Additives that make rubber and PVC compounds easier to process, reducing mixing energy, improving flow, and preventing the sticking, tearing, or poor surface finish that slow down production lines.
Rubber Process Aids
Rubber compounding puts real strain on mixing equipment and cycle times, especially with high-filler-loading compounds. ARP’s rubber process aid lineup addresses two different points in that process.
TP-50
TP-50 is a peptizer that chemically breaks down long polymer chains during mastication, lowering compound viscosity before fillers and curatives are added. That translates directly into shorter mixing times, lower mixer energy draw, and less heat buildup which matters most in natural rubber and SBR compounds where mastication time is already a production bottleneck.
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
PEG works differently, acting as an internal lubricant and dispersing aid rather than a chain-breaker. It improves filler dispersion, particularly for silica-loaded compounds, where wetting and dispersion are notoriously difficult, while also reducing mixing torque. In many silica systems, PEG doubles as a coupling activator, making it a common companion to silane treatments.
PVC Process Aids
PVC doesn’t flow on its own the way rubber does. Tt needs help fusing into a uniform melt, and different PVC applications create different processing problems. ARP’s acrylic process aid grades are built around three of the most common ones.
General Purpose
For standard rigid PVC extrusion and injection molding, general purpose acrylic process aids accelerate fusion, improve melt strength, and produce a cleaner, glossier surface finish. These grades are the default choice for pipe, fittings, and profile extrusion where processors need consistent output without reformulating around a specialty problem.
Metal Release
Some PVC formulations, particularly pigmented systems or compounds running lean on lubricant, tend to stick to the metal surfaces of extruder barrels, dies, and calender rolls. That sticking shows up as plate-out, surface defects, and unplanned downtime for cleaning. Metal release grades are formulated specifically to reduce that adhesion, keeping lines running longer between stops and protecting surface quality on runs where standard lubrication isn’t enough.
High Molecular Weight (Foam Control)
Foamed and cellular PVC, used in foam board, siding, and profile applications, depends on melt strength to hold a uniform cell structure as the compound expands. High molecular weight acrylic process aids are built for exactly that: they raise melt strength and elasticity enough to control cell formation and prevent collapse, giving foam processors the dimensional stability and surface consistency their applications require.
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