Product Spotlight: Colorants
Canadian Plastics
A STRONG, NEW, MID-SHADE RED from Ciba is designed for easy processing and dimensional stability. Ciba's Cromophtal Red 2028 is a non-warping, non-shrinking pigment, suitable for warpage sensitive app...
A STRONG, NEW, MID-SHADE RED from Ciba is designed for easy processing and dimensional stability. Ciba’s Cromophtal Red 2028 is a non-warping, non-shrinking pigment, suitable for warpage sensitive applications in HDPE, LDPE and PP. Customer trials have shown its effectiveness and non-warping performance in crates, containers and closures made from HDPE.
The pigment has high color strength and wide approval for food-contact uses. With high heat resistance, it is able to be molded with fast cycle times and at high temperatures.
Cromophtal Red 2028 is based on Ciba’s DPP chemistry and may be used in most common polymers, e.g., polyolefins, general purpose PS, HIPS, ABS, PVC, PBT and many types of elastomers.
Ciba Specialty Chemicals Canada Inc. 888-371-2422
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SHARPER, DARKER LASER MARKING is possible with Engelhard’s Mark-it pigment for laser marking applications. Mark-it is comprised of tin (98%) and antimony (2%) particulates and offers significant improvement versus competitive oxide pigments. It provides a sharper and darker mark as well as a better cost versus performance ratio than its competitors.
Also, Mart-it has been approved by the FDA for use (CFA 178.3297) as a colorant for polyolefin food contact applications.
Laser marking can be used for part identification and traceability.
Stochem Division, Univar Canada 905-458-6888
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TWO COMPOUNDED COLOR EFFECTS have been added to Bayer’s Fantasia palette of colors and special effects. Deja Blue is a bright blue with a glowing edge; Atlantis is a metameric effect that shifts between purple and green.
Both effects are designed for use with Bayer Polymers’ Makrolon polycarbonate and Bayblend PC/ABS resins.
Bayer Polymers 800-668-2554
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Selling service
Going beyond the physical product, colorant suppliers have turned to a “solutions” approach, selling their services and expertise as well as color concentrates or pigments. Ciba, for example, now sells color-matching software called Colibri QuickMatch. Ampacet, a producer of color and additive masterbatches, is branding concepts such as “Total Color Solutions Plus” and “Total Bottle Cost Reduction”, which combine color development with processing issues and package development. PolyOne has developed OnColor virtual color technology, a color matching and color viewing technology.
So in these times of increasing resin costs, it may help to consider your colorant supplier as a product and process development resource.
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BAYER’S FANTASIA LINE of colors and effects for plastics goes beyond traditional compounded coloring methods, incorporating specialty coatings and color infusion. Part of the Fantasia line is the Imagio resin-plus-coating technology which provides a wide range of colors and special soft-feel effects options using coating technology from PPG Industries Inc.
“Together with Bayer Polymers, PPG has essentially eliminated the uncertainty typically associated with coating and resin compatibility,” explains Petra L’Abbe, global market manager at PPG. “We selected a coatings system optimized for Bayer Polymers’ line of engineering resins.”
PPG coatings are spray-applied to Bayer resins using a two- or three-step process. The multi-step process helps to diminish the visual impact of possible defects that could occur in part molding, thus reducing part reject rates.
Bayer Polymers 877-229-3758
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WANT YOUR CURVED PRODUCT to stand out? Color-variable concentrates that give the impression of shifting or merging colors as the viewing angle changes are now available from Teknor Apex. Teknor’s Magic Color Concentrates use Variocrom pigments from BASF.
The intensity of the color-variable effect depends on the clarity of the natural resin used, and the shift in hue is most pronounced in large parts with multiple curves.
Custom formulations of Magic Color Concentrates are available in a wide range of colors for use with PE, PP, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and most ABS grades.
Teknor Apex 800-554-9892
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A LOW-WARPING BLUE pigment has been developed by BASF for injection molded polyolefin parts. Unlike conventional phthalocyanine pigments, BASF’s Heliogen Blue K 7104 LW has no effect on shape in polyolefins. It is also stable during processing, has high color strength and is easy to disperse.
Injection molded parts colored with Heliogen Blue K 7104 LW, such as bottle crates and bottle caps, retain their shape perfectly.
BASF Canada 800-267-2955
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A LINE OF PVC-BASED color concentrates for use in rigid or flexible PVC is now available throughout North America. Clariant Masterbatches’ Renol concentrates were developed in Canada, and first introduced in this market.
The line of standard masterbatches offer outstanding processability and exceptional color selection. They are available in traditional pellets or dry powder.
Clariant Masterbatches Division 800-265-3773
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A LUXURIOUS METALLIC GOLD look is produced by Engelhard’s Lumina Brass special effect pigment. Lumina Brass is a mica-based, non-metallic pigment with higher chromoaticity, higher color purity and more brightness and hiding power than traditional non-metallic brass colors.
This pigment has a tight mica particle-size distribution and a unique multi-layer coating technology to create a distinct look. It processes easily in injection molding, blow molding and extrusion processes.
It is also available with Engelhard’s CFS chrome-free treatment for exterior applications.
Stochem Division, Univar Canada 905-458-6888