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Polymer Modification for Durable Applications
Improve toughness, flow, compatibility and durability with polymer modifiers for engineering plastics, recycled blends and demanding applications.
Enhance polymer performance with advanced modifier solutions
Polymer modifiers help compounders and converters tailor material performance by improving properties such as toughness, flexibility, compatibility, melt flow, processing stability and durability. These technologies can support performance optimization across selected engineering plastics, recycled polymer blends, coupling applications and masterbatch systems — without requiring a complete change in the primary resin system. Dow offers a broad portfolio of modifier technologies designed to help balance performance, processing efficiency and cost across demanding applications.
Enhance toughness, durability, and processability with modifier technologies designed to help improve impact performance and manage melt flow. These solutions can support more consistent processing and performance across polymer systems — helping enable efficient conversion and reliable end-use performance in demanding applications.
Polymer modifiers engineered for better performance
Explore modifier solutions by polymer type
Select a polymer type below to explore relevant modifier technologies, performance benefits, and resources.
Unlocking Polyamide performance with the right modifier
Polyamide (PA), or nylon, offers strength and heat resistance but may require modification to improve toughness, especially at low temperature or under impact loading. Modifier technologies can help balance toughness, stiffness, heat resistance, processability and surface appearance depending on the formulation and application.
Challenges
Polyamide can be prone to cracking or sudden breakage under impact or repeated stress. Maintaining durability in demanding applications requires solutions that improve toughness without compromising structural integrity.
In colder environments, PA materials can become brittle, increasing the risk of failure under load or impact. Enhancing toughness at low temperatures is critical for reliable performance across varying climates.
Controlling melt flow and viscosity is critical for consistent processing. Poor flow can lead to defects, uneven filling, or reduced manufacturing efficiency.
Modifying polyamide can impact clarity, gloss, or surface finish. Achieving the desired balance between performance improvements and visual quality is often a key consideration.
Improving flexibility or impact strength can reduce stiffness or heat resistance. Balancing flexural modulus and thermal performance is essential to meet both mechanical and environmental demands.
Featured Brands
FUSABOND™ Functional Polymers
Enable strong adhesion and compatibility in polyamide blends while improving impact strength and low-temperature toughness. These modifiers also support better flow and processing consistency in filled and reinforced PA systems.
SURLYN™ Ionomers
Deliver enhanced toughness, durability, and surface performance in polyamide systems. Help improve scratch resistance, clarity, and resilience while maintaining flexibility and long-term performance in demanding applications.
ELVALOY™ Acrylate Copolymer
Improve impact resistance, flexibility, and processability in polyamide and engineering plastics. Support better flow, low-temperature toughness and compatibility across diverse polymer blends for more consistent performance.
Priority Grades
FUSABOND™ N598 Functional Polymer
Designed for polyamide toughening, this modifier helps improve low-temperature impact performance while supporting a balance of toughness, heat resistance and melt flow.
FUSABOND™ N493
Impact modifier designed for polyamide toughening. Designed to improve impact performance in nylon, including low-temperature toughness, while supporting good flow characteristics in the compound.
FUSABOND™ N302
Utilized as a high-performance impact modifier for PA6 (nylon 6) compounds. It helps improve impact toughness, including at low temperatures, while maintaining good melt flow in selected nylon formulations.
FUSABOND™ N216
Known for high flexibility and elasticity. Used as a general purpose impact modifier to toughen polyamides, and also as a compatibilizer or adhesion promoter in filled or flame-retardant polyolefin systems.
ELVALOY™ PTW
Improves flexibility, impact resistance, and processability in polyamide and engineering plastic blends. Supports consistent flow, compatibility, and durability across demanding applications.
SURLYN™ 9520
Used in nylon formulations as an impact modifier; it delivers excellent impact improvement to nylon, plus easier processing (melt-flow) and a high-gloss surface appearance on the finished article.
SURLYN™ 9320
Designed for nylon modification, it can help improve impact toughness while supporting flow, stiffness and surface finish in molded parts.
SURLYN™ 9020
Designed for polyamide modification, delivering improved low-temperature impact resistance while enabling processing via standard extrusion and injection equipment.
Strengthening polyester compounds: Modification for PET and PBT
Polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) are used in packaging, automotive, electrical/electronics and industrial applications. Modifier technologies can help improve toughness, melt strength, processing stability and compatibility in selected virgin and recycled polyester systems.
Challenges
Polyesters can experience molecular weight reduction during processing, especially with recycled content. Effective chain extension is needed to rebuild structure, improve strength, toughness, and overall material performance.
Low melt strength can lead to instability during injection molding, extrusion or thermoforming. Enhancing melt strength is critical to maintain shape, reduce defects, and support more efficient processing.
