Author Archives: Nuplex

Color concentrates for plastics play an important role in contributing the value of a plastic product by bringing the diversity of choice to end users. However, in some cases, these color concentrates for plastics are easily faded, especially under the pressure of harsh conditions. But what was the exact causes of fading phenomenon happened in colored plastic products?

The impact of light causes discoloration of color concentrates for plastics

The stability under direct sunlight (to be more specific, to the UV radiation) is vital properties of plastic products, especially the ones that function as outdoor furniture. Masterbatch manufacturers have been trying their best to continuously improve this characteristic with the purpose of which adding more value to the final products. For outdoor plastic-based products subjecting to strong light exposure for a long period of time (sometimes it’s nearly the whole usage lifespan of the products), the light resistance (also called as sunproofing ability) level is an irreplaceable index that needs to be seriously considered when examined the color concentrates for plastics.

How did experts examine the light resistance of color concentrates for plastics?

The light resistance is divided into 8 levels with VIII levels indicates the best performance. For products required weather resistance, experts suggest that this level should not be lower than level VI while for other products (indoor objects for example), this level should be maintained at level IV or V. In general, light resistance does not only come from the color concentrates for plastics but also impacted by the carrier resin. This can be explained as the ultraviolet light exposure makes the molecular structure of the resins to be changed, causing color fading. The light resistance and color retention can be improved by adding light stabilizer (such as ultraviolet light absorber) in the masterbatch.

Color concentrates for plastics and the heat stability

The heat stability/resistance is usually considered as the maximum temperature at which there is no change in the molecular structure of the masterbatch, thus there is no fading or discoloration happens under the manufacturing process. Different types of color concentrates for plastics examined different level of heat resistant. For inorganic colorants, which composition is metallic oxide and salt, it has better heat stability than organic pigments, which building molecules are easily decomposed into small fragments under certain temperature. Generally, heat resistance lasts for approximately 4 to 10 minutes. If the processing temperature is higher than 280^oC, serious consideration and selection should be conducted in order to find the most suitable color concentrates for plastics with excellent heat resistance.

The antioxidant activity and its relation to color concentrates for plastics

The oxidation of organic pigments had led to the macromolecule degradation in products containing color concentrates for plastics. As a result, colored resins gradually lost its original colors. For example, red color will be faded after mixing with color flakes, azo pigments and chrome color. In some other cases, as the pigments were oxidized, it experienced darker color (such as chromate in chrome yellow tends to darken since the pigment compound also contains lead – a heavy toxic metal). The oxidation process usually causes by high-temperature or by strong oxidant or just simply after a long time exposure to the air.

The acid and alkali resistance also affects color concentrates for plastics

The fading of color concentrates for plastics is also related to the chemical properties of colorants in which the chemical resistance plays an importance role in determine how long the plastic products can keep it colors. Chemical resistance includes acid resistance, alkali resistance and oxido-reduction resistance. For example, while the cadmium yellow is not resistant to acid meanwhile the molubdate red resists to diluted acid (solution with low concentrate of acid). However, this red pigment is quite sensitive to alkali solutions.

Natural properties of the resins and color concentrates for plastics itself

The molubdate read, the cadmium yellow and resins belonging to the phenolic group have strong reduction reaction when interacting with some color concentrates for plastics. Color retention also depends on the natural basis of all components existing in the masterbatch mixture such as the carrier resins, the pigment/dye, surface active agent, fillers compound, dispersing agent, anti-aging agents, etc.

Plastic masterbatch are also used in packaging in addition to materials such as paper, glass and metal. Plastic masterbatch are not naturally available, but must undergo various processing from the crude oil. There are many types of plastic packaging on the market today and are used by us every day. Plastic packaging can be nylon bags, bran bags, non-woven bags, shrink film, etc. And each type of plastic packaging like that has a different manufacturing process such as blowing bags, spinning, etc. In this article, we mentioned 5 types of masterbatch that are commonly used in packaging production.

