Documentupload 8595
Documentupload 8595
Documentupload 8595
https://ebookmeta.com/product/inorganic-pigments-pfaff-g/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/sustainable-plastics-environmental-
assessments-of-biobased-biodegradable-and-recycled-plastics-2nd-
edition-joseph-p-greene/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/plastics-and-sustainability-grey-
is-the-new-green-exploring-the-nuances-and-complexities-of-
modern-plastics-2nd-edition-tolinski/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/illustrated-manual-of-injectable-
fillers-neil-s-sadick/
The Sage Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational
Psychology 2nd Edition Steven G. Rogelberg
https://ebookmeta.com/product/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-
industrial-and-organizational-psychology-2nd-edition-steven-g-
rogelberg/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/chess-explained-
the-c3-sicilian-1st-edition-sam-collins/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/starting-out-the-c3-sicilian-1st-
edition-john-emms/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/the-paper-issue-83-1st-edition-
origamiusa/
https://ebookmeta.com/product/chemistry-of-nanomaterials-
volume-1-b-metallic-nanomaterials-part-b-1st-edition-unknown/
Etzrodt
Industrial Coloration of Plastics
Günter Etzrodt
Industrial
Coloration of
Plastics
Pigments, Dyestuffs, Fillers, and
Nanomaterials
®
MIX
Papier aus verantwor-
tungsvollen Quellen
Distributed by:
Carl Hanser Verlag
Postfach 86 04 20, 81631 Munich, Germany
Fax: +49 (89) 98 48 09
www.hanserpublications.com
www.hanser-fachbuch.de
The use of general descriptive names, trademarks, etc., in this publication, even if the former are not especially
identified, is not to be taken as a sign that such names, as understood by the Trade Marks and Merchandise Marks
Act, may accordingly be used freely by anyone. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true
and accurate at the date of going to press, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal
responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied,
with respect to the material contained herein.
The final determination of the suitability of any information for the use contemplated for a given application r emains
the sole responsibility of the user.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-56990-852-5
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-56990-853-2
ePub ISBN: 978-1-56990-854-9
Dedicated to Heidi
The Author
Dr. rer. nat. Günter Etzrodt, chemist, is the CEO and owner of Pigments Consulting
UG (Limited) based in Stuttgart, Germany. He founded the company Pigments Con-
sulting UG (Limited) after 35 years at BASF SE. He gained experience in pigment
research, process engineering, pigment production, patent management, and ad-
vanced training in management positions. He was the chairman of the DIN stan-
dardization committee “Pigments and Fillers” and the ISO TC 356 for many years.
He advises pigment producers, masterbatchers, paint factories, and other users of
pigments. In quality management, his focus is on the creation of “Food Contact
Certificates” and safety data sheets.
The consulting services include problem solutions for product, process, and pro-
cess development, product testing, creation of test regulations, and product ana
lysis. He also advises on patent issues and prepares the registration documents for
patents and utility models.
He also offers technical seminars on the use of pigments and fillers in coatings and
on plastic coloring.
VIII The Author
Pigments.Consulting UG
(haftungsbeschränkt)
Dr. rer. nat. Günter Etzrodt
Stuttgart, Germany
www.pigments-consulting.com
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3 Plastic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.1 History of Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2 Thermoplastic Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2.1 Chemical Composition and Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.1.1 Polyvinyl Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.1.2 Polyolefins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.1.3 Styrene Polymers and Copolymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.2.1.4 Acrylic Resins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.2.1.5 Polyamide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.1.6 Polycarbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2.1.7 Other Thermoplastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.3 Bioplastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4 Basics of Colorants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.1 General Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.2 Colorants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
X Contents
6 Inorganic Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
6.1 White Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
6.2 Black Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
6.3 Color Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
6.3.1 Blue Inorganic Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
6.3.2 Yellow and Brown Inorganic Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6.3.3 Green Inorganic Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
6.3.4 Red/Orange Inorganic Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
6.3.5 Violet Inorganic Colored Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
7 Functional Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
7.1 Metal Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
7.2 Pearlescent Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
7.3 Other Effect Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
7.3.1 Bismuth Oxychloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
7.3.2 Glass Pearls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Contents XI
8 Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
8.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
8.2 Fillers for Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
8.3 Influence of Fillers on the Properties of Finished Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
8.4 Manufacture of Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
8.5 Properties of Important Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
8.6 Functional Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
8.7 Other Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
8.8 Plastic-Technological Properties of Important Fillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
9 Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
9.1 Blue Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
9.2 Yellow Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
9.3 Green Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
9.4 Orange Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
9.5 Red Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
9.6 Violet Dyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
14 Nanomaterials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
14.1 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
14.2 Nanostructured Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
14.3 Pictures of Nanopigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
14.3.1 Phthalocyanine Pigments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
14.3.2 Nano Iron Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
14.3.3 Nano Titanium Dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
XIV Contents
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
1 Introduction
Colors play an important role in our everyday life. We react to colors intellectually,
for example, because we have learned to only cross the street when the crossing
light is green and to wait when it is red. But we also react to colors emotionally. The
color red is perceived as a warm color and stands for energy and warmth, joy, pas-
sion, and love among other things. On the other hand, the color blue belongs to the
cold colors and is seen in connection with ice, snow, and cold emotions. Uniform
objects can be supplied to different purposes by different colors.
