Suiko Co. Ltd., Japan, has announced the use of BASF’s light stabilizer Tinuvin® to make rotationally-molded low-density polyethylene (LDPE) playground slides for UV stabilization and antistatic properties.
Protecting Slides from Cracks and Deterioration
BASF’s
light stabilizers provide outdoor playground equipment with standard UV inhibitors that increase the lifespan of the product and protect it from cracks and deterioration.
To overcome discoloration and deterioration of LDPE playground slides due to UV degradation, Suiko added Tinuvin® to the polymer resin to provide UV stabilization and to ensure that the color of the playground slide will remain bright and colorful for years to come.
Combining BASF and Suiko’s Technology
Suiko’s strength is in rotational molding technology, and it also has the technology for diagnosing UV degradation on the outer surface of molded products. By using this deterioration diagnosis technology, they can recommend an appropriate time to replace the slide and thereby increase the safety of playground equipment.
Hiroyuki Sakaki, head of R&D at Suiko, said, “
Slides are usually placed outdoors and need to be resistant to weather conditions. Our big challenge was to maintain not only the physical properties of polyethylene but also the antistatic performance under such severe conditions. BASF’s proposal for an accurate product selection and dosage based on their abundant UV absorbers, light stabilizers, and weathering test data enabled us to develop the antistatic slide.”
Various kinds of materials are used for playground equipment. Metal slides cannot be used in summer because of high temperature. Slides made with fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) and iron require regular repainting and it is also difficult to predict cracks on FRP products. Polyethylene slides, on the other hand, can be easily maintained and are increasingly being used owing to its recyclability as single-material plastics.
Source: BASF