Venator has developed a new liquid pigment masterbatch technology, which the company says can be used to whiten recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibres quickly, cleanly, and efficiently. Based on the Venator’s established titanium dioxide (TiO2) platform for the fibre industry, the new HOMBITAN LQ range is optimised for delustering PET fibres from plastic bottles that will be re-spun into polyester – ready for creating new consumer products including footwear and apparel.
Venator is launching HOMBITAN LQ White 100 for semi-dull recycled PET fibres, and HOMBITAN LQ White 130 for the manufacture of full-dull fibres. Designed for small-scale recycled PET projects, conducted on a single extrusion line, both products are simple to use and offer several advantages over solid (pelletised) masterbatch pigment solutions.
Dosed via a precision pump, HOMBITAN LQ products can be incorporated into an extrusion line and homogenised into a recycled polymer melt. HOMBITAN LQ products also have a higher solid pigment load than pelletised solutions, meaning fibre producers use a very small quantity to achieve comparable whiteness and opacity results, explains Venator.
Designed to withstand temperature changes and pressure fluctuations during processing, HOMBITAN LQ products deliver uniform whiteness, thus reducing the gloss of recycled fibres that can be considered unsightly in some garments, the company continues.
Moreover, HOMBITAN LQ products require no pre-processing which saves fibre producers time and money. Unlike pelletised masterbatches, which need to be dried and crystallized, HOMBITAN LQ products are delivered ready-to-use, in easy-to-store drums. HOMBITAN LQ products, according to Venator, can also be used near spinning operations thanks to their liquid formulation.
Xandra Bläser, global business director, Specialty Pigmentary TiO2 – Fibres & Films at Venator, says: “The use of recycled PET to create fibres for footwear, textile and apparel applications is now commonplace. This shift has been gaining momentum over the last few years and reflects the wider corporate sustainability ambitions of manufacturers that want to reduce their dependence on virgin materials, cut their carbon footprint and give a second life to materials that would otherwise end up in landfill. Our HOMBITAN LQ range is designed to support these customers as they step up their environmental efforts.
“Applying our extensive knowledge of the fibre spinning process, we’ve created a liquid TiO2 technology that can help fibre producers achieve the high-quality end results they want from the PET they have recovered. The creation of HOMBITAN LQ is the first in a number of new liquid-based products, designed to simplify the use of TiO2 and other additives across a range of applications and industries.”
Alongside the supply of HOMBITAN LQ, Venator points to its other pigment and additive products for the fibres and textiles market. Examples included TiO2 for delustering a range of fibre polymers such as polyester, polyamide, viscose and polyacrylonitrile, and HOMBRIGHT S-ID (BaSO4) for bright yarns that have greater production stability and can be spun faster, the company adds.
