MACROLEX®
SOLVENT DYES
Solvent dyes for engineering plastics
As early as the 1960s, Macrolex® dyes were developed for the special needs of plastics coloration. Process conditions for engineering plastics such as polystyrene, ABS, PC, PMMA, PA, and others are quite severe. The Macrolex® product range includes dyestuffs that are classified as disperse or solvent dyes.
Macrolex® dyes are soluble in organic solvents, e.g., aromatics, esters, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. They are insoluble in water and dilute aqueous solutions of acetic acid or alcohol. Not being soluble in water and alcohol is important for use in consumer goods, food packaging, and children´s toys made of colored plastics, because the dye cannot bleed into the respective media.
Macrolex® dyes are soluble in organic solvents, e.g., aromatics, esters, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. They are insoluble in water and dilute aqueous solutions of acetic acid or alcohol. Not being soluble in water and alcohol is important for use in consumer goods, food packaging, and children´s toys made of colored plastics, because the dye cannot bleed into the respective media.
Macrolex® dyes are available as:
- Granulates (Gran)
- Fine gran (FG)
- Powder
Product range and properties
Macrolex® dyes are suitable for coloring predominantly amorphous thermoplastics such as:
- PS, EPS, SB*, SAN*, ABS, and their blends (*not block copolymers)
- PMMA, PC, PPO, and their blends
- PVC-U, PET, (PBT)
- (PA-6, PA-12), CA, CAB
The Macrolex® range contains soluble dyes with following properties:
- High heat stability
- Good lightfastness and weather resistance
- High color strength
- Outstanding brilliance
- High purity, safe to use for food and toys
Product benefits of Macrolex® Gran
- Outstanding properties
- Exact metering
- Easier to process
- Safe
- Virtually no residues
- Very low dust formation
- Optimized storage and transport capacities
- High quality
Video: Flow properties and benefites of Macrolex® Gran compared to powder form
Regulatory compliance
Macrolex® dyes meet the strict purity requirements of many fields of application.
- Directive 94/62/EC
- The overall concentration of lead, cadmium, mercury, or hexavalent chromium must not exceed 100 ppm by weight (0.01%).
- Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
- Directive 2011/65/EU for Europe
- Similar regulations exist in Japan, the United States, and China
- EN 71-3 (Safety of toys: Migration of certain elements)
- EN 71-9 (Safety of toys: Requirements of organic chemical compounds). Because of the chemical classification, Macrolex Yellow 3G is not recommended.
There are many national regulations, for example:
- Europe: Resolution AP (89) 1. The purity requirements are met by all Macrolex® dyes. Because of the chemical classification, Macrolex® Yellow 3G and Macrolex® Black 2B are not recommended.
- United States: Nearly all Macrolex® dyes are approved for the coloring of PET in accordance with FDA regulations, at loadings of less than 0.20%.
- Japan: JCII (Japan Chemical Innovation and Inspection Institute). The prerequisite for the use of colorants in food contact applications is a maximum of 100 ppm of lead, 50 ppm of mercury, and 100 ppm of cadmium. Since April 1, 2021 the Food Contact Materials Safety Center within JCII assumed JHOSPA's polymer and additive certification business.
- Australia: AS (Australian Standard) 2070.6 Plastic Materials for Food Contact Use: Limiting values for heavy metals and primary aromatic amines.
- China: GB9685 Hygienic Standards for Uses of Additives in Food Containers and Packaging Materials.
