ColorMatrix, the leading global innovator in liquid colorants and additives for thermoplastic applications, has further expanded its portfolio of breakthrough additive technologies.These latest developments include solutions to advance sustainability in the PET packaging pipeline, a unique high performance liquid foaming agent for PVC sheet and new liquid delustrant technology for the polyester and nylon fibre sector.
Joule RHB is ColorMatrix’s breakthrough reheat agent which is set to play a key role in the long term sustainability of PET containers. This innovative technology delivers significant energy savings through improved IR absorption during polymer processing, and helps to ensure cleaner resins go into the PET recycling stream. Joule RHB also offers improved levels of clarity and brightness, and importantly, has been shown to retain 100 per cent of its reheat capability and visual clarity after repeated processing. ColorMatrix’s latest advance can make a vital contribution to multi-trip recycling capability for PET containers.
Designed for use in the manufacture of PVC foam sheet, Excelite®, ColorMatrix’s new liquid foaming (blowing) additive, delivers effective lightweighting by reducing material density without compromising product performance. Excelite creates a much finer, more consistent cell structure within the extruded polymer, and offers the additional benefit of a smoother surface finish when compared to solid technologies. This is a particular advantage in printed materials where clarity, finish and definition are critical.
ColorMatrix has launched a new liquid delustrant for use in polyester and nylon fibre processing. Mattenex, a TiO2-based technology, reduces the reflective appearance of bright nylon and polyester fibre in a variety of products from carpet and textile apparel to non-woven and automotive applications. Unlike alternative technologies, a single Mattenex formulation can achieve many different matting levels and can be supplied to feed multiple extrusion lines. This makes it a highly flexible and easy to use system. The superior dispersion characteristics of the liquid Mattenex concentrate requires lower loading rates to deliver an equivalent visual matting effect when compared to solid delustrants.
In addition to its additive innovations, ColorMatrix has introduced liquid colorant systems, including rapid colour-matching technology, designed to accelerate customer market response times by streamlining the colour match, development and delivery process. Visitors to the K show can also preview the company’s cutting-edge HyGuard® oxygen scavenging technology which is set to revolutionise lightweighting, shelf-life and recyclability for PET containers from 2011 onwards.
