Specialty chemicals leader Nouryon unveiled a new version of its Butanox M50 vanishing red peroxide at the ongoing JEC World, an event for the composites market. The new version contains a less-hazardous dye solvent that makes it safer for customers to handle and reduces its environmental impact while maintaining its industry-leading performance.

Vanishing red is widely used by customers in the composites market as part of the curing process for unsaturated resins. Its red colour gradually vanishes as resins cure, allowing customers to better monitor the dosing, mixing, and curing progress. Vanishing red is especially useful for automated processes used to make products such as wind turbine blades and boats, Nouryon said.

“Customers using automated dosing equipment may face problems if peroxide doesn’t properly flow through the dosing line, leading to under-cured or uncured end products. This can be very costly to manufacturers if moulds need to be cleaned. Using Vanishing Red peroxides helps prevent such failures without leaving a trace that any indicator was used,” Raymond ten Broeke, polymer chemistry customer support engineer at Nouryon said.

“We are proud that vanishing red offers our customers in the composites market a safer and more sustainable solution for curing unsaturated polyester resins. This is the latest in a series of products we have introduced to better serve and grow with our customers in this important market,” Johan Landfors, managing director polymer chemistry at Nouryon said.

Nouryon recently expanded its peroxides offering in North America with the launch of its Butanox-branded product line of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and the launch of emulsion-based organic peroxides. The company has also expanded capacity in Mexico and the United States. Another expansion project in Mexico is due to be completed this year and additional capacity is also scheduled to come online in Brazil, China, and India. (GK)