Topic 03: Additive Solutions for Small Appliances and Kitchen Appliances

Topic 03 · Small Appliances and Kitchen Appliances

Small appliances are the fastest-growing, most innovation-dense segment of the appliance industry - from air fryers and dishwashers to robot vacuums and portable ice makers, product forms iterate rapidly. Their plastic parts generally have to withstand high temperature, grease and detergents at once, and many categories must also meet flame-retardancy and food-contact compliance requirements.

Main substrates: PP / ABS / PC-ABS / POM / PA / PET Key components: Housing / handle / seal / transmission parts / panel Key indicators: Heat resistance 80-120°C / UL94 V-0 (some)

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1. Additive demand characteristics of small appliances

1.1 More extreme high-temperature conditions

Small appliances often run hotter than large appliances. Air-fryer baskets, microwave cavities and the area around dishwasher heating elements can reach 80-120°C.This puts "long-term thermo-oxidative stability" ahead of "UV resistance" in priority - many small appliances are not directly exposed to sunlight, but sustained oxidation at high temperature likewise leads to strength loss and appearance degradation.

1.2 Round-the-clock contact with grease and detergents

Kitchen appliances are in long-term contact with grease, detergents, food residues and acidic substances. Grease accelerates surface migration and extraction of additives; acidic substances neutralize the basicity of HALS.This is the special challenge that sets small appliances apart from other appliance categories.

1.3 More widespread flame-retardancy requirements

GB 4706.1 (equivalent to IEC 60335-1) evaluates the flame retardancy of non-metallic housings mainly through glow-wire and needle-flame tests; UL 94 horizontal/vertical burning is the most commonly cited yardstick for plastics flame retardancy. Unmodified ABS generally reaches only HB or V-2, dripping during combustion and possibly igniting the degreased cotton below. Small-appliance housings, handles and power boxes are usually required to reach V-0.

Core contradiction: Add flame retardant and weather resistance tends to suffer - acidic flame-retardant systems neutralize HALS.This is where small-appliance formulations most need professional input; see the "flame retardancy + weather resistance dual compliance" section below.

1.4 Paint-free and appearance upgrades

Small-appliance appearance parts widely use paint-free PC/ABS alloys - robot vacuum housings, water purifier panels and oven housings are all large-scale application scenarios. Paint-free systems require additives to be free of blooming, free of frost, and light in initial color.

2. Typical categories and service conditions

Category	Common substrate	Key components	Condition highlights	Flame-retardancy requirement
Air fryer / oven	PP / PC-ABS / non-stick coating	Basket, housing, handle	High temperature 100°C+ / grease / repeated cleaning	V-0 (housing)
Dishwasher	PP / ABS / 304 composite	Tub, spray arm, door seal	Sustained hot water + detergent + strong spray	V-1~V-0
Range hood	ABS / PP / PC-ABS	Deflector, panel, volute	High temperature + grease + frequent cleaning	V-1
Blender / food processor	PC / POM / PA	Cup, blade base, transmission	High-speed rotation + impact load	V-0 (motor base)
Robot vacuum	Paint-free ABS / PC-ABS	Housing, dust bin, sensor cover	Indoor light + dust + electrostatic adsorption	V-1
Portable ice maker	PP / ABS	Housing, water tank, flow guides	Outdoor + low temperature + frequent handling	V-1
Water purifier / dispenser	Paint-free ABS / PC-ABS	Panel, housing, water-path parts	Long-term water contact + indoor light	V-1

3. Flame retardancy + weather resistance dual compliance: the role of FR-810A

Flame retardancyHalogen-freeThree effects in oneTiangang® FR-810A polymeric halogen-free flame retardant

A new polymeric NOR halogen-free flame retardant based on hindered-amine (HALS) chemistry, combining flame retardancy and light stabilization in one. This is the key to solving "flame retardancy harms weather resistance": traditional phosphate ester flame retardants are acidic and neutralize classic HALS; FR-810A, by contrast, is built on hindered-amine chemistry, does not antagonize HALS - it works in synergy instead.

Higher temperature resistance: polymeric high-molecular-weight structure, recommended processing temperature ≤250°C
Low volatility, low migration, low extraction: a true polymeric structure, long-lasting
Compliance-friendly: compliant with REACH / TSCA / FDA, suitable for demanding scenarios such as food contact
Benchmark performance: recommended loading 0.2-1.2% (benchmarked against BASF Flamestab® NOR 116 at 0.5-1.5%), lower loading

Dual-compliance formulation logic: Once FR-810A takes on both "flame retardancy + partial light stabilization", the HALS loading in the formulation can be reduced accordingly, lowering total additive cost, while avoiding two systems fighting each other. Tiangang can assist with joint validation of flame-retardancy rating + QUV weather resistance.

4. Tiangang's recommended formulations for small appliances

The following are starting points (by weight). Flame-retardancy ratings must be confirmed by testing for the specific grade and wall thickness.

