Extrusion International 5-2019

23 Extrusion International 5/2019 Clariant www.clariant.com/K2019 mental reasons. In close collaboration with these brand com- panies and as a leader in sortation technology, Clariant has developed a way to achieve a persuasive black color in plas- tics without compromising the essential detectability during recycling process.” Specific CESA-IR formulations have been developed to en- able IR-detectability of black HDPE and LDPE in injection and extrusion blow-molded products; black polypropylene (PP) in films and injection-molded products; and black PET and C-PET in sheets and film. In testing conducted by Tomra Systems ASA, a Norwegian company that is a leader in the field of instrumentation for recycling solutions, polypropylene (PP) containing carbon black was essentially indistinguishable under NIR radiation from background surfaces such as a conveyor belt. However, the same material made using another coloring system including CESA-IR additive masterbatches was read- ily detectable, with reflectivity levels approaching those of uncolored PP. K 2019: Halle 8a, Stand J11 “As a result of this phenomon,” explains Alessandro Dulli, Clariant Masterbatches Global Head of Packaging, “much of the dark-colored materials entering the recycling stream has not been recovered. For that reason, many brand owners have been pressured to move away from black for environ- Tests on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) also showed positive results (see graph). HDPE with CESA-IR shows a curve similar to the uncolored HDPE curve and distinct from the LDPE curve and allowing for easy separation. PET and C-PET sheet and filmwere also tested by Tomra, with similarly positive results (Graph: Clariant)