MASTERBATCH | COLOUR
Barber weighs in on the increased functionality issue. “You would be forgiven for thinking that the way forward for colourants, additives and master- batch would be to strive for the best colour, the best effect or visual appeal/performance in the final product,” he says. “To a degree this is correct, but the market has now evolved so that moulders are demanding an all in-one solution. Essentially the perfect masterbatch would have to distribute evenly at a low dosage, give processing and performance enhancements and work in a range of materials.” Barber says Broadway Colours reacted to this by
Right: Riverd- ale Global’s Sealed Color system has a “pump in a drum” design
introducing Process+ Technology, a blend of process know-how and production technology. Products that incorporate Process+ Technology are claimed to benefit from improved cycle times, surface finish and longevity. The new technology can be incorporated into any colour and be used in any material. Broadway can also supply additives based on Process+ Technol- ogy to work alongside customers’ existing formulations to help improve the produc- tion process.
High temperature capability Last October, Clariant announced a CHF7.5m (approximately €6.8m) global initiative to expand its ability to produce colour and additive masterbatches and compounds using engineering poly- mers and high-temperature plastics like PEEK (polyether ether ketone). Jeff Saeger, who heads the expan-
sion programme for Clariant, reports two extrusion lines at the company’s masterbatches plant in Ahrensburg, Germany, have been refurbished and can now run at temperatures up to 450°C. Another new line went into operation earlier this year. Two new co-rotat- ing extruders are now up and running in Shanghai and a smaller high-temperature unit has been started up in Singapore. Saeger says equipment for processing fluoropolymers has been installed in Lewiston, Maine, US, and new lines for specialty high-temperature compounds are now running in Holden, Massachusetts. A new black masterbatch line for engineering polymers is schedule for start-up in Holden. Clariant notes that in order to work effectively in polymers that are processed at temperatures between 300° and 450°C, masterbatches must be specially formulated using not only the same high-temperature base material, but also special pigments and additives that can stand up to
70 COMPOUNDING WORLD | November 2017
extreme levels of heat and shear. “All of this requires not only advanced extrusion equipment but also specialised auxiliaries, including pre- and post-drying drying equipment and multiple gravimetric side feeders,” says the company. “Clariant is going all-out to meet increasing demand for high-temperature-compatible master- batches and compounds around the world,” explains Saeger. “Processing knowledge and capabilities that were first developed in the US and Singapore are now being replicated in Europe and China, and we are adding new personnel, includ- ing some with specialised expertise in key market sectors like electrical/electronics.” Clariant expects the new investments to be especially beneficial to manufacturers of electrical products and appliances made with flame retardant engineering thermoplastics. It has obtained UL94 masterbatch listing for more than 200 commercial grades.
Liquid colours and additives Colour masterbatches are increas- ingly available in liquid form as well as solid. Some processors don’t like the idea of handling liquids though, which is one reason why last year Riverdale Global announced a system for supplying liquid colours and additives in drums that stay sealed from their delivery to the plastics processor to their return for refilling. It says the system provides substantial sustainability advantages over standard systems for liquid colours and pellet concentrates. Riverdale Global’s Sealed Color system utilises a patented “pump in a drum” design, which enables the drum to
remain sealed during delivery to the moulding or
extrusion company, metering into the process, and return to Riverdale Global for refill. Besides doing away with the complications of handling liquid colour, the company says the Sealed Color system eliminates unnecessary packaging, such as the non-reusable containers from other liquid colour suppliers and the gaylords and pallets used for pellet concentrates. “Riverdale Global’s sealed-drum concept not only puts an end to unnecessary packaging and disposal costs but also eliminates the waste of residual colorant or additive in containers by blending them in with identical material during refilling,” says Kevin Cabana, vice president of process technologies. “In addition, liquid colours and additives by their nature
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