Formulation logic: The three main threads of small appliances each map to a Tiangang proprietary product: High-temperature partsuse AO-427 (multifunctional processing additive: thermal stability + processing stability + improved dyeing performance) + HS-362; Flame-retardant partsuse the FR-810A integrated solution (flame retardancy / light stabilization / long-term thermal stability, three effects in one - with it, no separate HALS is needed to make up weather resistance); Appearance parts and acidic grease environmentsuse HS-300 or the T-78 low-alkalinity blended package.Proprietary

Component / scenario	Tiangang recommendation	Effective loading	Why this one
Air-fryer basket PP, 100°C+ sustained high temperature	AO-427 + HS-362 Processing additive + blended light-stabilizer package	AO-427 0.3% – 0.5% HS-362 0.4% – 0.6%	AO-427 (CAS 42774-15-2, melting point 268-275°C) provides both thermal and processing stability, and improves dyeing performance - uniform dyeing of pelletized PP baskets with small shade differences often affects yield more than 20% more weather resistance
Housing (flame-retardant V-0) PC-ABS	FR-810A Polymeric halogen-free flame retardant	0.5% – 1.0% (flame-retardancy rating to be confirmed by testing)	Flame retardancy + light stabilization + long-term thermal stability, three effects in one, with the proprietary NOP™ international patent. With it there is no need to add HALS separately to make up weather resistance - in the traditional "flame retardant + classic HALS" scheme HALS is often neutralized by acidic by-products, a problem FR-810A structurally sidesteps
Dishwasher tub PP + detergent immersion	HS-962	0.5% – 0.7%	Good water-extraction resistance is the core indicator for this condition; with no direct sun exposure, no additional UV-A is needed
Robot vacuum housing Paint-free ABS / PC-ABS	T-81 or HS-6608	T-81 feed 0.5% - 0.8% HS-6608 0.6% – 1.0%	HS-6608 is designed specifically for PP, ABS and other modified materials, with a bulk density of 570-580 g/L for easy metering; the core demands of paint-free appearance parts are low blooming and light initial color
Blender cup PC / PA, high-speed impact + cleaning	HS-330 Oligomeric methylated HALS	0.3% – 0.5%	Mn>2000, softening 100-135°C, 10% weight loss above 350°C; low volatility and migration, extraction resistant, good resin compatibility - suitable for cup parts sensitive to odor and blooming
Range-hood deflector PP + acidic grease + antistatic	T-78 or HS-300	T-78 feed 0.6% - 1.0% HS-300 0.3% – 0.5%	Acidic grease + antistatic agents are a dual test, so the low-alkalinity route is required. HS-300 is less alkaline than conventional HALS, avoiding neutralization by acidic components at the mechanism level
Portable ice maker housing Outdoor exposure + low temperature	HS-625	0.4% – 0.6%	Winner of multiple provincial/ministerial and industry science and technology progress awards; extraction resistant, not washed away by rain - the fatal weakness of outdoor parts is often not initial weather resistance, but additive loss in the second year's rainy season
Models exported to Europe RoHS + halogen-free + acid rain	FR-810A + XT-8	FR-810A 0.5% – 1.0% XT-8 0.15%	Halogen-free flame retardancy + NOR weather resistance on both tracks; FR-810A is compliant with REACH / TSCA / FDA, and XT-8 is a China-original CAS with registration complete, giving a full compliance documentation chain for export

5. Process and compliance points for small appliances

5.1 Processing control for high-temperature parts

For heat-resistant PP parts (such as baskets), we recommend selecting heat-resistant copolymer PP, with a long-term service temperature up to 100°C and above
PC parts (such as oven cavity windows) are processed at up to 280°C, so high-temperature-resistant UV-A (UV-329/234/360) is required; ordinary UV-326 decomposes and fails at this temperature
PA/POM are processed at high temperatures and absorb moisture readily; we recommend including a matched antioxidant in the formulation and strictly controlling the drying process

5.2 Compliance points for halogen-free flame retardancy

Important note: The EU RoHS 2023 revision has tightened the relevant limits, and China's "Administrative Measures for the Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products" also requires newly declared models to provide full-composition halogen test reports.When purchasing halogen-free flame retardants, watch out for products "labeled halogen-free but actually TPP (triphenyl phosphate) blends" - TPP systems readily exude phenol-type migrants after long-term thermal aging, causing the housing surface to whiten. Tiangang's FR-810A uses a polymeric NOR structure and is free of this issue.

5.3 Food-contact parts

Food-contact parts (water-purifier water paths, refrigerator drawers, ice-maker tanks) require attention to the migration of the additives themselves. Prefer grades with food-contact approval (e.g. BW-10LD light stabilizer 622, approved for food packaging in some countries), together with complete migration testing. Tiangang can provide the corresponding compliance documentation support.

Developing a new small-appliance product? Let us solve the additive formulation upfront

From material selection to aging validation, Tiangang's technical center provides full-process support, shortening new-product finalization cycles.

Last Updated: 2026-10-20

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National High-Tech Enterprise
Vice Chairman Unit, China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA)
Vice Chairman Unit, Agricultural Plastics Branch, China Agricultural Plastics Application Technology Society
Member, Ageing Methods Subcommittee, National Technical Committee on Plastics (SAC/TC15/CS5)
Member, Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), USA

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