Popular Science of Color Masterbatch

Masterbatch is the super constant pigment uniformly loaded in resin and made of aggregate.
The use of masterbatch has the following advantages:
1. Make the pigment have better dispersion in the product
In the process of masterbatch production, pigments must be refined to improve the dispersibility and coloring power of pigments.The carrier of special masterbatch is the same as the plastic of the product, with good matching, and the pigment particles can be well dispersed in the plastic of the product after heating and melting.
2. It is conducive to maintaining the chemical stability of the pigment
Direct use of pigments, because in the process of storage and use of pigments directly contact air, pigments will occur water absorption, oxidation and other phenomena, and do color mother, because the resin carrier will be pigment and air, water isolation, can make the quality of pigments for a long time.
3. Ensure the stability of the product color
Color masterbatch particles and resin particles similar, in the measurement of more convenient and accurate, mixing will not adhere to the container, mixed with resin is more uniform, so you can ensure the stability of the amount of addition, so as to ensure the stability of the product color.
4. Protect the health of operators
Pigments are generally powdery, easy to fly when adding and mixing, will affect the health of operators after being inhaled by the human body.
5. Keep your environment clean
6. Easy to use

What are the basic components of masterbatch?
1. Pigments or dyes
Pigments are divided into organic pigments and inorganic pigments.Common organic pigments are: phthalocyanine red, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, fast bright red, macromolecular red, macromolecular yellow, permanent yellow, permanent purple, azo red, etc.Commonly used inorganic pigments are: cadmium red, cadmium yellow, titanium dioxide, carbon black, iron oxide red, iron oxide yellow and so on.
2. The carrier
It is the matrix of masterbatch.Special masterbatch is generally selected with the same product resin resin as the carrier, the compatibility of the two is the best, but also to consider the mobility of the carrier.
3. The dispersant
Make the pigment evenly dispersed and no longer agglomerate, the melting point of the dispersant should be lower than the resin, and the resin has good compatibility, and the pigment has a good affinity.The most commonly used dispersants are polyethylene low molecular wax and stearate.
Additive in 4.
Such as flame retardant, brightening, antibacterial, antistatic, anti-oxidation and other varieties, unless the customer request, generally does not contain the above additives in the masterbatch.

What are the varieties and grades of masterbatch?
The classification method of masterbatch is commonly used as follows:
According to the carrier classification: such as PE masterbatch, PP masterbatch, ABS masterbatch, PVC masterbatch, EVA masterbatch, etc
Classified by use: such as injection masterbatch, blow molding masterbatch, spinning masterbatch, etc.

Each species can be divided into different grades, such as:
1. Advanced injection molding masterbatch
Used for packaging boxes of cosmetics, toys, electrical appliances and other advanced products.
2. General injection molding masterbatch
Used for general daily plastic products, industrial containers, etc.
3. Advanced blown film masterbatch
Used for blow molding and coloring of ultra-thin products
4. Ordinary blown film masterbatch
Used for blowing molding coloring of general packing bag and woven bag.
5. Spinning masterbatch
Used for textile fiber spinning coloring, masterbatch pigments with fine particles, high concentration, strong coloring power, good heat and light resistance.
6. Low-grade masterbatch
Used for making low-grade products with low color and quality requirements, such as trash cans, low-grade containers, etc.

How to distinguish general masterbatch and special masterbatch?
L Special masterbatch: The masterbatch is made by using the same plastic as the carrier according to the plastic varieties specified by the user.For example, PP masterbatch and ABS masterbatch respectively choose PP and ABS as carriers.
Universal masterbatch: also use a resin (often a low melting point PE) as a carrier, but it can be applied to other resin in addition to its carrier resin coloring.
Universal masterbatch is relatively simple and convenient, but there are many shortcomings, it is recommended that we choose special masterbatch.

Why don’t many companies make universal masterbatch?
Most of the international regular masterbatch companies generally do not produce universal masterbatch.Universal masterbatch has many disadvantages.In fact, the “universal” range of universal masterbatch is very narrow, and its technical indicators and economic benefits are also poor, which are specifically shown in:
1. Poor foreseeability of coloring effect.Masterbatch is used for coloring. Universal masterbatch pigments will show different colors in different plastics, so the coloring effect is less predictable.
2. It affects other properties of plastic products, especially the strength. The product is easy to be deformed and twisted, especially for engineering plastics.
3. High costs.Universal masterbatch in order to be able to ‘universal’, often choose higher heat-resistant grade of pigments, resulting in waste.

What is the heat resistance of masterbatch?
The heat-resistant grade of special masterbatch is generally adapted to the plastic used for products. It can be safely used under normal temperature.Only in the following cases will cause different degrees of discoloration, one is the temperature beyond the normal range, one is too long downtime.

