Rotocast #29 | Cost reduction – Mold release technology and special additives feat. Satio Okamoto

What you gain by watching

• Discover how to eliminate the mold release application step with a powder additive that incorporates into the material, reducing rework and toxicity risks on the factory floor.
• Learn to use recycled material with proven technical quality, understanding polymer chemistry and how specific additives allow savings of up to R$ 3.81 per kilo without sacrificing the part.
• Get to know the complete line of special additives — from anti-yellowing to antistatic — and see how each one solves a real productivity, aesthetic, or safety problem in rotomolding.

Episode chapters

1. 1

   Decades of plastic and a future called Mirai: how a patented additive is born

   In episode 29, we welcome Satio Okamoto, a chemical engineer with nearly fifty years of experience in plastic — from the verticalized lines of Mercedes-Benz and Fiat to mold texturizing with the giant Standex — and he opens up about Mirai Química, the company he founded with the mission of developing ecological and sustainable products. Between one sample and another, Satio reveals the origin of the name ('Mirai means future in Japanese') and shows us the first fruit of this journey: RM21, a patented product that promises to shake up the market for additives and release agents.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 5:21
2. 2

   The powder release agent born from a scolding in Turin and turned into our patent

   On the factory floor, traditional release agents take their toll: they are flammable, toxic, require constant mold cleaning, and discard the first part — not to mention the cans that nobody wants to have to dispose of. It was exactly this pain that an Italian production director, Giuseppe, threw in our faces during a tryout that delayed the whole day, and the message stayed with us for years. When we finally took on the challenge, we remembered that scolding and developed a product that incorporates into the material during extrusion or pigmentation, eliminating the step of applying release agent to the mold and the problems that come with it.

   Look, you who formulate release agents, you have to make something better… Because these release agents are flammable, toxic, you have to apply to the mold, you have to keep cleaning the mold… And the injection one, that spray there, the first part you have to throw away.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 10:28
3. 3

   Release agent that cleans the mold: how Mirai RM21 eliminates porosity

   If you deal with release agents in rotomolding, you know the drama: liquids form a film that 'kills' the finish, crust onto the mold at nearly 300°C, and require frequent cleaning — not to mention the toxicity and flammability risks of solvents. With that in mind, we presented Mirai RM21, a non-toxic, water-based technology that, instead of dirtying, keeps cleaning the mold and perfectly copying the finish — even eliminating porosity, which is crucial for those working with aluminum or recycled plastic molds. Throughout the episode, we explain the differences between solvent-based and water-based systems, show why traditional release agents require rework, and reveal real customer cases who use the product even to avoid surface defects — with a minimal dosage of just 0.3%. Jump into this story and discover how you can gain productivity and quality without giving up safety and sustainability.

   The material itself keeps cleaning the mold, the material copies the mold's finish, and also, it's a completely non-toxic material.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 15:30
4. 4

   Demolding without mystery: the additive that solves even recycled that sticks

   On the factory floor, the pain is clear: there's recycled that sticks, molds with hidden porosity, and release agents that don't perform. We talked about how Miraya RM21, with just three grams per kilo, solves even the problematic compound, and we explained the behind-the-scenes of porosity recovery in aluminum molds — from blasting with oxide to texturing that reveals the defect. In the end, we showed that the same modified silicone can be used for injection, just pelletized, like DI 40, closing the cycle for those who want to demold well without headaches.

   Zero point three? Three grams per kilo is enough for you to have excellent demolding.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 20:42
5. 5

   Release agent in drops: 50 thousand parts with a single application?

   On the factory floor, the question that won't go away is: why does everyone accept stopping production to reapply release agent every few parts? In this episode, we talked about the silent revolution of pellet release agents and introduced Ultra Release, a product we apply in drops that, in the tests we brought from Magneti Marelli, achieved impressive numbers — 25 thousand parts in polycarbonate, 15 thousand in ABS, and more than 50 thousand in PET tubes with a single application. The conversation reveals the secret: the 12-hour cure (or 2 hours at 90°C) and minimal application eliminate the deformation caused by excess product, reduce cycle loss, and put an end to that weekend mold cleaning — all with a simple 100 ml bottle.

   I need to make this product worse — I joked about that

   ▶ Watch at approximately 25:46
6. 6

   Pellet release agent: the end of aerosol and waste in injection

   When comparing traditional aerosol release agents with the pellet version, we revealed a common problem on the factory floor: the first parts come out oily, scratched, or with bubbles — and many entrepreneurs discard them, not to mention the waste of spray that is lost in the air and the difficulty of reaching deep ribs. With the pellet mixed into the raw material at a dosage of 2%, homogenization ensures demolding at all points of the part, eliminating losses and cans to discard, a direct gain in productivity and sustainability. And, to wrap up, we talked about plastic as a non-negotiable material — present in up to 80% of a car's volume — and the urgency to advance technical recycling in Brazil, toward a circular economy.