This book discusses pigments, dyes, and fillers for plastics and their properties,
including the processing method. An indication of the classification at the Euro-
pean Chemical Agency (ECHA) [7] is given in the case of critical toxicological
pigment properties. The nano pigments are also discussed in detail.
The present book sets out to convey that knowledge in a straightforward and
understandable manner, without compromising scientific objectivity and rigor.
Special attention has been given to clear topical division and structuring to facili-
tate finding pertinent information quickly. That having been said, the gamut of
available colorants and fillers is so vast that there would be insufficient space to
cover all the materials out there, some of them quite exotic.
Instead, this book concentrates on colorants and fillers in regular current use, with
numerous figures and tables to illustrate their properties and applications. All the
same, this book cannot claim to be exhaustive in scope. Readers wishing to obtain
further information and details will be served by the extensive bibliographic refer-
ences provided.
This book is intended for anyone who is professionally involved with colorants and
fillers used in plastic materials. Beginners and students will gain a comprehensive
overview of the field, while experienced developers will find practical details of
immediate relevance to solving their everyday problems.
The colorants are listed according to the internationally used Color Index [1]. The
chemistry of the respective colorant cannot be recognized from this designation.
This knowledge is essential for the colorist because he/she can already recognize
2 1 Introduction
the essential properties of the respective colorant from chemistry. For this reason,
the chemistry of individual colorants is consciously dealt with. The formulas are
listed and, for organic pigments and dyes, the structural formulas are also pre-
sented. Additionally, the CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) and EC (European Com-
mission) numbers are given, which are useful in everyday business.
As everywhere in daily life, a series of laws and regulations must be followed, also
in the coloring of plastics. The number of these regulations has increased signifi-
cantly in recent years due to intensive toxicological research into the effects of
substances on the human organism. Thus, the properties of colorants are being
re-evaluated. The consequence can be a limitation or ban on the use of substances.
Typical examples of this are the previously widely used cadmium and lead pig-
ments, and several specific azo colorants (keyword “disazodiaryl pigments”). The
discussion about nanoparticles, and the methods of how these are to be measured,
is not yet complete. The new classifications of pigments as nanoparticles by the
ECHA are still in process. Possible carcinogenic potentials of carbon black and tita-
nium dioxide are being discussed.
There have also been significant changes in the economy. Traditional European
pigment producers were taken over by other companies or outsourced from groups.
The cost pressure has risen sharply: Chinese and Indian pigment manufacturers
are entering the market – some with good qualities.
Except for two new inorganic orange pigments, completely new pigment bases
have not come onto the market in recent years. Pigment development focuses on
improving the pigments’ application properties, such as color strength, dispersibil-
ity, temperature resistance, and on variations in the effect pigments. Issues such
as thermal management have been added.
This book discusses also the physical basics of color formation, color perception,
and color measurement. Since there is already extensive literature in this area [2]
[3] [4] [5], this topic is only highlighted selectively.
The processing techniques for plastic coloring and the production of masterbatches
and preparations are also described [6].
References for Chapter 1 3
Countless color variations surround us in everyday life. The term “color” is so evi-
dent that it is easy to overlook the role that color plays in everyday life. Although
color has a fundamental impact on our lives, our knowledge of “color” and how to
use it in a controlled manner is often not sufficient – which can lead to problems
when defining or communicating product colors. The assessment often takes place
under the influence of personal feelings and experience, making a uniform assess-
ment impossible.
