Technical Reference
What is calcium stearate used for? PVC, construction, rubber, paper, and grease
One metal soap, a different job in every industry that buys it. Where calcium stearate goes, what it does there, and when the spec should say low ash.
Pigments & Color
Berry Amendment compliant color for footwear and defense
Color is a domestic component under the Berry Amendment. How our US-made liquid color qualifies, where masterbatch does not, and how it is documented.
Technical Reference
Shellac grades and forms: flake, dewaxed, bleached, and how to tell them apart
Seedlac splits into flake, dewaxed, and bleached shellac by the refining route. What separates the grades, what wax content tells you, and how to pick the right form.
Coatings & Additives
PFAS-free PTFE-replacement slip additives for coatings and inks
Organic polymethylurea additives that give coatings and inks the slip, scratch resistance, and soft feel of PTFE wax, with no fluorine.
Coatings & Additives
How chlorinated polyolefin adhesion promoters bond coatings to polyolefins
Why paints and inks will not stick to PP, PE, and TPO, and how CPO adhesion promoters bridge the gap without flame or corona treatment.
Coatings & Additives
Choosing a non-phthalate plasticizer: where ATBC fits
How acetyl tributyl citrate fits as a non-phthalate plasticizer for cellulosics, food-contact PVC, and inks, and how to tell when it is the right call.
Coatings & Additives
Sulfonamide plasticizers in printing inks and resin systems
How toluenesulfonamide and benzenesulfonamide plasticizers work in inks, adhesives, and amino, epoxy, and polyurethane resins, and how to choose a grade.
Water & Corrosion
Benzotriazole vs tolyltriazole: choosing a yellow-metal corrosion inhibitor
Both protect copper and brass. How the methyl group changes chlorine and heat tolerance, and how to choose between BTA and TTA.
Water & Corrosion
How azole corrosion inhibitors protect copper and brass in cooling water
How benzotriazole and tolyltriazole passivate copper and brass in cooling water: the copper-azole film, what it blocks, and why it protects the system.
Pigments & Color
Coloring cast polyurethane: why low-viscosity liquid dispersions win
Cast PU cures from a low-viscosity liquid in a short window. Why low-viscosity liquid color disperses cleanly and holds the cure.
Pigments & Color
Masterbatch vs liquid color: choosing by your process
Masterbatch colors thermoplastics like TPU at the press; liquid color colors cast PU before cure. How the two differ and how to pick by process.
TPU & Elastomers
Polyester vs polyether TPU: choosing by environment
The soft-segment chemistry, not the hardness number, usually decides whether a TPU part survives its service life. How to choose.
TPU & Elastomers
TPU in hydraulic and pneumatic seals: choosing the right grade
Why TPU is a premium seal material, and how to match chemistry and hardness to the fluid, temperature, and pressure.
TPU & Elastomers
Sourcing Laripur TPU in North America
Who distributes Laripur TPU in North America, why domestic stock shortens lead times, and how to second-source or cross-reference a grade.
Technical Reference
Reading a shellac COA: what flow, life, and insolubles tell you
The three numbers on every shellac spec sheet (flow, polymerization time, and hot alcohol insolubles) and how to use them to evaluate a supplier or qualify a lot.
Technical Reference
Shellac bond in precision grinding wheels: what the flow test measures
Why abrasive manufacturers specify high-flow shellac, how the flow test works, and what happens to wheel quality when the spec isn't met.
TPU & Elastomers
TPU durometers and what they mean for your part
Understanding Shore hardness is the starting point for selecting the right TPU grade. We break down the full spectrum from Shore A 60 to Shore D 75.
Pigments & Color
Low-viscosity liquid colorants for cast urethane
Why low-viscosity dispersions are the preferred format for cast urethane coloration, and how to select the right carrier vehicle for your resin system.
Coatings & Additives
Calcium stearate: heat stabilizer, lubricant, and release agent
How one additive stabilizes PVC against dehydrochlorination while lubricating the melt, and where it earns its place in rubber and powder coatings.
Food Ingredients
Encapsulating nutritional oils with gum acacia
How gum acacia encapsulates nutritional oils in spray-dried powders: emulsification, oxygen barrier, and clean-label carrier performance.
Coatings & Additives
ProFlex 9S: reactive plasticizer for amino, epoxy, and polyurethane resins
ProFlex 9S is an o/p-toluenesulfonamide reactive plasticizer for amino, epoxy, and polyurethane systems, offering permanent low-migration flexibility.
Industry & Supply Chain
Turmoil in Sudan: implications for the global gum acacia supply chain
Sudan supplies a significant portion of the world's gum arabic. An overview of current supply chain dynamics and what food and beverage manufacturers should know.
Food Ingredients
P.A.T. Products now certified organic by Oregon Tilth
PAT Ingredients is now certified organic by Oregon Tilth. What this means for our food and beverage customers.
Coatings & Additives
Quaternary ammonium compounds in ESD flooring
How quaternary ammonium compounds provide permanent antistatic properties in flooring coatings and why they outperform temporary antistatic treatments.
Food Ingredients
PureAcacia organic coconut MCT oil powder
Spray-dried MCT oil powders encapsulated with gum acacia offer superior dispersibility, clean flavor, and label-friendly positioning for supplements and functional foods.
Food Ingredients
PureAcacia high-oleic sunflower oil powder
High-oleic sunflower oil encapsulated with gum acacia for an oxidation-stable, plant-based oil powder for supplements and functional foods.
Food Ingredients
Acai in nutritional formulations
Acai ingredient formats and their applications in nutritional formulations, from freeze-dried powders to spray-dried extracts.
Food Ingredients
Guar gum powder: properties, grades, and applications
A guide to guar gum powder grades, viscosity specifications, and applications across food, personal care, and industrial markets.
Food Ingredients
Organic guar gum powder: what sets it apart
What distinguishes certified organic guar gum powder from conventional grades, including sourcing and certification requirements.
Food Ingredients
Organic guar gum in ice cream formulation
How organic guar gum stabilizes ice cream: usage levels, blend compatibility, and clean-label formulation considerations.
Coatings & Additives
Halogen-free flame retardants: what compounders need to know
Regulatory pressure and end-market requirements are driving demand for halogen-free flame retardants. An overview of the options available for flexible polyurethane foam.