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The growing circular economy has high requirements for the raw plastic materials used, especially in terms of the loads caused by subsequent and repeated recycling processes. The Lifocolor group created its LifoCycle solutions for finishing plastic applications and packaging of this type made from PCRs (post-consumer recyclats) or PIRs (Post Industrial Recyclates). The masterbatch formulas are specially designed for recycling projects, with properties that provide ideal support for multiple processing. In order to meet the growing demand for products with a high recycled content of up to 100 percent, Lifocolor is expanding its standard product range further with masterbatches on pure PCR/PIR medium systems for recycled polyester (rPET) and polyolefins (rPP and rPE).
New developments in commodities
Three white concentrates based fully on recycled materials were recently added to the LifoCycle product line for applications made from rPET, rPE and rPP. The colour masterbatches are characterised by excellent results in terms of opacity, light scattering, weather fastness, abrasive effect, refractive index and degree of whiteness. Lifocolor also developed new NIR-detectable black variants on PCR carrier material for polyolefins to optimise recyclability. This will allow coloured plastic products to be detected by sorting systems in the near-infrared range (NIR) and fed into the recycling loop according to the specific polymers, while other, conventional goods coloured black cannot be detected via NIR and generally have to be incinerated. An analysis report from the cyclos-HTP Institute attests to the successful identifiability and reliable ability to be sorted of Lifocolor NIR black concentrates.
Like all LifoCycle colour masterbatches, the formulas are characterised by the fact that they outlast a large number of recycling cycles without noticeable loss in colour. All colourants used have high temperature stability and migration resistance.
rPET content protection fully based on PCR
Due to the recycling economy, the demands placed on the additives used are also growing. What is required are high-quality, thermo-stable solutions that – once introduced into the material – can survive several recycling cycles without losing their effect. The new standard product LifoCycle Stab 5/132 rPET for rPET, with its pure rPET carrier protects the contents of rPET bottles without significantly affecting the colour shade.
