Materials (October 01, 2003)

Capstock provides color stability

Luran S 797 SE Q440 ASA is a new low-gloss capstock resin targeted for construction applications, especially in areas where plastic building materials such as vinyl are unable to meet all performance parameters on their own. The resin is especially targeted at siding or fencing as a capstock over vinyl, or at decking or other profile applications requiring low gloss.

“The new Luran S ASA Q 440 capstock resin provides long-term color stability in a wider range of colors, including the mid-range and dark colors that are growing in popularity,” reports Herman Savenije, BASF business director, NAFTA styrenic copolymers.

The new product can meet the impact requirements for siding and provides 99.5% UV protection to the base material at a thickness as low as 3 mils.

BASF Corporation 800-267-2955

Color trends for the recreational market

Pondering next year’s design? Teknor has released its view of which colors will be hot next year. Some examples are: Sky Blue, Hot Cranberry and Tanned Leather for sporting and recreational products, and Yellow Pop, Blue Splash and Poppy for a fusion of the youth-oriented tech world with the changeable color world of consumer electronics. Teknor’s look at where color is headed draws not just on the science of demographics, but on its own intuitive sense of color trends — a sense that continually evolves as Teknor works with designers in all plastics market.

Teknor Color Company 914-478-0754

Alliance introduces high performance alloys

The Versalloy 8000 TPV, from GLS and DSM, was created to maintain many of the beneficial high performance properties of TPVs, such as oil resistance and high temperature resistance, while offering the processor significant advantages. The new injection moldable TPV alloys offer high flow characteristics so that the material can flow into very complex mold geometries, including long, thin flow paths. The new 8000 grades offer excellent aesthetics, as well as isotropic shrinkage, an uncommon characteristic for many TPEs in the industry.

With its high-flow properties and wide processing window, the Versalloy 8000 TPV alloys can be “dropped in” to many PVC, stryrenic block copolymer or TPV tools. Target applications include hand and power tools, lawn and garden equipment, kitchenware, office products and sports and leisure goods, among others.

GLS Corporation 800-457-8777

Blue is color palette direction for 2004

Blue, according to Color Marketing Group, represents dependability, trust and peace. It’s a stable color of traditional and lasting values. Variations of blue have already been introduced by Ampacet in a new packaging scheme for one of the world’s most renowned producers of laundry detergent. The range of blues recently unveiled prove the grounded feel traditionally associated with the color, while incorporating special effects appealing to consumers. Ampacet’s new introductions include Cirruscape — a lustrous blue that reflects serenity and an escape from life’s turmoil; Spaqua — a clean, sparkling blue showcased with a blend of interference and silver-white large particle pigments; and Bleu Energie — a strongly androgynous, yet complex, approach to blue.

Ampacet Canada Co. 800-265-6711