Colorants and special effects are the largest group of a broad range of additives and masterbatches available to alter or tailor the appearance, functionality, performance, safety, cost effectiveness, and processing efficiency of resins that assist designers and manufacturers to differentiate their products/packaging in the marketplace to establish a competitive edge.
Color chemistry basics of have long been established providing two primary colorants categories. These are: 1) dyes, which are soluble and become a part of the plastics they are mixed with; and 2) pigments, which are insoluble and must be dispersed in the polymer matrix. Bright, clear, transparent colors can more readily be achieved with dyes, while pigments, which are solids, are better used for deep, saturated, opaque or translucent colors. Organic colorants, both dyes and pigments, are increasingly used, displacing inorganic materials, particularly those relying on heavy metals such as cadmium or lead chromates.Beyond basic colorants, special-effect color systems, green technology.