The human eye perceives light in the visible range. However, “light” is not the
same as “color”, but, first of all, electromagnetic radiation, which triggers nerve
impulses on the retina and which makes “seeing” possible at all. The spectrally
sensitive sensory cells of the retina transmit their signals to the brain, where this
information creates the color impression. So, color is a sensory impression in the
human brain. Visible light is a small part of existing electromagnetic waves. Differ-
ent wavelengths are perceived as different colors. Color is, therefore, a perceptual
phenomenon that depends on the observer and the conditions under which the
color is observed. However, there is no physical quantity for the determination of
colors like for length or weight.
Three things are required to perceive colors [1]:
an object,
a light source (illuminant), and
an observer.
The human brain successfully uses the color impression for object tracking and
recognition. However, the color of an object changes when the color of the illumi-
nant changes or when the object is against a different colored background.
The energy in the form of light is required to see colors. To better understand the
“color” phenomenon, we need to recognize the origin of light. Light comes from a
variety of sources and consists of electromagnetic radiation, a form of energy that
propagates in a wave motion. All visible light consists of a mixture of colors that
are put together in different proportions to form every distinctive visible light. The
6 2 Color and Color Measurement
way we measure light is spectral energy distribution, in Figure 2.1 the visual color
spectrum begins at 400 nm and ends at 700 nm wavelength. Light with wave-
length below 400 nm is called ultraviolet (UV), and that above 700 nm is called
infrared (IR). The human eye cannot perceive ultraviolet or infrared light.
U
l I
t n
r f
a r
a
V
i R
o e
l d
e
t
The combination of these wavelengths in the light can change according to the
light source. For this reason, colors can look different under the influence of day-
light, fluorescent light, or sodium vapor lamps. Natural sunlight varies widely. It
can be very blue, especially at noon in northern latitudes. Direct sunlight is usu-
ally seen as golden, but at sunset, it can be bright red. Artificial light from sodium
vapor lamps is yellow, from mercury vapor lamps blue-green, or from an incandes-
cent lamp more or less yellow.
Several phenomena can occur when the light hits an object. With transparent ob-
jects, the electromagnetic waves pass through the object. With colorless objects,
the light passes through the objects unchanged. With colored objects, part of the
light waves is absorbed. The unabsorbed light waves are perceived as color by the
human eye.
With more or less opaque objects, part of the light waves is absorbed, the remain-
ing part is reflected. With a blue object, for example, the red part of the color spec-
trum is absorbed. The human eye then perceives the reflected blue part as a blue
color. The reflection curve of white shows approximately the same intensities near
100% reflection in all wavelengths of the spectrum.
Refraction or scattering means that the light changes direction when it passes
from one medium to another, such as from the polymer to a pigment or filler parti-
cle in a plastic part. Scattering is influenced by the difference in refractive index
between a particle and its surroundings, the particle size, and the wavelength of
the light. An opaque color ensures high scattering. A translucent color shows a
combination of reflection and scattering. Absorption occurs when most of the
wavelengths in the visible spectrum are absorbed. Black objects absorb almost all
light.
An object appears in a particular color because the light reflected from its surface
is made up of precisely the wavelengths combined to produce the observed color.
The object absorbs all other wavelengths. For example, a blue object reflects the
blue light spectrum but absorbs red, orange, yellow, green, and violet, which are
most other wavelengths. A red object reflects the red part of the spectrum, but ab-
sorbs most of the orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
8 2 Color and Color Measurement
Black and white colors are different from other colors in terms of how they reflect
and absorb light. A white object reflects almost all colors, while a black object com-
pletely absorbs most colors.
Other significant influences on the color of an object are shape and surface effects.
For example, an object can be spherical or square, dull or glossy, transparent,
opaque, or translucent. It can also appear metallic, pearlescent, fluorescent, or
phosphorescent. Viewing angles also affect our color perception.
The human eye is the defining observer of color. An observer almost always bases
the acceptance of a color on visual judgment. For this reason, color matching can
become very subjective, since the color view varies greatly from person to person.
Characteristics such as age, gender, inherited characteristics, and even moods can
influence the color vision [2].
2.1.1 Spectrophotometer
One method for color measurement is the spectrophotometric method. Spectro
photometers measure the spectral characteristics of light and use them to calculate
the standard color values based on the CIE normal observer functions. In addition
to the numerical results in different color systems, spectrophotometers allow the
graphical representation of the spectral properties of the object color. Colors are
created by mixing the different wavelengths in certain proportions. A spectro
photometer evaluates the light reflected by the object for different wavelengths or
wavelength ranges and can display the results as a graphic.
