New PP colourants aim to put life into bottle caps

26-May-05

Imagine a range of translucent screw closures for mineral water, soft drinks and other bottled beverages, made of polypropylene- many of which are compliant with US regulations for food contact applications. The ClearTint polymeric colourants for polypropylene (PP) aim to enhance the bottle aesthetics by replicating either the beverage colour or brand colour in transparent PP as an enhancement of consumer appeal and brand image. Milliken, a leading additive maker, aims to put life into bottle caps via its ClearTint technology. The technique of compression moulding is used in making these ClearTint coloured caps. The ClearTint technology is showing how beverage caps, traditionally considered a commodity element, can become an added-value part of bottle aesthetics. Bottle caps are usually made from aluminum or PP with solid pigments. PP provides mechanical and safety advantages by protecting the mouth of the bottle. It absorbs accidental bumps on the bottle cap before the product arrives at the point of sale and protects the glass preserving a high quality appearance. These ClearTint colourants are migration-resistant, non-toxic, non-abrasive and heat-resistant and can be reground and recycled.