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Eckart presents pearlescent pigments for packaging applications and more
MATERIALS
MATERIALS Eckart presents pearlescent pigments for packaging applications and more
E
ffect pigments producer Eckart GmbH of Hartenstein, Germany, has extended its Luxan range of glass pearl pigments with the introduction of the Luxan K series. Targeted particularly at packaging applications, the new pearlescent pigment family is reported to provide ‘exceptional optical appearance’ due to its high transparency, colour intensity, colour purity and intensive lustre. The Luxan K series was unveiled at the recent K 2016 tradeshow in Düsseldorf, where the Altana group company also presented the latest addition to its Symic range of synthetic pearlescent pigments. According to Eckart, the new Luxan K glass pigments are ideally suited for use in transparent resins owing to their ‘outstanding transparency’. Other advantages include high chroma and colour intensity, while the sparkle effect is achievable even at low pigmentation levels, the company claims. In addition, the pigments are approved for food contact applications, it reports. They are suitable for use with polyolefins and polyvinyl chloride as well as engineering plastics, the company says. The ‘special features’ of the new Luxan K pigments rest on the one hand on their ‘high transparency and brilliance’, Eckart explains. In combination with dyes in particular, they offer a ‘unique added value’ for applications based on transparent resins, such as glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) and Eastman’s Glass Polymer™ and Tritan™ ranges, the company says. In addition to the ‘see-through’ effect, Luxan K pigments create a 3D-effect, ‘providing the impression that brilliance arises from the depths’, according to Eckart. On the other hand, the Luxan K series combines ‘extraordinary sparkling effects’ with high chroma and ‘unrivalled colour intensity’, the company claims. This adds a ‘luxurious lustre effect’, reminiscent of a diamond sparkle, in transparent packaging materials for foods and cosmetics, it reports. The new Luxan K family is also suitable for use in automotive interiors, for household appliances, or in sports and leisure goods, the company says. In automobile applications, the pigments create ‘the impression of distinctive elegance’, being
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Additives for Polymers
‘perfectly suited’ for the high-gloss, jet-black plastic components used in the interior trim, Eckart enthuses. Shades such as Luxan K ‘Piano Black’, for example, provide an ‘unmatched brilliance’ and convey ‘a touch of sumptuousness’, it claims. The newest member of Eckart’s Symic range is gold-coloured effect pigment Symic C 393. The company explains that it employs an ‘innovative coating technology’ for the production of the new pigment, which refines the synthetic sheet silicate substrate with customized metal oxides. The result is ‘an exceptional colour purity and depth’ combined with brilliance and sparkling effects, akin to ‘the sparkle of sun rays’, it claims. Symic C 393 also provides more hiding power than the ‘market standard’, Eckart says. In addition to its ‘fascinating’ gloss and sparkle, chroma and colour intensity, the new synthetic pearlescent pigment possesses ‘extraordinary’ chemical stability as well as high shear stability, the company reports. It is also easily incorporated and suitable for use in a variety of applications, including food and cosmetics packaging and decorative applications. ‘Our new pigments offer the possibility to transform effects into emotions that attract consumers and pay off for our customers at the point of sale’, concludes Dr Dietmar Mäder, global head of Eckart’s plastics, marketing and technical service groups. Headquartered in Germany, Eckart employs approximately 1850 people in the development, production and marketing of metallic effect and pearlescent pigments in powder, paste and pellet form. It also produces concentrates, dispersions and printing inks. In addition to the plastics industry, the company’s products are used in the graphics, paint and aerated-concrete industries and in cosmetic products. Eckart does business in more than 70 countries. In other news from the Altana group, BYK Additives & Instruments has awarded this year’s internal ‘BYK Advance’ innovation prize to a new generation of polymeric additives that improve the properties of glass fibre reinforcements for thermoplastics. Based on maleic acid anhydride (MAH)grafted polypropylene, the new film formers are added to the glass-fibre sizing. The MAH groups of the polymers then react with the glass surface during the manufacturing of the fibres, improving properties such as temperature stability and silane resistance, BYK reports. As a result, properties of the finished composite such as mechanical and detergent resistance are improved and ageing reduced, the company says. The first product in this new series is available under the brand name Aquacer 1868. For the first half of 2016, BYK Additives & Instruments achieved sales growth of 3% to E469 million, while sales of Eckart effect pigments were up 1% to E181 million.
