Fundamentally New PET Colorants Yield Sparkling Bottles Whose Shelf Appeal Surpasses that of Standard PET Packaging

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NEW YORK, September 28, 2004: Tiny color-concentrate beads based on unique technology provide a more sparkling and vibrant look in PET cosmetic, beauty-aid, and personal-care packaging than is achievable with conventional PET colorants, it was announced at HBA 2004 by Teknor Color Company (Booth 1377). The new colors, tradenamed PETek (TM), may also enable bottle producers to reduce scrap rates and color loadings, according to William K. Clarke, manager of national accounts and business development.

The innovative concentrates differ from the 0.125-in (3.2 mm) pellets, liquid colorants, and wax-based solids conventionally used in PET packaging because of their unique size, shape, and composition. PETek concentrates are micro-beads in which color is dispersed in a polymer system that is totally compatible with PET. The beads can range in size down to diameters as small as 0.050 in. (1.27 mm), depending on application requirements. As a result of tiny bead size and complete incorporation of the carrier in polyester, color disperses so efficiently and uniformly that swirl, haze, and other defects are dramatically reduced, according to Clarke.

“PETek colors provide crystal clarity in transparent bottles, vibrant hues in opaque ones, and deep, beautiful effects in pearlescent or frosted containers,” said Clarke. “With the development of these concentrates, Teknor Color Company now supplies colors for all of the plastics widely used in the cosmetics and personal care packaging industry, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET.”

Teknor Color supplies PETek concentrates as custom formulations for use in extrusion blow, injection blow, and stretch blow molding, as well as injection molding and extrusion.

Improved Dispersion with PETek Concentrates Could Lower Bottle Production Costs

PETek micro-beads can be produced in diameters as much as 60% smaller than conventional pellets, according to Stephanie Fromm, business development manager. “As with pellets, the recommended loading levels for these new micro-beads are in the range of one to four parts per hundred of resin [1 to 4% loadings], depending on color and application, but the better dispersion exhibited by PETek concentrates may enable some bottle producers to use lower loadings than would be needed for a standard concentrate, without sacrificing color development in the finished product. We also anticipate that the greater efficiency and consistency of color dispersion will result in lower scrap rates.”

The bead form of PETek concentrates eliminates the bridging, clumping, and stick-to-the-hand messiness of wax-based colorants and the screw-slippage and housekeeping problems posed by liquid colors, noted Fromm. “Micro-beads make available to PET molders the advantages of pellets, including free-flowing conveyance and metering into the processing machine, workplace cleanliness, and avoidance of liquid carriers like mineral oil, which can cause inconsistencies in melt delivery that result in screw slippage.”