Additive used to color or impart other properties from plastic

A masterbatch is a concentrated mixture of pigments and / or additives blended and extruded together in a carrier matrix, such as resin or wax, that is used to add these mixed additives to a final plastic product. The additives may be used for colouring (a "colour masterbatch") or for imparting other properties (an "additive masterbatch"). The typical alternative to using a masterbatch is to compound the plastic from raw undiluted additives.

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Manufacturing plastics from masterbatches

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The general process for the manufacture of masterbatches involves first identifying and weighing the needed pigments and/or additives, then mixing the pigments or additives with a carrier resin or polymer. Finally, the concentrated mixture is extruded, cooled and formed into granules, powders, or other masterbatch vehicles and the final product is bagged.[1]

The carrier material of the masterbatch can be based on wax (a universal carrier) or a specific polymer that is identical to or compatible with the natural polymer used (a polymer-specific carrier). Polymers such as EVA or LDPE can be used as carriers for polyolefins and nylon, while polystyrene can be used for ABS, SAN, and sometimes polycarbonates. When a carrier other than the base plastic is used, this carrier material may modify the resulting plastic's properties. The usual ratio of masterbatch to base polymer is 1–5%. Several masterbatches (colors and various additives) can be used together.[2]

Processing machines are usually fed with premixed granules of the host polymer and the masterbatch, where the final mixing takes place in the screw and extrusion parts of the processor. Granule processing is sometimes prone to causing adverse effects, such as the separation of the masterbatch and the base material in the hopper. As an alternative, the masterbatch can be added directly to the machine's screw as a free-flowing solid or, if the masterbatch is liquid, by a peristaltic pump. Such use of liquid masterbatches allows highly accurate dosing and quick color changes between machine runs.[3][4]

Masterbatches are highly concentrated compared to the target composition, with high "let-down ratios"; for example, often 25 kgs of a masterbatch can be used to compound one ton of base polymer.[5]

The dilutive nature of masterbatches, compared to raw additives, allows for higher accuracy in dosing small amounts of expensive additives. The use of granular solid masterbatches reduces problems with dust typically inherent to the use of finer-grained solid additives. Solid masterbatches have longer shelf lives than solutions in solvents, which evaporate over time. The masterbatch usually contains 40–65% of the additive, but the range can be as wide as 15–80% in extreme cases.[2]

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Using masterbatches in plastic manufacturing

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The additives in a masterbatch are chosen to impart desired physical property changes to a final plastic product. They can increase volumetric output due to thermal conductivity and volumetric expansion at a given temperature as well as potentially increasing the toughness, flexural stiffness, adhesion, and printability of a final product.[6] The additives in a masterbatch can modify the permanent electrical conductivity of a plastic product, which can prevent problems caused by static electrical charges,[7] or the specific heat capacity, which can help reduce material costs by reducing energy used to run the machine.[8]

Depending on the needs of the output product, manufacturers mix primary plastic with additives in a certain amount. These raw materials are mixed through the process of casting, compression and pressing to create the masterbatch, which can be used directly as an input material or in combination with other materials to make plastic products through different forming methods.[9]

Applications of masterbatches

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Additive masterbatches modify various properties of the base plastic:[10]

• Ultraviolet light resistance
• Flame Retardant
• Anti-fouling
• Anti-static
• Lubrication
• Anti-slip
• Corrosion Inhibitors for metals packaged in plastic
• Anti-microbials
• Anti-oxidants / Polymer stabilizers
• Extrusion aids
• Phosphorescence
• Anti-Counterfeit
• Product Security

Masterbatches are used in the following areas:

• Plastics and Packaging Industry: Masterbatch is extensively used in the plastics and packaging sector for colouring and enhancing the properties of plastic materials used in packaging products.
• Automotive Industry: Masterbatch is applied in the automotive sector for colouring and improving the properties of plastic components used in vehicle interiors, exteriors, and various parts.
• Textile Industry: In the textile industry, masterbatch is used for colouring and modifying the properties of synthetic fibres and fabrics, such as polyester and nylon.
• Agricultural Film Production: Masterbatch is employed in the production of agricultural films, contributing to properties like UV resistance and durability.
• Construction and Building Materials: Masterbatch is used in the construction industry to enhance the properties of plastic materials used in pipes, cables, and other building components.
• Medical Devices: In the medical industry, masterbatch is used in the manufacturing of plastic components for medical devices, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Electronics: Masterbatch is applied in the electronics industry for colouring and improving the properties of plastic parts used in electronic devices and components.
• Furniture Manufacturing: Masterbatch is used in the production of plastic components for furniture, providing colour options and enhancing material properties.
• Food Packaging: Masterbatch is employed in the food packaging industry to colour and modify the properties of plastic materials used in packaging for food products.

