Penn Color introduces UV Enhancer for PVC compounds and extruded profiles

Penn Color’s UV Enhancer is a new UV stabilizer formulation that when added to PVC compound and extruded profiles extends the weathering performance. As trends toward darker colors in building and construction pushes the limits of PVC formulations, adding UV Enhancer to window and fence profiles can increase weathering performance up to 60%, the company states.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a high strength thermoplastic material used in many applications, especially building and construction. The wide use of PVC include its availability, lightweight, weathering performance, fire-resistance and recyclability.

Enhancing the weathering of PVC profiles, and thus extending product lifetime, is done with the addition of specially formulated pigments and other additives, such as TiO₂. Most PVC profile formulations contain 5-10% TiO₂ by weight, protecting the PVC from discoloration and loss of impact strength over time. Ladder studies have shown that adding Penn Color’s UV Enhancer to PVC formulations enables the reduction of TiO₂ with an increase in weathering performance of up to 60%.

“Penn Color has a long history working with PVC dispersions. We were one of the first companies in North America to color PVC, producing our first single pigment PVC dispersion in 1964,” says Mike Cresswell, Penn Color’s Industry Manager, Building and Construction. “We developed our UV Enhancer to improve the weathering performance of PVC profiles for windows and fencing. The development of this additive enables the continued use of PVC as the industry trends toward darker colors, without having to switch to higher priced alternative compounds.”