What are Thermosetting Polymer Fillers?

Calcium Carbonate makes up 4% of the earth’s crust and is found throughout most of the world. Common natural forms are chalk, limestone and marble deposits. This versatile mineral holds the largest market volume for mineral filler applications in industry and is commonly used in conjunction with thermosetting polymers as a type of filler or extender.

The main reason that thermosetting polymers frequently incorporate a significant proportion of Calcium Carbonate filler particles is to replace more expensive binders. To keep costs down, thermosetting polymer producers add calcium carbonate to the plastic pellets they use to decrease product surface energy, provide opacity and surface gloss. Another benefit is that Calcium Carbonate’s ideal properties work in conjunction with thermosetting polymers to improve surface strength to plastic products.

Calcium Carbonate is added during the compounding process, which is either in-house at a manufacturer or external with providers known as thermosetting polymer toll manufacturers, toll processers or compounders. These external providers deliver the compounding service with specialized equipment in producing semi-finished pellets to manufacturers that then used them in their finished thermosetting polymer based plastic products.

GLC Minerals acquires calcium carbonate mineral in raw form from a diverse group of mines which gives it access to the different grades of material required to produce specified finished products. With their precise crushing, milling and screening equipment, GLC can accurately produce a wide variety of finished products with controlled particle sizes, purity and color for optimal calcium carbonate filler characteristics. GLC Minerals recognizes size and dimension of calcium carbonate is necessary to gain optimal benefits in thermosetting plastics processing.

Contact GLC Minerals today for a thermosetting polymer filler quote. They can add value and knowledge to assist you – whether you manufacture thermosetting polymers yourself or if you use a toll manufacture.