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The Basics of Coloring Plastic Building and Construction Products

chromacolorstg on May 10, 2022

Increasing every year are the diversity and number of plastic products used in the building and construction industry. Plastic products in this market include cables/conduit, cladding, windows/doors, protective and decorative shutters, pipes/plumbing, gutters, architectural roof tiles, wall coverings, decking, siding, flooring, sinks/bathtubs, industrial fabrics, irrigation, drainage, heavy equipment components, power tool housings, hand tools, port-a-potties…the list goes on.

Why Plastic?

Plastic products are durable, corrosion resistant, lightweight, and offer an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Plastic building products perform well in harsh environments, such as in salty coastal regions, extreme hot/cold climates, extreme wet/dry climates, high UV (ultraviolet) exposure, and more.

Typical plastic resins types that are used in construction include: polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, TPO, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylic, ASA, ABS, acetal, nylon, polyurethane, and a variety of composites.

Although these products perform as promised, adding color delivers the aesthetics desired by the brand or consumer, identifies them for specific usage (color-coding), and in many cases defines the application.

You may be familiar with the fact that plastic pipe and conduit are color coded by their end use application, such as:

Blue = Potable Water
White = Irrigation and Water
Green = Sewer
Purple (Lavender) = Reclaimed Water,
Gray = Electrical Conduit

Orange = Telecommunication, conduit

Yellow = Natural Gas (methane or propane) oil

Red = Electric Power Lines, Lighting Cable

Coloring Plastic Building Products:

One of the biggest challenges related to coloring plastic building products is accurately matching the desired color in the specific resin to be used. To ensure the specific color can be achieved and the performance attributes are met, it is critical to establish a partnership with your color & additives supplier early in the development process. The colorant supplier will consider the unique resin, color and performance requirements as they formulate for the application. Each resin is unique (viscosity, melt processing temperatures, natural resin color, etc.) and your color supplier will be able to assist with critical application decisions from the onset regarding the carrier resin, pigment systems, stabilizers and other additives.

After the resin has been clearly established, your conversation may move to color selection. Typically, your supplier will have color sample chips or Pantone color charts to pinpoint the desired color for each plastic product or part.

During this selection process, colors may look different depending on gloss, grain, filler, resin type, light sources, and other factors. For example, in high UV environments, colors such as red, orange, and yellow typically fade faster than darker colors such as blue or green. Knowing this in advance allows the color supplier to choose high performance pigments that are more-light stable than typical workhorse pigments.

As you are developing unique aesthetics, custom colors, or establish new performance standards for your products, You can count on color concentrate suppliers such as Chroma Color Corporation to help you choose the best options for your application and to help separate you from your competitors.

Contact us today: https://chromacolors.com/contact-us/

Click Here to download a pdf this article

Overview of Coloring Plastic Pipe

chromacolorstg on May 10, 2022

The pipe market is very competitive. Pipe manufacturers are continually looking for ways to reduce cost while delivering products that meet performance expectations set by customers, codes and standards (ASTM, NSF, NEMA, etc.). Chroma Color Corporation develops pigments/colors through internal and industry partners related to research, education, technical expertise and trade associations like the Plastic Pipe Institute (PPI) https://plasticpipe.org/index.html allows Chroma Color to deliver superior and environmental (SUSTAINABILITY HMF) product to the pipe industry.

There are five major markets for a plastic pipe; each has its own unique needs and regulations. These five markets include:

-Building & Construction

-Drainage Pipe

-Energy Piping Systems

-Municipal & Industrial

-Power & Communications

 

Plastic pipe and conduit color-coded by their end-use application, such as:

-Blue = Potable Water

-White = Irrigation and Water

-Green = Sewer

-Purple (Lavender) = Reclaimed Water

-Gray = Electrical Conduit

-Orange = Telecommunication, conduit

-Yellow = Natural Gas (methane or propane) oil

-Red = Electric Power Lines, Lighting Cable

 Plastic Pipe Resins:

One of the biggest challenges related to coloring a plastic pipe product is accurately matching the desired color in the specific resin. It is critical to establish a partnership with your color & additives supplier early in the development process to meet specific color and the performance attributes.

