Color masterbatch is a specialized coloring agent for polymer materials. It is composed of pigments, carrier resins, and dispersants, and is finely processed into granules. With the advantages of precise color and good dispersion, it is easy to measure and add during use. It is widely used in industries such as plastics, chemical fibers, and rubber, making it easy for products to have colorful hue
Color Masterbatch, also known as color masterbatch, is a new type of specialized coloring agent for polymer materials.
1、 Composition and Structure
1.1 Pigments or dyes: These are the most critical components of color masterbatch, giving the final product color. Pigments are generally inorganic pigments (such as titanium dioxide, carbon black, etc.) or organic pigments (such as azo pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, etc.). Inorganic pigments usually have good weather resistance and covering power; Organic pigments have a higher degree of vivid color.
1.2 Carrier resin: It is the matrix of color masterbatch, which can evenly disperse pigments. Common carrier resins include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc. The selection of carrier resin needs to consider its compatibility with the colored plastic resin to ensure that the color masterbatch can mix well with the matrix resin during the processing.
1.3 Dispersant: Its main function is to promote the uniform dispersion of pigments in the carrier resin and avoid pigment particle aggregation. Dispersants can reduce the surface tension between pigment particles, making it easier for pigments to disperse in the resin. For example, some low molecular weight polyethylene wax, zinc stearate, etc. can be used as dispersants.
2、 Production process
2.1 Ingredients: First, accurately weigh the pigment, carrier resin, dispersant, and other additives (such as lubricants, antioxidants, etc.) according to the formula. This process requires the accuracy of ingredients, as the proportion of ingredients directly affects the performance of color masterbatch, such as color accuracy, dispersibility, etc.
2.2 Mixing: Put the prepared ingredients into a high-speed mixer for mixing. During the mixing process, the high-speed rotating stirring blades are used to thoroughly mix the raw materials evenly, laying a solid foundation for subsequent extrusion processing.
2.3Extrusion granulation: The mixed material is fed into a twin-screw extruder. In the extruder, the material is fully plasticized and mixed under high temperature, high pressure, and the shear action of the screw, and the pigment is uniformly dispersed in the carrier resin. Then, the strip material is extruded through the die, cooled, and cut into pellets to ultimately form the color masterbatch product.
3、 Advantages of color masterbatch
3.1 High color accuracy: Due to centralized production in the factory, the color formula of the color masterbatch can be precisely controlled, ensuring color consistency in each production. This is very important for industries that require strict control of product color, such as automotive parts, electronic product casings, etc.
3.2 Good dispersibility: Through advanced production processes and the action of dispersants, pigments can be uniformly dispersed in color masterbatch. In subsequent use, adding color masterbatch to plastic products can also ensure the uniform distribution of pigments in plastic products, avoiding quality problems such as color spots and lines.
3.3 Easy to use: For plastic processing enterprises, using color masterbatch is more convenient than directly using pigment powder. Color masterbatch is in granular form, making it easier to handle during the measurement and addition process, and it will not fly like pigment powder, reducing environmental pollution and harm to the health of operators.
3.4 Improve production efficiency: Color masterbatch can be quickly and evenly mixed with plastic resin, which can shorten the processing cycle and improve production efficiency in the molding process of plastic products. Meanwhile, due to the good dispersibility and stability of the color masterbatch, it can also reduce the defect rate of the product.
4、 Application Fields
4.1 Plastic products industry: This is the main application area of color masterbatch. Color masterbatch plays an important role in daily necessities such as plastic tableware and toys, as well as industrial products such as plastic pipes and plastic films. For example, in the production of colored plastic film, by adding color masterbatch, the color and transparency of the film can be precisely controlled to meet the needs of different packaging applications.
4.2 Chemical fiber industry: In the production of chemical fibers, masterbatch is used to color the fibers. For example, in the production of polyester fibers, adding color masterbatch can give the fibers various bright colors, which can be used to make products such as clothing and home textiles. Moreover, the use of color masterbatch can improve the color fastness of fibers, making the color more durable.
4.3 Rubber products industry: Some rubber products (such as tires, rubber seals, etc.) also use color masterbatch to improve their appearance color. In tire production, color masterbatch can be used to produce colored tires. Although the current market demand for colored tires is relatively small, it still has applications in some special vehicles (such as racing cars, concept cars) or personalized customized products.