Plastic masterbatch – common ingredient for manufacturing various types of packaging

Primary plastic are usually white or transparent. In order to produce plastic packaging, in addition of using primary plastic, manufacturers can combine the original material (primary or recycled plastic) with calcium carbonate masterbatch, color masterbatch and other additives. In the masterbatch world, there are many types with different properties. Depending on the purpose of which the product is used for, the manufacturer will use different types of plastic masterbatch. For example, producers add color masterbatch to the packaging to make it more eye-catching, more vivid and more durable in harsh weather conditions. In other cases, manufacturers will mix primary plastic with sliding additives masterbatch to reduce friction between blow films in the same stack or between films and other surfaces it contacts to make it easier to move.

Classification of plastic packaging based on groups of used plastic masterbatch

Plastic packaging manufactured from PE plastic masterbatch

Plastic packaging made from PE plastic masterbatch and functional additives is used a lot in every aspect of daily life, from markets, grocery stores, supermarkets and is often called plastic bags.

Here are the characteristics of packaging made by PE masterbatch:

• Transparent, glossy surface, soft, flexible, waterproof and good steam resistance
• The resistances of PE packages against O₂, CO₂, N₂ and grease are all poor
• By combining PE calcium carbonate masterbatch and functional masterbatches, common PE packaging such as clear PE bags, glued PE bags, antistatic PE bags, vacuum PE bags can be created

What is the difference between packaging made by PE and PP plastic masterbatch?

PP masterbatch with outstanding features at reasonable prices can be applied in many agricultural and chemical industries. For example, it can function as fertilizer packaging, seed packaging, chemical packaging, food packaging and animal feeding packaging, etc.

Here are the characteristics of packaging made by PP plastic masterbatch:

• PP plastic packaging is durable, tough and does not stretch so it can be made into fibers, but the disadvantage is that it is easy to tear, so manufacturers need to be careful during the packaging or transportation processes
• PP plastic bags are opaque white or transparent white
• It experienced good printability
• PP plastic packaging is waterproof and non-greasy

What are the advantages of manufacturing packaging from PC plastic masterbatch?

PC plastic masterbatch is resistant to high temperatures, so PC plastic packaging is used to make food containers (bottles and jars) but these products need to be sterilized.

PC plastic packaging has these following properties:

• Plastic PC has better air-tightness than PVC and PE but worse than PET and PP calcium carbonate masterbatch
• PC plastic has a high degree of transparency and durability, but it is 3 times more expensive than PP and PET plastic so it is rarely used on the market.
• PC plastic packaging is able to withstand high temperatures above 100^oC

Is using PVC plastic masterbatch still popular in manufacturing?

From PVC plastic masterbatch, manufacturers can manufacture a wide range of products from plastic bottles, food wrap films or electrical cables to water pipes, raincoats, etc. Previously, PVC plastic is widely used but later on, PE became more popular because of its many advantages:

• The proportion of PVC is higher than that of PE and PP, so it consumes more fuel when making the same plastic products, thereby costing more.
• PVC does not have the flexibility, so it is necessary to use additives such as calcium carbonate masterbatch, color masterbatch, technical resins compound for packaging products.
• PVC packaging contains VCM (vinylchoride) which causes cancer, so in Europe it has been banned to use this material for making food packaging.

The packaging is manufactured from PET plastic masterbatch and its advanatges

High-durable PET resins should be used as water bottles and water containers. In addition, PET plastic packaging can also be a plastic container for food thanks to the combination of functional additives such as filler masterbatch, color masterbatch or compound to improve the air-tightness and ensure its safety when being exposure to high temperature.

Packaging manufactured from PET plastic masterbatch is widely used due to these properties:

• High durability and be able to withstand the impact of high pressure
• Best gas-proof ability in all types of the plastic packaging
• Soft, glossy surface, easy to print logos and labels
• Does not cause chemical reactions when in contact with other substances, especially safe for containing foods
• However, PET packaging is difficult to recycle and is often not recycled. PET packaging is usually single use only.

Color masterbatch is properly one of the most vital and widely-used material in manufacturing high-quality plastic products. Color masterbatch is mainly used with the purpose of creating colorful and eye-catching appearance for the final products, helping them cover the aesthetic requirements. The category of color masterbatches in Nuplex consists of a wide range of products, from simple and basic products such as white masterbatch and black masterbatch to other products complex colors and effects.

