Milliken’s new antioxidant increases auto air quality standards

Milliken has launched a new antioxidant for polyurethane that addresses increasingly stringent indoor air quality requirements for vehicles.

The company has confirmed its Milliguard AOX-1 novel polymer-bound antioxidant for polyurethane addresses stricter environmental, health and safety requirements whilst delivering thermal stabilisation performance at low loadings.

The new antioxidant offers compliance with tougher vehicle indoor air quality standards by contributing negligible volatile organic compound and outgassing condensation content in emission testing.

The product also offers efficiency in stabilising free radicals that can degrade polyurethane foam, and is highly synergistic with other antioxidant classes. 

The technology provides polyol producers and foam manufacturers with a powerful tool for interior vehicle components such as seats, door trim, carpet, instrument panels, headliners and consoles. 


Jesse Shoultz, Global Market Manager for Performance Colourants and Ingredients at Milliken, said: “Our patented Milliguard AOX-1 antioxidant can play an important role in helping passengers breathe more easily when travelling in a vehicle.

““When incorporated in polyols or added during foaming, this antioxidant reacts into the polymer backbone to deliver reduced VOC emissions and outstanding performance at lower loadings, two very important benefits to customers.

“By enabling PU foam to meet new, tougher standards for vehicle indoor air quality across the globe, Milliguard AOX-1 antioxidant helps our customers address the latest market challenges.”

Test results achieved internally consistently showed Milliguard AOX antioxidant significantly reduced VOC content by more than two thirds to 22 ppm, compared to the industry standard 69 ppm.

Milliken’s antioxidant also dramatically minimised FOG content emission to only 6 ppm, compared to the industry standard 541 ppm.

The Milliken product interacts synergistically with other antioxidant classes and also reacts earlier in the oxidation cycle to provide unparalleled levels of stability.

The antioxidant also contributes to environmental protection by enhancing the performance of natural oil polyols and non-halogenated flame retardants.