Clariant's regulatory foresight and pigments with enhanced product safety features give customers the competitive edge

Muttenz, November 3, 2010 - Clariant presents masterbatch producers, plastics processors and designers with a unique opportunity to anticipate regulatory evolution and respond to the latest environmental and cutting-edge trends with one of the widest selections of colorants available from across the color spectrum.

At K 2010, Clariant Business Unit Pigments highlights pigment innovations, and its unmatched global technical expertise in helping customers to address the ecology, safety and efficiency challenges facing their business.

Initiatives include its on-going commitment to prepare customers well in advance for changes in the regulatory landscape and provide products that enable compliance with a broad range of regulations, such as CONEG, FDA, GB9685-2008, AP (89)1 and EN 71-3, to mention a few. As a result of Clariant’s forward-looking approach, customers can gain a competitive edge by being more efficient in bringing safer, compliant product innovations to the market.

• Leadership in REACH registration

Clariant is leading 5 out of 7 pigment consortia tasked with registering several pigment groups under Phase I of REACH legislation by November 30, 2010. This recognizes Clariant’s extensive knowledge and expertise of the Toxicological, Eco-toxicological and Physical chemical properties of organic pigments, built over the course of more than 40 years. Clariant has registered all the pigments for phase 1 and is pleased to report that Quinacridone pigments, an important class of high performance organic pigments, were granted registration on 16.07. 2010 and an other important class of organic pigments, the diarylide yellow pigments were granted registration between 02.09. 2010 and 08.09.2010.

• Leadership in product safety

Clariant was also among the first pigments’ producers to foresee future restrictions regarding lead chromate, helping customers to replace lead chromate containing pigments with safer organic pigments in Europe and in North America. Thanks to Clariant’s experience and a wide product range it now supports customers in many emerging markets who are in the process of replacing lead chromate pigment and where this process is gathering momentum. Our products combined with our application expertise allow customers to market safer products in consumer goods, toys and other applications without sacrificing performance and aesthetics.

In line with its strong heritage in product safety, Clariant is focusing on supporting customers in the construction and electrical and electronics (E&E) sectors who are moving away from halogenated resins for safety and ecology reasons. Clariant markets a broad range of non-halogenated pigments under its established ranges - Graphtol® and PV Fast®. These non-halogenated pigments are suitable for most thermoplastics including polyamide, polyester, elastomers and polyolefins, and provide many opportunities for using color as a strong differentiator without compromising the safety attributes of the final product.

“Plastics markets are undergoing extensive change with an increasing emphasis on environmental and health considerations without compromising on design and performance,” comments Marco Cenisio, Head of BU Pigments at Clariant. “We are pleased to demonstrate to K 2010 visitors how our pigments – offering one of the widest selections of colors available on the market – respond in an efficient way not only to the ecology and safety challenges facing our customers , but create new opportunities for them to innovate and penetrate new markets and applications.”