Concentrate processing colorant/additive production process

Companies will custom formulate colorant and additive products designed to be used by plastic molders, who will, in turn, produce the final consumer products. The raw materials for colorant and additive products may be in powder, liquid, or solid form. The products formulated from them may also be in powder, liquid, or solid form. Dry color formulations (powder form) currently comprise less than 5% of the total colorant and additive products being produced today. Liquid formulations account for another 5% however, this form of product is increasing in popularity and is expected to capture a larger share of the colorant and additives market in the near future. The solid form, known as concentrates or masterbatch products, are concentrated ingredients encapsulated in a carrier resin that is usually in pellet form. This type of product comprises the overwhelming majority of the formulated products used by molders and compounders today. A discussion of the basic production processes associated with the production of the various colorant and additive product types is presented below. 

Concentrates are made in the same manner as dispersions but often with less work placed into the colorant—vehicle system, thus higher yields and rates are obtained and a lower cost product is made. Usually, the concentrate goes through an additional processing step with the resin in which additional energy is provided to the system, thus ensuring more dispersion. 

In the study by Thompson, et al. (11), the ml of gel released per 100 g emulsion for the reference emuTsion without soy, with soy isolate (SIF), soy concentrate (SCF) or soy flour (SF) was 6.07, 5.83, 5.49 and 3.08, respectively, when the hydration ratios were 1 4 (flourrwater) for SIF, 1 3 for SCF and 1 2 for SF. The ml gel released per 100 g emulsion containing 10, 15, 20, and 25% soy protein was 6.70, 5.01, 3.94 and 3.57, respectively. When soy protein concentrate was incorporated into an emulsion at the 3.5% level, the processing yields, textural profile and sensory textural attributes of frankfurters were not different among the products with and without added soy concentrate (13). An objective measure of compression and shear modulus indicated that soy protein concentrate incorporated into frankfurters at the 3.5% level had no effect on batter strength or texture ( M). The addition of a cottonseed protein to frankfurters to replace 5, 10 or 15% of the meat resulted in higher pH, less cured color, less firmness of skin, softer texture and reduced desirability as judged by a sensory panel (J5J. 

One of the principal factors to be considered is the concentration of pigment m the dispersion concentrate. Compatibility of the carrier (solvent additives, etc) used in the preparation of concentrated dispersion and that used in the finished color product also plays an important role. In some cases this can be difficult because the earners having the best performance, from the standpoint of processing, could be poor in the application systems. However, in the majority of the applications, particularly in coatings and colored plastics, the concentration of the pigment in the finished product is quite low. and the incompatibility problem is easily overcome. 

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