November 2016
MATERIALS
For the Altana group as a whole, operating sales were up 1% in 1H 2016 although nominal sales fell 1% to E1.064 billion as a result of exchange rate effects and portfolio adjustments. However, the company’s EBITDA grew 19% year on year to E249 million. Contact: Altana AG, Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 8, Web: www.altana.com Or contact: BYK-Chemie GmbH, Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 0, Web: www.byk.com/additives Or contact: Eckart GmbH, Hartenstein, Germany. Tel: +49 9152 770, Web: www.eckart.net
Ampacet unveils antiskid technology for flexible packaging
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he AntiSkid range from masterbatch specialist Ampacet Corp is reported to feature innovative additive technology for flexible packaging applications that require a non-slip surface, whether for optimum functionality or for visual and tactile appeal. Containing proprietary organic anti-skid ingredients, the new products are available in a range of particle sizes, similar to medium (100 grit) to coarse (40 grit) sandpaper, the company says. According to Ampacet, particle concentrations can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on the needs of the anti-slip application. AntiSkid can be used in 2 mil (0.05 mm) or thicker multilayer films, and is suitable for blown and cast film and sheet extrusion processes under normal conditions, the company reports. The technology was developed in response to consumer requests for ‘an additive with superior anti-slip properties’, explains Doug Brownfield, Ampacet’s strategic business and marketing manager. AntiSkid is ‘extremely useful’ in applications in which surface texture provides added functionality, he says. In addition to its anti-slip advantages, AntiSkid ‘performs well’ during the extrusion process and can easily be combined with other functional and special effects additives to achieve a ‘wide range of desired visual effects’, Ampacet reports. It offers unique textural and tactile appeal and translucency in flexible packaging, and a variety of dramatic looks are achievable, from antique plate glass to moisture droplets, Brownfield adds. Suggested applications for the new product range include adhesive labels, anti-slip tapes, double-sided tapes, heavy-duty sacks, extruded parts, flooring and decking,
November 2016
roofing membranes and embossed-film tyre wrap alternatives. AntiSkid is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the company reports, and can be extruded into the film structure for applications such as stand-up food pouches that can be reverse printed for enhanced visual and tactile appeal for added shelf impact. According to Ampacet, it also eliminates the need to overprint a non-slip treatment. Contact: Ampacet Corp, Tarrytown, NY, USA. Tel: +1 914 631 6600, Web: www.ampacet.com
Grafe develops matting agent and melt flow enhancers
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erman masterbatch producer Grafe has developed a matting agent that provides an appealing surface finish combined with improved scratch resistance, the company claims. The additive is incorporated directly in the injection or extrusion process used to manufacture the plastic component, thereby eliminating the need for etched moulds or costly post-production treatments, Grafe explains. In a separate development, the company has introduced additive masterbatches to improve the processing of polyolefins and polyamides. The trend towards matte surfaces has been growing in recent years, the company reports. New automotive vehicle models with an extremely matte surface have become more common on the market in the past few years, standing out clearly from earlier models with a metallic finish. The trend is also noticeable in the consumer goods sector when an elegant, exclusive look is desired. To date, the creation of a modern, matte appearance has typically only been possible by means of expensive reworking or treatments such as sandblasting, painting or the use of in-mould labelling (IML) films, according to Grafe. The matting agent is added into the plastic melt and, even in the case of polished mould surfaces, produces a diffuse light refraction/scattering, the company reports. This creates a ‘matte, satin finish with a velvety feel’, according to Danny Ludwig, director of the Grafe Design Centre. ‘With the help of our matting agent, glossy and matte surface effects can be realized in a single tool’, Ludwig continues. As a result, plastics processors can dispense with the use of an eroded or etched injection mould, which not only saves costs but also adds
Additives for Polymers
3
MATERIALS Eckart presents pearlescent pigments for packaging applications and more
E
