Pantone (or sim.) code for transparent black plastic needed 1

[MatthiasH]

Dear all,

I'm in the process of preparing an order for injection molded ABS parts. Unfortunately, the manufacturer requests a Pantone code for the colour, which I have no access to. The desired colour is a neutral black that would be slightly transparent at 2mm wall thickness. Can anyone help me out with a Pantone code, or at least something similar? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance and cheers,
Matthias

 

[patprimmer]

Talk to your masterbatch supplier

A transparent black in ABS might not be obtainable as even transparent ABS has a fairly high haze and is not exactly water white clear.

You ill certainly be able to get a good rich transparent black with acrylic and probably PC.

Regards
Pat
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[MatthiasH]

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your answer! Doesn't matter if it's a bit "smoky" but of course it shouldn't be too bad either. (I'm about to receive transparent samples, so I'll be able to assess the murkiness of the material soon enough). As for your suggestion of using a different material, can ABS-optimized tools be used for PC injection at all? The shrinkage and other parameters might differ, and it's a design with quite a few thin vertical features that might require a different wall angle when using PC.

Cheers,
Matthias

 

[patprimmer]

Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

PC, acrylic and ABS all have reasonably similar shrinkage, however they all have quite different physical properties and mould flow and release properties.

ABS will both fill and eject from a mould easier than the others

Regards
Pat
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[Pud]

I have no idea why customers et. al. use Pantone colours - they are specifically for use in the printing trade!

The closest for plastics are RAL (but they are for paints!)

Some ABS may be translucent at 2mm but most will not be.

For a transparent material similar to to ABS, one could try SAN or SBC (e.g. Styrolux by BASF - there's plenty of other makers).

http://www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

It seems to me you have confused a safe drinking limit with what I like to call "lunch"

 

[wongs9982]

use SAN, GPPS, general purpose polystyrene, K-resin, acrylic etc.

pigment, do not use low cost pigment, power, do not add titanium oxide, which will scatter the light and make the plastic not transparant.
use organic pigment, use will get the fine result.
do not use panone color code, just tell the smoke color with transparent.
sam wong

 

[mcgyvr]

Both pantone and RAL colors are commonly used to specify plastic resin color.. Why?..Because there is no other widely used color standards and it all falls down hill from industrial designers/marketing/brand recognition. Sabic and many others have color matching services and cross ref tables that include pantone and ral matching.

Specifying a color based off any set/repeatable standard is always better than "um smoky transparent neutral black please" and then having to scrap parts because someone isn't happy that the part doesn't match their tie.

 

[HDS]

As others have said you will never find a translucent color in a Pantone book. For plastic sheet we often use the colors established by Plexiglas. For example Plexiglas 2064 is a translucent gray. The other manufacturers all have cross references to them. I have even seen PC sold with that color.

Many other plastic suppliers have their own standard colors you can choose from.

SAN is sometimes marketed as "transparent ABS"

 

[patprimmer]

It is important to get your terminology straight when describing colours.

Opaque means no light passes through.

Translucent means light passes through but is scattered so you cannot clearly see objects through it. Frosted or opal light diffusers are a typical example. Basically translucent colours are fine particle opaque or translucent pigments dispersed through the plastic.

Transparent means light passes through without scattering so objects can be seen through it with a sharp detail. These may still be coloured and are called transparent tints. The lenses of sunglasses are a typical example. Tints are normally organic dyestuff that dissolves in the plastic at a molecular level, or at least have particles in the very low nano range.

I could write a novel explaining how, but all you need to do is accurately describe what you want to your master batch supplier and let him decide on what pigments will suit. Of course you should select samples that you agree are a suitable colour and do trials to prove the colour. Then all parties should keep an original master standard in a safe dry dark place for future reference.

Regards
Pat
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