Innovox calcium oxides are powerful desiccants that can alleviate problems which develop during the processing of elastomeric and thermoplastic compounds due to the presence of moisture.

Moisture can be present in raw materials e.g. polymers (especially hydroscopic types such as ABS, polyamides etc.), fillers and plasticisers. As little as 0.02% moisture can cause porosity in the end product if it is allowed to expand freely into water vapour at polymer processing temperatures.

Whilst pre-drying raw materials can help, this is often an expensive and time-consuming process, and the use of vented processing does not always solve the problem entirely. In many cases, the addition of Innovox is the only solution to eliminate porosity.

Mode of action

Calcium oxide reacts exothermically with water, generating heat and converting to calcium hydroxide. The decomposition temperature of calcium hydroxide is approximately 530°C, well above the typical processing and service temperatures of plastics and rubbers. The calcium hydroxide formed, will act as an inert filler in the end product. Innovox high activity calcium oxide will scavenge up to 32% of its own weight in moisture.