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New thermoplastic colour compounds have been recently launched,
which change colour when exposed to body heat (31°C) or higher
temperatures (45°C). Customers have the option of choosing the
colours both before and after exposure to heat. These compounds
are made by adding thermochromic pigments to low-temperature resins
such as polypropylene or thermoplastic elastomers. The new thermochromic
compounds provide an indicator of how hot a given object is once
the activation temperature is reached. These new thermochromic compounds
are particularly well suited to applications where heat-induced
colour change can be an added safety feature. Products such as infant
feeding spoons, automotive radiator shrouds and medical devices
are particularly expected to benefit from these new compounds. In
the case of radiator shrouds, the idea would be to in-mould the
word "hot" into the shroud which would turn red when the
water inside would begin to heat up. Asia is expected to have good
potential for these colour changing compounds in the areas of medical,
small appliances, automotive, besides the general consumer markets.
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