intrinsic properties – smoothness,transparency and freedom from traceimpurities.

Nevertheless, Sun Chemical alsosupplies effect pigments based onnatural mica, coated with TiO2 or ironoxide. These are the SunPearlpigments, suitable for use in personalcare and skincare products.

SPC, Soap Perfumery and Cosmetics, Apr 2006, 79(4), 124 & Parfums, Cosmetiques, Actualités, Apr/May2006, (188), 82 (in French)

Thomas Swan adds four DPP grades toits Casacolour range of organics

Thomas Swan & Co (of Consett,Durham) has joined the ranks ofglobal producers making pigmentsbased on diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole(DPP). It now offers four DPP redpigment grades in its portfolio.Casacolour 2540, the standard grade,is a clean, bright and strong mid-yellow shade of red, with gooddurability and suitable for use inindustrial and architectural coatings,packaging inks and plastics.Casacolour 2540P (opaque) andCasacolour 2640SO (super-opaque)provide excellent hiding power.Casacolour 2640T is a transparentDPP pigment grade, intended for usein combination with pearlescent ormetallic pigments in automotive orother industrial paint applications.

Swan’s Casacolour range includesa wide variety of organic pigmentsthat provide outstanding durability andconsistent colour value for thepackaging inks, plastics, automotive,industrial and architectural coatingsectors. Grolman (of Dusseldorf) isthe company’s exclusive distributor forthe German market.

Thomas Swan & Co was foundedin 1926 and it is now one of thelargest independent fine chemicalscompanies in the UK. The companyrecently announced the appointmentof Mr Harry Swan as ManagingDirector. He is the great-grandson ofthe company’s founder.

Plastics Additives and Compounding, May/Jun 2006,8 (3), 10 & Press Release from: Thomas Swan & Co,Consett, Durham, tel: +44 1207 505131 (10 May2006)

Inorganic UV absorber from Tri ETechnologies

Tri E Technologies (of Fairfield, Ohio)has developed UviGuard, suitable for

use as an inorganic ultravioletabsorber in all types of plastics. Theproduct consists of mixed metaloxides fused in a glass matrix. It canbe supplied in powder or slurry form.It offers a high level of absorptionacross the 200-400 nanometre bandand is therefore effective against UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation.

UviGuard is highly transparent,thus providing superior claritycompared against even the finestparticle size TiO2 or zinc oxide. In fact,it rivals the clarity of the organicbenzatriazoles, HALs andbenzophenones. It is stable in alltypes of paints, resins and cosmeticformulations, it is heat resistant tobeyond 350°C, it is inert and safe forhuman contact and it does not createthe whitening effect that is sometimesseen with zinc oxide or titaniumdioxide.

High Performance Plastics, Jan 2006, 4

Viba’s masterbatches forpolycarbonate plastics

The Viba group (of Italy) hasdeveloped a range of masterbatchesfor use in polycarbonates. Vibatan PCUV Master 02845 and PC UV 02868are designed for UV stabilisation ofpolycarbonate alveolar sheets.Vibatan PC UV Master 02617 isdesigned for UV stabilisation ofpolycarbonate end products. VibatanPC Opaline 97286 and PC White12845 are designed for counteringloss of transparency and brightness,ensuring an opalescent andtranslucent effect, for polycarbonateproducts. Vibatan PC FlameRetardant 03027 is supplied forapplications where fireproofing ofpolycarbonates is called for.

Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 14 Apr 2006, 9

HEALTH &SAFETY

BASF’s Eupolen phthalo blue pigmentapproved for food-contact plastics

BASF’s Eupolen PE Blau 69-1501recently received a Food ContactNotification from the US Food & DrugAdministration (FDA), approving the

use of this blue pigment in food-contact plastics at concentrations ofup to 2%. Eupolen PE Blau 69-1501is a highly concentrated mono-pigment concentrate of phthalo bluebased on a polyolefin. It is suitable forplastics used for drinks containersand bottle tops, fruit and vegetableboxes, cups and packaging films.

Kunststoffe, May 2006, 96 (5), 10 (in German)

BASF’s Uvinul light stabilisersapproved for food-contact plastics

Several products in BASF’s range ofUvinul light stabilisers have receivedapproval from the US Food & DrugAdministration (FDA) for food-contactapplications.

Uvinul 5050H is a stericallyhindered amine, which preventsplastics from degrading byscavenging the free radicals that areformed when plastics are exposed toultraviolet light. According to BASF,applications include woven tape bags,packaging films and milk containers,as well as in fibres, greenhouseplastic films and injection-mouldedplastic parts. Uvinul 5050H hasexcellent compatibility with pigmentsand little interaction with fluorinatedelastomers.

Uvinul 3034, a benzotriazole, isespecially effective in polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyamides andpolycarbonates due to its low volatilityand superior heat resistance.

Uvinul 5062, an oligomerichindered amine is suitable for usewith polyolefins, olefin copolymersand in blends of polypropylene andelastomers.

Plastics Additives and Compounding, May/Jun 2006,7 (3), 14

Merck’s mica/TiO2 pearlescentsapproved for food-contactapplications

Partly in response to a petition filed byEM Industries (a wholly-ownedsubsidiary within the Merck group),the US Food & Drug Administration(FDA) has approved as safe foodadditives the use of pearlescentpigments consisting of mica particlescoated with TiO2. The approval takeseffect as from 5 July 2006.

Federal Register, 2 Jun 2006, 71 (106), 31927-31929(Website:http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html)

JUNE 2006 7

F O C U S O N P I G M E N T S