particularly in the food industry, additives must have food-grade certification. Our HeBoFill powders are approved for use in plastic materials intended to come into contact with food, in accordance with EU Directive (EU) No. 10\/2011. We also offer powders in our portfolio that meet FDA certification requirements.
Please contact our sales team for more information.<\/p>

Link zur technischen Beratung: https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/service\/technischer-vertrieb.php<\/a><\/p>

Conclusion and Outlook<\/h3>

With the approval of boron nitride for use in food-contact plastics, the issue of melt fracture can be addressed despite the impending ban on PTFE. Thus, regardless of how the European Commission decides, a first step toward benefiting people, the environment, and technology can already be taken in certain areas. <\/p>

Quellen:
Martin Sentmanat, Savvas G. Hatzikiriakos, Mechanismus zur Beseitigung von Grobbr\u00fcchen in der Schmelze bei der Extrusion von Polyethylenen in Gegenwart von Bornitrid, Springer, 2004
Igor B. Kazatchkov, Franky Yip, Savvas G. Hatzikiriakos, Der Einfluss von Bornitrid auf die Rheologie und Verarbeitung von Polyolefinen, Springer, 2000
https:\/\/www.bn.saint-gobain.com\/applications\/polymer-engineering\/polymer-processing-aid, abgerufen am 21.08.2024
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We are known as specialists in innovative products made from hexagonal boron nitride, a high-temperature-resistant industrial ceramic. Staying at the forefront with forward-thinking ideas, new technologies, and state-of-the-art equipment\u2014that perfectly captures the motivation of the company\u2019s founder, Peter Henze.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-focused-on-boron-nitride"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.henze-bnp.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}