This review identifies and describes the colorants — both insoluble pigments which are employed as dispersions, and dyes, which are soluble in the polymer melt — that are widely used in the plastics industry. Recent introductions are described in every area from the highly competitive yellow segment through to the very stable blue segment. Current trends in coloration are also discussed.

From the Introduction: “...This review [focuses] on the main thermoplastics: polyvinyl chloride, polyolefins, styrenics, and engineering resins, and the main plastic shaping techniques: injection moulding, roto-moulding, extrusion, casting, thick and thin section moulding and blown film. The notable exclusion is mass colouration of synthetic fibres. Many of the observations made about the colouring of plastics also apply to such fibre applications, however, the higher colorant loadings and demanding processing conditions tend to set a higher performance hurdle that excludes or limits the use of a number of the colourants that are recommended for plastics...”

Rapra Review Reports contain a brief overview of the topic, followed by extensive references, with abstracts, from the Rapra database. They serve as condensed, valuable research tools for scientists, technologists, and other researchers working with rubber or plastics materials.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

The Colourants

Special Effects

Summary and Conclusions

Additional References

References from the Polymer Library Database

Subject Index