In our recent interview with Torey McCleskey, COO of CAI Performance Additives, we discussed the company’s specialty additives for the Americas.

Torey shared insights into the latest industry trends, highlighted the company’s innovative solutions, and discussed their upcoming participation in the Compounding World Expo.

Can you provide a brief overview of your company and the products/ services you'll be showcasing at the event?

We supply specialty additives to the Americas. We like to say "Speciality is our specialty!" So you will always see interesting technologies and approaches to problems facing compounders and end-users of polymers. We have had the pleasure of supplying additive solutions to some of the smartest and best-looking customers around!

What recent trends or developments in the industry are you most excited about, and how do your products/ services align with them?

LIghtweighting & electrification continue apace. We supply flow additives for reinforced engineering resins, for example, which are well used in electric vehicles. Also, VOC removal agents for PC/ ABS in well known EVs is another example.

Society's understanding of human health as it relates to long term exposure to plastics in everyday life continues to increase. So we have many halogen-free solutions, great VOC-removal technologies, and replacements for problematic additives like ATO.

Could you share a success story or case study demonstrating how your products/ services have benefited a customer?

Flame retardants commonly rely on antimony, ATO. This is problematic for human health and environmental resource reasons. But more recently, the costs of ATO have skyrocketed to unsustainable levels. Our flame retardant synergists have recently helped one US compounder save big time by replacing much of their ATO consumption. This also improves their bottom line, and provides a marketing angle for their improvement in product safety and stewardship.

Will you be conducting any demonstrations or interactive activities at the event? If so, what can attendees expect?

We have too many products to choose one favorite! Please come to our booth and we would love to meet you and see how we can boost your product performance, decrease costs and increase your business potential.

What are your company's goals for the future, and how do you see yourselves contributing to the evolving industry landscape?

We supply technology, not me-too products. This means that we are always introducing new products and must evolve constantly. A focus this year is new, cleaner synergists to save money and avoid ATO or Bromine. All our products are ISO-compliant production and fully commercial.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s show?

We have been to all of these shows in Cleveland since the pandemic. They are a must-do on the North American plastics calendar. So, in a way, we are most looking forward to seeing the bright, smiling faces again.

CAI Performance Additives will be exhibiting at the Compounding World Expo. Visit them at booth C1420.