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

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Additive

Pigmente, bunt

Masterbatches

Farbstoffe und Pigmente

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Streifinger, Florian

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Farbkonzentrate (Batches)

Farbstoffe

Effektpigmente

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Farben, flüssig

What Will Be the Color of 2021?

Plastic waste in the sea has been shaping the negative image of the industry for several years. Various initiatives and mergers of companies have therefore launched projects to tackle this Ocean-bound Plastics (OBP). Components made of OBP could become a symbol for a sustainable use of plastics.

Community collection for bottles in Haiti

Flame Retardant for Compounds Based on Recycled Ocean-Bound Plastics

Polybutylenterephthalat

Thermoplaste

Elektronik

Polyethylenterephthalat

Flammschutzmittel

From the Sea to Electronics

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

Dienstleistungen

Handel

PVC-weich (Compounds)

Verarbeitungshilfsmittel, allgemein

Flammhemmende Mittel, allgemein

Betriebsausrüstung / Betriebsmittel

Verarbeitungshilfmittel

Filamente für additive Verfahren

Gleitmittel für Kunststoff

Attention to Detail

It is coming this way by giant steps – the K2016. Besides new materials, the materials makers will make it perfectly clear in Düsseldorf, Germany, that they are dealing intensely with global developments and challenges. This also involves taking stock of their global presence. 

How Materials Makers Turn Challenges into Chances 

Polyamide

Polycarbonat

Stabilisatoren

Tackling Tomorrow’s Problems Today 

Like lightweight design, customized products continue to remain on trend. These require materials which must fulfill a growing number of functions simultaneously and which in turn can usually only be implemented with additives and compounds. Sustainability is increasingly coming into the spotlight. 

Additives and Compounds Are Combining More and More Properties Songwon 

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Treibmittel

Fasern

Oberflächentechnik

Versatility Wanted Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene with  Long-Term Thermal Stability  

Clariant Pigments has welcomed the new year with the expansion of its new state-of-the-art pigments’ laboratory in Krugersdorp near Johannesburg, an African showcase for sustainable color technology.

Clariant’s new laboratory in Krugersdorp, South Africa.

16:9

20:7

Kunststoffverarbeitung allgemein

Kunststoffverarbeitung

Kunststoff-Erzeugung

Clariant Expands Pigments Laboratory for the African Market

Michael Ertl will take over as head of the Inorganic Pigments business unit at Lanxess with immediate effect.

Michael Ertl takes over as head of the Inorganic Pigments business unit

Michael Ertl Succeeds Holger Hueppeler

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

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Carbon Black Recycled from Car Tires

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

Sustainability is the dominant trend at some producers of additives, compounds and reinforcement fibers. Applications in areas such as regenerative energy and construction show that this has now become a strategy. 

Verstärkungsstoffe

Pre-K Event: Environmental Awareness as a Business Plan 

Halogen free flame retardancy mechanisms in polymers often operate via surface layer building processes based on dehydration and charring resulting in suppression of the combustion cycle. Through synchronous polymer cross-linking reactions the formation of the barrier can be promoted and the required quantity of flame retardant reduced. This saves costs and improves the properties of the polymer. 

Flame Retardancy: Chemical Cross-Linking During Fires 

After the crisis, with some dramatic losses in the flame retardants business, the industry has made a brilliant recovery. But, on account of capacity bottlenecks, flame retardants have currently become expensive and not readily available. Green requirements are boosting the use of new polymer and synergistically acting flame retardant systems, especially in the electrical and electronics sector. Flame-retardant biopolymers have so far tended to be left on the sidelines. 

Trend Report: Flame Retardants: Restricted Boom 

Plastics used in building, electrical and electronic engineering or transportation have to satisfy the fire protection demands in the respective segment of industry. Innovations are being made especially in environmentally safe products which contain polymeric or halogen-free flame retardants. The synergistic effect of these additives is also becoming an increasingly important aspect. 

Flame Retardants: Demands and Innovations 

Sophisticated plastic components that must meet high safety and fire protection requirements can be producted without halogenated flame retardants. Environmental friendly alternatives offer comparable effectiveness combined with a competitive price-performance ratio. This has been revealed by extensive studies and reviews conducted by twelve universities, institutes and companies. 

Flame Retardants: Are Halogens Really Necessary? 

Flame Retardant Polyamides for Electronics

Electrical equipment manufacturers place great importance on representing their brand through a specific color design. This applies to all visible components.

Electrical equipment manufacturers place great importance on representing their brand through a specific color design. This applies to all visible components. However, these do not only have to be visually convincing, but above all, be convincing in terms of mechanical properties and resistance to fire.

