THERMOPLASTIC CONCENTRATES | MARKETS
this market demand, Avient has developed speckle effects that feature visible dark particles on a white background or white particles on a dark background. These effects can be used with both virgin and recycled polymers,” said Laura Carrillo, Senior Marketing Manager Transportation at Avient. Black packaging or parts coloured with carbon black are unable to be identified in recycling systems using established near-infrared (NIR) technology for sorting. In response, suppliers have introduced alternative NIR-detectable blacks. In Canada, for example, a recent ban on carbon black in single-use plastics for food service is driving a shift to NIR-detect- able blacks, said Lisa Cooper, Product Stewardship and Sustainability Manager at Colortech. The company recently introduced NIR Black F000196, a low-cost solution with a blue undertone. “We also offer our customers other NIR Black choices based on cost, reflectance, and colour outcome,” said Cooper. Enabling recyclability, such as with NIR-detectable dark and black colours, is one of the top trends affecting masterbatches in the US, said Theresa Patton, Associate Marketing Director for Color & Additives, US & Canada, at Avient. She expects demand for these technologies, such as Avient’s OnColor NIR Sortable Black and Dark colorants, to grow in the near future. Also of importance are additives designed to aid recycling and maintain the quality of the PCR stream. For companies seeking to manufac- ture coloured parts with 100% PCR, Avient launched Rejoin PCR Colorants that can enable PCR to be used as a carrier resin. Becker points to Ampacet’s
Rec-NIR Black that can be sorted and also to laser marking masterbatches that allow manufacturers to improve recyclability by replacing labels and inks with a laser mark. Ampacet’s new ColorMark is a colored laser marking masterbatch that can be used for decorative effects. In addition to
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colours and additives that aid recycla- bility, Becker sees growing demand for masterbatch solutions that improve durability and extend the life of plastic products or packaging.
Additive changes As governments and regulatory agencies are increasingly scrutinising additives going into plastics, master- batch producers are proactively introducing products to comply with potential restrictions. Fluoropolymers, for example, have been widely used in processing aids, but companies are seeking to replace them with alterna- tives because they are being classi- fied in the category of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS-free processing aid alternatives have been found to work well to eliminate melt fracture, reduce die buildup, and avoid interfering with sealing or surface treatment. Siloxane-free alternatives were also introduced following the European Chemical Agency’s categorisation of the short-chain oligomers in siloxanes as Substances of Very High Concern. Wisconsin, US-based Badger
Color Concentrates, which was acquired by Kafrit Group in February this year, announced in September that it had transitioned to using only PFAS-free raw materials in its manufacturing facilities. Kafrit’s Polyfil (US) and Constab (Germany) businesses introduced a line of
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Ampacet says its ColorMark laser marking technology enables producers to create permanent colour lettering and designs on black plastics
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December 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 19
IMAGE: AMPACET
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