The colorant supplier must consider the unique resin, color, and performance requirements as they formulate for the application. Each resin is unique (viscosity, melt processing temperatures, natural resin color, and more). Your color supplier can assist with critical application decisions from the onset regarding the carrier resin, pigment systems, stabilizers, and other additives.

The resins primarily used for pipe include:

HDPE: High-Density Polyethylene

MDPE: Medium Density Polyethylene

PEX: Crosslinked Polyethylene

PE-RT: Polyethylene of Raised Temperature

PP-R and PP-RCT: Random Copolymerized Polypropylene

PEX-AL-PEX: Multilayer or Composite PEX Tubing

In general, the features and benefits of the high-performance high-temperature plastic-piping systems include:

  • Ease of installation (Coil Pipe)
  • Corrosion resistance
  • Safety of potable Water
  • Reliable fitting and joining options
  • Lightweight, ease of transportation and handling
  • Proof of long-term reliability with over decades of use around the world (100 year life expectation) with proper manufacturing and installation.

Types of Pipe and Resins

Municipal and Industrial Water Applications

For municipal and industrial applications, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is recommended. HDPE’s heat-fused joints create a leak-free pipe structure. HDPE pipe is chemical, abrasion, fatigue, seismic, and corrosion-resistant.

Conduit

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin is also used for the conduit to protect electrical power and telecommunications cables. It is available in long coil lengths to reduce joints and installation time. HDPE conduit is also available in a variety of sizes, colors, dimensions, and lengths. Typical applications include:

–Telecommunications

-CATV

-Highway lighting

-Underground utilities.

–Premise (Riser and Plenum) conduit has specific characteristics and flame retardant ratings for use as nonmetallic raceways in buildings.

Color Selection:

After establishing the resin, your conversation moves to color selection. Typically, your supplier has color sample chips or Pantone color charts to pinpoint the desired color for each plastic product or part.

During this selection process, colors may differ depending on gloss, grain, filler, resin type, light sources, and other factors. Knowing this in advance allows the color supplier to choose high-performance pigments that are more light stable than typical workhorse pigments.

There is also much pressure to eliminate the use of heavy metals (HM) pigments in favor of more environmentally friendly options. You need to ask your color concentrate supplier if the pellets include Heavy Metal Free (HMF)* or Heavy Metal (HM) pigments.

*Chroma Color Corporation meets ASTM F2160 − 22 requirements that requires the use of HMF pigments and eliminates the selection of HM.

In addition, heavy metal-based heat stabilizers have traditionally been used with HDPE and/or polyethylene pipe. These include Lead and Cadmium Salts. Such environmentally unfriendly chemicals are rapidly being replaced with non-heavy metal stabilizers, such as calcium stearate.

A pipe that uses HMF (Heavy-Metal Free) stabilizers provides the end-user with the confidence of zero toxicity from heavy metals.. These include Lead and Cadmium Salts. Such environmentally unfriendly chemicals are rapidly being replaced with non-heavy metal stabilizers, such as calcium stearate. A pipe that uses HMF (Heavy-Metal Free) stabilizers provides the end-user with the confidence of zero toxicity from heavy metals.

Pipe exposed to Ultra Violet Light needs protection from the damage caused over time. Chroma Color’s patented G series can have a stabilizer with UV resistant material to provide some protection from UV damage.

Chroma Color’s patent G2 and G3 also provides a cost-effective solution for solid wall pipe and vibrant co-extrusion skin colors.

BASICS of PATENTED G2, G3 COLOR TECHNOLOGY

Highly loaded concentrates have become a cost-effective alternative to standard color products because they require less concentrate to achieve the same results and blend with resin more efficiently.

The patented G2 formulation ingredients enable Chroma Color to boost loadings of pigments and additives up to twice what was considered feasible in traditional color and additive concentrates.

