Consumer Brands Drive Growing Adoption of New-Gene

DANBURY, Conn., June 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Addivant™, a leading global supplier of antioxidants for plastics, reports a fast acceleration in the commercial adoption of its new-generation plastic additives WESTON ^® 705 and NAUGARD ^® FOAMPLUS, driven by brand owners demands. These new materials were developed to meet the strictest regulatory constraints and safety standards in consumer applications.

Additives used to be specified by polymer manufacturers, sometimes independently from downstream applications.  Today, retailers and brand owners are setting the tone and materials are being developed with sustainability in mind.  This dynamic is driving the success of materials like WESTON ^® 705 and NAUGARD ^® FOAMPLUS, according to the company.

“What we are observing is very good news for the polymer industry,” said John Steitz, Addivant’s CEO.  “Leading plastic and rubber manufacturers have been ready for some time with resins and elastomers based on the newest generation of additives. These new materials are able to withstand the most stringent regulatory and safety standards in sensitive consumer applications such as food packaging or automotive.”

According to Steitz, consumers have a growing interest in the composition of the plastic they use and converters are following the Consumer brand specifications.

Addivant has witnessed a significant shift in the past 18 to 24 months in this material space. “Consumers and non-governmental organizations have started to really pay attention; regulators followed suit in every region of the world and consumer brand owners are now setting the tone globally,” explained Steitz.

Nonylphenol free WESTON ^® 705 is the first food-contact additive of its generation developed with its NIAS (Non-Intentionally Added Substance) profile fully tested for food-contact safety and optimized processing speed. It is approved in more than 180 countries for food-contact packaging and it is the only nonylphenol-free liquid phosphite antioxidant alternative with food-contact approvals in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and China. In 2017, it received final approval from the FDA for use in infant food and breast milk packaging.

Recently, several global Consumer Packaged Goods companies have started to demand full transparency on the safety profile of all NIAS in packaging. Leading plastic converters and polymer manufacturers were ready with their next-generation resins and elastomers that are now hitting the market. Packaging converters are specifying these new polymers, thus accelerating demand for materials like WESTON ^® 705.

Similarly, leading automotive manufacturers have recently established new global rules for VOC release in car interiors. These rules go beyond existing global regulations and are paving the way for the next generation of automotive plastics and elastomers. Addivant™’s NAUGARD ^® FOAMPLUS is an ultra-low emission anti-scorch additive for polyurethane foam used in automotive applications. The additive reduces emissions by more than 90% versus the competition and sets a new standard for the future of transportation.

About Addivant™ Visit www.addivant.com for more information.

About SK Capital Visit www.skcapitalpartners.com for more information.

ADDIVANT™, WESTON ^® , ANOX ^® , POLYBOND ^® , LOWINOX ^® , ULTRANOX ^® , GENOX ^® , NAUGARD ^® and FLEXAMINE ^® are trademarks of Addivant™

Press Contact: Joseph Grande J. Grande communications Inc. mailto:joe@jgrandecommunications.com +413.684.2463 Company Contacts: Americas: Beverly Kindermann: +1 203 702 6182 Europe: Irfaan Foster: +32 4 7999 1965 Asia Pacific: Bill Xu: +86 21 6032 6822