The color of sustainability

Plastics processors looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their products when coloring plastics have a new option, Avient Corp.’s OnColor REC Polymer Colorants.

Buyers of new automobiles, electronics or HVAC components also could be interested in learning that the plastic parts in those items very well could contain recycled content from old car tires.

Carbon black alternative

According to Avient, an Avon Lake, Ohio-based manufacturer of specialized polymer materials, OnColor REC Polymer Colorants offer an alternative to traditional carbon black formulations and can help manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint by including recycled content from a variety of sources.

Additional recycled-content sources of the pigments could include, but are not limited to, pyrolysis, which converts biomass to energy, and organic food and farm products, says Larry Kuzniar, U.S. and Canada senior marketing manager for color and additives at Avient.

The colorants are versatile, can be used in multiple resins and are available in standard and custom color formulations. They also meet strict regulatory requirements, according to the company.

Third-party certified

Kuzniar tells Plastics Recycling that Avient’s TÜV Rheinland third-party certified Product Carbon Footprint Calculator (ISO14067) analysis yielded a 5 percent to 80 percent reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram, or CO₂e/kg, product compared with a product with conventional carbon black.

“All REC products are optimized so that safety, aesthetics and performance are not compromised, working with designers and engineers to ensure KPC [key product characteristics] or KPIs [key performance indicators] are met,” he says.

Suitable for multiple applications

OnColor REC Polymer Colorants are appropriate for a variety of under-the-hood and other manufacturing applications.

“For the automotive industry, Avient’s OnColor REC Polymer Colorants could be excellent for use in functional electrical components, wheel wells, under-the-hood, center console components, trim plates, pillars, package shelves, glove boxes and more,” Kuzniar says. “Wire and cable application examples include insulation, electrical, consumer electronics, toys and jacketing. Building and construction application examples include window shades, mounting brackets, nonvisible supports, foundation bracing, HVAC components and cutlery.”

The colorants also could be used in some textile applications, such as with certain fabrics.

Avient’s product bulletin describes OnColor REC Polymer Colorants for use with polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutylene terephthalate, recycled polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide or nylon, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride.

OnColor REC Polymer Colorants are available in the United States and Canada.

The author is a senior staff reporter at Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and can be reached at bgeiselman@endeavorb2b.com.