– Typically, a G2 formulation contains up to about 80% active ingredients, some as high as 85%. For some pipe applications, we can load up to 60% additives.

– A high concentration of color and additives is just one aspect of G2 technology. The technology also allows us to dial in melt flow to enable the processor to produce uniformly colored parts with color use rates as low as half a percent.

Patented G3 reduces cost and eliminates processing headaches. It achieves even more significant improvements through a total system approach. Key attributes and advantages include:

– Used with any resin system except PVC

– It delivers 20% or more increased pigment loading than G2 in Polyethylene & Polypropylene without compromising pigment dispersion and distribution

– G3 offers formulations with 40% of dyes in HIPS, PET, Nylon, Crystal Styrene, and Acrylic.

– It offers formulations with 50% or more pearlescent pigment, nearly doubling the former industry standard of 30%

-Heavy Metal Free

CHROMARK® is Chroma Color’s laser marking additives to help control marking behavior over a broad class of resins and pigment chemistries. The Chroma Color team can help you select the right colorant and additive package to ensure you obtain the ideal laser mark for your product at an economical cost-to-color.

With our in-house NIR Laser, we help you optimize the marking behavior and laser settings for various resins, including ABS, PE, PP, LDPE, HDPE, Co-Polyester, PBT, Polysulfone, GPPS, HDPE, Nylon, Acrylic, PVC, Polyacetal, and Polycarbonate. Besides, Chroma’s patented G3 technology can also provide highly loaded concentrates with a laser-marking additive.

Chroma Color Plastic Pipe Case Studies

Wire and Cable Application:

A manufacturer of electrical wire was looking for a better color concentrate option for their product line. Our wire and cable research team developed a highly loaded PVC concentrate that is producing the following results:

1- Reduction in Let Down Ratio (LDR) with an LDR of 0.5% reduced inventories and upfront cost

  1. The low LDR reduces the number of spark outs (if any) that reduces machine downtime and increases utilization
  2. Black 508/2006 PVC unique formula reduced shear heat to allow increased line speeds on thin gauge products
  3. The unique formula enhances the black appearance on a retail shelf by giving your coiled wire a shine instead of a typical stock black dull appearance.

 

 

Radiant Pipe Application:

– G2 used for a high-temperature pipe used for a radiant application.

– Co-Extruded outside skin polyethylene raised temperature PERT-PE skin colors to reduce the overall cost of pipe. 3,000-4,000 of an inch thick skin

– Lower Letdown Ratios of .75% Achieved

– Red, Blue and White Colors Available

– UV additives used to prevent fading

– Other applications for this technology include high-temperature for building construction, hot and cold water pipes, and business.

Click Here To Download The Full Article As A PDF 

Advances in Color For Medical Plastics for Today and Tomorrow

chromacolorstg on May 10, 2022

With an increasing demand in the medical plastics market globally, manufacturers are pioneering high-quality resins that raise the standards of excellence in health care. Advancements in plastics are curbing medical costs and enhancing patient safety.

Medical-grade plastics are designed to meet stringent regulatory requirements and may also be chemical-, corrosion- and temperature-resistant. Unlike the glass, ceramic and metal products of yesteryear, plastics create low-cost, lightweight and durable equipment and devices that are easier to use and more comfortable for patients. With the over-65 population in the United States expected to outnumber the under-18 age group by 2034, there’s never been a bigger need for advances in medical plastics.

With the increased demand, the medical plastics industry has been utilizing advancements that are improving product performance and design, including:

  • End-to-end traceability

Since 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required numeric or alphanumeric codes on specific medical devices to improve traceability. These unique device identifiers (UDI) help manufacturers track medical device adverse events and identify the need for recalls.

Beginning on Sept. 24, 2020, all Class I devices and unclassified devices must bear a UDI label or mark. Class I includes bandages and nonelectric wheelchairs and accounts for 47% of medical devices.

End-to-end traceability provides information about the lifecycle of the product, from its origins to usage. It also helps drive down counterfeiting, minimizes liability and provides healthcare workers and patients with peace of mind.

