Colouring of Polymers and Composites - Introduction to Polymeric Composites with Rice Hulls - page 107

8.4.2 Cube Blends
Cube blends are colour systems that feature a masterbatch dry-blended with
natural polymers that are ready to use. This method can be used by processors
who lack metering equipment at the plant. Mixing is controlled carefully by
the supplier to eliminate the risks associated with self-blending that can cause
variations in colour.
8.4.3 Pre-coloured Polymer Resins
Processors without experience handling custom colour matches may opt for
pre-coloured resins due to their ease of use. Engineering resins that require high
masterbatch ratios also benefit from pre-colouring because pigments are polymerised
completely into a resin package and are used by processors as supplied. Suppliers of
these colourants have the technical expertise and resources available to guarantee
colour-match accuracy and lot-to-lot consistency with pre-coloured resins. Advances
in technology have helped suppliers of pre-coloured resins to meet custom orders
with a lead time of just 10 days.
8.5 Universal Masterbatches
Universal masterbatches are offered by RTP Company (USA) under the brand
name UniColor as an innovative answer to colouring multiple polymers, including
engineered polymer resins. These products are universal masterbatches with
extremely low let-down ratios, typically 1-2%, depending on the resin, and do
not require drying before processing. These products are a great solution for
processors that want one colour product for applications made from different
polymers. Some composites are made with recycled, multiple polymer matrices,
so these colouring systems can be used. They are also ideal for small-volume
(10 kg) productions runs.
Some of the main colours offered are: white, magnolia, beige, terracotta, brown,
yellow, amber, nectarine, red, flame-red, raspberry, fluorescent-green, green, blue,
powder-blue, royal-blue, and light-grey. Variations of these colours are also available.
Such colours are compatible with polymer resins such as PE; polystyrene; PP; PVC;
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene; and polycarbonate.