Color masterbatch with titanium dioxide accounted for the vast majority of composition

White masterbatch consists of high concentration (80%) of titanium dioxide, which helps the color masterbatch to achieve excellent dispersion, good heat resistance and thermal stability. TiO₂ is considered to perform effectively in scattering light, contributing high opacity and improving lightness and brightness of the material it is mixed with. Moreover, titanium dioxide is also able to absorb UV light. This ability significantly affects the final product in the way which their durability, especially during weather conditions, is highly improved. Excellent mechanical properties (be able to withstand impacts and tear resistance) is another benefits of using this product. White masterbatch in the current markets is diverse in a wide range of types categorized based on the specific base resin it consists of, including PP, PE, PS, ABS and polyester. Thus it is widely applied in many fields such as blow molding, injection molding and high-end rotational molding.

Black masterbatch – a common and widely used color masterbatch

On the other hand, black masterbatch consists high amount of black carbon powder, which brought the black color to the masterbatch, base resins, functional additives and with or without fillers (such as talc, calcium carbonate powder). Black masterbatch is famous for its UV resistance and high endurance to harsh weather conditions. This color masterbatch also has homogenous dispersion which is suitable for applications in electronic and electrical devices (such as wires, cables, washing machine, vacuum cleaners, coffee machines, mixers, blenders, DVDs, TVs), automotive accessories, argicuture, construction industry (geomembranes, water tanks, water pipes) and packaging industries (especially safe for making packaging used in food and beverage industry).

In comparison to color master batch does not contain fillers, the calcium carbonate in those including them helps manufacturers save more production costs and gain more productivity, helps the products achieve better performance without causing negative impacts to the environment.

Custom-made color masterbatch depending on your requirements at Nuplex

At Nuplex, we can produce any type of color masterbatch that you require. Our research team is willing to try our best to find out the best solution with high-quality products that cater multitude of your requirements. So whether you want white masterbatch, black masterbatch or any kind of masterbatch, we are sure that you can find it at Nuplex. We guarantee that all products with brand-name Nuplex Masterbatch produced by Nuplex achieve excellent color dispersion, stable performance and fine-smoothness.

Masterbatch (MB) is a solid or liquid additive for plastic used for coloring plastics (color masterbatch) or imparting other properties to plastics (additive masterbatch). Masterbatch is a concentrated mixture of pigments and/or additives encapsulated during a heat process into a carrier resin which is then cooled and cut into a granular shape. Masterbatch allows the processor to colour raw polymer economically during the plastics manufacturing process.

The alternatives to using masterbatches are buying a fully compounded material (which may be more expensive and less open to e.g. color variability of the product), or compounding from raw materials on site (which is prone to issues with achieving full dispersion of the colorants and additives, and prone to preparing more material than what is used for the production run). In comparison with pure pigments, masterbatches require more storage space and their lead times are longer. Another disadvantage is additional exposure of heat (“heat history”) to both the carrier and the additive; this may be important e.g. for marginally thermally stable pigments.^[1]

As masterbatches are already premixed compositions, their use alleviates the issues with the additive or colorant clumping or insufficient dispersion. The concentration of the additive in the masterbatch is much higher than in the end-use polymer, but the additive is already properly dispersed in the host resin. In a way their use is similar to uses of ferroalloys for adding alloying elements to steels.

The use of masterbatches allows the factory to keep stock of fewer grades of the polymer, and to buy cheaper natural polymer in bulk.

The masterbatches can be fairly highly concentrated (in comparison with the target composition), with high “let-down ratios”; e.g. one 25 kg bag can be used for a tonne of natural polymer. The relatively dilute nature of masterbatches (in comparison with the raw additives) allows higher accuracy in dosing small amounts of expensive components. The compact nature of the grains of solid masterbatches eliminates problems with dust, otherwise inherent for fine-grained solid additives. Solid masterbatches are also solvent-free, therefore they tend to have longer shelf life as the solvent won’t evaporate over time. The masterbatch usually contains 40-65% of the additive, but the range can be as wide as 15-80% in extreme cases.

The carrier material of the masterbatch can be based on a wax (universal carrier) or on a specific polymer, identical or compatible with the natural polymer used (polymer-specific). E.g. EVA or LDPE can be used as carriers for polyolefins and nylon, polystyrene can be used for ABS, SAN, and sometimes polycarbonates. When a carrier different than the base plastic is used, the carrier material may modify the resulting plastic’s properties; where this could be important, the carrier resin has to be specified. The usual ratio of masterbatch to the base resin is 1 to 5 percent. Several masterbatches (color and various additives) can be used together.^[1] The carrier can also double as a plasticizer (common for liquid masterbatches) or a processing aid.

