TAGS: Additives for Packaging Formulations and Transparency
Clariant Masterbatches has developed a novel chrome color opening new opportunities for designers and manufacturers of high-end products, bottles and packaging. The new color increases reflectivity as compared to conventional silver or chrome colors.
New Design Opportunities for PET Manufacturers
Targeted especially at polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, the color is slightly translucent, so it is ideal for applications where it is necessary or desirable for the contents in the bottle to be visible. It can also overcome slightly off-color resins, including post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET. The effect was first demonstrated on bottles made of recycled PET resin.
The team at Clariant ColorWorks™ design and technology centers developed the new color masterbatches in response to growing interest for truly metallic looks.
Secret Behind Brilliant Chrome Effect in Plastics
The secret to achieve brilliant chrome effect lies in the pigment particle-size distribution and the way it is incorporated into the masterbatch. The chrome effect has other benefits as well, including the way it reacts to laser radiation. Unlike other colors, which turn grey or black under laser radiation and leave a physical, palpable mark on the surface, the chrome pigment simply disappears leaving only the natural transparent polymer behind.
Judith van Vliet, ColorWorks™ senior designer and a color expert explains, “
Designers recently began focusing on silver and chrome with a liquid feel. You see it a lot in glass and that kind of transparency is also very trendy. Clariant’s new chrome masterbatch develops a look that is the closest I’ve seen to a true metallized effect. It does a very good job of bringing those bright qualities to plastics for use in bottles containing prestige products.”
The new Clariant liquid-look chrome masterbatch is the first product to arise from NewAesthetix, a new ColorWorks™ initiative to develop unique color and effect options that deliver aesthetic qualities in plastic materials.
Source: Clariant