MATERIALS | COLOURS AND MASTERBATCH


Colour change through hot runner temperature control


Husky Injection Molding Systems is collaborating with Chem-Trend, a supplier of purging compounds, on a system solution that they say creates repeatability during colour change. They have devised a new guided procedure made easily accessible to operators within Husky’s Altanium Mold Controller operator interface. The instructions are said to outline a simple, yet highly effective approach


to setting up and performing the colour change process explicitly for moulds with hot runner systems. The joint approach is based on the


process for using Chem-Trend’s Ultra Purge compounds, which is designed specifically to reduce colour-change time and carbon formation in hot runner systems. “We are continuing to see an upward trend in colour change


Right: AF-Color says it has achieved


brilliant colour results thanks to newly developed colour formula- tions, also for high-tempera- ture applica- tions


analyses. Its Inorganic Pigments (IPG) business unit provides its customers with recommendations regarding the maximum pigment concentration of Lanxess Colortherm iron oxide pigments in bioplas- tic formulations with a low heavy-metal content. “Our Colortherm iron oxide pigments are ideally suited to the task of colouring compostable plastics. The decomposition of the polymer is not affected,” says Stefano Bartolucci, Global Market Segment Manager for Plastics at IPG. “Based on the recom- mended pigment dosing, masterbatch producers can instantly develop individual formula- tions for coloured biodegradable plastics – no expensive pigment screening is required.” Bartolucci says Colortherm


iron oxide pigments, “unlike alternative products on the market, are proven to be almost completely free from heavy metals [so] the limits for biodegradable plastics can be reliably maintained, even with a high pigment content”. Due to regulated heavy-met-


applications,” says Mike Ellis, global business manager for Husky Hot Runners and Controllers division. The two companies say they aim to


significantly enhance their customers’ operational margins by increasing equipment and labour uptime. Trial results showed up to an 85% reduc- tion in scrap and an 80% increase in mould cleaning efficiency when following the recommended process.


IMAGE: AF-COLOR


colourants, as only these could withstand the high processing temperatures. AF-Color (a branch of compounder Akro-Plastic) says that, thanks to the composition of new formulations from its in-house research and development department, it has been able to create colour-intensive yet heat-stable masterbatches. They are designed for use in a wide range of substrates, for example, with PPA, PPS or PEEK. AF-Colour says the colourants contained have a temperature stability of up to 350°C. “The scope for individual colour designs has thus been expanded enormously. A number of colour targets can now be achieved and elaborated,” says Dirk Schöning, Sales Director at AF-Color. Rowa Masterbatch says its expertise as a developer and manufac- turer of polymer-specific colour, additive and multifunctional master- batches, as well as special compounds for thermoplastics, is demon-


al levels, certain pigment classes cannot be used for colouring biode- gradable plastics made from either renewable or fossil resources. This is the case with, for example, nickel-, chrome- or copper-based pigments. Colortherm iron oxide pigments are available in


red, yellow, brown, and black and also in numerous intermediate tones. Until now, the colour spectrum for colouring high-temperature polymers has been somewhat limited. The reason for this was the use of inorganic


44 INJECTION WORLD | July/August 2021


strated by its service for colouring high-performance plastics. Its premium quality


program now includes an extensive


portfolio of colour masterbatches for high-perfor- mance thermoplastics. Typical applications include high-voltage cables and connection components in hybrid and electric cars, which are identified in orange. In addition, a colour must retain precise safety-relevant character- istics even after a long period of use or continu- ously high operating temperatures; for example,


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