What Are Plastic Colorants and Their Importance?
Plastic colorants or plastic dyes refer to chemical compounds used to color different plastic products. These compounds are in the form of dyes and pigments that have properties to produce various colors and hues more efficiently. In plastic colorants, colorant types are decided based on polymeric resin to color plastic products. This blog will discuss everything you need to know about plastic colorants or plastic dyes for your business.
Appearance is the first impression when it comes to purchasing a product. Plastics get their unique appearance when choosing the right food colors, which make them visually appealing and distinct.
The use of a wide range of colors can help plastic manufacturers differentiate their products in an overcrowded market. There are several ways to make a lasting impression on consumers with color, including packaging, automotive components, and even packaging for consumer goods.
Generally, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and acrylic polymers are used for dyes in plastic colorant formulation. Pigments work best with polyolefins when used in colorant applications. Talking about plastic colorant usages, they are generally applied to knead colorants into plastics to give them a desired color.
If you’re still wondering about the various applications of plastic colorants, their roles, applications, and types, then this blog is for you.
Understanding Plastic Colorants
As already discussed above, plastic colorants are those plastic dyes or colorants used to knead colorants into plastics to provide them with a more appealing, attractive, and vibrant color in an efficient manner. Plastic colorants are most commonly used in plastics manufacturing and serve as a transformative force to transform dull, monochromatic materials into highly appealing, vibrant, and eye-catching products.
Additionally, plastic colorants are also known as certified synthetic colors or dyes and are widely used in various industries, including textile, plastic, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Type of Colorants
There are various types of colorants, including but not limited to “masterbatches,” “colored pellets/colored compounds,” “liquid masterbatches/paste colors,” and “dry colors.“ The process involves mixing natural pellets (plastic particles) with coloring materials and molding the mixture. Let’s explore them in detail:
- Masterbatches and Surface Coating of Plastic Colorants
The delivery of plastic colorants in plastic molding can be done in various ways, including masterbatches (concentrates), which are prepared by separating the concentrate from the resin, cube blends (“salt & pepper mixes” – dry blending), which are natural polymers sprayed into surface coatings, pre-colored resins, and natural polymers, which make manufacturing cheaper by using pre-colored materials.
When pigment powder (or dye) is mixed with additives and a carrier, it is done in a specific way and with equipment. There are various uses of pigments that are widespread in various areas of applications, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastic, and skin care products.
A pigment powder’s molecules are fully merged with the molecules of the carrier resin after they have been heated, plasticized, stirred, and sheared. As a result, pigment particles of similar size to resin particles are created in a predefined, standardized manner.
- Plastic Colorants: Environmental Considerations
The use of plastic colorants is widespread in various industrial applications, including imparting colors to plastics, food packaging, and surface coating. In plastic coloration formulation, most molders use masterbatches, which include concentrated pigments dispersed in polymer carriers.
It is therefore important to mix the masterbatch with natural resin at a predetermined ratio to achieve the desired color during molding. The sustainability movement has led manufacturers to explore eco-friendly colorants that minimize damage to the environment.
Plastic products can be recycled with the addition of these additives, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. The incorporation of sustainable colorants into plastics manufacturing contributes to a more environmentally conscious and responsible approach.
- Dry Color
It is a powdered colorant made by combining pigments with metal soap. Despite its low cost, it does not require much effort to manufacture. However, it could have improved in terms of handling, including splattering easily, staining easily, and making it difficult to measure.
- Paste Color Liquid Masterbatches
This type of powdered colorant is mainly produced by mixing pigments and metal soap. It is an affordable colorant since it requires a little less effort to produce. There are some challenges associated with handling, such as being easily splattered, easily staining equipment, and difficult to measure.
- Masterbatches Manufacturing Process
In Japan, masterbatches serve as the main coloring agent because they are balanced and easy to manufacture with relatively little equipment. These masterbatches can be further customized to have a variety of colors and functions while incorporating pigments, colorants, and functional materials into resin pellets.
Premium Quality Colorants We Produce at Hridhan Chem
At Hridhan Chem Pvt. Ltd., we understand that these additives are far more than mere enhancements; they are essential elements that define plastic goods’ visual identity, functionality, and market appeal.
We offer a comprehensive range of high-quality plastic colorants and pigments that enable manufacturers across industries to meet technical requirements, engage consumers, and meet consumer expectations. We are committed to producing and supplying innovative and sustainable colorants that showcase quality and precision and help you gain a competitive edge in plastics manufacturing.
Hridhan Chem Pvt. Ltd. is more than just a manufacturer and supplier of custom plastic colorants, it also produces a variety of dyes/colorants and pigments used in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, home & personal care, and plastic products. We are here to stand out in your plastic manufacturing business in a crowded market.
And it is our collective mission to shape a world in which plastics are admired and performed as well as possible. For more information on a comprehensive range of plastic colorants and pigments we produce at our manufacturing facilities, get in touch with us today!
