- Email: [email protected]
PolyOne launches micro-bead colour masterbatch for PET
March 2002
Additives_ for Polymers
MATERIALS Millennium Chemicals launches high durability TiO, pigment for plastics and industrial coatings Millennium Chemicals, headquartered in Red Bank, NJ, USA, has introduced a new titanium dioxide (TiO,) pigment that combines the durability of silica-encapsulated products with the superior optical performance of zirconia-stabilized products. The company says that ‘Tiona 696’ has been specifically designed to give the highest possible optical performance - opacity, gloss retention and colour retention - with maximum exterior durability. Typical applications cited by the company for the surface-treated pigment include PVC window and door profiles, siding, decking and fencing; PVC and PE furniture, tanks and high-performance pipes for exterior applications; and agricultural film. John Gilbert, Director Global Plastics Business at Millennium, says that Tiona 696’s “combination of outstanding performance and cost efficiency offers advantages over traditional superdurable pigments in all functions of the plastics processor, from compounding and manufacturing to marketing and purchasing”. The new pigment is also being targeted at applications in industrial coatings. In addition to its opacity and durability for exterior use, coatings applications will also benefit from Tiona 696’s excellent tinting strength, gloss and minimal gloss haze, Millennium claims. The surfacetreated pigment is expected to find applications in coil coatings, powder coatings, OEM and automotive refinishing systems, marine and protective coatings, low VOC liquid industrial coatings, industrial maintenance coatings and organisols and plastisols.
USA; tel: +I- 732-933-5000; fax: +I - 732-933-
5240.
PolyOne launches micro-bead colour masterbatch for PET PolyOne Corporation has launched a new kind of colour concentrate masterbatch for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) market in Europe. CornPETe@ is a micro-bead system which, PolyOne says, has several advantages over both traditional pellets and liquid masterbatches. The company says that the increasing replacement of glass bottles with PET for cosmetic and beverage markets is the driving force behind the current research and development of new colour concentrates for these materials. The conventional method of making colour concentrates (or masterbatches) involves dispersing pigment in a polymer and making it into pellets, 2-3 mm in diameter. For high volume applications such as PET bottles, these pellets have proved an effective and excellent alternative to costly pre-coloured compounds. PolyOne says the advantages of its new ComPETe system stem from the small size of the beads which gives it a high dispersion in blow-moulded PET. This provides very consistent colouring even with light tints. ComPETe can also be used in extremely high let-downs of less than 0.5%. The company says its new colorant system is also a far easier product to handle than liquid masterbatches and processing equipment needs minimal cleaning. The ComPETe range includes variants, which are available with a combination of colour and additives such as W protection.
Millennium Chemicals claims to be the secondlargest producer of TiO, in the world, with manufacturing plants in the USA, the UK, France, Brazil and Australia.
The colorant masterbatches are being produced on new production lines at the PolyOne plant in Gyor, Hungary. Full production started in July 2001. The company says its North American customers are also be able to take advantage of the benefits that ComPETe offers, using product sourced from PolyOne in the USA. According to PolyOne, ComPETe masterbatches are pioneers in a new era of colour concentrates which offer more consistent colouring and are cleaner to handle.
Contact: Millennium Chemicals Inc, 230 Harf Mile Road, PO Box 7015, Red Bank, NJ 07701,
Contact: PolyOne Plastic Compounds and Colors Group, 2 rue Melville Wilson, 5330 Assesse,
2
02002 Elsevier Science
March 2002
Belgium; tel: +32-83-660-211; fa: +32-83-MO360; UXL: www.europe.polyone.com
New additives from Milliken address antimicrobial and static problems Milliken Chemical has launched two new additives to meet antimicrobial and static management problems in a variety of applications. AlphaSan@ is a silver-based antimicrobial with high temperature stability and low colour formation which is suitable for use in a wide variety of applications, including plastics. Silver is well known to be safe for human contact and is effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms that cause odour, discoloration, biofilm formation and other aesthetic problems. According to the company, the active silver ions are contained in a zirconium phosphate-based ceramic ion-exchange resin, which controls the rate of their release at the surface. This is critical in avoiding the colour formation seen with silver-based products, Milliken previous Chemical says. The company adds that the antimicrobial properties of AlphaSan can add value through product differentiation in a number of applications. These include food and beverage handling and processing equipment, fibres and textiles, kitchen and bath surfaces, medical devices and food packaging applications. The company has also recently introduced a line of static management powders, Zelec@ Electroconductive Powders (ECPs), which it claims provide high performance and low colour. This means that the plastics can be formed in a broad spectrum of colours. They can also be formulated into clear, conductive films and coatings, Milliken says. The materials are said to be durable and stable, retaining their conductive properties regardless of temperature and are independent of humidity. Zelec ECPs are targeted at applications such as packaging, fibres and films, and the company expects demand to be high from the electronics, transportation, medical equipment and packaging industries. Milliken Chemical says that other conductive agents, such as carbon black, metals or ionic surfactants, cannot match all of the benefits provided by its Zelec powders.