The machines are usually fed with premixed granules of the host polymer and the masterbatch. The final mixing then gets done in the screw and extrusion part of the machine. This is sometimes prone to adverse effects, e.g. separation of the masterbatch and the base material in the machine’s hopper. The masterbatch can be also added directly to the machine’s screw, as a free-flowing solid or in case of a liquid masterbatch by e.g. a peristaltic pump. Such use of liquid masterbatches allows highly accurate dosing and quick change of color between machine runs.

Masterbatches can be used in most processes, except rotational molding and Plastisol and other liquid resin systems.

Masterbatch has covered the vast majority of our modern world. It’s easy to find a random stuff around you that was made of masterbatch. We all know that plastic have outstanding features over other traditional materials such as wood or glass. But why primary plastic has been replaced with master batch? Here are 10 reasons why this material is considered as being even more advanced than the raw plastic!

What is masterbatch? Definition, function and classification of this advanced material

Masterbatch is the concentrated compound, usually appears in solid form as pellets but sometimes they are produced in liquid solution. This type of material consists of primary plastic, compound CaCO3 (or other similar plastic fillers, most of them are in powder form), colorant for plastic and other additives. All these ingredients are heated until melting to form a unique and even solution, then this solution is cooled and cut into granular shape. This material is considered as a plastic additive with 3 main purposes: to reduce the amount of required primary plastic, to color and to impart functional properties to plastic products. Also based on these functions, the masterbatches is divided in to 3 major categories: calcium carbonate filler, color masterbatch and additive master batch.

Masterbatch is the perfect solution to creat colorful plastic products

As mentioned above, one of the most important purposes of using masterbatch is due to the economic benefit it brought to the manufacturers. Back to the beginning of plastic industry, nearly all plastic products were made by primary resin, which is produced directly from the petroleum and does not contain other ingredients. However, as the amount of petroleum in natural is dramatically decreased due to the over-exploitation, thus leading to the consequence in which the prices or crude oil keep rising in recent years. By replacing partly the primary plastic in plastic-base products production without affecting the original properties of the pure plastic, masterbatch is highly recommended as an effective solution for a wide range of application.

Pellet form makes masterbatch more convenient to be stored and manipulated

Compared to powdered pigments, if manufacturers use color masterbatch as a colorant for plastic, it will be a lot easier to store them near the production systems without causing a messy working space. Staffs working in these factories can also easily control the amount of used master batch and manipulate the whole manufacturing process, minimizing the chance of using too much amount of materials needed.

Using masterbatch releases less dust to the surrounding environment

Masterbatch, due to its dense and compacted structure of each solid pellet, cause less dust during the production processes, thus help the manufacturers control and eliminate the contamination problems inside the factory. Meanwhile pigments can well disperse into the air during manufacturing stages, this situation potentially causing contamination the adjacent producing lines.

Not only keep working space in factories clean, these dust-free masterbatch is also safer and less likely to cause health risks for workers and consumers compared to the traditional undispersed pigments powder.

Masterbatch manufacturers can more easily control the appearance of products

Masterbatch is believed to enhance the dispersion of colorant for plastic and plastic additives in general up to the optimal level. It offers better color consistency, thus allows manufacturers to easily control and manage the opacity and transparency of the final products. Master batch can have these advanced properties over the pigments because it is specially designed and engineered for the optimal dispersion in a plastic matrix. Thus, less colorant for plastic are required during the processing, helping producers to gain more profits. Moreover, plastic product manufacturers is able to reduce their works since the tasks of research, trial and fixing the errors are now eliminated. Why can these happen? It’s because the masterbatch manufacturers have taken the responsibilities in developing products with standard on color, properties and appearance.

Masterbatch is preferred since it gives final products with superior properties

Last but not least, we cannot deny that fact that masterbatch seems to be able in giving various additional values to the final products over the primary plastic since it contains functional additives concentrates that deliver advantageous characteristics such as anti-UV, anti-blocking, flame retardant, antioxidants, optical brightening, smoother surface, etc. Thanks to this added properites, quality of final products is elevated while their prices is reduced and more attractive to the customers.

