Materials maker Evonik Industries AG may be spending 2018 in a purple haze.
The German firm recently launched Trogamid T5000, an amorphous nylon resin with a transparency of 90 percent. It's easily colored in purple and other colors — which company officials said is important, since the American Pantone Color Institute recently named ultraviolet as its trend color for 2018.
Evonik will be showcasing Trogamid 5000 at the upcoming MIDO Eyewear Show, set for Feb. 24-26 in Milan, Italy. The material is especially suitable for manufacturing thin frames and semi-rimless eyewear frames, which officials said can significantly reduce the frame weight without affecting material performance.
Trogamid 5000 also is more resilient than heavier conventional frames, which translates into greater freedom for designers, the company added.
"While consumers tended to focus on aesthetics in the past, they now place greater emphasis on product quality and performance," officials said.
Evonik has developed eyewear applications using Trogamid 5000 in partnership with Chinese eyewear maker Hwa Mao Optical Co. Ltd.