2. Company overview

High-performance polymers are used across industry and daily life, in plastics, fibres, coatings and adhesives. Light stabilisers make these products more durable, more reliable, more reusable and easier to recycle. They support the move towards carbon-reduction targets while meeting ever higher customer expectations for appearance, performance and service life.

Tiangang is a leading Chinese manufacturer and developer of weathering stabilisers for polymers, holding numerous invention patents and proprietary products. For more than 30 years the company has focused on supplying higher performance, better value and complete technical solutions that support the sustainable growth of the new-materials industry.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Beijing, Tiangang serves customers worldwide. Over three decades it has broken the hold of multinational suppliers on high-performance additives, reaching international standards in product performance, production scale, quality consistency and technical service. Today the Tiangang® range of weathering and anti-ageing additives is exported to more than 20 countries and regions and supplied to many internationally recognised companies.

Tiangang hosts the China Light Industry Plastics Weathering Engineering Technology Research Centre and the China Plastics Weathering Technology Laboratory in Beijing. It has taken part in drafting a number of national and industry standards on ageing, holds dozens of Chinese and international invention patents, and serves as vice-chairman unit of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association.

3. Production bases, honours and philosophy

Honours include the first prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the Ministry of Education, inclusion in the Beijing Recommended Catalogue of Innovative Green Technologies, and the Science and Technology Progress Award of the China National Light Industry Council.

Three production and R&D bases: Beijing (100 mu / 67,000 m²), Gu'an (150 mu / 100,000 m²) and Cangzhou (300 mu / 200,000 m²). A joint venture with Clariant, one of the world's top 50 speciality chemical companies, manufactures light stabilisers.

Additives are dosed at only a few parts per thousand, yet they decide whether the whole material system reaches its service-life target, so the responsibility is considerable. In production we aim for precision and leave nothing to chance, building a world-class plant for high-performance additives. With customers we put technology first and customer value at the centre, working to give every customer the best value products and the optimal solution.

Combining modern fine-chemical manufacturing with customer-driven R&D services lets customers gain the greatest mutual benefit from working with Tiangang. This philosophy and practice have kept Tiangang at the leading edge of polymer weathering additives.

Key facts: founded 1991; more than 30 years focused on polymer weathering technology and products; National High-Tech Enterprise and national-level "Little Giant" enterprise specialising in niche technologies; products exported to Europe, the Americas and other Asian countries and regions, serving many well-known companies at home and abroad; two modern fine-chemical production bases with Industry 4.0 digital and automated management; advanced processes and strict quality control at every step; an enterprise technology centre for polymer weathering technology with advanced artificial accelerated ageing evaluation, giving customers complete technical support and service.

4. How light stabilisers work

Sunlight and artificial radiation limit the service life of polymers. The effects appear as fading, surface cracking, loss of gloss, and falling mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break. Ultraviolet radiation breaks chemical bonds in the polymer, triggering photo-degradation and loss of physical properties.

Tiangang supplies complete light-stabilisation solutions and a full range of UV stabilisers. For polyolefins, many engineering plastics and coatings, additions of only a few parts per thousand are enough to slow photochemical reactions and greatly extend service life.

There are two main classes: UV absorbers (UVA) and hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS). Antioxidants prevent thermo-oxidative degradation during processing and also contribute to protection against photo-ageing in service.

UV absorbers take up UV radiation at the polymer surface and convert it into harmless heat. They need sufficient concentration and thickness at the surface to work, which is why they are widely used in engineering plastics and coatings. In many applications, UV absorbers used together with HALS give a clear synergy.

HALS do not absorb UV light, yet they are highly effective UV stabilisers. They trap free radicals and suppress photochemical reactions in the polymer. They perform at low concentrations, partly because they are regenerated in a cyclic process instead of being consumed. Because they do not depend on part thickness, HALS give outstanding protection to both thin and thick articles, including surface gloss. Many HALS are also effective long-term heat stabilisers (LTHS). In systems containing carbon black, titanium dioxide or other inorganic pigments, both classes markedly improve weatherability.

A further product controls the crystalline morphology of PP, refining crystallites and adjusting the degree and rate of crystallisation. Unlike conventional alpha and beta nucleators it improves strength, toughness, stiffness, heat resistance, transparency and flow at the same time, and is unaffected by fillers or glass fibre, enabling thinner and lighter downstream parts. Intramolecular lubrication raises melt flow rate, allowing lower processing temperatures and lower VOC content.

Polymer degradation is a radical chain reaction: heat and shear generate radicals, which react with oxygen to form peroxy radicals; these abstract hydrogen from the polymer backbone to give hydroperoxides, and the cycle propagates. Antioxidants donate hydrogen to consume peroxy radicals and also decompose hydroperoxides into stable products, terminating the chain. The most representative types are hindered phenols and phosphites.

