Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely used insulation and sheathing material in wire and cable manufacturing. However, the performance of PVC depends greatly on the stabilizer selected. The right PVC stabilizer not only enhances the heat, weather and electrical properties of the product, but also optimizes production costs and environmental compliance. So, how to choose the most suitable PVC stabilizer for wire and cable? This article will provide you with a detailed selection guide covering key factors, stabilizer types and practical advice.
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PVC is susceptible to high temperatures, UV light and oxidation during processing and use, leading to degradation, discoloration or loss of performance. Stabilizers extend the life of PVC products by inhibiting these reactions. For wire and cable, the role of stabilizers is particularly important:
Heat resistance: Ensures that cables remain stable in high-temperature environments and prevents the insulation from deteriorating.
Weather resistance: Enhance the cable's UV and oxidation resistance in outdoor environments.
Environmental compliance: meet RoHS, REACH and other regulatory requirements to reduce the use of hazardous substances.
Therefore, choosing the right PVC stabilizer is a key step to ensure the quality and market competitiveness of wire and cable.
When selecting PVC stabilizers for wire and cable, the following factors need to be focused on:
Different types of wire and cable have different performance needs. For example:
Indoor cables: e.g. building cables, prioritizing cost-effectiveness and basic thermal stability.
Outdoor cables: e.g. power transmission lines, requiring excellent weathering and UV resistance.
High-temperature cables: e.g. automotive harnesses or industrial cables, requiring high heat resistance and long-term stability.
Defining the environment in which the cable is to be applied helps to filter out the most suitable type of stabilizer. For example, outdoor cables may require calcium-zinc stabilizers to enhance weathering resistance, while high-temperature cables may be more suited to organotin stabilizers.
The choice of PVC stabilizers also needs to be matched to the process. Common wire and cable manufacturing processes include extrusion and injection molding, different stabilizers have different adaptability to processing temperature and shear:
Processing temperature: high temperature extrusion requires more heat resistant stabilizers.
Lubricity: Some stabilizers provide internal or external lubrication to reduce equipment wear and improve surface smoothness.
Flowability: High flowability stabilizers are suitable for complex molds or thin-walled cables.
When selecting, it is recommended to communicate with suppliers to test the performance of stabilizers under actual processing conditions.
With the increasingly stringent global environmental regulations, the wire and cable industry is demanding more and more environmental performance from stabilizers:
Lead-free: Traditional lead salt stabilizers are gradually being phased out due to toxicity issues, and calcium-zinc stabilizers and organic stabilizers are becoming mainstream.
RoHS and REACH compliance: Ensure that stabilizers do not contain banned substances such as cadmium, mercury or specific phenolic compounds.
Low VOC emissions: Especially in automotive cables, stabilizers with low volatile organic compounds (VOC) are preferred.
Choosing a stabilizer that complies with regulations not only avoids legal risks, but also enhances the competitiveness of your product in the green market.
Cost is another important consideration when it comes to meeting performance requirements. High-end stabilizers (e.g., organotin) offer excellent performance but are more expensive, while Ca/Zn stabilizers strike a good balance between cost and environmental friendliness. Manufacturers need to choose the right stabilizer based on budget and market positioning.
Currently, PVC stabilizers commonly used in the wire and cable industry include the following:
Characteristics: non-toxic, environmentally friendly, RoHS and REACH compliant, good weather resistance.
Applicable scenarios: indoor and outdoor cables, especially for products with high environmental requirements, such as household wires and communication cables.
Advantages: moderate cost, stable processing performance, suitable for mass production.
Disadvantages: heat resistance is slightly inferior to lead salt or organotin stabilizers, high temperature applications need to optimize the formula.
Characteristics: excellent thermal stability, good transparency, excellent processing performance.
Applicable scenarios: high temperature cables, transparent cables or products with very high requirements for electrical performance.
Advantages: heat resistance, suitable for complex processing technology.
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Disadvantages: higher prices, some organic tin compounds may be subject to environmental regulations.
Characteristics: Excellent thermal stability and electrical properties, low cost.
Applicable scenarios: traditional low-cost cables, but has been gradually phased out in areas with strict environmental requirements.
Advantages: low price, stable performance.
Disadvantages: Containing lead is toxic and does not meet modern environmental standards.
Characteristics: combining the advantages of a variety of stabilizers, flexible formulations.
Applicable scenarios: multifunctional cables, such as special cables with both high-temperature and weather-resistant requirements.
Advantages: customizable and adaptable.
Disadvantages: need to adjust the formula according to the specific needs, high R & D costs.
Recommendations for selection in practical applications
Work with your supplier to test: The performance of different stabilizers in actual production may vary depending on the equipment and formulation. It is recommended to work with your supplier to conduct small-scale trial production to evaluate the stabilizer's thermal stability, processability and end-product performance.
Focus on formulation optimization: Stabilizers are often used in conjunction with other additives (e.g., lubricants, plasticizers). Optimizing formulations can improve overall performance, such as adding antioxidants to enhance weathering resistance.
