PET Colorants
PETek® is a new family of color concentrates specifically designed for PET & PETG. PETek® provides superior optical clarity in transparent applications and beautiful, vibrant color in opaque applications. The innovative concentrates differ from the 0.125-in (3.2 mm) pellets, liquid colorants, and wax-based solids conventionally used in PET 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. The new colors may also enable bottle producers to reduce scrap rates and color loadings.
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. 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.
Teknor Color supplies PETek® concentrates as custom formulations for use in injection blow, and stretch blow molding, as well as injection molding and extrusion.
