The Independent Plastic Additives Reference
PlasticAdditives.net is an independent, supplier-neutral plastic additives reference that covers 43 additive families in 7 functional groups, from plasticizers and fillers to UV stabilizers and antistatic agents.
Browse Plastic Additives by Function: 43 Families in 7 Groups
The 43 additive families on PlasticAdditives.net are grouped by what they do to a polymer: property modifiers, fillers and reinforcements, flame retardants and other functional additives, stabilizers, colorants and masterbatch, processing modifiers, and surface and optical modifiers.
Property modifiers
8 families
Flame retardants and other functional additives
12 families
- Flame retardants for plastics
- Blowing agents
- Antimicrobial additives for plastics
- Oxygen scavengers for plastic packaging
- Barrier additives for plastic packaging
- Odor absorbers and odor control additives
- Laser marking additives
- IR absorbers and reheat additives
- Tracer and anti-counterfeiting additives
- Anti-rodent, anti-termite and insecticidal additives
- Biodegradation additives for plastics
- Tribological additives
Stabilizers
6 families
Processing modifiers
7 families
Additives by polymer
Each square is one additive family in one polymer. Filled squares link to a published guide. Rows lead to the polymer guide, columns to the family.
| Property modifiers | Fillers | Functional | Stabilizers | Processing | Surface | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plasticizers | Impact modifiers | Nucleating agents | Clarifying agents | Crosslinking agents | Chain extenders | Compatibilizers | Coupling agents | Fillers | Reinforcing fibers | Flame retardants | Blowing agents | Antimicrobial additives | Oxygen scavengers | Odor absorbers | Antioxidants | PVC heat stabilizers | UV stabilizers | Acid scavengers | Hydrolysis stabilizers | Processing lubricants | Polymer processing aids | Mold release agents | Slip additives | Antiblock additives | Antistatic agents | Guides published | |
| PVC | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polypropylene (PP) | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polyethylene (PE) | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polystyrene | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ABS, SAN and ASA | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polycarbonate and PC/ABS | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nylon (Polyamide) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PET Resin | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PBT | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PLA (Polylactic Acid) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Polyurethane and TPU | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Epoxy Resins and Composites | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EVA | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PMMA (Acrylic) | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plastic Additives in Rubber and Elastomers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thermoplastic Elastomers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recycled Plastics | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Start Here: 7 Core Guides to Plastic Additives#
Seven core guides cover plastic additives as a whole, the substance database, the two most additive-dependent polymers, additive selection, regulation and the most-searched health topic, phthalates. Each guide below is fact-checked against primary sources and carries the "Quality guide" mark.
- Plastic additives: 43 families in 7 functional groups, with a master table of typical levels and host polymers.
- Plastic additives database: every profile gives the CAS number, function, dosage and regulatory status.
- Additives for PVC: PVC starts to lose hydrogen chloride from 100 to 120 °C, so every PVC compound carries a heat stabilizer.
- Additives for polypropylene: about 70 % of light stabilizers go into polyolefins such as polypropylene.
- How to select plastic additives: 7 steps from the property gap to dosage and testing, with a downloadable worksheet.
- Plastic additive regulations: REACH, EU 10/2011, FDA 21 CFR, Prop 65, TSCA and the Stockholm Convention in one place.
- Phthalates: health effects: DEHP, DBP, BBP and DIBP have been restricted to 0.1 % in all EU articles since 7 July 2020.
Look Up a Plastic Additive by Name, CAS Number or Trade Name#
Each substance profile on PlasticAdditives.net gives the CAS number, additive function, host polymers, typical dosage and a regulatory matrix covering REACH, EU 10/2011, FDA 21 CFR, Prop 65, POPs and TSCA. The table below features 8 of the substances already profiled.
| Substance | CAS | Family | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEHP | 117-81-7 | Plasticizers | Restricted to 0.1 % in EU articles under REACH Annex XVII entry 51 |
| DOTP | 6422-86-2 | Plasticizers | Terephthalate, not an ortho-phthalate; not an SVHC |
| BHT as an antioxidant for plastics | 128-37-0 | Antioxidants | Primary phenolic antioxidant |
| Irganox 1010 | 6683-19-8 | Antioxidants | 0.05 to 0.4 wt% in polyolefins |
| Titanium dioxide in plastics | 13463-67-7 | Colorants | White pigment; no harmonised EU hazard classification since the General Court annulment of 23 November 2022 |
| Carbon black in plastics | 1333-86-4 | Colorants | Black pigment and UV screen for polyolefins |
| Aluminum trihydrate | 21645-51-2 | Flame retardants | Releases water from about 200 °C |
| Erucamide | 112-84-5 | Slip agents | EU FCM No. 271; 500 to 1,200 ppm in LDPE/LLDPE film |
Two lookup tools extend the directory: the plastic additive CAS number lookup and the plastic additive trade name lookup.
Additives by Polymer and by Application#
Every polymer needs its own additive package: PVC needs heat stabilizers, polyamides need copper-halide heat stabilizers and polyethylene pressure pipe needs 2.0 to 2.5 wt% carbon black. The guides below split that package two ways, by polymer and by end application.
Polymers#
Polymer guides list every additive family a plastic needs, with typical formulations per application.
