PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2016

COLOURANTS / ADDITIVES 12 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 12/16 www.petpla.net Light barriers for PET bottles and containers Functionality linked to aesthetics Light protection is a must-have feature for nearly all processors of transparent PET bottles – especially those made to hold light-sensitive ingredients, such as vitamins, certain proteins, medications, or food and beverage natural ingredient enhancers. The challenge has always been how to successfully balance cost-in-use without sacrificing final product integrity – all while keeping the best possible aesthetics and packaging communication for consumers. Achieving this delicate balance is something Sukano’s product line of ultimate light barrier technology aims to address. masterbatch formulation to a specific packaging shelf life requirement. The formulas can also be adapted for regulatory approval for use in direct food contact applications. Sukano provides this in-house knowledge and service to its partners. All formu- lated products come with certified and validated technical data. This allows customers to pre-select a starting point, providing both improved accuracy and speed to market. Light barriers developed by the com- pany allow for the creation and develop- ment of highly bright colour shades and whites – while at the same time protect- ing packaging contents at conventional sensitive wavelengths of 550nm, with a transmission rate below 0.05%, as well as protecting those above 700nm. The company claims that its use of a proprietary reheating agent in its formulations can help reduce scrap rates in bottle blow- ing processing. Increased produc- tion output and energy savings are also claimed, as well the pos- sibility of increasing rPET content in the final packaging. Masterbatches are cus- tomised for different resin types by using a selection of suitable polymer carriers, as well as adapting the pellet size from standard distribution to small particles or even micro pellets as needed. Sukano light barrier masterbatches are formulated with these variables in mind, helping to make all these issues disappear. The company has over 30 years’ expertise in polyester resins, and claims to be able to offer products that provide high levels of brightness, shades and protection without compro- mising the short cycle times and prod- uct integrity demanded by the industry. Recently, the company has invested in UV-vis/NIR testing equip- ment to validate performance claims for their products. This is intended to help define and quantify light protection in different wavelengths from UV to visual to IR, according to the end use applica- tion. This testing technology is available at the Global R&D Center in Switzer- land. www.sukano.com PETadditives Packaged goods requiring light bar- rier protection pose additional process- ing challenges to plastics convertors. Understanding the industry’s needs in-depth is what enables Sukano to formulate its masterbatches to meet the requirements of each specific core sensitive item packed. This also allows processors to run production on the conventional path and generate a con- tinuous output producing homogeneous and specified parts. The company has in-house special- ists dedicated to white masterbatch for- mulations and applications in PET. They are equipped with UV-vis/NIR equip- ment, including integrated spheres. These enable them to customise each