Clariant has brought color to the world of polyketones.
Clariant recently introduced color compounds and masterbatch concentrates based on aliphatic polyketones, which are high-performance specialty resins. The range of 12 colors currently is available only in North America.
Officials with Clariant said they believe their firm is the first to offer standard colors for polyketone materials. Additional standard colors are expected to be added over time. Custom colors also are available.
Officials with Clariant International Ltd. — which is based in Switzerland, with North American headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. — added that the polyketone colors are part of a growing range of Clariant concentrates and compounds based on engineering resins and high-temperature plastics. These materials are used in automotive and other applications requiring a high melting point and impact, abrasion, chemical and fuel resistance.
Aliphatic polyketones first were made by Shell Chemical under the Carilon brand name. They were discontinued in 2000 and not brought back until 2014, when Hyosung Group of Korea began distributing the materials in North America through Polysource LLC.
Polysource officials have described polyketone as having the moisture resistance and frictional performance of acetal, the thermal resistance of nylon 6 and fuel permeability resistance that's nearly 10 times that of nylon 12.
Clariant has made multi-million dollar investment to expand its production of compounds and concentrates based on polyketone and other specialty resins — such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyphenylene oxide (PPO) and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) — at its U.S. plants in Holden, Mass.; Lewiston, Maine; and Albion, Mich,