02002 Elsevier Science
Additives for Polymers
In other additives-related news, the company has announced that it is to start manufacturing its Cleartint@ colorants for polypropylene in Europe this year. The new plant will be located in Gent, Belgium and is scheduled to start production in September 2002, says Milliken. The facility will be Milliken Chemicals’ first manufacturing plant in Europe. Contact: Milliken Europe NV 18 Ham, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; tel: +32-9-2651084; fax: +329-2651 195; e-mail: [email protected]
Ciba Specialty Chemicals’ UV filter gains clearance for food packaging use in USA The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance to Ciba Specialty Chemicals to market its SHELFPLUST” UV 1100 filter for use in food and beverage packaging applications in the USA. This specialized additive already has approval in the European Union for this application. SHELFPLUS UV filter is designed specifically to protect the contents in transparent PET packaging from UV light, extend shelf life and show products off to their best advantage. W light is present in both sunlight and fluorescent store lighting and can cause changes in the colour, odour, taste and nutritional value of the package contents. While clear and transparent packaging enables the consumer to see the quality of the products, SHELFPLUS W filter, incorporated into the PET packaging material, protects the content from W damage. According to Ciba, SHELFPLUS W filter can be used in applications including personal care and household products as well as in food and beverage packaging. The SHELFPLUS W filter expands Ciba’s SHELFPLUSTMline of additives for plastic packaging. In 2000, it introduced the SHELFPLUSTM 02 oxygen absorber designed to preserve package contents by reducing the level of oxygen within the package. In related news, Ciba Specialty Chemicals is to run -a seminar on ‘Global Food Contact Compliance and Regulations’ in Washington, DC, USA, on 2-3 April. It is designed to help
3
Additives_ for Polymers
MATERIALS Millennium Chemicals launches high durability TiO, pigment for plastics and industrial coatings Millennium Chemicals, headquartered in Red Bank, NJ, USA, has introduced a new titanium dioxide (TiO,) pigment that combines the durability of silica-encapsulated products with the superior optical performance of zirconia-stabilized products. The company says that ‘Tiona 696’ has been specifically designed to give the highest possible optical performance - opacity, gloss retention and colour retention - with maximum exterior durability. Typical applications cited by the company for the surface-treated pigment include PVC window and door profiles, siding, decking and fencing; PVC and PE furniture, tanks and high-performance pipes for exterior applications; and agricultural film. John Gilbert, Director Global Plastics Business at Millennium, says that Tiona 696’s “combination of outstanding performance and cost efficiency offers advantages over traditional superdurable pigments in all functions of the plastics processor, from compounding and manufacturing to marketing and purchasing”. The new pigment is also being targeted at applications in industrial coatings. In addition to its opacity and durability for exterior use, coatings applications will also benefit from Tiona 696’s excellent tinting strength, gloss and minimal gloss haze, Millennium claims. The surfacetreated pigment is expected to find applications in coil coatings, powder coatings, OEM and automotive refinishing systems, marine and protective coatings, low VOC liquid industrial coatings, industrial maintenance coatings and organisols and plastisols.
USA; tel: +I- 732-933-5000; fax: +I - 732-933-
5240.
PolyOne launches micro-bead colour masterbatch for PET PolyOne Corporation has launched a new kind of colour concentrate masterbatch for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) market in Europe. CornPETe@ is a micro-bead system which, PolyOne says, has several advantages over both traditional pellets and liquid masterbatches. The company says that the increasing replacement of glass bottles with PET for cosmetic and beverage markets is the driving force behind the current research and development of new colour concentrates for these materials. The conventional method of making colour concentrates (or masterbatches) involves dispersing pigment in a polymer and making it into pellets, 2-3 mm in diameter. For high volume applications such as PET bottles, these pellets have proved an effective and excellent alternative to costly pre-coloured compounds. PolyOne says the advantages of its new ComPETe system stem from the small size of the beads which gives it a high dispersion in blow-moulded PET. This provides very consistent colouring even with light tints. ComPETe can also be used in extremely high let-downs of less than 0.5%. The company says its new colorant system is also a far easier product to handle than liquid masterbatches and processing equipment needs minimal cleaning. The ComPETe range includes variants, which are available with a combination of colour and additives such as W protection.