Exposure to moisture can cause hydrolytic degradation and weakening mechanical properties over time. Improving resistance helps maintain durability and long-term performance in humid or demanding environments.
Variability during processing can impact quality and consistency. Stabilizing the material helps ensure predictable flow, reliable output, and fewer defects across manufacturing conditions.
Featured Brands
ELVALOY™ Copolymers
Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) functionality allows ELVALOY™ to chemically bond with polyester chains, acting as a “chain extender” in PET/PBT – which raises melt strength (viscosity) and enhances hydrolysis resistance of recycled or degraded polyester materials. It yields superior toughness improvements (especially in low-temperature impact) for polyesters.
Helps improve melt strength and processing stability.
ELVALOY™ Acrylate Copolymer
An efficient toughening additive for polyesters (PET, PBT) that also improves melt flow. At modest loadings it provides moderate impact strength gains while maintaining processability. often used when a combination of impact improvement and high melt stability is required in PET or PBT compounds. Food contact compliant grades are available.
Advancing ABS and polycarbonate: Impact, flow and compatibility solutions
ABS offers a strong balance of toughness, rigidity, and surface appearance. ELVALOY™ AC Acrylate Copolymers can help improve impact performance, melt flow and surface quality in selected ABS and recycled ABS applications.
Challenges
ABS must maintain durability under repeated stress and impact. Achieving consistent toughness without compromising stiffness is key for reliable, long-term performance.
Controlling melt flow is critical for consistent processing. Poor viscosity balance can lead to defects, uneven filling, or reduced manufacturing efficiency.
Enhancing performance can affect surface finish. Maintaining high gloss and smooth appearance while modifying mechanical properties is an ongoing challenge.
Incorporating recycled ABS can introduce variability and reduced mechanical properties. Solutions are needed to restore consistency, toughness, and overall material performance.
Featured Brand
ELVALOY™ Acrylate Copolymer
Enhances impact strength and flexibility in ABS while maintaining surface quality. Improves melt flow and processing consistency, helping deliver durable parts with a high-quality finish even with recycled content.
Priority Grades
ELVALOY™ AC 1330
Excellent for impact performance in ABS while supporting smooth processing and consistent flow. Helps maintain surface quality and durability in demanding applications.
ELVALOY™ AC 3427
High efficiency grade for viscosity reduction and improved gloss. Improves processability and surface finish while supporting reliable performance across varied manufacturing conditions.
ELVALOY™ AC 34035
Ideal for lower viscosity and higher gloss in combination with good impact performance. Supports high-quality surface appearance and consistent processing.
ELVALOY™ AC 12024S
Offers a good balance of improved impact performance and lower viscosity in selected ABS formulations. Supports processability, flow and surface appearance in relevant ABS applications.
ELVALOY™ AC 1224
Improves compatibility and dispersion across polymer systems while supporting stable processing. Suitable for PET modification, compounding, and applications requiring durability and consistent performance. Food contact compliant.
Polycarbonate (PC) and PC blends are used where impact performance, durability and appearance are important. Modifier technologies such as ELVALOY™ and ELVALOY™ AC Acrylate Copolymers can help balance toughness, processability and performance in selected PC, ABS and PC/ABS applications.
Challenges
Polycarbonate systems require high durability under impact, but improving toughness can affect stiffness or clarity. Achieving the right balance is critical for consistent, high-performance parts.
PC blends often combine multiple materials, which can lead to phase separation or poor adhesion. Enhancing compatibility is key to ensuring uniform properties and reliable performance.
Exposure to chemicals, load, or environmental conditions can cause stress cracking. Improving resistance helps prevent premature failure and extends product lifespan.
Maintaining stable flow and thermal behavior during processing is essential. Inconsistent processing can lead to defects, reduced clarity, or variability in final part performance.
Featured Brands
ELVALOY™ Copolymers
Supports flexibility and durability in polycarbonate systems, helping balance impact performance, processing, and end-use requirements.
ELVALOY™ AC Acrylate Copolymers
Primary solution for impact modification and compatibility in polycarbonate and PC blends. Supports improved toughness, stress crack resistance, and processing stability.
Priority Grades
ELVALOY™ AC 1330
Enhances impact strength and flexibility in PC blends while supporting stable processing and consistent flow. Helps maintain surface quality and overall durability.
ELVALOY™ AC 1125
Helps improve toughness and compatibility in selected polycarbonate systems while supporting reliable processing and a balance of performance and appearance.
ELVALOY™ AC 1224
Enhances compatibility, dispersion, and thermal stability across polymer systems. Supports efficient processing and consistent performance in PET modification, compounding, and packaging applications.
ELVALOY™ PTW Copolymer
Delivers effective impact modification across a wide range of polymers. Supports improved toughness and melt strength, enabling consistent performance in processing and end-use applications.
