How does masterbatch help in polymer processing?

Plastics are found and used in almost every state of the world now. The

polymer products have huge impacts on the modern lifestyle. The materials are used to packaging solution, automotive accessories, construction materials to other finished products for consumers. There is no denying that polymers have infiltrated in modern life.

But, raw polymers don’t have colour, and essential properties demand by consumers. They need processing in plants using sophisticated machines to produce plastics preferred by consumers with desired physical and mechanical properties. Thus, polymer processing has become an essential topic in the plastic industry these days.

How do raw polymers turn into plastics?

Chemical engineers are doing a lot of research and development work to find ways to improve output and qualities of plastics. The polymer additives are the most significant find in this industry for engineers to meet the rising demand for quality products.

The polymer additives or masterbatches are solid or liquid materials used to impart desired colour and features to end plastics during processing. The content is decided based on required features, properties, and other qualities needed in the yield products. Additionally, plastic manufacturers need to check the compatibility of a carrier system and masterbatch to ensure the desired outcome.

Types of masterbatches and their significances

Masterbatches are divided based on the roles they perform in polymer processing. Most of the additives act as the colourant, adding colour to the targeted product while changing mechanical properties like features and so on. For instance, black masterbatch imparts blackness, electrical insulation, and other properties to finished products during manufacturing.

Here are the types of masterbatches and their uses in the polymer industry:

Colour masterbatch

The primary purpose of a colour masterbatch is to impart colour to the base polymer during manufacturing in a plant. However, the role of an MB goes beyond adding hues to a polymer. Colourant comes in pellet forms which are found in thousands of varieties in the database. It starts from blue, green, yellow, red, maroon, and other pigments.

The pellet is better than traditional dyes used in plastic processing before. It is economical and provides a better intensity of colour at a low dosage level. For instance, the white masterbatch offers more whiteness, dispersion, opacity, extrusion coating, and other uses. Thus, it has got immense applications among manufacturers.

Additive masterbatch

Similar to the colour masterbatch, additives improve the physical and mechanical properties of polymer products in addition to base polymers. The additives contain information needed to changes in final products. Thus, it is an essential addition for manufacturers to add intended features and properties.

Manufacturers can use additives to act as resistant to abrasion, weathering condition, UV protection, and other qualities on the finished products. The variety of plastics depend on additives used in manufacturing.

Special effect masterbatch

The special effect masterbatch helps to get a unique effect on products using them in manufacturing. They can offer a variety of effects such as metallic, marble, fluorescence, glitter, and others as per the requirement of consumers. The demand for such polymers has increased in the market nowadays.

Conclusion

The demand for polymer additives is set to increase even more in the future. But, only a few companies can win the race who can provide innovative and quality polymer additives to consumers.

The author has a keen interest in gathering information about plastic manufacturing processes. In this article, he has written about the significance of white and black masterbatch in the industry.