Additive Finder by Polymer and Function: Search 437 Plastic Additives in 16 Polymer Groups

This additive finder lists the plastic additives recorded for a polymer and a function: pick one of 16 polymer groups and one of 31 additive families, and it returns every matching substance from 437 records with its dosage exactly as recorded. The finder opens on polypropylene and antioxidants, which returns 28 substances, from Irganox 1010 at 0.05-0.4 wt% in polyolefins to vitamin E at 100-300 ppm in PE and PP.

Every result shows the polymer the dosage was recorded for, the unit and the source note, so a typical level never reads as a regulatory limit. When a combination has no records, the finder says so plainly rather than implying that no such additive exists.

What the Additive Finder Does: Plastic Additives Filtered by Polymer and Function#

The additive finder answers one question: which recorded substances deliver a given function in a given polymer, and at what dosage. It searches the same substance records the site's profiles are built from, covering 31 of the 43 families of plastic additives indexed on the root page, such as antioxidants, plasticizers, flame retardants, colorants and nucleating agents.

A selector is useful because the same function needs different chemistry in different polymers. Heat stabilizers are recorded almost entirely for PVC, while nucleating agents and clarifying agents are recorded for PP and PE, so the polymer narrows the family before any name is typed.

What you enter#

You enter 2 choices and an optional text filter, listed below.

• Polymer: one of 16 polymer groups, or any polymer
• Additive family: one of 31 families, or any family
• Text filter: a name, abbreviation, CAS number, EC number, trade name or a word from the function, such as "phosphite"
• Broader records: a switch, on by default, that adds records stated for polyolefins in general (for PE and PP) and for plastics in general (for every polymer)

What the finder returns#

The finder returns 1 row per substance and 5 fields per row, set out in the table below.

A status line above the table counts the results and says how many come only from a broader record. Results sort by name from A to Z, and the column header reverses the order.

How to Find an Additive in 5 Steps#

Find an additive in 5 steps: choose the polymer, choose the family, narrow by text, read the dosage with its note, then open the profile.

1. Choose the polymer group the compound is based on, for example PP for a polypropylene part. The number in brackets is the count of substances on record for the current family.
2. Choose the additive family that delivers the function, for example UV stabilizers for outdoor use. The family counts update for the polymer you chose, so a family with 0 is visible before you select it.
3. Type a name, CAS number or trade name to narrow the list. Every word must match, so "irganox 1010" returns 1 substance in PP.
4. Read the dosage together with the recorded polymer above it and the note in brackets, which says whether the value is a typical level or a legal maximum.
5. Open the substance profile where the name is linked, for its full identity, regulatory status and sources.

What the Results Mean#

A result means the reference holds at least 1 record linking that substance to that polymer; the dosage beside it is the value recorded for that link, not a recommendation. Dosage strings are never edited, rounded or converted: units stay as recorded, in wt%, phr or ppm. To move between those units, the PHR to weight percent calculator converts a whole recipe.

Typical levels and regulatory limits in the dosage column#

The dosage column holds 5 kinds of value, and the note in brackets says which one a record is. Of 960 recorded polymer links in the data of 24 October 2026, 748 carry a dosage and 212 read "not recorded in this reference".

ECHA mapping values account for 396 of the 748 dosages. A record marked "FDA cap" is a legal ceiling, and in the antioxidant records it is the maximum under 21 CFR 178.2010; how those listings work is explained in FDA food contact rules for plastic additives. An additive complies with a listing for stated polymers and conditions of use; the finder never reads a cap as an approval.

Direct records and records for a broader group#

A direct record names the selected polymer; a broader record names a wider group that includes it, and the finder marks it "record for a broader group". Polyolefin-I and Polyolefin-II are the 2 polyolefin categories in the ECHA mapping. This reference does not record which polyolefins each one covers, so the finder files both under polyolefins in general and shows them for PE and PP only as broader records. Switch broader records off to see direct records alone: in the default view the count falls from 28 to 14.

An empty result#

An empty result means this reference holds no recorded additive for that combination; it is a gap in the records compiled here, not evidence that none exists. PA with nucleating agents returns no record, for example, and suppliers may still offer grades for it.

