pigments | Special effects
Right: Recent introductions
from Ampacet include the Cork Secundei- ra and Geo
series polished concrete
special effect pigments
Below: Geotech has introduced a range of 12 synthetic special effect pearlescent pigments
series of special effects, where polymer finishes such as cast and polished concrete, barre and galactic granite, and morion and crystal quartz are now possible. The Cork series features finishes including corkboard, mocha bark and black cork. And new effects are also available for forged carbon fibre that creates a surface similar to natural black granite, as well as coloured carbon fibre. “Ampacet is meeting these consumer demands by collaboratively working with internal teams to ideate and create solutions to maximise these opportunities,” says Linda Carroll, Director, Global Insight at the company. “There is certainly an expectation by consumers and OEMs alike for non-traditional use of plastics. Through detectable patterns in the global marketplace we know that the desired material effects will include hammered finishes to exude a physical and tactile presence, while the desire for warmed matte finishes resonate with the desire for therapeutic effects. The expectation of materials to provide a functional aspect is also prevalent. In the automotive field, exterior TPU panels are now being looked at as a telecommunications platform for connected vehicles. In addition, for example, there is the exploration into the use of 3D polymers that morph and enhance colours and effects through movement. There are also a great many opportunities for special effects in plastics for use in vehicle interiors emulating the looks of metal, stone or other natural materials.”
Synthetic mica Netherlands-based manufacturer of special effect pigments Geotech sees the need to substitute natural mica-based pigments with synthetic materials for pearlescent effects as the main trend at present in the
industry. “There two main problems with natural mica-based pearlescent pigments: the purity of the pigment and batch-to- batch consistency. It is getting increas- ingly complicated to get a clean natural mica from mining. In the long term, supplies of natural mica are limited and there are also concerns about child labour
being involved in illegal mica mining in India, which means that the industry needs to develop new solutions,” says Managing Director Harold van Haren. “Synthetic mica-based special
effect pigments offer a cleaner colour with a brighter effect. This is due to more consistent
transparency of synthetic mica flakes. Suppliers are able to control the quality in a better way. In the past five years the supply of synthetic mica, mainly from China, has increased considerably and as a result prices have dropped. Synthetic pearlescent pigments are increasingly being used to produce masterbatches with pearlescent effects, which can be used for mass market products,” he says. “Geotech’s product development is focusing on synthetic substrates for special effect pigments. For high end applications, borosilicate will be the main material, while for mass market, synthetic mica is the perfect solution to develop high quality special effect pigments with great lustre and optimum brightness,” van Haren explains. The company has recently introduced 12 new synthetic special effect pigments. The Geopearl Crystal range contains over 50 products offering a variety of colours and effects from a silky lustre to a scattering glitter. This range is being expanded to include warm Sun Gold products that will be available in five particle sizes; 5–25 microns (silk), 10–60 microns (regular), 10–100 microns (bright), 50–250 microns (glittering) and 100–1000 microns (scattering). Geotech has also expanded its Geodiamond portfolio
of borosilicate pigments with a new particle size; 10–60 microns (XS range). This new range is available in the interference colours – silver, gold, red, green, blue and violet. The glass flakes are coated with metal oxides in order to create optical transparency in combination with brilliance and high colour intensity. According to the company, Geodiamond XS pigments offer new styling possibilities in plastics for cosmetic and food packaging, toys, household appliances and automotive interior parts. “We aim to continue to expand the range,” van Haren adds. “This will include sparkling materials for
56 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2017
www.compoundingworld.com
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