Polymer stabilizer

Polymer stabilizers are chemical additives which may be added to <a href="/facts/Polymer/eF32E50K">polymeric</a> materials to inhibit or retard their degradation. Mainly they protect <a href="/facts/Plastic/Kla5QItn">plastic</a> and <a href="/facts/Synthetic_rubber/58Fq4XYx">rubber</a> products against heat, oxidation, and UV light. The biggest quantity of stabilizers is used for <a href="/facts/Polyvinyl_chloride/9VkegJvr">polyvinyl chloride</a> (PVC), as the production and processing of this type of plastic would not be possible without stabilizing chemicals. 
Common <a href="/facts/Polymer_degradation/AMv6yVkK">polymer degradation</a> processes include <a href="/facts/Oxidation/Pyd5RVcj">oxidation</a>, <a href="/facts/UV_degradation/JD3bkFtL">UV-damage</a>, <a href="/facts/Thermal_degradation_of_polymers/C985XIMc">thermal degradation</a>, <a href="/facts/Ozonolysis/WEwBID8x">ozonolysis</a>, combinations thereof such as <a href="/facts/Photo-oxidation_of_polymers/JD3bkFtL">photo-oxidation</a>, as well as reactions with <a href="/facts/Catalyst/LPBS7TQC">catalyst</a> residues, dyes, or impurities. 
All of these degrade the polymer at a chemical level, via <a href="/facts/Chain_scission/l7dXcl6P">chain scission</a>, uncontrolled recombination and <a href="/facts/Cross-link/zeQ9hEAA">cross-linking</a>, which adversely affects many key properties such as strength, <a href="/facts/Malleability/SBJsahEk">malleability</a>, appearance and colour.
Stabilizers are used at all stages of the polymer life-cycle. They allow plastic items to be produced faster and with fewer defects, extend their useful lifespan, and facilitate their recycling. However they also continue to stabilise <a href="/facts/Waste_plastic/oLNNHQrG">waste plastic</a>, causing it to remain in the environment for longer.
Many different types of plastic exist and each may be vulnerable to several types of degradation, which usually results in several different stabilisers being used in combination. Even for objects made from the same type of plastic, different applications may have different stabilisation requirements. Regulatory considerations, such as <a href="/facts/Food_contact_materials/QUAhTL0S">food contact approval</a> are also present. Environmentally friendly stabilizers for <a href="/facts/Bioplastic/YDkEWAMN">bioplastics</a> should be made from bio-based materials, e.g. epoxidized <a href="/facts/Soybean_oil/I9NzorzT">soybean oil</a>, and cause hardly any odor or <a href="/facts/Volatile_organic_compound/BFMlKwgt">VOC emissions</a>. A wide range of stabilizers is therefore needed. 
The market for antioxidant stabilisers alone was estimated at US$1.69 billion for 2017, with the total market for all polymer stabilizers expected to reach US$6.5 billion by 2033. In 2023, almost half of all polymer stabilizers sold worldwide were based on calcium, followed by lead (25.1 %), tin (15.4 %), liquid mixed metals (LMM) and other types.

Polymer stabilizer open-in-new

Polymer stabilizer