ffect pigments producer Eckart GmbH of Hartenstein, Germany, has extended its Luxan range of glass pearl pigments with the introduction of the Luxan K series. Targeted particularly at packaging applications, the new pearlescent pigment family is reported to provide ‘exceptional optical appearance’ due to its high transparency, colour intensity, colour purity and intensive lustre. The Luxan K series was unveiled at the recent K 2016 tradeshow in Düsseldorf, where the Altana group company also presented the latest addition to its Symic range of synthetic pearlescent pigments. According to Eckart, the new Luxan K glass pigments are ideally suited for use in transparent resins owing to their ‘outstanding transparency’. Other advantages include high chroma and colour intensity, while the sparkle effect is achievable even at low pigmentation levels, the company claims. In addition, the pigments are approved for food contact applications, it reports. They are suitable for use with polyolefins and polyvinyl chloride as well as engineering plastics, the company says. The ‘special features’ of the new Luxan K pigments rest on the one hand on their ‘high transparency and brilliance’, Eckart explains. In combination with dyes in particular, they offer a ‘unique added value’ for applications based on transparent resins, such as glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) and Eastman’s Glass Polymer™ and Tritan™ ranges, the company says. In addition to the ‘see-through’ effect, Luxan K pigments create a 3D-effect, ‘providing the impression that brilliance arises from the depths’, according to Eckart. On the other hand, the Luxan K series combines ‘extraordinary sparkling effects’ with high chroma and ‘unrivalled colour intensity’, the company claims. This adds a ‘luxurious lustre effect’, reminiscent of a diamond sparkle, in transparent packaging materials for foods and cosmetics, it reports. The new Luxan K family is also suitable for use in automotive interiors, for household appliances, or in sports and leisure goods, the company says. In automobile applications, the pigments create ‘the impression of distinctive elegance’, being
2
Additives for Polymers
‘perfectly suited’ for the high-gloss, jet-black plastic components used in the interior trim, Eckart enthuses. Shades such as Luxan K ‘Piano Black’, for example, provide an ‘unmatched brilliance’ and convey ‘a touch of sumptuousness’, it claims. The newest member of Eckart’s Symic range is gold-coloured effect pigment Symic C 393. The company explains that it employs an ‘innovative coating technology’ for the production of the new pigment, which refines the synthetic sheet silicate substrate with customized metal oxides. The result is ‘an exceptional colour purity and depth’ combined with brilliance and sparkling effects, akin to ‘the sparkle of sun rays’, it claims. Symic C 393 also provides more hiding power than the ‘market standard’, Eckart says. In addition to its ‘fascinating’ gloss and sparkle, chroma and colour intensity, the new synthetic pearlescent pigment possesses ‘extraordinary’ chemical stability as well as high shear stability, the company reports. It is also easily incorporated and suitable for use in a variety of applications, including food and cosmetics packaging and decorative applications. ‘Our new pigments offer the possibility to transform effects into emotions that attract consumers and pay off for our customers at the point of sale’, concludes Dr Dietmar Mäder, global head of Eckart’s plastics, marketing and technical service groups. Headquartered in Germany, Eckart employs approximately 1850 people in the development, production and marketing of metallic effect and pearlescent pigments in powder, paste and pellet form. It also produces concentrates, dispersions and printing inks. In addition to the plastics industry, the company’s products are used in the graphics, paint and aerated-concrete industries and in cosmetic products. Eckart does business in more than 70 countries. In other news from the Altana group, BYK Additives & Instruments has awarded this year’s internal ‘BYK Advance’ innovation prize to a new generation of polymeric additives that improve the properties of glass fibre reinforcements for thermoplastics. Based on maleic acid anhydride (MAH)grafted polypropylene, the new film formers are added to the glass-fibre sizing. The MAH groups of the polymers then react with the glass surface during the manufacturing of the fibres, improving properties such as temperature stability and silane resistance, BYK reports. As a result, properties of the finished composite such as mechanical and detergent resistance are improved and ageing reduced, the company says. The first product in this new series is available under the brand name Aquacer 1868. For the first half of 2016, BYK Additives & Instruments achieved sales growth of 3% to E469 million, while sales of Eckart effect pigments were up 1% to E181 million.
