Powder blends, otherwise referred to as Dryblends, are concentrated formulations of pigments supplied in powder form. These can be supplied as color concentrate and/or as property additives such as processing aids, dispersion aids, or others, as required. This form offers some advantages as well as disadvantages in their use.

Advantages:

1. Very economical
2. Available in very small quantities
3. Highly Universal, can be used with practically any polymers

Disadvantages

1. Dusty
2. Difficult to use with automated blending equipment
3. Difficult to clean

Usage

Generally prepared by drum tumbling with the required resin in doses, which range from .10% to 1% (1000:1 to 100:1).
The generation of dust can be greatly reduced by the following process:
After depositing the resin in a drum, but prior to adding the Dryblend pigment, add a tablespoon of clear colorless mineral oil to the resin. Mix for about five minutes until the surface of each pellet will be covered with a fine coating of oil. Then add the Dryblend and mix as usual. The oil coating will greatly improve the adherence of the Dryblend to the resin significantly reducing the dust generation.

Supplied in

1. Bulk packaged, in drums or pails
2. Unitized prepacks, small bags packaged with the exact quantity of Dryblend required to blend for a specific project.

Available for

1. Polyethylene-Polypropylene-Polystyrene-ABS-ASA-AES-TPO-TPR-PVC-NYLON-ACETEL-POLYCARBONATE-And others

Dustless Powders are similar to conventional Powder or Dryblends but are more granular and free flowing in nature. The primary benefit of this form is that the usual dust generally associated with conventional dryblends is drastically reduced when using Dustless Powders. This form offers some advantages as well as disadvantages in their use.

Advantages

1. Economical
2. Available in very small quantities

Disadvantages

1. Still generates some dust
2. Difficult to use with automated blending equipment
3. Difficult to clean

Usage

Generally prepared by drum tumbling with required resin in doses which range from .20% to 2% (500:1 to 50:1).

Supplied in

1. Bulk packaged, in drums or pails
2. Unitized prepacks, small bags packaged with the exact quantity of Dustless powder required to blend for a specific project.

Available for

1. Polyethylene-Polypropylene-Polystyrene-ABS-ASA-AES

Master Batch also known as Color concentrates are blends of pigment and/or additives compounded with a plastic resin binder, which are supplied in a pelletized form. Generally the resin will be identical or similar to the resin with which it will be eventually used. This form offers some advantages as well as disadvantages in their use.

Advantages

1. Extremely clean
2. Easy to work with
3. Can be vacuum conveyed
4. Can be used with automated volumetric, and gravimetric blenders
5. Predispersed pigment in a polymer matrix facilitates efficient usage of pigments
6. Easy to clean equipment after usage

Disadvantages

1. More costly than powders
2. Compatibility issues must be monitored to avoid contamination with resins the concentrate was not formulated to pigment

Usage

Can be used in a variety of ways, including drum tumbling, volumetrically metering directly into process equipment or blended in volumetric, gravimetric or loss in weight blending equipment.
General letdown ratios range from .25% to 20% (400:1 to 5:1).

Supplied in

1. Bulk packaged in pails, Drums, 25 kilo sacs, Gaylords or Super Sacks
2. Unitized prepacks, containers packaged with the exact quantity of Master Batch required to blend for a specific project.

Available for

1. Polyethylene-Polypropylene-Polystyrene-ABS-ASA-AES
2. Nylon 6, Polycarbonate, Acrylic based masterbatch

For additional information and further assistance, please contact us.