The so-called “corporate branding” poses new challenges for the manufacturers of molding compounds for applications in electrical engineering. In addition to signal properties (such as for the switching states ON and OFF), colors should also signal warnings, hazardous areas, or display shutdown options. For example, every emergency stop command element must be reliably recognizable through its red-yellow color scheme – worldwide, in challenging environments and after decades of use.

In addition, there is often the requirement to individually label molded parts with different laser systems. This may require special additives, which in turn may have a retroactive effect on other properties of the final compound. Filling and reinforcing materials of the plastic additionally affect the ability to mark it. The variations possible are limited by the international approvals of the molding compounds – the permissible additive load and an „infrared spectroscopic fingerprint“ of a material stored at licensing organizations set tight limits here.

In order to color fire-protected materials, it requires a thorough understanding of the intrinsic colors of base polymers and fire retardants and also of the colorants. Ascend Performance Materials has a wide portfolio of polyamide materials and color formulas available: From non-fire-protected, standard colored materials to high glass fiber-reinforced compounds in customized coloring, even for low wall thickness. The possible flame retardants range provides cost-effective products with limited performance to additives with capabilities justifying a higher expense.

Electrical appliances have not just been light grey or black for a long time now. Most customers generally closely specify “light grey”. Permissible color deviations are often limited to ΔE ≤ 1.0. This tolerance must be carefully observed across the individual deliveries. Ascend produces well over 100 different color-type combinations (Fig. 1) in the area of grey colors alone. Due to the potentially changing intrinsic color of the base polymer and the different intrinsic colors of different flame-retardant batches, it is essential to be able to readjust the so-called color location over the entire manufacturing process – depending on the production quantity for several hours or even days. Figure 2 shows the color deviations over several production campaigns of a specific color setting over a period of nine months. For such sophisticated compounds, Ascend relies on powder colorants, which allow a rapid color adjustment within the ongoing production process.

The RAL “Classic” color palette includes over 200 different colors between “white” and “black”. Consequently, Ascend produces about 100 white colorations on an ongoing basis, and new ones are constantly added, either to adjust to customer-specific initial colors or, for example, to adjust the color stability for defined thermal profiles throughout different timeframes. These adaptations must neither impair the ignition behavior nor the resistance to fire of the respective molding compound. With applications for the electric power supply of vehicles, orange has established itself as a signal color. Since the signal effect must be ensured until the end of “vehicle life”, the manufacturers demand proof of color stability even after a long-lasting temperature stress. Figure 3 shows the results of a temperature storage test of an unreinforced flame-retardant type with different additive formulations.

The range of flame retardants (FR) used in polyamides ranges from nitrogen-based products to organic phosphorus compounds to red phosphorus (RP). Often times, it is also not possible to avoid relying on halogen-containing FRs.

The fire behavior of solid, non-foamed plastics in so-called “small applications” is often grouped into different performance classes in accordance with the requirements of UL 94. Here, “HB” describes a non-fire-protected material, whereas a material that meets the requirements of class “V-0/5VA” has passed a test with a 500 watt gas burner, among other things.

While FRs based on nitrogen and organic phosphorus compounds are color neutral, products with red phosphorus can only be produced in dark red, which is characteristic of red phosphorus, or in dark grey/black colors.

The different flame retardants are incorporated into the compound at concentrations between about 5 and 25 percent by weight, which affects the material properties more or less significantly, depending on the FR type. An example: The stiffness of a Polyamide reinforced with 25 % glass fibers is reduced by more than 30 % as a result of moisture absorption. Whereas in a brightly colored, fire-protected version only by less than 20 %. Color formulations that are not ideally selected may have additional–in some cases significantly negative– effect on the compound properties here.

Ascend offers the entire range of flame retardants suitable for Polyamides in technical applications in the various types of the “Starflam” product range (Fig. 4). The ideal balance between the various requirements must be established through close communication between the customer and the molding compound manufacturer. Here, too, the use of powder-shaped input materials expands the possible variations. The advantages and limitations of various flame retardants are shown in Figure 5.

Frequently, molded parts made from fire-protected molding compounds are used to manufacture applications which are later used in the scope of the regulations of Underwriters Laboratories (UL). In this case, the characteristic properties of the respective formulation are stored at UL and the variation possibilities of the molding compound manufacturer are extremely limited.

As is so common, the benefits of powder input materials must be “bought” in the color adjustment through compromises elsewhere: Dosing the relatively small amounts of required formulation components is more complex and cleaning the systems is more labor-intensive than, for example, using color concentrates (“Colorant Masterbatches”). It can be more attractive for customers to secure lower-cost solutions with compromising color consistency by using batches.

