4Additives for Polymers March 2013

Puustelli. The composites themselves have been manufac-tured by Finland’s forest industry enterprise UPM.

Contact: VTT, PO Box 1000, FI-02044, Finland. Tel: +358 20 722 111,

Fax: +358 20 722 7001, Email: info@vtt.fi, Web: www.vtt.fi

Clariant publishes latest colour guide for the plastics industry

Switzerland’s Clariant has published the eighth edition of its ColorForward™ colour

and trend forecasting guide for 2014. Designed specifically for the plastics industry by the company’s ColorWorks™ centres and based on ‘intensive research’ of influential societal trends worldwide, ColorForward aims to give manufac-turers of all types of products a head start on potential consumer-purchasing decision drivers, according to Clariant.

ColorForward 2014 identifies four global trends and their direction on the colour palette for consumer prod-ucts. The predictions are based on research by the mem-bers of the ColorWorks global network, surveying the ‘huge array of events, exhibitions and conferences’, as well as ‘trends emerging in the planetary village’, and then distilling them to a set of truly global influences, Clariant says. Experts from the world’s major trend-watching organizations, and colour experts from industries as diverse as architecture, textiles, housewares, automotive and fash-ion are actively contributing to the process by sharing their views and thoughts, the company explains.

Uncovering the most significant trends and the colours they engender ‘is not a simple task’, according to Clariant. For ColorForward 2014, colour, design, marketing and polymer experts from every part of the world, representing multiple disciplines, came together this year to participate with the aim of not only identifying societal trends that are uniquely global, but also developing ‘harmonious col-ours that reflect each trend’s unique influence’.

The four societal trends represented by 2014’s colour palette are: ‘Keep It Real’, ‘Re|use|full’, ‘There to Share’ and ‘Vamos Joga Bola’. ‘Keep It Real’ connects with the desire of consumers to buy brands that are ‘real, transpar-ent and tangible’, Clariant’s experts say. One of the colours in this range is called ‘Genuine’, which, according to Norzihan Aziz, Clariant’s head of ColorWorks Asia Pacific,

‘represents transparency and honesty. It’s grounded and a mindful colour, reminiscent of the authentic feel/taste of an olive. It is a classic colour that will withstand the test of time’. ‘Re|use|full’ represents the public’s post-recession enthusiasm for ‘repurposing the old into new’. The colours in this range are ‘a visualization of thinking outside of the box, of morphing discarded products into new-generation identities’, explains Simon Clarke, packaging, market seg-ment manager, Asia Pacific.

The ‘There to Share’ theme relates to the accessibility of information in the digital age and the perception of the cur-rent generation that sharing, rather than hoarding, knowledge is ‘of true goodness and value’, particularly in collaborating to solve world problems, according to Clariant. Finally, ‘Vamos Joga Bola’ is inspired by ‘the true spirit of Brazil’, with foot-ball’s next World Cup taking place in Rio in 2014. ‘Tapirapé Splash Green’, one of the colours in this category, gets its inspiration from the lush green Amazonian forests of Brazil. ‘The colour is very predominant in the country’s flag, natural surroundings and, of course, the soccer grass’, comments Antonio A.F. Rollo, regional key account manager for Latin America. ‘Green is one of the most present colours in Latin America’s culture, and society. The Tapirapé are one of Brazil’s indigenous tribes that survived the European conquest and subsequent colonization of the country, keeping with little changes most of their culture and customs. Their tribalism and the relationship of man and nature are what have added to our colour inspiration’, he further explains.

In other recent news relating to colour and design, colour specialist Pantone has announced that its Colour of the Year for 2013 is also green – specifically Emerald (Pantone® 17-5641), a vivid, verdant green that ‘enhanc-es our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight, as well as promoting balance and harmony’. The colour will be seen during the year across the fashion industry, interior design, beauty, plastics and packaging, print and graphic design, the X-Rite-owned company believes.

‘Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other colour in the spec-trum’, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. ‘Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world’, she adds.

