Fluoropolymer Color Concentrates

Fluoropolymers are used in some of the most challenging and high-performance applications in the plastics industry. Colorant Chromatics™ concentrates (also known as masterbatches) for fluoropolymers can help you deliver the right color with the right level of performance. Our expertise covers a wide selection of specialty resins, including PTFE, ECTFE / ETFE, FEP, PFA / MFA, and PVDF. We collaborate with you to formulate exactly what you need. Here's how:

Determine key requirements of the application:
These not only define which material should be selected, but also guide the development of the appropriate color masterbatch. Wire insulation, for example, requires a very different solution than film, tubing or profile shapes. What's more, a fluoropolymer can exhibit very different properties in terms of heat and chemical resistance depending on the applicaiton and its design, and this variability greatly influences the pigment selection process. Additionally, each manufacturing process has unique attributes in terms of process speed and material dynamics during processing.

Increase functionality of your masterbatch:
You may want to add conductivity or improve lubricity, static dissipation, X-ray opacity or lightweighting through foaming. Here again, determining what functionality the final part should possess helps us to develop a formulation that meets your process as well as the needs of your application. 

Factor in part size and wall thickness:
These measurements are important in material selection no matter what polymer you need, but even more so with fluoropolymers. With this knowledge, we can design a formula with the appropriate pigment strength, particle size and dispersibility. Getting these three properties right is the key to uniform and repeatable product coloring performance.

Formulate opaque or translucent colors:
Depending on your preference, we can formulate masterbatches in a standard ten-color range or matched to any reference chosen (RAL, Pantone® or a manufactured part). We can even develop a color masterbatch formulation with the appropriate pigment particle size and loading to enable translucent colors and tints.

Add printing and marking functionality:
If your part needs to be printed, laser marked or striped, we’ll note the marking process you want to use and identify the appropriate solution. We can develop solutions for laser marking fluoropolymers as well as inks for striping and printing.