Milliken & Company returns to UTECH Europe with its comprehensive colorant and additive portfolio designed to enhance polyurethane (PU) formulations. UTECH Europe, which brings together the global PU industry, will be held on 23-25 April 2024 at the MECC Maastricht in the Netherlands.

Milliken applies its materials science expertise to develop innovative solutions that transform products and markets. At this year’s show, Milliken will highlight additives and colorants that enable critical performance and sustainability results—metrics in line with industry trends.

Color Without Sacrifice using Milliken Reactint

Milliken’s Reactint supports the circularity of PU foams while imparting vivid, highly effective color solutions that do not influence or interfere with the polyol formulation.

The particle-free colorant formulations offer a higher recovery yield during the chemolysis recycling process, encouraging post-industrial and post-consumer usage without impacting the recycled polyol's color. Reactint is also compatible with a variety of renewable sources, including recycled polyols, natural polyols or CO2-based polyols — all of which help create a circular economy for polyurethane foams.

“Brand owners and foamers interested in creating more sustainable products that visually align with product branding are choosing Reactint solutions to make it happen,” says Daan Vanwynsberghe, Global Director, Polyurethane, for Milliken’s Chemical Business.

Superior Protection with Milliguard AOX

Among Milliken’s PU additive solutions is Milliguard AOX — an amine-free antioxidant package protecting PU and other thermoset polymers from oxidation and degradation. With the rise of amine regulation, the Milliguard AOX platform enables regulatory compliance with benefits across the value chain.

Milliguard AOX is a carbon-centered radical scavenger that helps producers meet high environmental and air quality targets, as it does not contribute to volatile organic compound (VOC) or outgassing condensation (FOG) emissions.

Sustainable Innovations by a Sustainability Partner

Using its chemical portfolio, Milliken is purposefully designing solutions that help solve circularity challenges facing customers in the PU industry and the plastic industry as a whole. The emphasis mirrors Milliken’s wider commitment to sustainable manufacturing and enterprise sustainability initiatives.