Every year, several million tons of titanium dioxide are added to, among other things, plastics products. The EU Commission is currently considering the classification of titanium oxide as a suspicious substance which may potentionally cause cancer. A current study provides well-founded data on the use and recovery of titanium dioxide in plastics processing and recycling.

Fig. 2. Titanium dioxide use in plastics conversion in Germany [kt] [1]

16:9

Use and Recovery of TiO2 in Plastics Products

Farbstoffe und Pigmente

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Additive

Verbände, Institutionen, Messen

Dienstleistungen

Farbstoffe

Umweltschutz

Kreislaufwirtschaft

An Irreplaceable Additive

An innovative process allows to fabricate thin, white polymer surfaces without white pigments. For that, the polymer is foamed with supercritical CO2 resulting in a fine structure of nanobubbles. Film thicknesses of a few 10 µm are sufficient to obtain a perfect white surface.

The white beetle Cyphochilus insulanus is almost completely covered with white scales

Porous Nanostructures as Replacement for White Pigments

Schäumen / Reaktive Verarbeitung

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

White without Titanium-Dioxide

Plastics processors have a wide range of colors at their disposal to color their products. Choosing the right color can ultimately be the key to success. But colors are just as subject to trends as materials and designs. Kunststoffe asked manufacturers of pigments, masterbatches, and colorants which colors would be particularly popular in the coming year.

Colors inspired by nature will also be very much in demand in2021. They give products a more sustainable appearance

Trend Report on the Coloration of Plastics

Pigmente

Pigmente, bunt

Masterbatches

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Streifinger, Florian

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Farbkonzentrate (Batches)

Effektpigmente

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Farben, flüssig

What Will Be the Color of 2021?

Enhancing mixed bottle flakes by turning them into extrudable recycled crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (rCPET) was the goal of a joint development project looking to close the gap in the PET recycling system. By successfully producing a sheet made from recycled material suitable for high-quality applications such as thermoformed food trays, Gneuss, Sukano and Illig have demonstrated that this approach is indeed possible.

Thermally stable rCPET food trays made from multicolor APET bottle flakes

Upcycling of Mixed APET Bottle Flakes into Thermally Stable rCPET Food Trays

Extrusion

Polybutylenterephthalat

Thermoplaste

Schmelzefilter

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Anlagen Lebensmittel

Anlagen für die Additive Fertigung

Anlagen Additive Fertigung / 3D-Druck, andere

Filteranlagen

Flakes

Kunststoff-Rezyklat

Extrusionsanlagen

PET: From A to C

Besides compounds modified for special applications and lightweight components, sustainable materials are also becoming an increasingly important focus. In the additives sector, too, recyclates, the circular economy, and reprocessing are now playing a key role.

Not only Polymers but also Additives and Masterbatches Must Be Sustainable

Zubehör / Hilfsmittel Wärmebehandlung

Wärmebehandlung

Compound

PVC-Additive

Andere Werkstoffe

Werkstoffe für additive Verfahren

Vernetzungsmittel

Compoundeure

Handel

PVC-weich (Compounds)

Verarbeitungshilfsmittel, allgemein

Flammhemmende Mittel, allgemein

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Verarbeitungshilfmittel

Filamente für additive Verfahren

Flammschutzmittel

Gleitmittel für Kunststoff

Attention to Detail

Two new inorganic yellow pigments based on iron oxide and zinc oxide respectively are designed for coloration in a temperature range of between 220 and 260 °C.

The yellow pigments are used for all common polymer materials as well as for engineering thermoplastics even at the highest production temperatures

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Yellow for High Temperatures

A new process developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP is able to isolate carbon black ash recovered from old tires – allowing both the carbon black and the minerals from the ash to be reused.

Top, primary product from left to right: raw rCB, clean rCB (96+), pearlized clean rCB (96+). Bottom, secondary products recovered from the ash, from left to right: liquid sodium silicate or “water glass”, precipitated SiO2, precipitated ZnSO4

Technik Trend

kunststoffe-international.com

Carbon Black Recycled from Car Tires

Michael Lüthi, a member of the founding family, becomes the CEO of Sanitized company group .

