The company introduced the fade special effect at the HBA show in 2008, and says that it has expanded its capabilities in the area because it has proved to be so popular with personal care and cosmetics providers.
The technology now includes increasingly sophisticated colors and layer combinations, which serve to provide a variety of finishes, from the very subtle, to bolder and more provocative designs, the company says.
Two layers for one plastic bottle
The fade effect is achieved using an extrusion head on a multilayer blowmolding machine, that helps to produce two layers on plastic bottles – an inner base layer and then an outer layer where the color fades along the length of the bottle.
Color is introduced at the top of the bottle and then gradually diminishes until it disappears at the bottom. Likewise, this effect can also be reversed.
The new reflective technology is referred to as ‘color-travel’ pigments and can be used to provide different levels of reflectivity, ranging from soft pearlescent to a high-gloss metallic effect that can be determined according to the angle of the light.
Reinforcing shelf appeal
Clariant claims that the technology can help to reinforce the shelf appeal of personal care and cosmetic products in retail stores.
But perhaps more importantly the technology can also help to reduce costs as well as helping to meet quotas for package recycling.
The company says that both cost savings and recycling can be enhanced because the process uses higher-cost color pigments relatively sparingly, while it is easier to recycle because of the layering involved in the molding process.