Lustrous Metallic Concentrates Impart Identical Color to All Health & Beauty Aids Plastics

Tradenamed MetaLustre, the color concentrates are in commercial use by Impressions Packaging Corp., Peachtree City, GA, for a new line of heavy-walled stock PET bottles called PET Metal.

22/09/06 New color concentrates being introduced at HBA 2006 provide the luxurious metallic look now in demand for health and beauty aid packaging, while enabling manufacturers to cut back on the development work normally required to ensure that packaging for any brand looks identical no matter which plastic materials are selected, it was announced today by Teknor Color Company (Booth 1478).

Tradenamed MetaLustre, the color concentrates are in commercial use by Impressions Packaging Corp., Peachtree City, GA, for a new line of heavy-walled stock PET bottles called PET Metal.

MetaLustre color concentrates include Aluminum, Blue Steel, Brass, Copper, Gold, and Pewter. For each color, Teknor Color Company has developed multiple formulations designed to deliver an identical hue in packages made from various resins. Formulations are available for PET, PETG, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP (including clarified and copolymer types), ionomer, crystal PS, HIPS, SAN, ABS, PVC, PC, nylon, and TPEs used in “soft-touch” applications.

For a hair-care, skin-care, or any other health and beauty aid product line, the packaging manufacturer must maintain brand identity among bottles, jars, tubes, boxes, lids, covers, pumps, and other containers and components, typically involving a variety of plastics. “Multiple packages produced with conventional concentrates of the same color often show visible variation that can be prevented only through extensive trial runs in the development stage,” said Stephanie Fromm, Teknor Color business development manager. “MetaLustre color concentrates eliminate much of the time and guesswork involved in developing a new family of packages, and they do so for the full range of packaging resins, not just the widely used polyesters, polyolefins, and styrenics.”

Each of the new concentrates is based on a proprietary blend of pigments and carrier resin developed by Teknor Color Company for a specific color in a specific base resin, according to Meritt M. Siers-Foster, senior research chemist. “For each of the six colors in the MetaLustre color concentrate line, we now have formulations applicable with all base resins likely to be encountered in health and beauty aids packaging,” Siers-Foster said. “The R&D has all been done, and samples are readily available for customer trials.” Impressions Packaging Uses MetaLustre Colors to Impart Premium Look and Feel

The thick walls of the PET Metal bottles from Impressions Packaging make them “well suited for non-viscous and spray and pump applications for higher-end products,” according to vice president and company principal Rob Hyams.

Available in Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Pewter, and Blue Steel, the bottles come in “bullet” and “cylinder” shapes in sizes from 3.3 to 8.0 oz. (100 to 240 ml). In the 8-oz. bottles, wall thicknesses are in the 0.034 to 0.043 in. (0.87 to 1.10 mm) range. By comparison, walls of standard bottles average 0.012 to 0.018 in. (0.30 to 0.46 mm).

“PET Metal bottles look like the metals they are meant to reflect, and when they are picked up, the thick walls further support this image,” said Hyams. “The bottles are virtually non-squeezable, and the heavy walls provide a rich, dense coloration.”

A companion line of heavy-wall bottles called PET Glass, lightly tinted with custom colors from Teknor Color Company, provides the look and feel of glass. Both series are targeted for cosmetic and personal care markets in which products retail for $15 or more.