New plastic colourings set to reduce cost of food packaging

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved three new Engelhard Synergy colour pigments for use in plastic food packaging, providing packaging manufacturers with a cost-effective alternative to significantly higher-cost pigments in the same colour range.

The new pigments are Engelhard Synergy Yellow 6202, Synergy Orange 6135 and Synergy Orange 6164. Synergy Yellow 6202 is a mid-green-shade yellow that has extremely high heat stability and very good colour strength. It can withstand heat as high as 650 degrees F in most polymers and is similar in colour space to pigment yellow (PY) 180.

Engelhard Synergy Orange 6135 is a yellow-shade orange that features low warping and high value as an alternative to significantly higher cost heat-stable oranges for the plastic markets.Engelhard Synergy Orange 6164 is said to have high heat stability-up to 550 degrees F in most polymers-and good warping and shrinkage properties. The shade is a mid-shade orange with a colour space similar to pigment orange (PO) 64, but at a significantly higher value.

All Synergy pigments are designed to reduce costs for formulators of plastics or coatings. The pigments represent a "synergistic" use of the company's specialisation in surface chemistry and materials science. By leveraging these competencies, Engelhard scientists say they have managed to optimise both organic and inorganic pigments for improved properties and reduced costs.

Based in the US, Engelhard develops and manufactures on a global basis a broad line of products for paints, coatings and plastics, including special effect pigments, organic and inorganic color pigments, aqueous color dispersions, kaolin-based extender pigments and attapulgite thixotropes.