  • ISO certification

Medical plastics manufacturers seek International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification because it demonstrates excellence and a commitment to global standards. The ISO – an independent, non-governmental organization – establishes guidelines, specifications and requirements to ensure safety and quality in industries that include medical plastics. Two ISO standards have become synonymous with excellence in medical plastics:

  • ISO 9001

As the ISO’s flagship quality management standard, the ISO 9001 certification confirms a company’s abilities to provide consistent quality, meet customer needs and comply with regulatory requirements. The latest revision, ISO 9001:2015, is based on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle, a four-step model for continuous improvement. After a company has integrated ISO 9001 standards, a third party to verify compliance regularly audits it.

  • ISO/IEC 17025

Used in a laboratory setting, ISO/IEC 17025 stipulates the technical competencies and management system requirements to deliver valid test results and calibrations consistently. Due to the universally accepted set of standards, ISO/IEC 17025 allows for collaboration among laboratories worldwide.

  • Quality materials

Today, manufacturers are less concerned with the price of materials than the quality to align with the needs of the market and changes in government regulations.

High-caliber medical thermoplastics – such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) – and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds made with FDA-compliant ingredients remain critical to the medical device design process. At the same time, the market for polycarbonates, ABS, polyamides and polyetheretherketones (PEEKs) is expanding.

  • Dynamic color and antimicrobial properties

Healthcare providers are continually seeking new approaches to influence patients. Color and antimicrobial properties, in different ways, help achieve results.

Color helps users recognize tools, remember instructions and identify instruments. In medical plastics, vibrant and long-lasting colors are essential to patient and user safety. Companies that include Chroma Color Corporation have been developing technology that makes the colorant less expensive without sacrificing quality. Chroma Color’s G2® and G3® pelletized colorant technology allow for superior color uniformity when compared to conventional pellets or liquid colorant and low let-down ratios, which also reduces production costs.

Antimicrobial additives inhibit mold, fungi, mildew and bacterial growth and when blended with plastic resins also help fight stains and odor. Chroma Color offers two types of antimicrobial additives: MicroBlok®S and MicroBlok®Z.

In addition, medical plastics manufacturers are exploring 3D printing and are increasingly utilizing extruders to create tubing, films and sheets. The Plastics Industry Association said plastics are vital for safe patient care today and in the future.

“Plastics are at the forefront of innovation in a wide range of medical specialties,” the association said in its Plastics Market Watch report. “But even before scientists and material engineers develop healthcare applications, the plastics value chain is making innovations in manufacturing and supplying plastics—from the simple to the complex that transform how patients are treated and live their lives.”

About Chroma Color Corporation

Chroma Color Corporation is a technology-leading specialty color and additive concentrate supplier in the plastics marketplace. Chroma’s extensive technical leadership and manufacturing expertise coupled with its game-changing colorant technologies have surprised and delighted customers for over 50 years. Chroma’s wide-ranging markets include packaging, wire and cable, building and construction, consumer products, medical, healthcare, lawn and garden, durables, sanitation, recreation and leisure, transportation and more.

Plastic Colorant Options 101: Pellet vs Liquid

chromacolorstg on May 10, 2022

Color is a critical feature in consumer packaging that enables brands to create differentiation and recognizable identity on shelf. Major brands and their packaging supply partners are rethinking their colorant strategy.

How do you find the right value-added color supplier? Most color suppliers have a fixed portfolio of either liquid colorants or traditional pellet colorants, thereby leaving processors confused about choosing the best colorant technology to accomplish their goals.

Both technologies have advantages and disadvantages. Below, is a quick overview of both liquid and traditional pellet options followed by two case studies in which color-processing challenges were overcome using a new pelletized color technology solution.

