Axel Plastics Research Laboratories

Axel Plastics Research Laboratories (AXEL) is a U.S. based manufacturer of proprietary mold releases and process aid additives for the all types of plastics, rubbers, and urethanes. AXEL also provides formulated mold releases for decorative laminates, concrete, abrasives and other markets.

AXEL is a privately held company that is currently in its third generation of family ownership and operation. The business is registered to the ISO 9001 : 2008 Quality System and the company and its products are fully compliant with REACH and major worldwide regulatory requirements.

AXEL serves the global market through direct sales and a network of stocking distributors and technically trained representatives.

Engineering Chemistry Since 1941

AXEL was founded by Dr. Rodolphe Axel  in 1941 as a result of his wartime research at Columbia University. The company’s product line originated from coatings which he designed to save glass beakers, as these were at a premium during the war.

The Company’s first New York home was a loft in lower Manhattan. At this point, the young business could not exist on mold release sales alone, so Dr. Axel, inventor, innovator and entrepreneur, also manufactured vinyl doll parts and polyurethane seat cushions. By the late 1950’s, the Axel name and the company’s release products had become well recognized by molders in the growing plastic and rubber industries and the Company’s future was bright.

As demand for AXEL’s MoldWiz® products increased, the company moved into a larger industrial space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. By the 1960’s Axel was not only supplying mold release agents and processing aid additives to American industry, but had also expanded to overseas markets in Europe and Asia. In 1960, AXEL moved to a larger manufacturing space in Long Island City. After several expansions, the Company moved to Woodside in 1976. Since then, three additional adjacent properties were acquired to support the Company’s continuous growth. In 2001, the Company added the XTEND trade mark to its product line. These semi-permanent mold releases are an important component in the product mix.

Frank Axel, Rodolphe’s son, joined the company in 1970 and worked actively on expanding the company’s global reach. When Dr. Aczél died in 1980, at the age of 73, Frank moved into the position of President. Frank’s son, Jake joined the company in 2002 and serving as the Company’s Vice-President. In 2010, Jake assumed the Presidency, and Frank AXEL moved into the position of CEO, where he remains instrumental in the Company’s global affairs.