Nouryon has launched two new versions of its Perkadox GB-50 peroxydibenzoyl peroxide (BPO) curing agent.

Nouryon has introduced two new versions of its Perkadox GB-50 peroxide dibenzoyl peroxide (BPO) curing agent to significantly improve the performance of composite products, including improved clarity and better corrosion resistance.GB-50 replaces Perkadox CH-50, a peroxide desensitized (or "sensitized") with dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), which the EU recently reclassified as a Class 1B reproductive toxin. "sensitized") peroxide with dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), which was recently reclassified by the EU as a Category 1B reproductive toxin.

"With Perkadox GB-50, we have created a DCHP-free alternative. After testing it in our RD&I lab and with selected customers worldwide, we determined that it maintains the same level of performance as its predecessor, CH-50," said Ross Opsahl, business development manager, polymer chemistry. The new product is desensitized with ethylene glycol dibenzoate (EGDB).

"Perkadox GB-50 will be the only available DCHP-free form of dry BPO and will replace Perkadox CH-50 as the preferred curing agent for the markets it serves," Opsahi said. These include curing agents used as road markings, flooring, elastomeric roof coatings, adhesives, chemical anchors and other composites. It will be available in the first half of 2019.

"Perkadox CH-50 is still available globally, but customers using it may face more stringent risk management measures," explains Glen Rosini, manager of product safety and regulatory affairs for Polymer Chemistry.

Customers use the hardeners to harden the surface of materials including road markings, flooring, resilient roof coatings and adhesives. "The new Perkadox GB-50L and GB-50X products feature low moisture content - which prevents fogging and allows customers to create clearer coatings and composites," said Ross Opsahl, business development manager for Nouryon's thermoset peroxides business. Manager Ross Opsahl said. "By improving corrosion resistance, they also help extend the life of the end product."

The new product also benefits from the use of ethylene glycol dibenzoate (EGDB) as a desensitizer instead of dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), a reproductive toxin classified as Category 1B by the EU.

"GB-50L and GB-50X provide dual benefits to our customers, helping them improve their end products while reducing their regulatory burden," said Alain Rynwalt, vice president of polymer catalysts at Nouryon. "They reflect Nouryon's focus on innovations that help solve problems for our customers and help them grow."