Custom masterbatches for recycled polymer variability: GRAFE’s latest launch

Processors working PET, HDPE, PP, LDPE, or PMMA recyclate into finished parts face a recurring problem: matching a defined color target against an unpredictable base material. It remains one of the more persistent obstacles to scaling recycled-content products beyond low-value uses. 

CYCOLEN masterbatches are formulated for a specific customer's recycled polymer, target color, and application requirements. 

"With CYCOLEN®, we're creating a solution for processors who not only want to use recycled materials but also want to integrate them into their applications in a way that ensures color consistency, functionality, and process reliability," explains Lars Schulze, head of R&D Product Development at GRAFE. "The key is that we don't start with theoretical standard material but rather use the customer's specific recycled polymer as the basis for development."

Some end products call for a fully recycled-material-based concept. In that case, GRAFE also evaluates the material the customer provides to determine whether it can serve as the carrier polymer for masterbatch production.

Recycled polymers carry their own inherent coloration, which has to be accounted for during formulation. GRAFE analyzes the customer's raw material and adjusts colorant dosage to compensate for natural variation between batches, so a defined color target can be reached more precisely.

From waste stream to finished product - discover how formulation strategies transforms recycled plastics!

"Not all recycled materials are the same. Each material source has its own unique properties," explains Dr. Michael Dirauf, team leader of Analytics at GRAFE. "Our task is to understand these properties and use them to develop a stable, processable, and visually appealing masterbatch. To do this, we rely on close collaboration between the DESIGN CENTER, MATERIAL SCIENCE, Analytics, and Production teams here at GRAFE."

Beyond color, CYCOLEN masterbatches can be formulated with functional additives. These include stabilizers, processing aids, lubricants, anti-blocking agents, impact modifiers, and UV or thermal stabilizers. The goal is to improve the processing and performance of recycled material in higher-value applications.

CYCOLEN is aimed at processors using post-industrial or post-consumer recycled material who want to combine it with color, additive, or functional solutions. Suitable plastics include PET, HDPE, PP, LDPE, and PMMA, among others. Depending on the application, GRAFE develops the masterbatches in customer-specific colors, pellet forms, and batch sizes, and evaluates compound-based solutions for project-specific requirements.

CYCOLEN also extends beyond solid colors to optical effects, particles, textures, and laser markings. For circular product concepts, direct laser marking of the plastic part can serve as an alternative to separate labels. That laser-markability is retained even after further mechanical recycling cycles within a closed system.

With CYCOLEN, GRAFE combines the circular economy with more than 30 years of core masterbatch expertise: customized solutions developed for specific applications and tailored to customer requirements. 

"The use of recycled materials will continue to grow in many industries," says Sebastian Grafe, managing director of GRAFE. "With CYCOLEN®, we offer our customers a solution that does not view sustainability in isolation, but rather combines it with color, function, and process reliability.”