ScentSational, Aroma Co forgeEuropean masterbatch marketing allianceUS packaging aroma group ScentSationalTechnologies has signed an agreement with UK-based The Aroma Company to provide marketingsupport for ScentSational’s scented masterbatchtechnology throughout Europe. ScentSational’sCompelAroma® Encapsulated Aroma Release™technology involves adding specially engineeredFDA-compliant food-grade flavours as a master-batch during the production of plastic packaging.The aromas may be released at point of purchase,package opening, product preparation and/or con-sumption. The technology is not only applicable tofood and beverage packaging but also to home andpersonal care products, the companies say.

According to ScentSational, the deal is in responseto increased demand for the technology in Europe.The company already has a number of partnershiparrangements with companies including TetraPak,Rexam, Crown Holdings, Bemis and Süd-Chemie.Commenting for The Aroma Company, SimonHarrop says: “We believe the potential forScentSational technology is huge as brands seek tofind a real point of distinction”. The AromaCompany is also involved in a number of develop-ment projects with packaging companies, primari-ly focusing on laminate film and injection-mould-ed closures.

Contact: ScentSational Technologies, 425 OldYork Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046, USA; tel: +1-215-886-7777; fax: +1-215-886-7706; URL:scentsationaltechnologies.com

TECHNICAL BRIEF

NJIT chemists develop newstrain of carbon nanotubesResearchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology(NJIT) have developed a quick and simple methodto produce water-soluble carbon nanotubes. Theteam, led by Somenath Mitra, acting chair and pro-fessor in the department of chemistry and environ-mental sciences, reports (11 January 2006; Journalof the American Chemical Society) that the new

nanotubes are 125 times more water-soluble thanexisting ones. In addition, the new nanotubes, fol-lowing a short heat treatment, can conduct electricity, as well as their non-soluble counter-parts.

To achieve these results the researchers addedCNTs to a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids.The mixture was heated in a closed-vesselmicrowave reactor for just three minutes. TheNJIT researchers found that the resulting solutioncontained concentrations of soluble nanotubes thatwere as high as 10 mg/ml, compared with onlyaround 0.08 mg/ml reported before. The tubes hadtransformed into something with salt-like charac-teristics. They now contained carboxylated andacid-sulphonated groups, similar to those presentin acetic acid and salts of sulphuric acid, respec-tively. The nanotubes therefore behave as poly-electrolytes or salts of polymers and can be dis-solved in solvents such as water or even more eas-ily in acidic water and alcohols. They will evendissolve partially in acetone, the team says.

Highly soluble CNTs have many potential bene-fits, the most obvious ones being their value inelectronic coatings and films or polymer compos-ites, says Mitra. The former are used in electronicmanufacturing to create lead-free, less toxic, con-ductive and soldering materials used in the com-puter industry. The polymer-based composites areattractive to the automotive and pharmaceuticalindustries, he adds. They make automotive paintsand car bumpers more durable, plus they removestatic electricity which reduces flammability andcorrosion.

MARKETS

Chinese masterbatch marketgrowthThe masterbatch market in China is one of thefastest growing and most dynamic in theworld, according to new research publishedby AMI. Its rate of advance has been in excessof 20% per year over the past ten years and itis expected to continue growing at more than15% per year in the medium-term future.

In volume terms, the largest producer in China isCabot Plastics, which has a long-established blackmasterbatch plant in Hong Kong and is supplying

Additives for Polymers May 2006

8