- Additives by polymer (index)
- Additives for polyethylene
- Additives for nylon
- Additives for recycled plastics
- additives for PET
- additives for PLA
- additives for polycarbonate
- additives for polystyrene
- additives for ABS
Applications#
Application guides start from the end product, such as packaging film, cable compounds or medical devices, and name the additives it needs.
- Plastic additives by application (index)
- Additives for packaging film
- Additives for food packaging
- Additives for wire and cable compounds
- Additives for medical plastics
- additives for solar encapsulants
- additives for automotive plastics
- additives for plastic pipes
Plastic Additive Regulations: EU, US and Global Rules#
Plastic additives are controlled by chemical rules such as EU REACH and US TSCA, food-contact positive lists such as Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 and 21 CFR, and persistent-pollutant bans under the Stockholm Convention. The 6 instruments below cover most of what a compliance check needs.
| Instrument | What it controls | Dated fact |
|---|---|---|
| SVHC Candidate List | Substances of very high concern | DINP, DIDP, DOTP, DINCH and TOTM are not SVHCs |
| REACH Annex XVII restrictions | Restrictions on substances in articles | Lead in PVC is restricted to below 0.1 % from 29 November 2024 (entry 63, Regulation (EU) 2023/923) |
| EU 10/2011 | Food-contact plastics | Overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm2 |
| FDA food contact rules | US food contact | 8 ortho-phthalates remain authorised after the FDA final rule of 20 May 2022 |
| EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) | Packaging | Regulation (EU) 2025/40 applies from 12 August 2026 |
| POPs in plastics | Persistent organic pollutants | UV-328 was listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention in 2023 (SC-11/11) |
Testing and Formulation#
Additive performance is proven by standard tests, such as UL 94 and the limiting oxygen index for flame retardants and melt flow rate for processing, and it is set by formulation choices expressed in phr, wt% and ppm.
Test methods#
A UL 94 V-0 rating requires each afterflame to stop within 10 seconds, with at most 50 seconds in total for 5 specimens and no ignition of the cotton indicator.
- Testing plastic additives (index)
- UL 94 flammability ratings
- Limiting oxygen index (LOI)
- Melt flow rate (MFR)
- oxidative induction time (OIT)
- accelerated weathering tests
Formulation and processing#
Additive levels convert between units with one rule: weight percent equals the phr of the additive divided by the total phr of the formulation, times 100.
Calculators and Selection Tools for Formulators#
Two calculators are live at launch: the let-down ratio calculator, which shows that a 35 % carbon black masterbatch dosed at 5 to 6.5 % equals a 19:1 to 14:1 ratio, and the PHR to weight percent calculator.
- Let-down ratio calculator
- PHR to weight percent calculator
- plasticizer substitution calculator (coming soon)
- flame retardant selector (coming soon)
- additive dosage and cost-in-use calculator (coming soon)
- additive finder by polymer and function (coming soon)
- additive regulatory status checker (coming soon)
Plastic Additive Suppliers, Prices and Market Data#
The plastic additives market is worth between USD 43.5 billion (2023, MarketsandMarkets) and USD 63.71 billion (2025, Precedence Research), and its largest producers include BASF, Clariant, Songwon, SI Group and Adeka. The supplier directory compares manufacturers by grades, locations and certifications.
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plastic additive manufacturers in China
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Plastic additive prices (index)
Where Do the Facts on PlasticAdditives.net Come From?#
Every fact on PlasticAdditives.net is published with the source it came from, named in the sentence that uses it: EUR-Lex and ECHA for EU rules, the eCFR, FDA and EPA for US rules, OEHHA for Proposition 65, the Stockholm Convention for POPs listings, PubChem for substance identity, and ISO, ASTM, IEC and UL for test methods. Four rules decide what reaches a page.
- A regulatory statement carries its instrument, its entry number and the date the obligation applies from.
- A dosage or grade figure names the manufacturer, association or study document behind it.
- A primary text outranks a summary of it, so the instrument in force settles any disagreement.
- A value that could not be confirmed is labelled as unverified instead of being printed as fact.
Articles are written by the PlasticAdditives.net Editorial Team, which corrects errors under a published corrections policy. Read the sourcing standards page for which sources are used and in what order, the editorial policy for sourcing and corrections rules, or the about PlasticAdditives.net page for who runs the site.
Plastic Additives, Health and the Environment#
More than 16,000 chemicals are associated with plastics, and more than 4,200 of them are of concern, according to the PlastChem project led by Martin Wagner at NTNU (2024). The health and environment guides separate additives from monomers such as BPA, which the EU banned from food-contact materials under Regulation (EU) 2024/3190, in force since 20 January 2025.
- Bisphenols in plastics
- PFAS in plastics
- toxic plastic additives
- endocrine disruptors in plastics
- microplastics and additive leaching
- legacy additives in recycled plastic
Latest plastic additives news#
News covers regulatory decisions, SVHC list updates in January and June, market moves and new additive grades. Visit plastic additives news for the current feed.
Glossary and history of plastic additives#
The glossary defines the terms used across the site, from acid scavenger to let-down ratio. The history guide traces additive use from early cellulose plastics to today's HALS light stabilizers.