RECYCLABLE COLORANTS IN PLASTIC BEVERAGE CONTAINERS

摘要

A thermoplastic article includes one or more recyclable-friendly synthetic coloring pigments. The pigment has a melting temperature that is about 20 to about 50?C higher than that of the base polymer. This enables the pigment to remain predominately intact (e.g., unmelted) during injection molding and act as a colorant in the preform and resulting blow molded container. When the container is remelted during subsequent processing, such as post-consumer recycling, the pigment melts and transesterifies into the base polymer. Thus, upon such further processing, the pigment effectively is subsumed into the base polymer and does not affect the basic characteristics and properties of the base polymer.