The specialty chemicals company LANXESS is responding to increasing market demand for halogen-free red dyes for the coloration of plastics with Macrolex Red A – a particularly high-tinting-strength and brilliant alternative to common, halogen-bearing products with a color index of Solvent Red 135 (S.R. 135). Macrolex Red A is a soluble, organic dye suitable for use in many amorphous and semi-crystalline engineering plastics. Like the other members of the Macrolex family, it is characterized by high thermal and light stability and good weatherability.

“Many of our customers in the foodstuffs or the automotive industry, for instance, want to position themselves in the market with halogen-free products,” explains Dominik Risse, head of Colorants Marketing in the LANXESS Functional Chemicals business unit. “But if a product is to be labeled ‘halogen-free,’ not only the polymer material must be chosen accordingly, but also the additives and dyes. For many plastics processors Macrolex Red A is becoming an increasingly attractive halogen-free alternative to common dyes containing halogen such as halogenated perinones like S.R. 135.”

Unlike those, Macrolex Red A contains no halogens in its chemical structure, yet features a similar red shade with a yellow undertone and is therefore a suitable replacement in many color formulations for products with the color index Solvent Red 135. Compared to this dye, Macrolex Red A exhibits better solubility in many polymers, which makes processing significantly easier, and can also prevent colored stippling in the product. Colored master batches can also have higher dye concentrations, which significantly boost productivity during their production. Furthermore, the tinting strength of Macrolex Red A is roughly 3.5 times greater than that of S.R. 135 containing halogen.

The members of the Macrolex product family from LANXESS, which are available in a wide range of colors, satisfy numerous legal requirements for dyes used in food packaging and children’s toys, and are suitable for the coloration of, among others, polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), ABS, PMMA and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Coloration can range from transparent to full coverage, depending on the polymer and combination of colorants.

The Functional Chemicals business unit is part of the Performance Chemicals segment, which achieved total sales in fiscal 2009 of EUR 1,530 million.