   You apply too much, it fails the part, apply too little, it doesn't demold. And when you use a pellet, it's mixed into the raw material, so at all points it will demold.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 30:48
7. 7

   Decree 12688/25: quality recycled material that rotomolding needs

   In this segment, we discuss Decree 12688/25, which now mandates the use of 20% to 30% tracked plastic — and many companies still don't know about it. We explain how the market has always feared recycled material due to bad experiences, and we reveal the solution we developed to change this game: the PoliRenew additive, which prevents property loss with every cycle and allows the use of more recycled material without delivering poor parts. The challenge, as we show, isn't recycling — it's recovering with quality.

   The challenge is using recycled material with quality. There's no point in me recycling and delivering a bad product to my client. It won't perform, the part won't turn out good.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 35:55
8. 8

   Why does polyethylene recycle more times than PET? The chemistry behind stability

   On the factory floor, the burning question is: why do some plastics withstand more recycling cycles than others? In this episode, we dive into polymer chemistry to explain that so-called stability comes from the simple chain of polyethylene, while PET and PVC, with their branches and heavy groups, lose properties quickly. And we don't stop there: we show how a specific additive holds these properties, enabling cascade recycling that brings material back to the top, and we also share real cases of contamination among polyolefins — a challenge that, with the right additive, is no longer a headache.

   Polyethylene has a simple and stable chain. … PVC has the vinyl group, PET has the benzene group there — anything with that in the chain is harder to recycle.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 40:56
9. 9

   Polypropylene in Brazil: why the technology exists but information comes late?

   Faced with the question about adopting materials like PP in Brazil, we uncover the real scenario: while abroad differentiated resins and specific additives make the process viable, here linear polyethylene still predominates, with very few exceptions — such as the case of a company that rotomolds PP for bus rearview mirrors. In this conversation, we discuss that the bottleneck isn't exactly the lack of additives, but the shortage of information and updates in the sector, and we highlight that the mission of Rotocast and Start Roto is precisely to bring this new mindset to those just entering the field, so that, together, we move toward a more open and prepared market.

   Here, we're lacking information more than technology.

   ▶ Watch at approximately 45:59
10. 10

    How to Reduce Costs in Rotomolding Without Losing Quality: The Calculation That Changes the Game

    We discussed a doubt that arises when we want to reduce costs with recycled material: how to correct the additives? We showed that mixing virgin resin with recycled material must be done before micronization, along with the right additive package and the use of cinnamon, and that you can save R$ 1.81 per kilo using 50% recycled, as in the example of a vase. The path is technical, but the gain is directly in your pocket.

    When you buy a virgin resin, it already comes with additives… From the moment you start using recycled materials, you have to replace that.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 51:10
11. 11

    100% Recycled? The Calculation That Lowers the Kilo Price Without Lowering the Part Quality

    When the price of virgin resin skyrockets, the question every rotomolder asks is whether it's possible to cut costs without sacrificing quality—and that's exactly what we tackled in this segment, showing in practice the savings per kilo as you increase the recycled percentage: at R$ 7 per kilo, going to 60% already gives back R$ 2.31, and at 90% it reaches R$ 3.81. We told the case of a client who uses 100% recycled material with Polylenew and exports to the United States and Europe, with parts that passed tests and even turned out better, but without hiding the technical consideration: for a 50,000-liter tank, for example, the right choice is still virgin with a low melt flow index, because impact and flow go in opposite directions—and it's that balance that separates smart savings from application risk.

    The market demanding, right? He showed me the parts, he said: 'Look, the parts turned out better than when I used a portion of…' anyway. He did several tests… And today he uses 100%, he's as happy as can be.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 56:10
12. 12

    Recycling in Rotomolding: Why Does the Fear of Using Reused Material Persist?

    On the factory floor, there's a taboo: using recycled material is seen as a risk, but the conversation reveals that, with traceability of origin, it's possible to apply up to 20% reused resin without losing quality—as we saw in the case of Fiat bumpers, which prohibited its use until a study proved otherwise. We brought the example of the supplier in Jundiaí who outsourced grinding only due to an internalized rule, and we showed how fear often hides ignorance: the same manager who prohibits solvent in the factory uses a much more toxic mold release on the mold without noticing. The turnaround is in the mindset change: instead of treating recycled as a second-class product, we talk about first-order recycling, as long as the waste's origin is traceable—otherwise, it's like spraying deodorant on a pig, useless and risky.