5. Technology centre and testing capability

The Tiangang enterprise technology centre (Polymer Weathering Technology Laboratory) employs more than 40 researchers, including PhDs, master's graduates and senior engineers. It holds a number of national invention patents, has published several books and papers on material ageing and stabilisation, has taken part in drafting national standards in this field, and has been accredited as a Beijing (provincial-level) Enterprise Technology Centre.

The centre is equipped with advanced chemical and instrumental analysis equipment together with xenon-arc Weather-o-meter (WOM), QUV ultraviolet and thermo-oxidative ageing chambers. It hosts the China Light Industry Plastics Weathering Engineering Technology Research Centre, recognised by the China National Light Industry Council, and the China Plastics Weathering Technology Laboratory, recognised by the China Plastics Processing Industry Association. Common plastics modification and processing trials can be run to support customers' own development work.

The Tiangang testing centre is accredited by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS).

Our goal: to be the leader in polymer weathering technology and products, and the closest partner of material companies in weathering technology.

6. Product and substrate selection matrix

This spread is the selection matrix covering 26 product grades against 21 substrates, grouped by high-molecular-weight HALS, medium and low-molecular-weight HALS, HALS blends, standard UV absorbers and high-heat UV absorbers, marked "recommended" or "suitable".

For the complete matrix see page 6 of the brochure, or use the Light Stabiliser Selection Guide on our website, which is organised by substrate.

7. Solutions

2. High-performance dedicated light stabiliser series

High-performance light stabiliser systems (grade / physical form / application)

Tiangang® T-68 / T-69 / XT-8 (FD, PW): high performance for agricultural films under demanding conditions.

Tiangang® T-81 / T-78 / T-70 (P): automotive compounds (PP, TPO, TPE, TPU, PE).

Tiangang® HS-6608 / HS-6607 (P): appliance compounds (PP).

Tiangang® HS-5873 / HS-5875 (PW): tape and slit-film yarns (PP, PE).

Tiangang® XT-12PP5 / XT-11PP5 (P): compounds containing acidic components (glass fibre, flame retardant).

Tiangang® G-61 / G-63 (PW): synthetic leather (PE, PP, PA).

Tiangang® R-68 / R-69 (FPW): rotomoulding (PE).

Tiangang® HS-3403 / HS-3404 / HS-3405 (Liq): solar films (EVA).

More dedicated products: Tiangang has developed dedicated high-efficiency stabilisation systems for many application areas. Please contact our sales or technical representatives.

High-performance anti-ageing masterbatch series

Tiangang® MB series (MB): dedicated anti-ageing masterbatches in many grades, suitable for polyethylene and polypropylene films, tape yarns, nonwovens, injection moulding compounds, pipes and fibres.

Physical forms

FD: hemispherical dust-free granules, improving the working environment and the uniformity of mixing with granular resin.

FDS: micro hemispherical dust-free granules, improving the working environment and the uniformity of mixing with powdery resin.

LD: low-dust powder.

PW: powder.

FPW: fine powder, improving melt mixing uniformity with resin.

G: granules, improving the working environment.

P: resin-shaped dust-free granules, improving the working environment and mixing uniformity with granular resin.

Liq: liquid.

MB: masterbatch.

8. Dedicated blends and dust-free granules

Every end customer uses materials differently, and every light stabiliser has its own character. If you supply compounds or high-performance resins, you know how hard it is to screen for the most cost-effective stabilisation system in a short time.

Tiangang has focused on weathering additives for almost 30 years. Beyond extensive application testing, we have tracked how customers actually use our products, and combined that with our understanding as an additive manufacturer to make selection as easy as possible.

We therefore offer a range of dedicated stabiliser packages and high-concentration functional masterbatches, already used successfully in films, injection-moulded parts, tapes, fibres and many engineering plastics. Talk to our sales or technical representatives.

In applications such as automotive interior and exterior parts, end customers increasingly care about health and about additional material performance: low VOC, no blooming, no stickiness at high temperature, longer service life and lower cost. The latest Tiangang T-series UV stabilisers help your products meet these requirements at the level of the world's leading companies.

In conventional high-speed mixers, powders and pellets tend to separate and mix poorly, which also harms additive dispersion. Tiangang introduced complete European equipment and was first in China to launch the FD range of dust-free granular light stabilisers. HS-944FD, for example, improves the working environment in the masterbatch shop, and its optimal diameter of about 3 mm disperses the stabiliser very effectively through the resin.

9. Testing and services

3. Light stabiliser series for coatings

Hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS)

Tiangang® HS-508 (liquid / HALS): a high-performance general-purpose liquid HALS that effectively delays coating ageing.

Tiangang® HS-112 (liquid / NOR HALS): a low-basicity HALS for coatings in demanding environments such as acid-catalysed systems and contact with acidic substances.

Tiangang® HS-944LD (powder / HMW HALS): a high-molecular-weight polymeric HALS suitable for all types of powder coatings.

Tiangang® BW-10LD (powder / HMW HALS): a high-molecular-weight polymeric HALS suitable for all types of powder coatings.