Liquid vs. Pellet:

 

Liquid Colorant for manufacturing plastic products:

Advantages:

  • Effective at extremely low use rates.
  • Good for tints
  • Good Color distribution
  • One less heat history than pellet concentrates
  • Coloring costs may be lower than conventional pellet color

Challenges:

  • Specialized pumps are required
  • Several pigment and additive limitations.
  • Screw slippage may occur at high use rates
  • Limited application with engineered polymers
  • Not suitable for extrusion blow molding of HDPE bottles
  • Production interruptions caused by container changeover.
  • Increased housekeeping issues related to spill cleanup and storage of dedicated hoses.
  • Limited shelf life due to product separation that ends up increasing costs and wasted color.
  • Issues with sustainability due to wasted/residual product and packaging which often requires landfill disposal.

Pellet Colorant for manufacturing plastic parts and products:

Advantages

  • Pellets are easy to handle
  • Application through readily available volumetric and gravimetric feeding systems
  • Excellent dispersion
  • Reduced housekeeping and maintenance

Challenges

  • Conventional pelletized colorants are more costly than liquid colorant due to high let down ratios.

Ideally, a winning program requires a colorant format that provides ALL the Benefits and without ALL the Challenges…

Attached are two case studies illustrating how the patented Chroma Color G-series pelletized colorant technology resolved challenges faced by major brand owners and their plastics processors with conventional pelletized colorants and liquid colorants.

CASE STUDY #1

Mock up empty container bottles for cosmetic cream, isolated on white background with clipping path.

Overcoming Processing Limitations of Pearlescent Liquid Colorant

Liquid color can be very complex and typically requires extra care during processing to ensure that specified color appearance is achieved.

A case in point is the use of pearlescent liquid colorants for a large commercial brand’s package. Although the liquid colorant initially met the basic aesthetics and manufacturing needs, continual processing challenges persisted with high scrap rates and inconsistencies.

Specifically, it was determined ingredient separation within the liquid masterbatch was the root cause of the visual inconsistencies. Additionally, the ingredient separation required liquid colorant agitation that frequently interrupted production scheduling. Overall production costs became substantially higher than anticipated (quoted) and production throughput was negatively impacted.

Even with the recent advancements in material handling and liquid feeding systems, liquid colorants remain messy to handle, which adds to both processing labor costs and changes to housekeeping practices. Due to these persistent obstacles, the packaging development team decided to seek an alternative product to achieve the desired pearl color.

The Solution: Chroma Color’s patented G3 pellet technology

The packaging team immediately benefited from the switch because:

  • G3 does not have any shelf life limitations
  • G3 reduced flow lines that frequently appeared on components produced using pearlescent liquid colorants
  • G3 enabled substantially faster and more cost-effective color changeovers with less purge and reduced downtime
  • G3 inventory was fully consumed, with no residual waste.

Chroma Color’s patented G3 colorant was ultimately selected to replace all the liquid colorants within the final package. Gravimetric pellet color feeders were integrated on the production line, resulting in significant overall cost reductions.

For more information about patented G2 and G3 pellet technology from

Chroma Color Corporation, visit:

https://chromacolors.com/g2-and-g3/

CASE STUDY #2

Eliminating Instability of Teal Colorant and Inefficient Let-Down Rates

Blank dispenser and bottles of cosmetic products with turquoise lids

The particular Teal color-space is critical for this brand’s identification, yet it faced multiple color related concerns such as inconsistencies amongst the individual components.

The part-to-part inconsistency forced the Processor to consume the current colorant at substantially higher use rates to achieve visual color uniformity. These higher use rates forced production inefficiencies, larger than desired colorant inventories and elevated levels of finished component inventory to ensure required lead times were maintained.

Consequently, the Brand Packaging team and Processor jointly began searching for an alternative colorant to resolve the multiple challenges of color stability, processing difficulties, excessive use rates and overall package cost. During their investigations, we introduced Chroma Color’s patented G-series colorant technologies. The G-series technology includes both G2 (recipe system) and G3 (manufacturing technology). Molding trials on both technologies were initiated, to identify the most appropriate and beneficial package.

