Specialty chemicals company LANXESS offers the plastics industry high-performance and sustainable colorants for the coloration of engineering plastics. At K 2022, to be held from October 19 to 26 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the company will present its product ranges for the energy-efficient production of plastic goods which eliminate the need for subsequent coating and thus avoid reworking.

This includes both universal products and specialties for particular requirements. Depending on the product, heat stability, color strength, light and weather resistance, and brilliance determine the property profile.

The range of colorants offered by the Polymer Additives business unit comprises around 150 products and, in addition to Macrolex-brand colorants, a range of high-performance pigments and pigment preparations for use in a wide range of demanding applications.

Anne Stelzer, Head of Global Marketing Colorant Additives Business, says: “Our soluble dyes from the Macrolex brand can be used in a wide range of applications, for virgin polymers and also in recycled materials. The products can be used to achieve any desired hue.”

The color orange is mandatory as a safety feature for high-voltage components. This color is increasingly being used to mark live cables in electric and hybrid vehicles as well as components for high-voltage applications. The signal color is intended to alert mechanics and emergency services to the potential danger of electric shock.

To permanently color plastics with the RAL 2003 shade of orange, LANXESS has developed a 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 colorants, the halogen-free Macrolex Orange HT is perfect not only for use in polyamide, but also for other common plastic types such as polycarbonate or polyphenylene sulfide, which, due to their high processing temperatures, normally pose a challenge for colorants.

The Colortherm-brand iron oxide and chromium oxide pigments meet the requirements of plastics processors in full since they offer good dispersibility combined with short dwell times and low shear forces in the processes.

 “The special feature of our Colortherm Yellow product range is the high flexibility in pigment selection. Processors can choose the right pigments for them, tailored to suit the type of plastic to be colored and the requisite thermal stability,” says Stefano Bartolucci, Global Market Segment Manager for Plastics at the Inorganic Pigments business unit at LANXESS.