CEO change at Sanitized: Michael Lüthi (left) succeeds Urs Stalder

Personen

kunststoffe.de

Leadership Change at Sanitized

Colored plastics are not just a marketing gimmick, but fulfill important functions with technical components. In particular, they warn of hazards and permit the fast and direct identification of components. However, when coloring such plastic components, the processors are faced with several difficulties. For example, the colorants used must exhibit long-term resistance to high temperatures and must not impair the polymer’s mechanical properties. Therefore, when selecting the colorant, compounders and processors must observe several important points.

How Plastics Processors Find the Most Suitable Colorants for High-Performance Polymers

Colors for the High-Performance Sector

Sustainable development is the focus of the Israeli company Tosaf’s trade show presence. The company presents functional, color and combined masterbatches for processing by extrusion and injection molding. These will include color masterbatches for recyclates with a special focus on post-consumer plastics as well as biodegradable masterbatches.

Special masterbatches can be used for permanent orange coloring of high-voltage components in electric vehicles

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Messe Fakuma

Biokunststoffe

Masterbatches for Current Trends

At Fakuma, Granula presents masterbatches specially tailored to more sustainable plastic products. For this purpose, the company has developed grades with biological pigments and degradable additives for injection molding and extrusion.

The masterbatches are used, e. g., for pigmenting the lids of to-go cups 

Bio- and PCR-Based Masterbatches

Additive manufacturer Grafe has developed a new update for its matting agent in 3D printing.

Compared to its predecessor, the matting agent halves the gloss level once again. 

Additive Fertigung

3D Printing with Less Gloss

Colors can turn plastics products into real eye-catchers. Kunststoffe asked colorant manufacturers to predict which colors will be trending in the coming year.

Trend Report on the Coloring of Plastics

Garish or Necessarily Plain?

Effect pigments can be used to injection mold thermoplastic parts with a shiny metallic surface. However, non-uniform pigment orientation can lead to optical defects. Suitable simulation methodology enables defects to be predicted and prevented.

There is huge demand for automobiles that have metallic finishes. Plastic parts are often painted or electroplated for this purpose. Metallic effect pigments constitute an alternative. Audi and PEG are working on a simulation process for these pigments with a view to ruling out surface defects. 

Simulating Surface Defects in Parts Using Effect Pigments

Simulation

Software

Effective Prediction

A trade show highlight of masterbatch manufacturer Lifocolor will be its biodegradable plant-based color concentrates. These are claimed to enable a closed-loop system for biodegradable plastics.

When it comes to long-term closed-loop recycling, it is not only the plastics that matter, but also the colorants employed. Lifocolor has developed masterbatches specifically for coloring recycled materials.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

Biodegradable Plant-Based Colors

Finke has received ISCC Plus certification from ISCC in February 2022. The mass balance approach makes it possible to calculate the share of bio-based and/or circular raw materials and attribute it on an equivalent basis to individual products.

Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG has received ISCC Plus certification from ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) in February 2022. For Finke, the ISCC Plus certification is a new milestone that promotes an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production. The mass balance approach makes it possible to calculate the share of bio-based and/or circular raw materials and attribute it on an equivalent basis to individual products.

„We are proud of the ISCC Plus certification,“ says Managing Director Felix Finke. „The mass balance approach enables us to assign the share of sustainable raw materials – for example recyclates or bio-based materials – to our products. This makes it easier for our customers to achieve their sustainability goals.“

Over the past years, the mass balance approach has prevailed in the chemical industry. As an important milestone on the pathway to a circular economy and bio-economy, it has been designed to trace the flow of materials through a complex value chain. Since chemically recycled or bio-based raw materials are typically blended in the manufacturing complex, physical segregation of recycled content is often practically and economically infeasible. The mass balance approach makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of circular and/or bio-based content in the value chain and attribute it based on verifiable bookkeeping.

ISCC Plus is a standard well-recognized by all stakeholders for recycled and bio-based materials. ISCC Plus certification provides traceability along the supply chain and verifies that companies meet environmental and social standards. For companies using the mass balance approach, ISCC Plus certification verifies that the mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules.

Karl Finke GmbH & Co. KG  

https://www.finke-colors.eu

Brilliant recyclate: Sample of the process for pigmenting polyolefin from recyclate.

2022-06-20 - News Finke

issue 07/2023

issue 06/2023

issue 05/2023

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