    So these materials, you don't even need to call them recycled, it's a first-order recycling. Yes, first line. It's from the material itself, you understand? You can use it safely… Fifteen, twenty percent doesn't change anything, you understand, Júlio?

    ▶ Watch at approximately 1:01:11
13. 13

    From Fiat to Methon: When difficulty becomes the engine of innovation in Brazil

    When the budget tightens and the future is uncertain, waiting for the problem to become a crisis is not an option — and it was precisely in adversity that Brazil proved itself creative. We talked about how major automakers, even with all their rigor and pursuit of technology, opened space for solutions born out of necessity, such as the Methon we imported into the country and the pioneering in thermoformed panels that even the foreigners didn't know how to make. The conversation leads to a call: recycling is not enough, it's necessary to recover material with technical quality and traceability, because what we studied — from vessel thickness to mechanical resistance — shows that the country already exports solutions to four nations, waiting only for more people to exchange the fear of recycled material for the mindset of those who know how to adapt before the cost becomes too high.

    Sometimes it's what you said, right, the difficulty, it's hard, but let's do it. We'll have to do it. We have to, we have to try to do it, right? We did, right? And Brazil… creative Brazil, creative Brazilian. You know? That's our differentiator.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 1:06:25
14. 14

    Additives in rotomolding: from anti-odor that chemically neutralizes to antistatic that saves toys and loads

    In this chapter, we dive into the universe of essential additives for rotomolding, uncovering how each one solves real factory-floor problems. We start with the anti-odor, explaining the crucial difference between masking smells with fragrances and our solution that acts chemically through adsorption, encapsulating odor molecules — essential for the use of recycled material, which may come with smells of burning, paint, or even meat from freezer pallets. Next, we explore the antistatic, showing why a playground slide or a plastic box that accumulates dust during transport can become serious problems of safety and presentation, and how the right choice between temporary and permanent effects makes all the difference. We tell the real case of a shipment sent to Fiat, where the box arrived looking used due to static, and mention clients who need permanent protection to transport explosives — all to reveal that selecting the right additive goes far beyond the basics, impacting from product image to end-user safety.

    There is another family that acts chemically, that's our case. Our additive acts chemically… by adsorption, not absorption. By adsorption, it ends up encapsulating odor molecules, and ends up removing that odor.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 1:11:32
15. 15

    Dark cinnamon? The additive that restores light color without fighting pigmentation

    When recycled cinnamon arrives too dark, those needing light-colored parts end up resorting to extra doses of pigment — and the shade goes completely off. In this episode, we introduce the anti-cinnamon, an additive that lightens the material without altering its structure, solving the drama of those who want to take advantage of cost reduction without sacrificing aesthetics. And we still connect the conversation to EVA: understanding the VA content and using barrier additives makes all the difference in the final result.

    The anti-cinnamon makes the cinnamon lighter. It removes that darkening of the cinnamon.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 1:16:43
16. 16

    Porosity in the mold: why TIG welding opens a hole and what to use instead

    On the factory floor, repairing porosity in aluminum molds often becomes a headache: using TIG welding at a thousand degrees or common plastic filler only worsens the problem, because the material expands and releases the part in temperature cycles. We discussed a path that withstands over five hundred degrees, avoids cracks, and still allows machining afterward — and we shared the case of a Sabrina Sato lip balm whose packaging was only approved because the mold release agent used was non-toxic, reminding that good products require packaging up to par. Between the visual inspection of the shanks and the poll launched to map who faces this defect, we showed that there is a technical solution without yielding to improvisation.

    Ours withstands above five hundred, if needed.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 1:21:54
17. 17

    Powder mold release can eliminate one of rotomolding's biggest fears — and what that reveals about partnerships that generate market

    We closed this episode realizing that the pain of losing a mold is almost a universal fear on the factory floor — but, as we recalled, powder mold release already eliminates that problem when the cause is part release, leaving moisture and other factors that the market knows well. And it was exactly this open conversation, without holding back knowledge, that showed us how much the partnership with Mirai Química opens a new range of possibilities: we can now see ways to help clients who want to reclaim material or overcome specific difficulties. After all, when information truly circulates, no one stays hidden — neither the client reaches the solution, nor does the solution reach those who need it.

    When you hide, neither the client nor the salesperson reaches you.

    ▶ Watch at approximately 1:26:58