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News in Liquid Colorants Four suppliers of liquid colorants (see cover story) have introduced new products and more are on the way: • With a focus on PET packaging, PolyOne's ColorMatrix unit in Berea, Ohio (colormatrix.com), has launched two new liquid-color collections to provide differentiated shelf impact for consumer packaging. The frst collection has formu- lations that produce effects such as iridescent color movement and unique surface appearance for beverage bottles. The second uses dark pigment bases and rich yet subtle tonal effects to convey a sense of quality and sophistication for personal- care and cosmetics packaging. The latter is said to mimic the darkness of deep space and interstellar hues. These colors were inspired by PolyOne's InVisiO Color Inspirations 2015 New Frontier palette. The company has also introduced the "eco-friendly" PlanetPack liquid delivery system. The design features a square corrugated cardboard outer box with a recyclable 5.5-gal PE inner liner. It is said to deliver up to 99% product recovery when used in conjunction with the company's FlexCart volumetric dosing equip- ment, and also to offer more effcient use of space during transport and storage vs. cylindrical drums and pails. • Clariant Masterbatches, Holden, Mass. (clariant.masterbatches.com), reports major advances in developing chemically balanced blends of pigments, additives, and carrier vehicles that extend the usefulness of liquid products beyond PET packaging and other common applications. New alternatives to mineral-oil carriers have opened up applications in extrusion blow molding of HDPE, LDPE, and PP, where screw slippage was a chronic problem. Additional components enhance material fow for more complete dispersion, lower processing temperatures, and improved weld-line strength. • The newest offerings from Plastics Color Corp., Calumet City, Ill. (plastic- scolor.com), are customized liquid colorants with other additives such as fame retardants, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, fllers, antimicrobials, mold releases, and anti-counterfeiting tags. • Riverdale Global, Perth Amboy, N.J. (riverdaleglobal.com), is developing liquid colors for packaging and has introduced the Blast interference pearl-like effects and the Metal Expressions metalized effects collections (photo). Also new is Riverdale's patented Maguire MS4 PeriStep liquid-color pump. This peristaltic pump has a planetary-roller drive and a cost-effcient stepper motor with no gearbox for precision control. The pump reportedly requires minimal maintenance, is easy to operate, and allows for quick, clean color changes. It is priced at around $1200 vs. around $2000 for other peristaltic pumps. WELDING New Ultrasonic Sealing Options for Flexible Packaging Rinco Ultrasonics, Danbury, Conn., has been awarded U.S. patents for new ultra- sonic sealing technologies. The patents cover two new actuators and novel sealing technology for fexible packaging of dry and liquid foods, personal-care items, and electronics. Included is the FPA 4500-S ultra-narrow, high-speed/high-force actuator, which has a small footprint and allows for easy service and replacement of inexpensive components. Also, the new FPA 4500-T is a pedestal-mounted, high-force-actuator, retroft welding system that reportedly allows for simple bolt-on replacement of current heat-seal stations. Both new FPA systems are designed to replace existing heat-sealing equipment on liquid-flled pouch form-fll-seal lines or pre-made pouch systems. Both FPA models incorporate the patented PPS0145 interlocking flm-sealing technology, which ADDITIVES is said to permit seal patterns with greater surface area than competitive ultrasonic seals. The interlocking design is said to create a wide lattice of extremely focused lines of force within the seal area, which creates seals over a much greater overall surface area while still focusing the initial contact point as required by the process. (203) 744-4500 • rinco-usa.com 68 DECEMBER 2014 Plastics Technology PTonline.com With Technology Keeping Up