Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has developed a new colorant that can be used to permanently color polyamides (PA) and other plastics with the RAL 2003 shade of orange. The soluble organic dye Macrolex Orange HT is highly heat-stable, light fast and weather resistant and offers outstanding color strength and brilliance. 

Unlike most conventional dyes, Macrolex Orange HT is perfect for not only PA but also other common plastic types such as polycarbonate (PC) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), which, due to their high processing temperatures, normally pose a challenge for colorants. The new halogen-free colorant offers consistently high quality and high-precision coloration (dE ≤ 0.7), which is particularly important for orange shades. A color difference of dE

“We have already extensively tested our new products under realistic conditions. In cooperation with LANXESS’s High Performance Materials business unit, we colored compounds with Macrolex Orange HT at the plastics technical center in Dormagen and tested them for their suitability in plastics processing,” says Dr. Lars May, head of Application Technology Plastics in the Polymer Additives business unit at LANXESS. 

In addition to high-voltage applications, Macrolex Orange HT can also be used to color other high-quality plastic products such as housings for tools and other electronic devices as well as technical plastics for vehicle parts and structural applications. 

The dyes in LANXESS’s Macrolex range allow a diverse range of potential applications and offer excellent compatibility with a large number of polymer types and manufacturing processes. They also meet numerous legal requirements for use in food packaging or children’s toys.