Masterbatch is an additive used as colorants for plastics. It is available in solid or liquid form. It is used in manufacturing colored plastics with enhanced antilocking, antistatic, UV stabilizing, and flame retarding properties. It is a highly concentrated mixture of pigment and additives that undergo several heating processes and then is cooled and shaped in granular pellets. It has become a crucial product with diverse applications in plastic processing such as extrusion, blow molding, injection molding, among others.

According to MRFR analysis, the global masterbatch market is expected to reach USD 11,903.45 million with a robust CAGR of 5.54% in the coming years. Rising demand for plastics in automotive industry due to stringent emission regulations and growing demand from the rapidly growing packaging industry are likely to drive the market growth during the forecast period. By type, the color segment accounted for the largest market share of 33.24% in 2017 and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.60% during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

Geographically, the global masterbatch market has been studied across five key regions, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The Asia-Pacific dominated the global market with a notable market share of 38.85% in 2017 and is expected to grow at a robust CAGR of 6.13% during the forecast period owing to the rising applicability of masterbatch in the packaging application. China is the leading country with a market share of 46.78% in 2017 and is likely to reach USD 2,277.3 by the end of 2023 due to rapid industrialization and improved living standards. The European market was the second-largest in 2017 and was valued at USD 2,104.9 million in 2017 owing to the diverse application of the product in building & construction, automotive, packaging, and consumer goods industries. Germany was the major contributor in the region and is expected to reach USD 854.2 million during the review period owing to growing R&D facilities and innovation capabilities.

Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the global masterbatch market are A. Schulman, Inc. (US), Cabot Corporation (US), Clariant (Switzerland), PolyOne (US), Plastika Kritis S.A. (Greece), Ampacet Corporation (US), AMERICHEM (US), Astra Polymers (Saudi Arabia), ALOK MASTERBATCHES PVT. LTD. (India), Hubron International (UK), GABRIEL-CHEMIE Group (Austria), Prayag Polytech (India), DongGuan HengCai Plastic Pigment Ltd (China), Plastiblends (India), POLYPLAST (Germany), GCR Group (Spain), Tosaf (Israel), and RTP Company (US).

Geographic Analysis

The report covers brief analysis of geographical region such as: North America, US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Germany, Italy, France, UK, Russia, Rest of Europe, Asia-Pacific, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific, South America, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Key Findings

As per MRFR analysis, global masterbatch market is projected to reach USD 11,903.45 million by the end of the forecast period at a CAGR of 5.54% during the assessment period.

By type, the color segment held the largest market share of 33.24% in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 4,202.4 million in the coming years.

Based on application, the packaging segment dominated the market with a market share of 38.12% in 2017 and is likely to register a significant CAGR of 5.90% during the forecast period.

WORLDS PLASTICS PRODUCTION

The European and US plastics industries are under significant competition from Asia. For a long time Europe and North America led the global plastics production. Today, China is the largest producer of plastics (25%) followed by Europe (20%) and the US (19.5%).1 When combined, the Americas and Europe account for about 45 percent of the worlds plastic production which is equal to Asia (China, Japan, and rest of Asia). The global plastics industry has continuously grown for more than 50 years. For instance, for the period 2012 to 2017, the demand for plastic products increased steadily by about 3.7 percent per year with a total world plastics production of about 300 Mtonne in 2013.

EUROPEAN PLASTICS INDUSTRY

The European plastics industry employs about 1.45 million people who are working in approximately 62,000 companies (mainly small and medium sized companies in the plastics converting sector). It creates a turnover of above 350 billion EUR per year. About two thirds of Europe’s plastics demand is concentrated in five countries (25.4% Germany, 14.3% Italy, 9.7% France, 7.6% UK, and 7.5% Spain). According to PlasticsEurope, the European plastics industry has produced about 57 Mtons of plastics per year, whereas Europe’s demand was only about 46 Mtons per year for the same period (2011-2013).

US PLASTICS INDUSTRY

The US plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the United States. It employs nearly one million people in the manufacturing sector (about 16,000 manufacturing sites) and 1.4 million people total when including plastics suppliers.1-5 The U.S. plastics industry created a turnover of about $380 billion per year with more than $13 billion trade surplus and a total production volume of about 55 Mtons in 2012.1-5 The United states has significantly reduced their energy prices increasing their competitiveness in the world.