Rowasol: NIR-detectable liquid paint for the circular economy
The recycling of black plastic packaging by type is a challenge in the circular economy. Rowasol has taken up this challenge and now offers NIR-detectable liquid colors for this purpose, which are available in a standard and a deep black version for the highest optical demands.
Classic carbon black pigments make black plastics invisible in the near infrared sorting process. They absorb the NIR radiation almost completely and leave no evaluable signal behind. Pure iron oxide is not a suitable alternative in many applications, as its magnetic properties can affect sensitive metal detectors in the food industry and cause false alarms. Soluble dyes are often economically unattractive and nigrosine is ruled out for regulatory reasons.
Detectable liquid dye for unmixed recycling
Rowasol NIR-Deep Black offers the right solution here: the color is deep black and brilliant in visible light and at the same time NIR-detectable with a strong reflective signal for reliable sorting. It is also food contact compliant, non-magnetic and can be used in polar thermoplastics, e.g. PS, PET, ABS, PC and PMMA. The slightly less deep black NIR-BLACK is also available for PE and PP. Both variants also offer a "cool effect" by reflecting the heating infrared (IR) radiation: components heat up less, which improves thermal management depending on the application - for example in packaging, façade elements or automotive interiors. The highly pigmented liquid inks achieve excellent opacity values from a dosage of just 1% and also cover colored recyclates homogeneously.
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