MATERIALS | COLOURS
Panasonic partners with Alfarben in black electronics
In 2018, Alfarben, the pigments company headquartered in Spain, introduced an innovative solution that improves the recycling industry’s approach to black plastics — the RBlack pigment. Alfar- ben’s pigment enhances the detectabil- ity of black plastics during the near infrared (NIR) sorting process. It enables optical sorters to identify and separate black plastics with greater accuracy and efficiency, making plastic recycling more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Initially targeted for packaging applications, RBlack’s success prompted Alfarben to explore its potential in other industries. Alfarben says that driven by its mission to provoke change
through innovation, it set its sights on the electronic plastics industry. It recognised the pressing need to improve plastic sorting in this sector and embarked on a collaborative project with Panasonic, a global leader in electronic technologies. Together, they aimed to create a range of electronic products coloured with RBlack pigment.
Alfarben says this is more than just a partnership: ‘‘It’s a signifi- cant step towards reducing the environmental impact of electronic plastic waste, commonly known as e-waste. Posing a significant challenge due to its complex composition and hazardous compo- nents, making proper sorting and recycling paramount.” Using RBlack pigment in electronic products, the black plastics within the e-waste stream become readily detectable by NIR sorting devices. Alfarben says: “This cutting-edge technology ensures that black plastic components can be efficiently sorted and directed towards recycling processes, thereby minimising their contribution to landfills and reducing the demand for virgin plastic materials.’’ The company continues: ‘’This collaboration aligns perfectly
with Panasonic’s broader efforts to promote responsible consump- tion and production practices throughout its supply chain. By partnering with Alfarben and adopting the RBlack pigment, Panasonic takes a bold stride towards sustainable waste manage- ment and circular economy principles.’’ Alfarben says its breakthrough RBlack technology ensures that black plastic electronic components can be efficiently sorted and directed towards recycling, reducing the amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills. It says: “The collaboration between Alfarben and Panasonic sets a precedent for other industry players to adopt similar approaches, accelerating the transition towards a more circular economy and responsible waste management.”
16 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | November/December 2023
Gustavo Haruki Kume, Digital Program Leader for Color & Additives Asia at Avient. “At the same time, however, it produces considerable data that must be effectively managed with new time and cost- efficient tools.” Currently being tested in Europe, the ColorNow service will arrive in the US, Canada, and Latin America in 2024, and is already commer- cially available in China and parts of Southeast Asia. OnColour, Avient’s NIR sortable dark colourants which enable black and dark packaging to be detected and sorted during recycling, has been recognised by the Associa- tion of Plastics Recyclers (APR) under its Meets Preferred Guidance (MPG) program. This covers colour- ants for HDPE in black and dark colours, according to the APR Design Guide for
Plastics Recyclability, and testing is underway to support an application for MPG recognition for the same colourants in PP resin. UK-based Broadway is another company keen
to increase productivity and efficiency by operating an on-site colour suite to help brand owners looking to formulate new colours for use in PCR. By using a sample of the customer’s batch of recycled material, its team can formulate new colours and run out colour plaques for the customer’s approval. Adjustments can be addressed instantly on-site, saving time on product development compared to the traditional method whereby a supplier posts colour plaques to a moulder who then sends them on to the end customer. By developing relationships directly with brand
owners, Broadway says it can save time and help ensure a smoother process. This procedure can be used for virgin or PCR matches, but is particularly useful when developing colours for use in material with high PCR content. By using the exact material which will be used for production of the end component, it can help ensure the approved samples will be aligned with the required result during the production run.
Liquid colour
German specialist in liquid colours and dosing systems Rowasol say post industrial recycled (PIR) plastics are processed according to type and colour, and can be further coloured with compara- tively little effort. However, most PCR contains foreign materials and is always a coloured mix, which without the addition of colourants usually results in a shade of grey. Over-colouring this
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