FAQ

You can:

• Call us at 1-877-ECOMASS (1-877-326-6277) toll-free in the USA
• OR Call our office line at +1-512-306-0020 outside the USA
• Fill out the Request for Quote form
• Email info@ecomass.com

Ecomass Compounds are a patented line of engineered thermoplastic composite materials designed to replace traditional high-density materials such as lead and other metals. Ecomass Compounds can be custom formulated to meet a wide range of customer requirements, balancing key properties such as density, tensile strength, impact strength, heat deflection temperature, moisture uptake and more. Unlike most metals or alloyed materials, Ecomass Compounds can be processed on typical thermoplastic equipment, including injection molding or compression molding presses, to form parts and shapes to satisfy customer demands for a high-strength, high-density, moldable material. Ecomass Compounds can also be electroplated and powder coated.  Typical metal powder fillers include tungsten, copper, stainless steel, iron and aluminum.

The primary formulation of Ecomass Compounds is a tungsten / polymer composite. As such, for many of the applications that rely on the chemical properties of lead or other metals, such as automobile batteries, Ecomass Compounds is not a suitable alternative. However, the physical properties of Ecomass Compounds are superior to lead in almost all aspects. For radiation shielding applications and weighting or balancing applications where large volumes of close tolerance parts are required, Ecomass Compounds can be a smart, environmentally friendly, cost effective solution.

Yes, Ecomass Compounds were designed to process on conventional injection molding equipment. Barrel and nozzle temperatures are dependent upon the base resin selected. Injection molders who have molded Ecomass Compounds indicate that they process better than many fiberglass-filled materials they have been molding for years.

Yes, Ecomass Compounds were originally designed to meet U.S. Army specifications for nontoxic training ammunition. Ecomass Compounds are also being molded into nontoxic frangible projectiles for military and law enforcement training ammunition.

Ecomass Compounds are produced using our unique compounding capabilities with highly filled thermoplastic composites. The highest quality assurance standards ensure that density and other physical property requirements are maintained throughout the compounding process, resulting in molded parts that will fully satisfy the most stringent customer specifications.

Ecomass Compounds are sold in standard pellet format— typically 3mm diameter x 4mm length—ready to be injection molded, compression molded, or extruded. If you are interested in purchasing finished Ecomass parts, we can direct you to a qualified processor or engineering firm who can assist in the evaluation and design of Ecomass products for your application.

Ecomass Compounds are packaged in a variety of containers from 3.5-gallon plastic pails (50 – 70 lbs.) up to 55-gallon steel drums (up to 1,000 lbs). Specific customer requests can usually be accommodated.

Prices for Ecomass Compounds vary depending primarily upon the quantity purchased and the physical properties required, such as density, heat-deflection temperature, tensile strength, and impact strength. As a general rule, however, Ecomass Compounds sell for $2.00 to $50.00 USD per pound, again depending upon the quantity ordered and the physical properties required.

Ecomass Compounds are custom-formulated to each individual customer’s requirements. As a result, orders for commercially available Ecomass Compounds are usually delivered within 6 to 8 weeks. Ecomass Compound 1700TU96 is typically in stock and can ship within 3 days of receipt of an order.

Yes, depending upon the specific balance of properties that you require for your application, a number of different base polymers and fillers can be combined to tailor the Ecomass Compound to suit your needs. We can formulate and test an almost unlimited number of resin and filler combinations to meet the most demanding or unusual requirements of your particular application.

For typical energy levels of X-rays, Ecomass Compounds provide a lead shielding equivalency of over 90%. For the vast majority of medical radioisotopes, Ecomass Compounds provide an essentially equivalent level of gamma ray and beta particle shielding compared to lead. Certain Ecomass Compounds have been evaluated for higher energy level radioisotopes such as Co-60 and N-16 and have been found to exceed the shielding capacity of lead. A new Ecomass Compound has recently been developed that is lighter than lead, yet provides essentially the same shielding capacity. This compound, Ecomass Compound 1050ZB92, has a density of 6.9 g/cc making it ideal for shipping containers, syringe shields, collimators, flood source shielding and many other applications. A formulation that will attenuate both gamma radiation and neutrons has been developed and is currently being tested.

Absolutely. Contact us through this web site and we will be more than happy to assist you in any way we can to determine if Ecomass Compounds are a potential solution and how we can help save you money.