Masterbatch has covered the vast majority of our modern world. It’s easy to find random stuff around you that was made of masterbatch. We all know that plastic has outstanding features over other traditional materials such as wood or glass. But why primary plastic has been replaced with masterbatch? Here are 10 reasons why this material is considered as being even more advanced than raw plastic!

If you want to learn more, please visit our website masterbatch factory.

I. What is masterbatch?

Masterbatch is a concentrated compound, that usually appears in solid form as pellets but sometimes they are produced in liquid solution. This type of material consists of primary plastic, compound CaCO3 (or other similar plastic fillers, most of them are in powder form), colorant for plastic, and other additives. All these ingredients are heated until melting to form a unique and even solution, then this solution is cooled and cut into a granular shape. This material is considered a plastic additive with 3 main purposes: to reduce the amount of required primary plastic, to color, and to impart functional properties to plastic products. Also based on these functions, the masterbatches are divided into 3 major categories: calcium carbonate filler, color masterbatch and additive masterbatch.

II. 5 reasons why masterbatch is an indispensable solution for coloring plastic products

1. Masterbatch is the perfect solution to create colorful plastic products

As mentioned above, one of the most important purposes of using masterbatch is due to the economic benefit it brought to the manufacturers. Back to the beginning of the plastic industry, nearly all plastic products were made of primary resin, which is produced directly from petroleum and does not contain other ingredients. However, the amount of petroleum in nature is dramatically decreased due to the over-exploitation, thus leading to the consequence in the prices of crude oil keep rising in recent years. By replacing partly the primary plastic in plastic-based products production without affecting the original properties of the pure plastic, masterbatch is highly recommended as an effective solution for a wide range of applications.

2. Pellet form makes masterbatch more convenient to be stored and manipulated

Compared to powdered pigments, if manufacturers use color masterbatch as a colorant for plastic, it will be a lot easier to store them near the production systems without causing a messy working space. Staff working in these factories can also easily control the amount of used master batch and manipulate the whole manufacturing process, minimizing the chance of using too much amount of materials needed.

3. Using masterbatch releases less dust into the surrounding environment

Masterbatch, due to the dense and compacted structure of each solid pellet, causes less dust during the production processes, thus helping the manufacturers control and eliminate the contamination problems inside the factory. Meanwhile, pigments can well disperse into the air during manufacturing stages, this situation potentially causing contamination of the adjacent producing lines. Not only keep working space in factories clean, but this dust-free masterbatch is also safer and less likely to cause health risks for workers and consumers compared to the traditional undispersed pigments powder.

4. Masterbatch manufacturers can more easily control the appearance of products

Masterbatch is believed to enhance the dispersion of colorant for plastic and plastic additives in general up to the optimal level. It offers better color consistency, thus allowing manufacturers to easily control and manage the opacity and transparency of the final products. Masterbatch can have these advanced properties over the pigments because it is specially designed and engineered for optimal dispersion in a plastic matrix. Thus, less colorant for plastic is required during the processing, helping producers to gain more profits. Moreover, plastic product manufacturers are able to reduce their work since the tasks of research, trial, and fixing errors are now eliminated. Why can these happen? It’s because the masterbatch manufacturers have taken the responsibility for developing products with standards on color, properties, and appearance.

5. Masterbatch is preferred since it gives final products with superior properties

Last but not least, we cannot deny the fact that masterbatch seems to be able in giving various additional values to the final products over the primary plastic since it contains functional additives concentrates that deliver advantageous characteristics such as anti-UV, anti-blocking, flame retardant, antioxidants, optical brightening, smoother surface, etc. Thanks to these added properties, the quality of final products is elevated while their prices are reduced and more attractive to the customers.  Inquiry is required.