Consider long-term performance: The service life of cables can be decades, and the long-term thermal stability and aging resistance of stabilizers are important considerations when making a selection.
Follow industry trends: As technology advances, new environmentally friendly stabilizers are emerging. Regularly follow industry trends to choose more competitive products.
Choosing the right PVC stabilizer for wire and cable is a decision that requires comprehensive consideration of performance, cost, environmental protection and processing needs. By defining the application scenario for the cable, matching the processing, ensuring regulatory compliance and balancing cost, you can find the type of stabilizer that is best suited for the job. Calcium-zinc and organotin stabilizers are the dominant choices today for their environmental friendliness and performance, while compound stabilizers offer flexible solutions for specific needs.
We hope the guidelines in this article will help you make an informed decision on your PVC stabilizer selection! If you have further questions or need customized advice, please feel free to contact a specialized supplier or industry expert!
When the PVC industry began to move away from lead-based stabilizers, industry experts knew it would be a challenge to find alternatives to the highly effective (but not environmentally friendly) lead salts and soaps. Although it took a lot of work to create effective alternative stabilizer formulations, lead-based stabilisers have successfully been converted to calcium and zinc-based stabilizers across the globe.
Today, the pressure is on to reduce costs. This often happens by lowering the addition rate of stabilizer one-pack in PVC formulations or by using lower-cost raw materials, which tend to be less effective and thus provide lower performance. In turn, lower-performing stabilizers narrow the processing window, making it more difficult for a PVC processor to minimize scrap production while increasing output of quality products.
Here are some tips for choosing a calcium-zinc stabilizer for PVC:
Stabilizers with consistent properties provide a wider processing window and greater cost-efficiency for manufacturers of PVC products.
Choosing a supplier with expertise in creating calcium-zinc formulations that provide comparable heat stability, lubricating properties, and durability as lead-based stabilizers is essential. When looking for a stabilizer supplier, the following factors should be considered:
A supply partner with robust research and development capabilities. Besides needing a stabilizer customized to your product and process, you should partner with a supplier who remains at the forefront of technology and will be able to evolve successfully when faced with market or regulatory changes.
A supply partner who can provide a consistent product. Batch-to-batch variation can be affected by raw material selection, dosing accuracy, contamination, and mixing efficiency. Be sure to choose a supply partner who has invested in systems that eliminate cross-contamination and increase dosing accuracy to ensure even distribution of highly complex recipes.
A supply partner with stringent control over process variables. The way in which the stabiliser one-pack is produced will have an impact on the batch-to-batch consistency of the one-pack. Stringent control over process variables is key to minimizing variability, but the foundation of this control is high quality in the design of the one-pack manufacturing facility. Eliminating the potential for cross-contamination, such as from additives that are not part of a given formula, is particularly important, because these unintended additions disrupt the accuracy of the intended blend, create variation, and can have negative interactions with the intended additives.
A supply partner who can help optimize dosage levels. An optimal dosage level can provide highly consistent products that meet strict quality standards and is key to high productivity rates.
Finally, it's important to consider total costs, not just the cost of the stabilizer.
A processor doesn’t want to pay for more stabilizer than necessary. But choosing an inconsistent stabilizer can end up being more costly because the processing window can narrow resulting in out-of-spec product and increased scrap.
The processing window of the PVC -- the range of variables such as melt temperature, melt pressure, dimensional stability, output rate and physical properties -- determines the output of a quality product. When a higher level of stabilization is used (typically achieved via a higher addition rate OR by using a more effective and often higher-cost raw material), the processing window is wider and can accommodate more variation. In this wide processing window, the natural variation in stabilizer one pack remains within the processing window, and as a result, “in spec” product is made.
Working with a supply-partner who has invested in R&D resources and equipment, and who takes the time to understand your process and output targets is invaluable when determining the total cost to your business of the chosen stabilizer.
About Orbia Polymer Solutions (Alphagary)
Orbia’s Polymer Solutions business Alphagary is a global leader in the design and manufacture of specialty polymer compounds and additives for polyvinyl chloride formulations including stabilizers, plasticizers and colorants. Compounds are generated from a variety of polymers including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyolefin (PO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). With over 60 years of experience, Orbia Alphagary has earned its reputation for providing innovative, functional, durable solutions to a broad marketplace. Orbia Alphagary is committed to offering sustainable products formulated with bio-based and recycled content and actively participates in initiatives that promote a circular economy. Its compounds are trusted for a wide range of applications from data communications and power cables to various building and industrial products, automotive interior parts, a wide variety of consumer goods including food-contact applications and healthcare products. Orbia Alphagary offers standard and custom formulations to meet market-specific requirements and end users’ needs and is committed to health and safety best practices by maintaining ISO , ISO and OHS ISO certifications. Orbia Alphagary has 1,000 employees across nine facilities across the U.S., UK, Mexico, Colombia and India, serving 80 countries through a global sales and distribution network.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of PVC CAZN STABILIZER. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.