Glow Plastics Recipes
Glow Plastics
Manufacturing Photoluminescent Plastic Masterbatch
Our glow crystals can be used in the production of a wide variety of plastic material or masterbatches such as: - Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Polystyrenes (PS), Polyamides (PA), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyurethane (PU), Polyester (PET), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).
These masterbatches are suitable for many transformational processes, such as:
- Molding
- Injection
- Rotational
- Blow
- Extrusion/Coextrusion
- Empty Bodies
- Compact and alveolate sheets
- In Sheet
- Compounds
- Film
- Pipes
- Profiles
- Fibres
- Monofilament
Guidelines
Prior to manufacturing, the interior of the extruder should be thoroughly cleaned of contamination. The processing temp should be 10 degrees higher than normal run of plastic. The extruder should be cleaned again by running clear resin through until clear resin can be seen coming out of the machine. The recommended machine configuration is one with a distributive screw design and twin hoppers. Use the first to feed the resin and additives and the second to dose the pigment into the polymer melt. This will decrease the abrasion to the extruder surfaces. The interior of the extruder should be thoroughly cleaned of contamination. The extruder should be cleaned by running clear resin through until clear resin can be seen coming out of the machine. Try to keep the mixing time of the glow crystals and resin as short as possible as stirring for a long period may cause the resin and glow crystals to darken. Using carrier resins in powder form will minimize darkening and both the resin and glow crystals should be kept dry before the extruding process is started.
If the above method is not possible keep the mixing time of the glow crystals and resin as short as possible. Stirring for a long period may cause the resin and glow crystals to darken.
The resin and glow crystals should be kept dry before the extruding process is started. Using carrier resins in powder form will minimize darkening. Masterbatches containing up to 50% glow crystals can be manufactured.
Using transparent or colorless plastic material. If you use colored pigment keep the content as low as possible or this will cover the glow materials and not allow proper charging of the pigment powder particles contained in the article. When combining our master batch do not use heavy metal containers, this may cause oxidation which may darken the final plastic products.
General Precautions
1) Do not grind or mill the glow crystals, breaking the crystal structure will destroy the glow properties.
2) Avoid exposing the glow crystals to strong acids or mixing with resins containing heavy metal properties.
3) Keep glow crystals as dry as possible.
4) Our glow crystals are made of a hard material and this may cause abrasion to the extruding machines. In order to avoid this problem either use especially hardened barrels and screw fixtures or a wax to wet the crystals prior to extruding, or use a machine with two entry ports.
5) Avoid moisture and aqueous systems. Once the glow crystals are incorporated into a solvent-based resin, it is not affected by moisture.
Extrusion Molding
For extrusions a small bore machine would be preferable as to minimize residence time. Extruders with large inside wall areas or equipped with complicated screw geometry tend to cause darkening of the end product.
It is recommended to use extruding temperatures as low as possible. Experimentation will yield the correct temperature levels and optimum back pressure. The color of the pellets being produced should be observed, they should be the same color as the pigment itself. The best temperature level inside the barrel is closely related to screw geometry and backpressure; these should be determined by repeated experiments.
A small-bore machine would be preferable as to minimize residence time. Extruders with large inside wall areas or equipped with complicated screw geometry tend to cause darkening of the end product.