For the measurement, the visible spectrum is broken down into small, narrowly
defined wavelength ranges, each of which is evaluated by another segment of the
sensor (e.g., 39 segments). With this method, the smallest color differences can be
determined, which remain hidden from the human eye.
The Following Points Must Be Taken into Account when Measuring Color:
Is the measuring device calibrated (“adjusted”), white/black standard clean?
Are the values of the current standard correct?
Has the measuring device been calibrated with a colorful reference sample?
ISO 9001 requires test equipment monitoring!
Is the sample translucent? => Background!
Is the sample/background fluorescent?
Edge effects with thick plastic samples must be taken into account!
Should the pigmentation or the visual appearance of the plastic article be char-
acterized?
Is the sample matt/glossy?
The Following Must Be Taken into Account when Evaluating the Color:
Which light source/standard observer is available?
Which geometry of the measurement/gauge device is used?
L a b or L* a* b*?
DE* or, e.g., DE (CMC)?
Color strength calculation: which method (“equality criterion”)?
Hiding power: which method?
2.1 Basics of Color Measurement 11
Powder/Granules
When measuring powders with a spectrophotometer, the measured value depends
on the compaction and the surface. In order to avoid mistakes, some points have to
be considered. The containers (e.g., glass cuvettes) must always be of the same
type, the fill level and compaction of the powder must be constant, and the surface
smooth and comparable. If the grain size is large, it is recommended to use a spec-
trophotometer with a large measuring aperture. The measurement surface is aver-
aged with the result of reproducible measurement values.
Semi-Transparent Materials
For semi-transparent materials, the light partly passes through the layer and is
more or less reflected by the background. It must be taken into account that the
background can have a major influence on the measurement result. This influence
can be minimized by increasing the layer thickness. An opaque white background
material also ensures constant results.
Influence of Temperature
With some materials, a change in temperature also results in a change in color.
This phenomenon is called thermochroism. To carry out accurate color measure-
ments, the sample and measuring device must have a constant, defined tempera-
ture, ideally by storing them in a room with a constant climate.
Sample Preparation
The preparation will influence the results!
The sample should be uniform and homogeneous, without visible particles, air
bubbles, or fingerprints.
The sample to be measured must be of uniform thickness in the case of translu-
cent and transparent samples.
The backing must be specified in this case and must be uniform as well.
12 2 Color and Color Measurement
Synthetic Polymers
Under unfavorable processing conditions, crystallization effects can occur after the
reshaping of polymers. Crystallization nuclei can also be pigments. This can
change the shape of the finished plastic article (“warpage”). The consequence can
be, for example, that beverage crates can no longer be stacked or that the lid of
garbage cans no longer fits on the can.
The thermoplasticity of plastics is used to process them by injection molding, ex-
trusion, blow molding, or welding.
The advantages of polymer materials are:
low specific weight
high resistance to corrosion and rotting
high electrical insulation properties
thermal insulation and sound insulation
easy shaping
ideal material for mass production because of its economic processability
easy to color, print, and metalize
wide range of inexpensive raw materials
These favorable properties are offset by the following disadvantages:
usually low mechanical strength
low heat resistance
deterioration of the physical properties under the action of light and heat
most polymers are flammable
expensive waste disposal
uneconomical reparability
limited dimensional accuracy, a tendency to post-shrinkage and creep
18 3 Plastic Materials
3.2.1.2 Polyolefins
Polyolefins are all polymers made from olefins, such as polyethylene, polypropyl-
ene, polybutene-1 and polyisobutylene. They have good mechanical properties, are
easy to process, resistant to chemicals, and versatile, and have a good price-perfor-
mance ratio.
3.2.1.2.1 Polyethylene
Polyethylene is produced by polymerizing ethylene using various processes. Its
properties are mainly determined by the molar mass, the molar mass distribution,
and the degree of branching. The density and the melting point increase with the
crystalline portion of the polyethylene, whereby the lower the degree of branching
of the molecular chains, the higher this portion is. The traded polyethylene is dif-
ferentiated according to its density in LDPE, LLDPE, and HDPE, whereby the over-
all density ranges between 0.91 g/cm3 and 0.97 g/cm3.
