Additive is designed for wood/plastics composites.

Press Release Summary:




TEK Deck Pro(TM) Masterbatch combines color, UV absorber, and biocide to meet color and UV-protection requirements. Masterbatch incorporates pigments whose high infrared reflectance level reduces heat buildup in deck components that can cause polymer degradation. TEK Deck Pro can be used with polyolefin resins as well as rigid and flexible PVC.



Original Press Release:



'One-Pack' Masterbatch for Wood / Plastics Composites Reduces Additive Cost, Adds Consumer Appeal, and Increases Durability



TEK Deck Pro(TM) Masterbatch with Color and Biocide Helps Fast-Growing WPC Deck Industry Meet Demand for Low-Maintenance Products that Look like Wood but Last Longer

PAWTUCKET, RI, U.S.A., August 2, 2006: The first biocide-containing color masterbatch for wood/plastics composite (WPC) decks and other building applications enables manufacturers to enhance the appearance and longevity of their products while saving on additive costs, it was announced today by Teknor Color Company.

Tradenamed TEK Deck Pro(TM), the masterbatch combines color, UV absorber, and Rohm and Hass Company's Vinyzene(TM) biocide into a single "package" product that costs at least 15% less than if the three additives were purchased separately, according to John Politis, marketing manager.

Teknor Color will custom-manufacture TEK Deck Pro masterbatches to meet the color and UV-protection requirements of individual customers, Politis noted, and can also incorporate pigments whose high level of infrared reflectance reduces heat buildup in deck components, which can cause polymer degradation. The function of the UV absorber is to prevent chalking and cracking caused by prolonged exposure to solar UV. The biocide improves aesthetics by controlling fungal growth, which cause staining and makes cleaning of the deck difficult.

"Besides providing WPC processors with the handling ease and cost savings of an additive package, TEK Deck Pro helps them to manufacture products that look better and last longer," Politis said. "Drawing on its expertise in concentrates, Teknor Color Company can supply them with darker, richer colors that enhance the wood-like appearance prized by homeowners while actually expanding the plastics advantages of durability and low maintenance."

Vinyzene biocides have consistently exhibited outstanding performance in field trials and accelerated weathering, according to Politis. He noted that the Vinyzene product used by Teknor Color contains no heavy metals, making it an environmentally friendly formulation.

New Masterbatches Have Wide Application Potential and Save on Cost per Liner Foot

"While manufacturers of WPC deck products anticipate continued double-digit growth rates, they have indicated a strong need for additive formulations to enhance the appearance, reduce the maintenance requirements, and prolong the lifetimes of their products," Politis said. "WPC decks must last at least ten to 20 years, and some manufacturers even offer lifetime warrantees."

While initially focusing on the deck market, Teknor Color sees other WPC applications that can benefit from TEK Deck Pro masterbatch, including fences, railings, and siding, as well as non-construction uses in the marine and other sectors. TEK Deck Pro can be used with polyolefin resins as well as rigid and flexible PVC.

While the costs savings attributed to the additive-package approach taken by Teknor Color is largely accounted for by reduction in the amount of carrier resin used to incorporate concentrations of additives in masterbatch, the building products industry typically calculates savings not in pounds but in linear feet. "For a typical application, we have estimated that it would cost an average of 37 cents per linear foot to dose color, biocide, and UV absorber separately," Politis said, "while the TEK Deck Pro one-pack product would cost 30 cents, for a savings of nearly 20%."

Teknor Color Company is a member of the Composite Lumber Manufacturers Association (CLMA), whose web site is www.compositelumber.org. For information about Rohm and Haas Company, visit www.rohmhaas.com.

Based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, U.S.A., TEKNOR COLOR COMPANY is a leading producer of color concentrates for use in all thermoplastic processes. It operates four plants in the U.S.A. The Teknor Color OEM Accounts Program provides companies that outsource their production with a single central resource for color-matching materials used by all of the processors of a given product. Other plastics businesses of parent firm TEKNOR APEX COMPANY include the Vinyl Div. (flexible vinyl), Chemical Div. (plasticizers), Thermoplastic Elastomer Div. (TPEs), Specialty Compounding Div. (toll and custom compounding), Chem Polymer (engineering thermoplastics), and Singapore Polymer Corp. (diverse compounds and masterbatches). Visit the web site: www.teknorcolor.com.

READER INQUIRY INFORMATION:
Address all mail inquiries to
Teknor Color Company,
505 Central Avenue,
Pawtucket, RI 02861 U.S.A.
Tel: 1-401-725-8000.
Tel. from U.S. only: 1-800-554-9885.
Fax: 1-401-724-8520.
E-mail: info@teknorcolor.com.

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