The Solution: Chroma Color’s patented G2/G3 technology

  • G2/G3 system combination provided superior color dispersion eliminating color variation
  • G2/G3 combination reduced the use rate from 4% to 1.5% LDR, lowering the overall cost-to-color expense
  • G2/G3 system combination provided faster cycle times, more cost-effective color changeovers with less purge and reduced downtime.

Chroma Color’s patented G2/G3 colorant package was selected to achieve the desired Teal. The lower letdown ratios, along with the processing benefits of the G-series allowed the molder to meet required their production demands. Further, with the lower color requirements, coupled with the gained production efficiencies, provided desperately needed warehouse storage space.

The numerous benefits brought to the program via Chroma Color’s patented G2/G3 combined technologies eventually led to a complete switch on ALL colorants for this Brand’s needs.

For more information about patented G2 and G3 pellet technology from

Chroma Color Corporation, visit:

https://chromacolors.com/g2-and-g3/

To download this article: Liquid vs Pellet

Chroma Color Corporation is a technology-leading supplier of specialty colorants and additive concentrates. Chroma’s extensive technical and manufacturing expertise coupled with its game-changing colorant technologies have surprised and delighted customers for over 50 years in markets such as: packaging, consumer products, wire and cable, building & construction, medical & healthcare, lawn & garden, durable goods, sanitation, recreation & leisure, transportation and more.

References:

1-https://books.google.com/books?id=urctkFROYbkC&pg=PA439&lpg=PA439&dq=liquid+color+vs+pellet&source=bl&ots=luqZQ-mkoB&sig=-uRUrvG7pSfcmfFA12qs4YlfXZQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=S2Y1VZHHCrGOsQSOl4D4Ag&ved=0CDYQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=liquid%20color%20vs%20pellet&f=false

2- https://books.google.com/books?id=9IZSW9BVCyAC&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=liquid+color+vs+pellet&source=bl&ots=Q63Bdp6GLe&sig=FZA4FTDryATy0QapU6v9sLQzU1o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=S2Y1VZHHCrGOsQSOl4D4Ag&ved=0CDQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=liquid%20color%20vs%20pellet&f=false

Advantages of a Color Masterbatch for Molding Plastics

chromacolorstg on May 10, 2022

Typically, a masterbatch is available in either a liquid or pellet form and is comprised of a concentrated mixture of pigments, dyes and/or additives to color plastic products. Masterbatch is used in place of fully colored compounded materials largely referred to as pre-color. This option can be more expensive due to volume minimums, inventory requirements and the threat of obsolescence whereas masterbatch mitigates these challenges.

Chroma Color Liad Feeder

Photo Caption: The ability to dose the masterbatch with absolute precision is a perfect complement for injection molding and extrusion customers looking to reduce their operating costs. For more information about LIAD, contact US Distributor of Chroma Color Corporation

Even after being convinced that masterbatch is a better colorant option, many processors still debate whether liquid or pellet form is the better option? Both have advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of liquid color include: effectiveness at extremely low levels, good on long production runs, newer computer-controlled pumps for consistent delivery, and upfront costs can be lower.

The challenges of using liquid color masterbatch are: liquid can cause screw slippage when higher levels are required, liquid carrier resin can separate from the color itself over time requiring offline mixing or peripheral online equipment like agitators, housekeeping issues present a challenge due to the constant threat of equipment malfunctions of hoses and tube sets due to wear and tear.

The advantages of pellet color masterbatch for plastic parts include: reduced housekeeping, zero waste and quick change-overs. Lastly, it avoids all hidden costs like additional hoses and tubes sets, agitation and consolidation that liquid color requires.

The one historical advantage liquid has enjoyed over pellet masterbatch has been rooted in economics. That stated, there is new pellet technology that has come on the scene in the last few years that can both reduce cost and eliminate processing headaches.

Chroma Color-G2 and G3 Image

Patented G2 and G3 colorants. These pelletized feature the highest-loaded pigment, dye and/or additive packages in the industry. The colorant is exceptionally well dispersed, and can be effectively distributed in large and small parts at a reduced cost.