Low-density polyethylenes can be manufactured in high-pressure processes (LDPE)
or low-pressure processes (LLDPE). The use of metallocene catalysts in recent
years has brought about a further improvement in the product properties in both
process variants.
3.2 Thermoplastic Polymers 19
3.2.1.2.2 Polypropylene
Most of the polypropylene (PP) is produced by the gas phase process using metal-
locene catalysts, which are tailored to the desired product properties. PP is used in
the packaging sector (films), in the textile sector for fibers and tapes and the indus-
trial sector (vehicle construction, electrical engineering/electronics, semi-finished
products). There is a large number of PP products on the market that differ in their
flowability, transparency, scratch resistance, flexural modulus, flexibility, weather
resistance, heat resistance, rigidity, hardness, toughness, and melting point,
among other things. Highly crystalline PP products (HCPP) close the gap between
unreinforced PP and PP reinforced with mineral fibers or platelets.
3.2.1.5 Polyamide
Silk and wool are natural polyamides (PA) while technical thermoplastic PAs are
best known as “Nylon” (PA 66) and as “Perlon” (PA 6). PAs are designated accord-
ing to the number of carbon atoms in their monomers: PA 6 = polycaprolactam;
PA 66 = polycondensation product of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid (DIN
16773 T1). PAs are semi-crystalline, and conventional PAs melt between 200 °C
and 260 °C. The narrow melting and solidification range is also characteristic.
Polyamides are mainly processed into fibers and used for technical parts in the
electrical industry and vehicle construction. The impact strength is increased by
adding elastomers; glass fibers and mineral fillers increase strength and reduce
thermal expansion. PAs are resistant to alkalis, many solvents, fuels, and oil, but
are attacked by acids. Partly aromatic polyamides (PPA) are suitable for the highest
mechanical, thermal, and environmental stress.
3.2.1.6 Polycarbonate
Polycarbonates (PC) are linear thermoplastic polyesters and polycondensation
products of carbonic acid with diols, e.g., dioxydiphenylalkanes. Starting products
are bisphenol A (2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane) and phosgene. PCs are very
translucent, mechanically stable, heat-resistant, and have excellent electrical insu-
lation properties. In addition to areas of application in electrical engineering and
the automotive sector (headlights), considerable quantities are processed into
laser-optically readable data carriers (e.g., CDs). For technical applications in the
automotive sector, PCs are also processed into blends (e.g., ASA/PC or ABS/PC).
3.3 Bioplastics
The term “bioplastics” encompasses two different groups of products, the “bio-
based” and the “biodegradable” plastics.
Bio-based materials are obtained entirely or partially from renewable resources.
These include, for example, polylactic acid, polyhydroxy fatty acids, starch, cellu-
lose, chitin, and gelatin. Bio-based plastics can be biodegradable – but not always.
The bio-based but non-biodegradable plastics include natural fiber-reinforced plas-
tics and composite materials made of wood and plastic.
Biodegradable means: Specific bacteria release enzymes that break down the long
polymer chains of the material into small molecules. The bacteria then digest
these, and what remains is water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. For the material to
be able to be called “biodegradable,” according to the European standard DIN EN
13432, it must be 90% degraded after at most 180 days under certain conditions.
Biodegradable plastics do not have to be made from renewable raw materials; they
can also be petroleum-based. The biodegradability does not depend on the raw
material, but solely on the chemical structure of the plastic [1] [2].
Bioplastics are both those polymers that consist of renewable raw materials (bio-
based) and petroleum-based ones that are biodegradable [1].
24 3 Plastic Materials
PLA is transparent, crystalline, rigid, has high mechanical strength, and can be
processed using conventional thermoplastic processes [1].
The packaging sector (e.g., hollow bodies, films, carrier bags), horticulture (e.g.,
films, flower pots), and agriculture (e.g., agricultural films) come into question as
potential areas of application. By using biodegradable plastics, it was hoped, on the
one hand, to save valuable landfill space; on the other hand, in agriculture, this
type of film should make mechanical removal before harvest superfluous. The film
should be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way by simply plowing under
it.
Due to their thermoplastic processing, the biodegradable plastics can be colored in
bulk. It should be noted, however, that the degradable plastics based on cellulose/
starch derivatives necessarily contain plasticizers (usually higher alcohols and
water). Excessive brittleness of the finished parts can only be avoided through the
content of plasticizers. Since thermoplastic processing takes place at temperatures
above the boiling point of water, appropriate precautionary measures must be
taken to prevent unwanted embrittlement caused by processing.
