11 October 2022

Palsgaard helps automotive compounders enhance the sustainability of PP formulations for class ‘A’ mould release

Einar® 201 plant-based mould release agent provides a reliable renewable and carbon-neutrally produced alternative to synthetic competitors without compromising demoulding performance or productivity. At the same time, it adds anti-dust properties to ensure the long-lasting aesthetic appearance of end products after assembly.

Press release

Palsgaard, a leader in plant-based additives for the plastics industry, has been working with polymer compounders in Malaysia to run a comparative study and successfully qualify the superior performance of its Einar® 201 mould release agent vs. incumbent additives in polypropylene (PP) formulations for injection moulded automotive applications. The study was actively supported by Palsgaard’s Polymer Application Centre in Denmark to accelerate the time-to-market of various specific automotive PP compounds.

Einar® 201 is a renewable mould release additive-based vegetable oils. As a high-quality glycerol monostearate (GMS) and efficient performer at low, adjustable loading levels, it is available in powder and pellet form and can be incorporated in customized additive masterbatches designed for a wide range of different injection moulding PP compounds, including high-impact grades.

Beyond excellent mould release, the plant-based mould release agent also provides a very good denesting and slip effect for automated downstream stacking and handling of moulded products, while ensuring clean and anti-dust surface aesthetics throughout processing, assembly and final use. Moreover, typical automotive applications moulded in PP with Einar® 201, such as door trims, dashboards and bumpers, benefit from further properties, including high heat resistance and low volatility (low odour).

“Masterbatch manufacturers, polypropylene compounders and processors are increasingly seeking more sustainable additive solutions to help them eliminate regulatory concerns and meet their targets of reducing the Scope 3 carbon footprint of their operations without compromising performance or cost efficiency,” says Ulrik Aunskjaer, Global Business Director for Bio-Specialty Polymer Additives at Palsgaard. “More than just a perfect renewable drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based products, our Einar® 201 mould release additive is also produced in completely CO2-neutral factories, worldwide, which lends it an overall superior sustainability profile across the entire value chain from production and compounding to processing.”

As Palsgaard’s capacity expansion is proceeding as scheduled, the company continues investing in its own Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon-neutral production processes.* At the Juelsminde site in Denmark, a state-of-the-art spray tower to go on-stream in 2023 and multiple new reaction, distillation and esterification facilities will be complemented by a biogas and a solar plant, both providing a significant increase in renewable energy supply. The biogas unit will be using wastewater from Palsgaard, is expected to become operational in early 2023 and will cover 10% of the required gas supply on-site. The construction of the solar power plant will begin in spring 2023 on a company ground of 60 acres. The plant will have an annual capacity of 60 GWh, generating sufficient renewable electricity to power all future capacity expansions currently planned at Juelsminde.

*According to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Scope 1 refers to direct emissions from production processes, Scope 2 to indirect emissions from energy use, and Scope 3 to all other indirect emissions, such as from material supplies, packaging and transportation.

A comparative study in collaboration with Malaysian polymer compounders has successfully qualified the superior performance of Palsgaard’s Einar® 201 mould release agent vs. incumbent additives in polypropylene formulations for injection moulded automotive applications.

Visit Palsgaard at K 2022 in Düsseldorf from October 19 through 26 in Hall 7, Level 1, Booth D20 to learn more about all these activities and discuss the sustainable benefits and superior performance of the company’s plant-based polymer additives for your business.

About Palsgaard A/S

Palsgaard is a world leader in plant-based emulsifiers and polymer additives for the global food, packaging and plastics industries. Since its founder Einar Viggo Schou invented the modern plant-based food emulsifier in 1917, the company has provided advanced industry know-how and innovation to an increasingly diversified customer base. From application centres around the world, Palsgaard’s experienced technologists support brand owners and manufacturers in optimising their sustainability by the use of natural, renewable ingredients and additives to mitigate their carbon footprint.

Palsgaard helps manufacturers grow and protect their brands by meeting consumer and regulatory demands for greater responsibility. The company is currently the world’s only commercial source of fully sustainable emulsifiers and additives based on RSPO SG-certified palm oil as well as rapeseed, sunflower, and other vegetable oils. All products are non-GMO, have full EU and FDA food contact approvals, and also meet halal and kosher requirements.

The company’s food emulsifiers and emulsifier/stabiliser systems have a long history of adding to the quality and shelf-life of bakery, confectionery, condiments, dairy, ice cream, and margarine products. At the same time, they can significantly improve the taste, mouthfeel and texture while using fewer resources. Palsgaard’s plant-based polymer additives, including anti-fog and anti-static formulations for food and other packaging, build on this expertise and are rapidly emerging as highly effective and sustainable alternatives to conventional petrol-based additives.

Palsgaard, with headquarters in Juelsminde, Denmark, is owned by the Schou Foundation and has 653 employees across 17 countries. The company operates plants, sales offices and warehouses across four continents. All of their six production sites in Denmark, the Netherlands, Mexico, Brazil, China and Malaysia are carbon-neutral. In 2021, Palsgaard achieved a turnover of USD 260 million (DKK 1.7 billion) with products sold to customers worldwide in more than 120 countries.

Learn more about the company’s product and service portfolio at www.palsgaard.com/polymers.