ELVALOY™ 4170 Copolymer
Is used in similar applications like ELVALOY™ PTW. Its GMA level offers extra benefits related to the improvement of toughness, compatibility, and durability.
Improving recycled streams performance with modifier technologies.
Compatibilizers help improve interactions between dissimilar polymers or contaminants in recycled streams. They can support dispersion, interfacial adhesion, processing consistency, toughening and mechanical performance in selected mixed-material systems, such as recycled PP containing PA contamination, PET-rich streams containing PE, or recycled ABS/PC blends.
Challenges
Maintaining strength and durability when combining incompatible polymers. Poor interfacial adhesion can reduce performance and limit end-use reliability.
Achieving uniform distribution of materials within a blend. Inconsistent dispersion can lead to weak points, defects, and uneven performance, especially in recycled or mixed-material systems.
Managing melt flow and manufacturability across mixed materials. Imbalances can impact efficiency, consistency, and final product quality.
Addressing impurities and variability in recycled streams. Contaminants can affect compatibility, stability, and overall material performance.
Featured Brands
FUSABOND™ Functional Polymers
FUSABOND™ Functional Polymers can help improve compatibility and mechanical performance in selected mixed-material systems, including recycled polypropylene streams containing polar contaminants such as polyamide.
ELVALOY™ AC Acrylate Copolymers
ELVALOY™ AC Acrylate Copolymers can help improve toughness, processability and surface appearance in selected recycled ABS, PC and PC/ABS applications.
Coupling agents help improve bonding between polymers and fillers, fibers or reinforcements. They are used in applications such as glass-fiber-reinforced PE, PP, PA and PET compounds, halogen-free flame-retardant wire and cable compounds, and wood plastic composites, where improved interfacial adhesion can support mechanical performance and durability.
Challenges
Dissimilar materials often have poor interfacial bonding, leading to weak interfaces. Improving adhesion is critical to ensure structural integrity and consistent performance
Without effective coupling, composites can lose strength, stiffness, and durability. Weak bonding between components can limit load transfer and reduce overall material performance.
Featured Brands
Solutions for halogen free flame retardant (HFFR) applications
In HFFR wire and cable compounds, coupling agents can improve compatibility between polyolefins and mineral fillers, helping support dispersion, elongation and mechanical performance.
Wood plastic composites (WPC)
In wood plastic composites, coupling agents can improve adhesion between wood fibers and polymer matrices, helping support dispersion, strength, stiffness and outdoor durability.
Masterbatches: Why the carrier resin matters
Masterbatches serve as carrier systems for incorporating additives, pigments or fillers into polymers. ELVALOY™ AC Acrylate Copolymers can serve as masterbatch carrier resins, offering high filler acceptance, thermal stability and compatibility with a broad range of polymers while supporting additive dispersion and processing consistency.
Challenges
Achieving uniform distribution of additives throughout the polymer matrix. Poor dispersion can lead to defects, uneven properties, and reduced performance.
Incorporating multiple additives can complicate manufacturing. Managing dosing, mixing, and compatibility is key to maintaining efficiency and product quality.
Inconsistent additive distribution or formulation can impact final properties. Ensuring repeatable performance across batches is critical for reliability.
Speak to an expert
Connect with our team to discuss your material performance needs and explore the right modifier solution for your application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Polymer modifiers are additives designed to enhance material performance by changing how polymers behave during processing and use. They can improve properties such as toughness, durability, flexibility, and surface quality. For example, impact modifiers introduce rubbery domains into a plastic matrix, helping it absorb energy and deform instead of cracking, which significantly improves toughness and resistance to failure.
Polymer compatibilizers are specialized modifiers that help different polymers blend together more effectively. They promote dispersion and interaction between otherwise incompatible materials, such as polar and non-polar polymers. This improves stability, processability, and final properties. Dow compatibilizer technologies can help improve the reuse of selected mixed-material streams by supporting dispersion, processability and mechanical performance, depending on the polymer system, contamination type and processing conditions.
Selecting the right polymer modifier depends on your application requirements and processing conditions. Key considerations include desired properties such as impact strength, clarity, weatherability, and durability, as well as how and where the product will be used. Different chemistries are tailored to specific needs, so aligning performance goals with end-use conditions and material compatibility is essential for optimal results.
Recycled polymer performance can be improved with modifiers that restore lost properties and enhance stability. Impact modifiers, for instance, help recover toughness and durability in post-consumer resins, while compatibilizer technologies improve dispersion of mixed materials and enable reuse without sacrificing quality. These solutions support better processability, consistency, and long-term performance in recycled plastics.
Modifiers improve impact strength by altering how a polymer responds to stress. Impact modifiers can create dispersed rubbery domains within the plastic matrix that help absorb and dissipate energy during impact. This can reduce brittle failure and improve toughness, depending on formulation, modifier selection and processing conditions.