What is masterbatch and what are the benefits of using it?

What is masterbatch?

Color masterbatches in Armen Polymer Company

Granular grains are formulated and produced from the combination of one or more inorganic components such as carbon black, titanium dioxide, inorganic or organic color pigments in a base polymer (a product of petrochemical companies resulting from the process of organic materials). Choosing the type of color pigments (organic and inorganic color powders) as well as the base polymer based on the new final product, which must be colored masterbatch before producing the product to its raw materials in the form of weight percentages usually between one and three percent (one to three kilos added in 100 kilos = they are selected.

What do you know about masterbatch add-on?

Granular grains are formulated from the combination of one or more agents (organic and inorganic powders, each of which has different properties) with basic polymer materials suitable for the final product. And in the form of one tenth to one percent (one hundred grams to one kilo per hundred grams) they are combined with raw materials before production.

Masterbatch production machines

In polymer companies, masterbatches, which are considered intermediate products, and their consumers are factories such as manufacturers of plastic containers and plastic parts in various industries such as electronics = packaging = transportation, etc.

Masterbatch production equipment generally consists of components such as

  • powder
  • Mixer
  • Cylinder and Mardon
  • dominant head
  • vans
  • Centrifuge dryers
  • Packaging equipment

Masterbatch production steps in Armen Polymer Company

If necessary, the raw materials in powder or granule form are firstly combined uniformly in mixers under specific temperature and time conditions. The combined raw materials are transferred manually or mechanically to the feeding area or feeders.
The mixed materials in the length of the cylinder, which is about three to three and a half meters, are first melted at appropriate temperatures.
At this stage, by means of the Mardons, which have different steps and are arranged together in an engineering manner, they are subjected to various operations such as a very uniform composition = advance operation towards the head of the dominants and at the end of the exit from the cylinder.
After exiting the materials, which at this time are converted into strings or granules (fine grains) in several ways according to the equipment of the machine.
In this part, our intermediate product is subjected to a simple but very important cooling operation under the appropriate conditions by equipping the device with air or water tubs in completely stable and uniform conditions.
After the cooling stage, the water and gases from the previous stages are completely removed by means of centrifuges and dryers.
The final stage is the packaging of the products, which are made of polyethylene bags under the brand name FFS or polypropylene, and some products are made of aluminum or multi-layer composite packaging in order to prevent the penetration of moisture or external factors.

Some advantages of using masterbatch instead of pigment

  • Prevent pollution in the environment

  • Ease of use with specific weight percentages

  • Proper spreading and mixing and preventing cloudiness and windiness

  • Preventing graining and creating uneven surfaces

  • Additional operations such as better printing and sewing

  • Accelerating transportation and production operations

  • Powder cannot be used in some products

Features and distinctions of a good masterbatch

  • Choosing a pigment or agent from reliable ceres

  • Production with appropriate machines and specialized equipment

  • Proper distribution and integration

  • Low consumption percentage

  • Durability and resistance to sunlight

  • Resistance to heat and destruction during the process

  • The glossiness and eye-catching factor of the final product

  • It has a compatibilizing agent for the polymer and mineral part of Masterbatch

Color masterbatch applications in polymer parts and films

Transportation industries

  • Ground transportation such as plastic car parts such as bumpers / parts inside the car room / parts around the engine and…
  • Sea transport
  • Air transportation

Packaging industry

  • such as shopping bags
  • Industrial shrinks
  • Pallets
  • Plastic ropes
  • Disposable dishes

Installation industries

  • Construction industries such as pipes and fittings
  • Tanks
  • Foams
  • …

Agricultural industries

  • Products such as greenhouse films
  • Irrigation pipes
  • Brigade tape
  • sack and jumbo

Household appliance industry

  • Home products
  • Kitchen products
  • Polymer body of the refrigerator
  • TV polymer body
  • ….

Medical industry

  • Products including syringes
  • mask
  • Hospital bed sheet
  • Medical equipment and…

Textile industry

  • Products such as PP/BCF/PE yarns for clothing production
  • carpet
  • carpet
  • …

Electronic and electrical industries

  • The products of this category include cable covers
  • Switch and socket
  • Insulators
  • …

Masterbatch definition

Masterbatch is a product in which color powder (pigment) or other additives are optimally integrated with each other in a base resin, which is compatible with the main injected plastic, either in the form of granules (granules) or in the form of capsules (perils). ).

Basic material

The basic material used is often one of the following: light polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, EVA, low molecular weight waxes, alkyd resin, or other special polymers.

Feeding rate

This amount can vary according to the type and strength of the materials used for the final product, and can range from below 1% for some types of ultraviolet and dyes to over 50% for some types of fire retardants. 1-3% is suitable for coloring products. Manufacturers always advise you how much masterbatch to use to get the desired color or additive. A good question that usually seems to be that since the color powder/additive is cheaper compared to their compounds, is it economical to use these compounds?? Although the production costs increase by using the masterbatch, you can save time, energy, and money needed to mix these powders and labor.
In addition, in the plastic production process, you are more confident about the results of your work. In many cases, the costs are also reduced due to the increase in coloring power.

Diffusion

The most effective method of dispersing the color/additive involves combining them with a molten resin according to the final material of use. A wide range of equipment can be used, but generally it should include a suitable cutting machine along with a mixer and temperature controller. In the mixing mechanism, the most acceptable theory emphasizes flow as the most critical step. The best mixture is obtained in the highest state of adhesion of the used polymer. This is the best time to start adding. Mixing materials after this point is affected by the increase in temperature and decrease in adhesion.
In order to obtain the proper dispersion of the color/additive, they must be mixed together in a molten form. Where a large amount of these compounds are needed, the best choice can be internal mixers such as Banburi.
Continuous internal mixers and twin-screw extruders can also be used, in some cases single-screw machines such as the Buss Ko-Kneader can also be used. Other methods include the use of high-speed mixers combined with single-screw extruders.

All kinds of mineral and organic color pigments

  • Colored masterbatches: This grade of products is used for coloring polymer and colored pigments, dispersants and other additives are used in them.
  • Additive masterbatches: This grade of products is used as an additive in the composition to create various engineering properties in the final product.
  • Compounds: This grade of products is formulated from the combination of several mineral and polymer components. And they are used as the main feed for the process of becoming the final product.

All kinds of mineral and organic color pigments

  • All kinds of mineral and organic color pigments

  • All kinds of polymer materials with PE-PP-PS-EVA-PA bases

  • Additives such as: – PE WAX Stearate – Helping processes

Types of agents (addressed in the add-on products section)

  • Types of agents (addressed in the add-on products section)

  • All kinds of polymer materials based on PP-PE

Raw materials needed in compounds

All raw materials needed in additive masterbatches and color masterbatches in a consolidated form