What is the difference between granulation coloring and master coloring?
Masterbatch coloring has the following advantages over granulation coloring:
1 colouring and products processing once completed, avoid granulation colouring on the plastic heating process, good for protecting the quality of plastic products.
2. Make the production process of plastic products the most simplified.
3. It can save a lot of power

Will masterbatch products not fade?
Do not have the product that does not fade absolutely, the product that uses chromatic master color is still likely to fade, just the product degree that aims at different grade is different just, some are more obvious, some are very difficult to detect.
Color masterbatch production process flow
Color masterbatch production technology requirements are very strict, generally adopt the wet process.Color master batch material by water phase grinding, phase transfer, washing, drying, granulation, only in this way can the product quality be guaranteed.In addition, while the pigment is grinding, a series of tests should also be carried out, such as the determination of the fineness of sanding grout, the determination of the diffusion performance of sanding grout, the determination of the solid content of sanding grout and the determination of the fineness of color grout and other items.

There are four methods for the production process of masterbatch:
1. Ink method: as the name implies, it is the production method of ink paste in the production of masterbatch, that is, by three-roll grinding, the surface of the pigment is coated with a layer of low molecular protection layer.After grinding, the fine paste is mixed with the carrier resin and then plasticized through a two-roll plasticizer (also known as a two-roll open mill), and finally granulated through a single screw or twin screw extruder.The process is as follows: batching, mixing, coarse paste three roller grinding, fine paste two roller plasticating extrusion granulation.
2. Flushing method: pigment, water and dispersant through sanding, so that the pigment particles are less than 1μm, and through phase transfer method, so that the pigment into the oil phase, and then dry color masterbatch.Organic solvents and corresponding solvent recovery devices are needed for phase conversion.The process is as follows: fine paste washing, evaporating concentrated material, drying, adding carrier extrusion granulation.
3. Pneading method: it is to mix the pigment and the oil carrier, and make use of the oil-wet characteristics of the pigment, and then wash the pigment from the water phase into the oil phase by kneading.At the same time, the oil carrier will coat the surface of the pigment, so that the pigment dispersion and stability, prevent pigment condensation.
Pigments are metallic soap method: after grinding granularity reaches 1 mu m or so, and join the soap under a certain temperature, make each pigment particle uniform surface wetting by soap, forming a layer of saponification liquid, when metal salt solution with the paint surface after joining the saponification reaction and generate a layer of protective layer of metallic soap (magnesium stearate), it makes after grinding fine pigment particles will not cause flocculation phenomenon, and protect certain fineness.

What is the difference between granulation coloring and master coloring?
Masterbatch coloring has the following advantages over granulation coloring:
1 colouring and products processing once completed, avoid granulation colouring on the plastic heating process, good for protecting the quality of plastic products.
2. Make the production process of plastic products the most simplified.
3. It can save a lot of power

Will masterbatch products not fade?
Do not have the product that does not fade absolutely, the product that uses chromatic master color is still likely to fade, just the product degree that aims at different grade is different just, some are more obvious, some are very difficult to detect.

Color masterbatch production process flow
Color masterbatch production technology requirements are very strict, generally adopt the wet process.Color master batch material by water phase grinding, phase transfer, washing, drying, granulation, only in this way can the product quality be guaranteed.In addition, while the pigment is grinding, a series of tests should also be carried out, such as the determination of the fineness of sanding grout, the determination of the diffusion performance of sanding grout, the determination of the solid content of sanding grout and the determination of the fineness of color grout and other items.
There are four methods for the production process of masterbatch:
1. Ink method: as the name implies, it is the production method of ink paste in the production of masterbatch, that is, by three-roll grinding, the surface of the pigment is coated with a layer of low molecular protection layer.After grinding, the fine paste is mixed with the carrier resin and then plasticized through a two-roll plasticizer (also known as a two-roll open mill), and finally granulated through a single screw or twin screw extruder.The process is as follows: batching, mixing, coarse paste three roller grinding, fine paste two roller plasticating extrusion granulation.
2. Flushing method: pigment, water and dispersant through sanding, so that the pigment particles are less than 1μm, and through phase transfer method, so that the pigment into the oil phase, and then dry color masterbatch.Organic solvents and corresponding solvent recovery devices are needed for phase conversion.The process is as follows: fine paste washing, evaporating concentrated material, drying, adding carrier extrusion granulation.
3. Pneading method: it is to mix the pigment and the oil carrier, and make use of the oil-wet characteristics of the pigment, and then wash the pigment from the water phase into the oil phase by kneading.At the same time, the oil carrier will coat the surface of the pigment, so that the pigment dispersion and stability, prevent pigment condensation.
Pigments are metallic soap method: after grinding granularity reaches 1 mu m or so, and join the soap under a certain temperature, make each pigment particle uniform surface wetting by soap, forming a layer of saponification liquid, when metal salt solution with the paint surface after joining the saponification reaction and generate a layer of protective layer of metallic soap (magnesium stearate), it makes after grinding fine pigment particles will not cause flocculation phenomenon, and protect certain fineness.