Vitro Minerals announces the commercialization of a synthetic light weight mineral filler for plastics and sealants that is 10-17% lower specific gravity than traditional fillers commonly used. At 40% filler loading in nylon or polypropylene parts, the new filler will reduce molded part weights by 4-7%.
The filler, WhiteLite Alumino Silicate, is free of crystalline silica, has 100% recycled content, and offers improved scratch resistance to automotive plastics such as nylon and PP.
Standard automotive plastic and sealant fillers all contain some percentage of magnesium, calcium, alumina, and silica elements. WhiteLite combines these elements in specific proportions under high heat to create an amorphous state, which allows significant reductions in specific gravity, an increase in hardness, and highly polar surfaces to react with coupling agents as needed.
According to Joseph Keating, President of Vitro Minerals, WhiteLite will be price competitive with existing mineral fillers, while providing a platform to reduce part weights and add more recycled content to plastics and sealants.
