Macromolecular additives

Polyolefins are stabilized by melt blending with stabilizing additives to inhibit or retard degradation. Commonly used stabilizers are relatively low molecular weight polar compounds as hindered phenols and amines, structurally different from the apolar polyolefinic matrix. This causes poor stabilizer vs polyolefin compatibility with stabilizers physical loss by migration, possible food contamination and reduced goods’ shelf life. The major aim of MacromAd is to develop a new class of macromolecular additives to be used as stabilizers for the preparation of polyolefinic materials required in food, pharmaceutical and biomedical packaging and other devices with low risk of degradation and contamination to ensure a long shelf life. We have designed new macromolecular additives bearing stabilizing functionalities covalently linked to ethylene or propylene chains, to be used to achieve non-releasing plastic goods through an easy melt blending process.