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Organic lubricant speeds up WPC processing
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News
Clariant introduces special colour effects Clariant Masterbatches has launched extended lines of special colour effects for plastic packaging. What it calls Spectrachrome multicolourflip and thermochromic colour effects will be launched under a new product line brand called ENIGMA™. According to Clariant, the Spectrachrome effect works on the basis of the light refraction which can be created by fabricated materials such as laminated sheet, glass, liquid crystal and silica. These materials can be incorporated into the surface of a plastic container, along with a pigment in order to create a effect of seeing a ‘flash’ of different colours depending on
the angle at which the plastic is viewed. Clariant says that this can be made all the more dramatic when there are several layers of material so that the colour in the middle of three layers, for example, acts as a light absorber or reflector, depending on the shade. “Imagine a blue container that literally changes to violet on the store shelf as you walk past it," says Len Kulka, Creative Director of Clariant ColorWorks Packaging. “This effect is exotic, but it runs within conventional processing parameters and cycle times and does not require special tooling.” The company has also launched thermochromic
additives and colorants designed for polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blowmoulded bottles. They allow the plastic to change colour when exposed to heat or cold, keeping the change until the bottle returns to room temperature, Clariant reports, adding that a wider variety of colour effects can be created with multilayer blow moulded bottles. If, for example, a darker base layer is used, it can increase the effect of the thermochromic colour change taking place on the bottle’s surface. The company says that this technology can be used for health packaging, products designed for children and
consumer goods. It is currently not approved for food contact applications. In other news, Clariant reports that its Soft-Touch special effects, which have only been available in blowmoulded containers, are now available in polyolefin (PO)-based injection-moulded products like caps and closures. SoftTouch is based on a soft textured resin compound in conjunction with a masterbatch colorant system to provide a soft matte finish, and can also impart a lustrous shimmer to polymer products. Contact: Clariant Masterbatches Website: www.clariant.masterbatches.com
Organic lubricant speeds up WPC processing An organic lubricant has been launched for wood-plastic composites (WPC). Glycolube WP 2200 has been developed by chemical producer Lonza, based in Basel, Switzerland. Lonza says that when used in production of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/oak and
HDPE/pine wood flour composites, Glycolube facilitated extrusion outputs that were faster than outputs when combinations of Acrawax and zinc stearate were used. In laboratory evaluations the output increase ranged from 10/30 per cent. The physical
properties of the extruded products using the new lubricant were also slightly improved, with good surface appearance and no edge tear, even with complex profiles, says Lonza. Because the lubricant is all-organic, Glycolube can be used in
conjunction with coupling agents without the interference that comes from metal containing lubricant systems, Lonza reports. Contact: Lonza Website: www.lonza.com.
Englehard launch copper and russet pigments Pigments developed by Engelhard Corporation can impart rich metallic copper and russet effects to plastics, the company reports. Lumina® Russet and Copper special effect pigments can give chromaticity, advanced colour purity, and more brilliance and hiding capability than previous
colours. The company says that Lumina Russet and Copper are non-reactive and nontarnishing under most conditions and are compatible with solvent and water-based liquid coatings and powder coatings. The pigments are available in the form of particles of mica
Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December2004
and are also said to mix with the plastic through multilayer coating. Engelhard says that Lumina Russet and Copper can be incorporated during injection moulding, blow moulding or extrusion processing. They are said to be suitable for end-use applications such as as cosmetic
12
and personal care packaging, architectural applications, sporting goods, appliances and electronics. They are available with Engelhard’s CFS™ chrome-free treatment for exterior applications. Contact: Engelhard Corporation www.engelhard.com
News
Clariant introduces special colour effects Clariant Masterbatches has launched extended lines of special colour effects for plastic packaging. What it calls Spectrachrome multicolourflip and thermochromic colour effects will be launched under a new product line brand called ENIGMA™. According to Clariant, the Spectrachrome effect works on the basis of the light refraction which can be created by fabricated materials such as laminated sheet, glass, liquid crystal and silica. These materials can be incorporated into the surface of a plastic container, along with a pigment in order to create a effect of seeing a ‘flash’ of different colours depending on
the angle at which the plastic is viewed. Clariant says that this can be made all the more dramatic when there are several layers of material so that the colour in the middle of three layers, for example, acts as a light absorber or reflector, depending on the shade. “Imagine a blue container that literally changes to violet on the store shelf as you walk past it," says Len Kulka, Creative Director of Clariant ColorWorks Packaging. “This effect is exotic, but it runs within conventional processing parameters and cycle times and does not require special tooling.” The company has also launched thermochromic
additives and colorants designed for polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blowmoulded bottles. They allow the plastic to change colour when exposed to heat or cold, keeping the change until the bottle returns to room temperature, Clariant reports, adding that a wider variety of colour effects can be created with multilayer blow moulded bottles. If, for example, a darker base layer is used, it can increase the effect of the thermochromic colour change taking place on the bottle’s surface. The company says that this technology can be used for health packaging, products designed for children and
consumer goods. It is currently not approved for food contact applications. In other news, Clariant reports that its Soft-Touch special effects, which have only been available in blowmoulded containers, are now available in polyolefin (PO)-based injection-moulded products like caps and closures. SoftTouch is based on a soft textured resin compound in conjunction with a masterbatch colorant system to provide a soft matte finish, and can also impart a lustrous shimmer to polymer products. Contact: Clariant Masterbatches Website: www.clariant.masterbatches.com
Organic lubricant speeds up WPC processing An organic lubricant has been launched for wood-plastic composites (WPC). Glycolube WP 2200 has been developed by chemical producer Lonza, based in Basel, Switzerland. Lonza says that when used in production of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/oak and
HDPE/pine wood flour composites, Glycolube facilitated extrusion outputs that were faster than outputs when combinations of Acrawax and zinc stearate were used. In laboratory evaluations the output increase ranged from 10/30 per cent. The physical
properties of the extruded products using the new lubricant were also slightly improved, with good surface appearance and no edge tear, even with complex profiles, says Lonza. Because the lubricant is all-organic, Glycolube can be used in
conjunction with coupling agents without the interference that comes from metal containing lubricant systems, Lonza reports. Contact: Lonza Website: www.lonza.com.
Englehard launch copper and russet pigments Pigments developed by Engelhard Corporation can impart rich metallic copper and russet effects to plastics, the company reports. Lumina® Russet and Copper special effect pigments can give chromaticity, advanced colour purity, and more brilliance and hiding capability than previous
colours. The company says that Lumina Russet and Copper are non-reactive and nontarnishing under most conditions and are compatible with solvent and water-based liquid coatings and powder coatings. The pigments are available in the form of particles of mica
Plastics Additives & Compounding November/December2004
and are also said to mix with the plastic through multilayer coating. Engelhard says that Lumina Russet and Copper can be incorporated during injection moulding, blow moulding or extrusion processing. They are said to be suitable for end-use applications such as as cosmetic
12
and personal care packaging, architectural applications, sporting goods, appliances and electronics. They are available with Engelhard’s CFS™ chrome-free treatment for exterior applications. Contact: Engelhard Corporation www.engelhard.com