It may seem strange to you, but to tell you everything you need to know about plastics processing, we will sit down at the table! Those who have already read some articles on this blog know that ours will be a journey full of flavors, because explaining what masterbatches are is easier (and funnier) through culinary images. All of us, at least once in our lives, have followed a recipe that called for mixing water and flour. Biscuits, cakes, bread… All of these foods have one thing in common: mixing ingredients of different natures, just like the masterbatch. Ready? It’s finally time to reveal the secrets of our plastic coloring recipe.
Recipe and formulation, with love
Let’s take an example. When you get to the stove, the first thing to do is prepare all the ingredients you need to make the recipe. Punctually, when the arrow of goodwill hits us, the fridge is empty, so we have to drop by to buy everything we need. Here the first dilemma arises: where to go? At the supermarket, where can you find everything already well packaged? Or in the village shops that provide more genuine ingredients? Is it better at the discount store or in the food boutique in the center? It depends on the purpose. Surely, if the desire is to amaze and seduce the throat of our guest, perhaps for a candlelit dinner, we will choose the best products, selecting them carefully. For us at Gaypa, it’s the same: each masterbatch recipe for plastic coloring is formulated as if it were the menu of a romantic evening. All the ingredients are carefully chosen and the dish is cared for in every detail.
Plastic coloring: a matter of ingredients and method
Pizza margherita is made in a similar way more or less everywhere. In the end, the ingredients are always the same, as is the process for preparing it. In short, it cannot be varied that much. The difference lies in the choice of ingredients to create the pizza and in the pizza maker’s method to make it unique. Just like a good baker, we too have chosen to prefer high quality, certified raw materials from safe sources to produce masterbatches and to use the consolidated method of mechanical dispersion. This technique has its roots in the history of our company itself: when Gaypa was founded, extrusion was used to knead, or disperse, pigments. Over time, we have become more and more specialized in the use of this technology and in the study of extruder machinery. Today we have made it our trademark, our signature.
The advantages of mechanical dispersion
The advantages of mechanical dispersion? Respect for the individual substance. Some pigments are more delicate than others and need specific processing. In fact, some need more force and temperature than others that could break. For this reason, mechanical extrusion is the best choice: it allows products to be processed individually and to ensure maximum attention for each one. It works a bit like with yeast in bread: to activate it cannot always immediately come into contact with salt or oil, so you take it and dissolve it separately in water, perhaps with the addition of a pinch of sugar to help it come into action. Only after this step can it be added to the dough so as to allow it to work optimally. It’s the same for some pigments : they need to be processed on their own first in order to work better afterwards, along with other substances.
Which method to choose for plastic coloring?
There is also chemical dispersion. This uses chemical agents, called dispersants, which have the task of creating the “dough” by amalgamating the various parts of the formulations together. This technique, however, tends to bind the masterbatch recipe to a dispersant and, consequently, the product to a supplier. Often, this prevents changes to be made to a formula, especially if it uses rare pigments that are not compatible with commercial dispersants. Among other things, the added chemistry can cause production problems, such as unexpected reactions between chemical compounds, bubble formation or burns, migrations… Let’s say that choosing whether to use mechanical dispersion or chemical dispersion is like preferring between making pancakes starting from eggs, flour and butter, or opting for a ready-made preparation. It is certainly longer and more complex to make soft and beautiful pancakes starting from the individual ingredients, but breakfast will certainly be tastier and more genuine than presenting those ready in five minutes, full of chemistry and less healthy.
Devising the recipe for any plastic coloring additive, such as masterbatches, is a job that requires in-depth study. It is necessary to know the nature of each individual ingredient that makes up the formula, the methods for processing, the final application of the products… It is a real art. The masterbatcher in his laboratory is like a chef who knows how to give life to exquisite works because he knows all the secrets of his cuisine. Colors, just like flavors, are enhanced when treated with love and creativity.
Want to know more about formulating recipes for plastic coloring?
Contact us, our experts will answer all your questions. Maybe even to dinner invitations.
