Additive (adhesives, paints, and plastic)

Description

In terms of polymers or paints, an additive is a chemical substance, usually in small quantities, that is added to a base material for the purpose of modifying the properties of the end product. Additives an change the performance (flexibility, UV resistance, etc.) or appearance ( color, opacity, etc.). Plastics and paints often contain around 20 additives, most of which are unlisted components considered trade secrets. As such, their toxicity to humans and the environment is often unknown. Some of the additives are weakly bound to the polymeric matrix which can lead to separation and/or degradation.

Examples of additives include:

Additive Type	Typical concentration (%)	Description	Example compounds	Comment
Accelerator
Adhesion promoter
Antioxidant
Anti-sag agent
Anti-skin agent
Antistatic agent
Biocide
Coalescing agent
Colorant
Defoaming agent
Dispersant
Drier
Emulsifier
Filler
Flame retardant
Inhibitor
Pigment
Plasticizer
Size
Stabilizer
Thickener

Synonyms and Related Terms

additives (pl.); modifier; admixture; Additive (Deut.); additif (Fr.); aditivo (Port.)

Resources and Citations

• Monona Rossol, 'Water-Based Latex Paints'
• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', '2019 NYCOSH webinar on paints handout, Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988
• ASTM, "Standard Terminology Relating to Paint, Varnish, Lacquer and Related Products", Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section 6, Paints, Related Coatings and Aromatics, ASTM, D16, 7-Jan, Jul-96
• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive (Accessed Feb. 2, 2006)
• Wikipedia: |Plastic Additives (Accessed June 2023)