Millennium Chemicals claims to be the secondlargest producer of TiO, in the world, with manufacturing plants in the USA, the UK, France, Brazil and Australia.
The colorant masterbatches are being produced on new production lines at the PolyOne plant in Gyor, Hungary. Full production started in July 2001. The company says its North American customers are also be able to take advantage of the benefits that ComPETe offers, using product sourced from PolyOne in the USA. According to PolyOne, ComPETe masterbatches are pioneers in a new era of colour concentrates which offer more consistent colouring and are cleaner to handle.
Contact: Millennium Chemicals Inc, 230 Harf Mile Road, PO Box 7015, Red Bank, NJ 07701,
Contact: PolyOne Plastic Compounds and Colors Group, 2 rue Melville Wilson, 5330 Assesse,
2
02002 Elsevier Science
March 2002
Belgium; tel: +32-83-660-211; fa: +32-83-MO360; UXL: www.europe.polyone.com
New additives from Milliken address antimicrobial and static problems Milliken Chemical has launched two new additives to meet antimicrobial and static management problems in a variety of applications. AlphaSan@ is a silver-based antimicrobial with high temperature stability and low colour formation which is suitable for use in a wide variety of applications, including plastics. Silver is well known to be safe for human contact and is effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms that cause odour, discoloration, biofilm formation and other aesthetic problems. According to the company, the active silver ions are contained in a zirconium phosphate-based ceramic ion-exchange resin, which controls the rate of their release at the surface. This is critical in avoiding the colour formation seen with silver-based products, Milliken previous Chemical says. The company adds that the antimicrobial properties of AlphaSan can add value through product differentiation in a number of applications. These include food and beverage handling and processing equipment, fibres and textiles, kitchen and bath surfaces, medical devices and food packaging applications. The company has also recently introduced a line of static management powders, Zelec@ Electroconductive Powders (ECPs), which it claims provide high performance and low colour. This means that the plastics can be formed in a broad spectrum of colours. They can also be formulated into clear, conductive films and coatings, Milliken says. The materials are said to be durable and stable, retaining their conductive properties regardless of temperature and are independent of humidity. Zelec ECPs are targeted at applications such as packaging, fibres and films, and the company expects demand to be high from the electronics, transportation, medical equipment and packaging industries. Milliken Chemical says that other conductive agents, such as carbon black, metals or ionic surfactants, cannot match all of the benefits provided by its Zelec powders.
02002 Elsevier Science
Additives for Polymers
In other additives-related news, the company has announced that it is to start manufacturing its Cleartint@ colorants for polypropylene in Europe this year. The new plant will be located in Gent, Belgium and is scheduled to start production in September 2002, says Milliken. The facility will be Milliken Chemicals’ first manufacturing plant in Europe. Contact: Milliken Europe NV 18 Ham, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; tel: +32-9-2651084; fax: +329-2651 195; e-mail: [email protected]
Ciba Specialty Chemicals’ UV filter gains clearance for food packaging use in USA The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance to Ciba Specialty Chemicals to market its SHELFPLUST” UV 1100 filter for use in food and beverage packaging applications in the USA. This specialized additive already has approval in the European Union for this application. SHELFPLUS UV filter is designed specifically to protect the contents in transparent PET packaging from UV light, extend shelf life and show products off to their best advantage. W light is present in both sunlight and fluorescent store lighting and can cause changes in the colour, odour, taste and nutritional value of the package contents. While clear and transparent packaging enables the consumer to see the quality of the products, SHELFPLUS W filter, incorporated into the PET packaging material, protects the content from W damage. According to Ciba, SHELFPLUS W filter can be used in applications including personal care and household products as well as in food and beverage packaging. The SHELFPLUS W filter expands Ciba’s SHELFPLUSTMline of additives for plastic packaging. In 2000, it introduced the SHELFPLUSTM 02 oxygen absorber designed to preserve package contents by reducing the level of oxygen within the package. In related news, Ciba Specialty Chemicals is to run -a seminar on ‘Global Food Contact Compliance and Regulations’ in Washington, DC, USA, on 2-3 April. It is designed to help
3