Tiangang® HS-962LD (powder / HMW HALS): a high-molecular-weight polymeric HALS suitable for all types of powder coatings.

UV absorbers (UVA)

Tiangang® UV-A (liquid / BTZ UVA): a general-purpose liquid UV absorber that effectively delays coating ageing and pigment colour change.

Tiangang® UV-900 (powder / BTZ UVA): a heat-resistant solid UV absorber that effectively delays coating ageing and pigment colour change.

Tiangang® UV-630 (powder / HPT UVA): a heat-resistant solid UV absorber that effectively delays coating ageing and pigment colour change.

High-performance HALS+UVA blends

Tiangang® HS-3101 (liquid / HALS+UVA): a general-purpose liquid blended UV stabilisation system.

Tiangang® HS-3203 (liquid / HALS+UVA): a low-basicity UV stabilisation system for acid-catalysed and other demanding systems.

Tiangang® HS-3310 (liquid / HALS+UVA): a general-purpose blended UV stabilisation system suitable for both waterborne and solventborne systems.

Below the product table on this spread is a recommendation matrix for waterborne, solventborne, wood, architectural, industrial, anti-corrosion, coil, automotive and refinish coatings and powder coatings, marked "recommended" or "suitable". For the complete matrix see page 9 of the brochure.

10. Accelerated and outdoor weathering testing

Natural exposure tests take years, which does not fit the pace of today's technology products. Artificial accelerated weathering is therefore widely used to evaluate weatherability and screen formulations.

Accelerated testing exposes samples in purpose-built equipment that simulates sunlight or UV light under controlled temperature, humidity and spray conditions, giving results close to natural exposure in a much shorter time.

Common equipment includes xenon-arc Weather-o-meter (WOM), fluorescent UV testers (QUV) and thermo-oxidative ageing ovens. Different methods are covered by different industry standards, and each has advantages and limits; the choice depends on the application.

Tiangang operates an advanced Polymer Weathering Application Technology Laboratory in Beijing with xenon, QUV and thermo-oxidative equipment plus mechanical and optical test instruments, providing full support in formulation screening and evaluation.

The most accurate accepted method is outdoor exposure testing. To give a standardised picture of how materials age in different climates, exposure sites exist around the world. Tiangang operates outdoor exposure sites in Guangzhou and Beijing. For ageing tests, please contact our technical or sales representatives.

11. The Tiangang Group

Business of the group: core original technologies for polymer additives, with targeted nano-enhancement opening new material possibilities; innovative materials and nanotechnology; technical promotion and marketing across the materials value chain; technology services and marketing; key material R&D, business incubation and acceleration; eco-friendly surface and interface materials; waterborne polyurethane materials and additives; international operations through Tiangang Chemicals Europe B.V. in Brussels, Belgium, responsible for R&D, technical service and marketing.

Institutional roles: vice-chairman unit of the China Association for the Promotion of Productivity; vice-chairman unit of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association, and deputy director unit of its Agricultural Film Committee and Plastics Additives Committee; vice-chairman unit of the China Agricultural Plastics Application Technology Society; council member of the China Synthetic Resin Association; member of the Coatings and Finishing Committee of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China; member of the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), USA; member of the Ageing Methods Sub-committee of the National Technical Committee for Plastics Standardisation.

Qualifications and platforms: China Light Industry Plastics Weathering Engineering Technology Research Centre; China Plastics Weathering Technology Laboratory; CNAS-accredited laboratory; National High-Tech Enterprise; national-level "Little Giant" enterprise; Beijing "Little Giant" enterprise; Beijing Top 100 Socially Responsible Enterprises.

Awards: first prize for Scientific and Technological Progress, Ministry of Education; Science and Technology Progress Award, China National Light Industry Council (two awards); Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievement of China's Plastics Processing Industry during the 13th Five-Year Plan; Product Innovation Award, China Agricultural Plastics Application Technology Society; China International Engineering Plastics Industry Innovation Additive Award; Ringier Technology Innovation Award.

12. Group companies and contact

Tiangang Group of Companies

Beijing Tiangang Auxiliary Co., Ltd. Tianji Chemical Additives (Cangzhou) Co., Ltd. Tiangang Materials (Langfang) Co., Ltd. Tiangang Chemicals Europe B.V. (Belgium) CTH Technologies (Beijing) Co., Ltd. Beijing Tinaco Materials Co., Ltd.

Sales and marketing: Room 2001-2002, Tower B, Jiaye Building, No. 6 South Road East, Third Ring Road, Fengtai District, Beijing Tel: +86 10 6760 4525 / +86 10 6768 3617

Head office and R&D centre: No. 4 and 7 Huangxu Road, Weishanzhuang Town, Daxing District, Beijing Tel: +86 10 8920 1649

www.tiangang.com Edition 2024-3 (2021-10) Tiangang, GT and the Tiangang mark are registered trademarks of Beijing Tiangang Auxiliary Co., Ltd. Copyright 2024 Beijing Tiangang Auxiliary Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.