The requirement for biodegradability naturally applies to the entire system and
does not only apply to the plastic only. This means that not only the additives but
also the colorants should be biodegradable, creating an exceptional problem:
The natural, biodegradable colorants cannot be used simply because of their in-
adequate thermal stability for thermoplastic processing. Further weak points are
their low authenticity values.
In the case of organic, synthetic colorants, it must be assumed that they are not
biodegradable or that degradation products that are relevant to the environment
may arise. Detailed studies on this topic have not yet been published.
Due to their chemistry, the inorganic pigments are not biodegradable. As a com-
promise, however, individual inorganic pigments are used to color the biodegrad-
able plastics. Various inorganic pigments occur in nature either as a pure sub-
stance in the form of minerals or, due to their absolute insolubility, they would
not pose any risk to the environment.
Although most inorganic pigments are produced by calcination at high tempera-
tures and, as corresponding studies show, are totally insoluble, various inorganic
pigments cannot be used. This results from the required quality standard for com-
post because composting is the prescribed route for the disposal of biodegradable
objects.
These quality standards describe the requirements, including the test methods for
recognition as biodegradable products, and the content of certain heavy metals in
the compost is also precisely defined. The insolubility of the inorganic pigment is
irrelevant; the heavy metal content, as such in the humus, based on 1 kg of dry
matter, is decisive.
26 3 Plastic Materials
Colorants are divided into inorganic and organic colorants according to DIN ISO
18451-2:2016-06 - Pigments, dyes and fillers - Terminology - Part 2: Classification
according to coloristic and chemical aspects. The following list shows the classifi-
cation according to coloristic aspects in accordance with DIN ISO 18451.
28 4 Basics of Colorants
This classification is based on optical effects, the causes of which are given below:
White pigments The optical effect is based on wavelength-dependent light
scattering.
Colored pigments The optical effect is based on wavelength-dependent light
absorption, combined with light scattering.
Dyes The optical effect is based on wavelength-dependent light
absorption.
Black pigments The optical effect is based on wavelength-independent light
absorption in the visible range of light.
Effect pigments The optical effect is based on at least one of the following three
effects:
in the case of metallic effect pigments, on the directional
reflection on metallic pigment particles, which are
predominantly formed and aligned over a wide area
in the case of pearlescent pigments, on the directional reflection
from predominantly flat and aligned transparent platelets
in the case of interference pigments, on the phenomenon of
light interference
4.2 Colorants
Inorganic Pigments
Inorganic white pigment
Inorganic colored pigments
Inorganic black pigments
Inorganic effect pigments
Inorganic luminous pigments
IR-reflective pigments
IR-absorbing pigments
Organic Pigments
Organic colored pigments
Organic black pigments
Organic effect pigments
Organic luminous pigments
4.2 Colorants 29
Organic Dyes
Organic colored dyes
Organic black dyes
Organic luminous dyes
From a chemical point of view, the colorants, according to DIN ISO 18451, are
divided as follows:
Inorganic Pigments
Pigments made from chemical elements
Oxide/oxide hydroxide pigments
Complex inorganic colored pigments (CICP)
Sulfide/sulfoselenide pigments
Chromate/chromate molybdate pigments
Silicate pigments
Other pigments
Organic Pigments
Azo pigments
Polycyclic pigments: copper phthalocyanines
Polycyclic pigments: diketo-pyrrolo-pyrroles
Polycyclic pigments: quinacridones
Polycyclic pigments: isoindolines and isoindolinones
Polycyclic pigments: perylenes and perynones
Other polycyclic pigments
Organic Dyes
Ionic dyes
Cationic dyes
Anionic dyes
Nonionic dyes
In the delivery state, pigments are present both as primary particles and as aggre-
gates and agglomerates. A description is given in DIN ISO 18451-3: 2014-07 – Pig-
ments, dyes, and fillers – Terms – Part 3: Particle size [2].
According to DIN ISO 18451-3, aggregates are an intergrown association of pri-
mary particles arranged flat against each other, the surface area of which is smaller
30 4 Basics of Colorants
than the sum of the surfaces of the primary particles. Agglomerates are a non-
intergrown association of primary particles and/or aggregates, e.g. at corners and
edges, whose total surface area does not deviate significantly from the sum of the
individual surfaces.