November 2016
MATERIALS
For the Altana group as a whole, operating sales were up 1% in 1H 2016 although nominal sales fell 1% to E1.064 billion as a result of exchange rate effects and portfolio adjustments. However, the company’s EBITDA grew 19% year on year to E249 million. Contact: Altana AG, Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 8, Web: www.altana.com Or contact: BYK-Chemie GmbH, Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 0, Web: www.byk.com/additives Or contact: Eckart GmbH, Hartenstein, Germany. Tel: +49 9152 770, Web: www.eckart.net
Ampacet unveils antiskid technology for flexible packaging
T
he AntiSkid range from masterbatch specialist Ampacet Corp is reported to feature innovative additive technology for flexible packaging applications that require a non-slip surface, whether for optimum functionality or for visual and tactile appeal. Containing proprietary organic anti-skid ingredients, the new products are available in a range of particle sizes, similar to medium (100 grit) to coarse (40 grit) sandpaper, the company says. According to Ampacet, particle concentrations can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on the needs of the anti-slip application. AntiSkid can be used in 2 mil (0.05 mm) or thicker multilayer films, and is suitable for blown and cast film and sheet extrusion processes under normal conditions, the company reports. The technology was developed in response to consumer requests for ‘an additive with superior anti-slip properties’, explains Doug Brownfield, Ampacet’s strategic business and marketing manager. AntiSkid is ‘extremely useful’ in applications in which surface texture provides added functionality, he says. In addition to its anti-slip advantages, AntiSkid ‘performs well’ during the extrusion process and can easily be combined with other functional and special effects additives to achieve a ‘wide range of desired visual effects’, Ampacet reports. It offers unique textural and tactile appeal and translucency in flexible packaging, and a variety of dramatic looks are achievable, from antique plate glass to moisture droplets, Brownfield adds. Suggested applications for the new product range include adhesive labels, anti-slip tapes, double-sided tapes, heavy-duty sacks, extruded parts, flooring and decking,
November 2016
roofing membranes and embossed-film tyre wrap alternatives. AntiSkid is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the company reports, and can be extruded into the film structure for applications such as stand-up food pouches that can be reverse printed for enhanced visual and tactile appeal for added shelf impact. According to Ampacet, it also eliminates the need to overprint a non-slip treatment. Contact: Ampacet Corp, Tarrytown, NY, USA. Tel: +1 914 631 6600, Web: www.ampacet.com
Grafe develops matting agent and melt flow enhancers
G
erman masterbatch producer Grafe has developed a matting agent that provides an appealing surface finish combined with improved scratch resistance, the company claims. The additive is incorporated directly in the injection or extrusion process used to manufacture the plastic component, thereby eliminating the need for etched moulds or costly post-production treatments, Grafe explains. In a separate development, the company has introduced additive masterbatches to improve the processing of polyolefins and polyamides. The trend towards matte surfaces has been growing in recent years, the company reports. New automotive vehicle models with an extremely matte surface have become more common on the market in the past few years, standing out clearly from earlier models with a metallic finish. The trend is also noticeable in the consumer goods sector when an elegant, exclusive look is desired. To date, the creation of a modern, matte appearance has typically only been possible by means of expensive reworking or treatments such as sandblasting, painting or the use of in-mould labelling (IML) films, according to Grafe. The matting agent is added into the plastic melt and, even in the case of polished mould surfaces, produces a diffuse light refraction/scattering, the company reports. This creates a ‘matte, satin finish with a velvety feel’, according to Danny Ludwig, director of the Grafe Design Centre. ‘With the help of our matting agent, glossy and matte surface effects can be realized in a single tool’, Ludwig continues. As a result, plastics processors can dispense with the use of an eroded or etched injection mould, which not only saves costs but also adds
Additives for Polymers
3