Pantone explains that it selects its Colour of the Year after combing the globe for colour influences, researching the entertainment and film industry, art collections, popular travel destinations and other so-called ‘socio-economic con-ditions’. Influences may also stem from technology,

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the availability of new textures and effects that impact col-our, and even upcoming sports events that capture world-wide attention, it says. Previous Pantone Colours of the Year have included Tangerine Tango (2012), Chili Pepper (2007) and Cerulean, the company’s first prediction in 2000.

Contact: Clariant Masterbatches Division, Muttenz, Switzerland.

Tel: +41 61 469 6170, Web: www.clariant.masterbatches.com

or www.colorworks.clariant.com

Or contact: Pantone LLC, 590 Commerce Blvd,

Carlstadt, NJ 07072-3098, USA. Tel: +1 201 935 5500,

Fax: +1 201 896 0242, Web: www.pantone.co.uk

Nubiola leads consortium to develop nanotechnology-based multifunctional pigments

Spanish inorganic pigment firm Nubiola and Tekniker, a technological centre based in

Spain’s Basque Country, are jointly leading the NANOPIGMY project funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme.

Established in 2012, the project has an expected dura-tion of three years. It seeks to apply nanotechnologies to produce cost-effective and multifunctional ceramic pigments (based on the ultramarine blue pigment struc-

ture) with more functionalities than colour for use in automotive and construction materials (plastics, coatings and concrete). Manufacturing processes in these sectors are often affected when nanomaterials are introduced into the formulation, the partners report. However, with NANOPIGMY modifications, manufacturing processes would not be altered as the pigment itself would provide the desired functionalities.

The NANOPIGMY project is pursuing the development of four pigments for different applications, with objectives encompassing energy efficiency, human health, extending material lifetimes and the reduction of the use of hazardous products. Two of the pigments are intended for plastics appli-cations. The consortium describes the proposed projects as ‘challenging’, but feels ‘very confident’ that the expected posi-tive results of the research will result in the market launch of innovative, new products in the near future.

Tekniker will act as the scientific coordinator of the pro-ject, while Nubiola is responsible for its overall manage-

ment. The other members of the consortium are: Acciona (Spain), Bsria Ltd (UK), Centro Ricerche Fiat (Italy), Performance Masterbatches (UK), Pinova (Switzerland; recently acquired by CPS Color) and Uniwersytet Im. Adama Mickiewicza W Poznaniu (Poland). The project has received funding from the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-NMP-2011-SME-5) under grant agreement No. 280393. More information is available at the project’s website (www.nanopigmy.eu).

In other news from Nubiola, the company recently invested in new equipment at its corporate laboratory in Barcelona to speed up product developments and better serve customers. A Q-SUN Xe-3 xenon arc test chamber has been installed to complement the Sun test and QUV light accelerated testing equipment already available in Barcelona. The company comments that there is no perfect accelerated method to match natu-ral exposure testing, but says with the range of testing equipment it now has available it can fully evaluate its pigments and their use in different systems. Additionally, with the Q-SUN it is possible to have absolute control over humidity, temperature and irradiance (light inten-sity), allowing Nubiola to achieve the ASTM and ISO standards for plastics and coatings. The Q-Sun is used as a complementary tool to help the development of new applications as well as the development of new products to satisfy customers’ needs, it says.

The Barcelona facility combines R&D activity and the Corporate Application laboratory, which provides world-wide technical service to customers in coordination with the company’s regional laboratories. The company has also recently enhanced the tools available to customers and dis-tributors on its website.

Contact: Nubiola Pigmentos, Barcelona, Spain. Tel: +34 93 343 5750,

Web: www.nubiola.com

Awards recognize additive innovations

New additive products from Bac2, AkzoNobel and DSM, and Huntsman are recent recipi-

ents of a string of awards for innovation.Bac2 of Southampton, UK, was selected as the winner in

the materials category of the JEC Europe 2013 Innovation Awards for its CSR family of latent acid catalysts [e.g. ADPO,

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