Polymer additive company Addivant (Danbury, Connecticut / USA; www.addivant.com) has launched a liquid antioxidant for PU applications in the automotive industry. The “Naugard” Foamplus LE range has been developed to meet tightening national rules on interior air quality and is a drop-in replacement for existing stabilisation packages, allowing customers to switch quickly without having to spend any money on modifying equipment.

Addivant said the new series is fully compliant with the volatile organic compound (VOC) and FOG limits set by Germany’s VDA 278 emission standard and specified by major automotive manufacturers such as Daimler, BMW, Porsche and VW.

In addition, noted the US producer, the antioxidant maintains or improves upon the critical performance parameters required by polyol and PU system houses and foam producers. The material’s advantages are said to include enhanced thermal stability and improved handling from a better viscosity profile than that offered by competing products. The new solutions are also less volatile than industry benchmarks at high foaming temperatures, resulting in more than a 90% reduction in VOC and FOG emissions.

Naugard Foamplus LE was launched at the “Chinaplas” (www.chinaplasonline.com) trade fair in Guangzhou / China last month. John Steitz, Addivant’s president and CEO, said China is the largest automotive market in the world and is quickly implementing some of the most stringent environmental and quality standards.