The 16 Polymer Groups and How Recorded Polymers Are Sorted#

The finder sorts every recorded polymer into 1 or more of 16 groups, so "PVC (soft)", "Rigid PVC pipe (opaque)" and "Flexible PVC (cable)" all answer a search for PVC. A record that names 2 polymers, such as "PC/ABS", appears under both. The table below gives the groups with the number of substances that hold at least 1 direct record in each.

The ECHA mapping records use 11 polymer categories of their own: PVC (soft), PVC (rigid), PUR, Polyolefin-I, Polyolefin-II, ABS, PET, (E)PS, PC, PA and PMMA. Formulation guides for each base resin, with the full additive package rather than a single family, sit under additives by polymer.

Data Source and Limits of the Additive Finder#

The finder reads 437 substance records compiled from the sources cited on each substance profile, including ECHA, the eCFR, PubChem and supplier technical data sheets. The same records feed the plastic additives database, and the finder downloads them as one file when it opens, so it needs no account and sends no search to a server.

The finder has 6 limits, listed below.

• Coverage: 358 of the 437 substances carry at least 1 plastics polymer record; the other 79 appear only under "Any polymer"
• Gaps: 212 polymer links carry no dosage and read "not recorded in this reference"
• Scope: records stated only for coatings, adhesives or dispersions are left out, since this reference covers plastics only
• Sorting: polymer groups come from the recorded text, so a record written as "engineering thermoplastics" falls under no single engineering polymer
• Profiles: at the data build of 24 October 2026, 59 of the 437 substances have a published profile, and only those names are linked
• Purpose: the finder lists what is on record; it does not rank additives, check compatibility or confirm regulatory compliance for a use

Worked Example: Antioxidants for Polypropylene#

With PP and antioxidants selected, the finder returns 28 substances: 14 with a direct PP record and 14 through records for polyolefins or plastics in general. Oxidation attacks the tertiary carbon in polypropylene and causes beta-scission, which raises the melt flow rate, and that is why the antioxidant view is the finder's default. The rows below are taken from that result, exactly as recorded.

Three readings follow from this table. First, Irganox 1010 carries both a typical range (0.05-0.4 wt%) and a legal ceiling (max 0.5 wt%), and only the note separates them. Second, vitamin E is recorded in ppm: 100-300 ppm equals 0.01-0.03 wt% (calculated), so units have to be aligned before 2 rows are compared. Third, Irgafos 168 and Irganox 1076 appear only as broader records, which is why the switch matters. The hindered phenol and phosphite pairing behind these numbers is set out in antioxidants for polypropylene.

The text filter narrows the same view in one step: "31570-04-4" returns only tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite. In the full PP and antioxidants view, 4 names link to a published profile: BHT, Irganox 1076, Irgafos 168 and Irganox 1010.

Additive Finder FAQs and Related Tools#

The finder answers "which additives are on record for this polymer and function"; the questions below cover how to read it, and the tools after them take the next step. A full method to select plastic additives, from property gap to testing, is a 7-step framework of its own.

Does an empty result mean no additive exists for that polymer?#

No. An empty result means this reference holds no recorded additive for that combination. Switch on broader records, try "Any additive family" or search by name before treating it as a real gap.

Why do some dosages say "FDA cap"?#

An "FDA cap" is a regulatory maximum, not a typical dosage. In the antioxidant records it is the maximum under 21 CFR 178.2010 for the stated polymer, such as max 0.25 wt% for AO-1076 in olefin polymers.

Why does one dosage repeat for every polymer?#

Records from the ECHA plastic additives initiative mapping give 1 typical concentration for all listed polymers. The finder shows that value unchanged under each polymer, with the note that says so.

Can I search by CAS number or trade name?#

Yes. The text filter matches names, abbreviations, synonyms, CAS and EC numbers, trade names and function text, and every typed word must match.

Related tools#

4 tools take the next step after a search, listed below.

• The plastic additive CAS number lookup checks a CAS number and returns the substance identity.
• The plastic additive trade name lookup maps a trade name to its equivalents and CAS number.
• The flame retardant selector by polymer and UL 94 rating narrows flame retardants by the rating a part must pass.
• The additive regulatory status checker shows REACH, FDA and EU 10/2011 status for one substance.

Typical ranges per family, rather than per substance, are collected on additive dosage levels in plastics. To buy a substance the finder lists, the plastic additive supplier finder sends one short specification and collects the replies for comparison.

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