Functional additives and colorants may significantly affect the electrical properties of a molding compound. For example, the Comparative Tracking Index (determined according to IEC 60 112) is a integral characteristic for dimensioning geometric distances in electrical devices. The use of unsuitable additives may reduce the Tracking Resistance and consequently the Comparative figure of creep path formation (CTI) of a molding compound to such an extent that a given design no longer meets the relevant standards. In such a case, the manufacturer of a device may face significant liability. Additives with a negative influence on the Comparative Tracking Index can be, for example, flame retardants or their synergists, or also compounds used to increase the contrast in the laser markability of plastics.

The production of flame-retardant molding compounds is concentrated in the Fosses plant (France). Among others, an in-house laser laboratory enables the targeted optimization of the laser markability of custom colors, while the simultaneous monitoring of the other properties that are critical for the respective application ensures the required overall performance. This includes, for example, incorporated lubricants used to minimize friction and the resulting wear. Ascend uses the entire range of additives provided by the upstream industry to offer molding compounds with the desired property profiles. With the acquisition of Poliblend (Mozzate, Italy), competence and capacity were acquired to be able to supply such formulations, some of which are customer-specific, in small and large quantities.

Use of Radiation Crosslinkable  Materials

Molding compounds produced with a special chemical can be crosslinked molecularly by means of radiation through electrons (“beta radiation”) or electromagnetic waves (“gamma radiation”). This significantly affects the properties of polymers.

Molded parts made of radiation crosslinkable materials will no longer melt after radiation crosslinking. While the strength and toughness typical for polyamide is retained, the original melting point is eliminated. While Polyamide 66 melts at 260 °C, cross-linked polyamides retain their shape for several minutes even at temperatures well above 300 °C. Such temperature peaks occur, for example, in electrical switching devices. When currents are switched off, light arcs are created, with temperatures reaching several thousand degrees. Such light arcs are appearing in for example industrial switching devices or in DC-power circuits of electrically-driven motor vehicles.

Traditionally, such temperatures could only be handled with thermoset materials, which in turn require numerous compromises. The list is by no means complete, and can include high wall thicknesses, long curing and thus long cycle times, deburring, limited ductility and high wear on moving parts.

Radiation-crosslinked Polyamides can also substitute thermosets for applications in metal welding systems in where plastic parts are required to withstand metal particles having >100 °C. Particularly for molded parts with small dimensions required to resist repeated temperature peaks, radiation crosslinkable Polyamides (according to the standard ISO 1043, marked by an “-X” after the molding compound designation) can offertheir advantages.

In addition to increasing the peak temperature resistance, radiation crosslinking also brings significant improvements in creepage and friction behavior. Ascend’s range of crosslinkable compounds extends here from unreinforced material to highly glass fiber-reinforced, halogen-free, fire-protected molding compounds. These products can also be colored according to customer specifications. From the “stable” color, which does not change due to the irradiation, to the formulation with targeted color change, various customer requests can be achieved. The UL recognition, of course, is maintained even after the crosslinking process.

Ascend Performance Materials  

https://www.ascendmaterials.com

Ausgabenartikel

Test with an 850 °C hot glow wire on a switching device: If a fault in the connection of an electrical device causes a cable to become overheated, for example, then a potential flame must extinguish by itself.

Fig. 1. A very small selection from the  range of constantly produced grey tones for electrical applications.

Fig. 2. Color variations for various production campaigns of a flame retarded PA66 compound.

Fig. 3. Sample body in orange color after temperature storage test.

Fig. 4. Overview of flame retardants in polyamide molding compounds.

Fig. 5. Advantages and restrictions of various flame retardants.

Ascend - KU 2022-07 - Special

Thilo Hindert has been in charge of the electrical applications at Ascend Performance Materials since 2020 as an Application Development Engineer.

Ascend Performance Materials is one of the world’s largest fully backwards-integrated Polyamide 66 manufacturers. Headquartered in Houston/Texas, with three production sites in Europe (Netherlands, France, and Italy), it allows for serving customers from a wide range of industries with high-volume standard materials as well as with customized compounds based on PA6 and PA66. PA6.10 and PA6.12 compounds are manufactured under the brand name HiDura. With several acquisitions over the past two years, the company is maintaining its strong growth trend despite the crises worldwide. The two recent acquisitions in Mexico and India underline the claim of being a global partner with manufacturing facilities throughout the world.

Read the German version of the article in our magazine Kunststoffe or at <a href="https://www.kunststoffe.de/a/fachartikel/grau-aber-genau-2739060" target="_blank">www.kunststoffe.de</a>