REPI is a leading manufacturer of liquid colours and additives for plastics and polyurethanes. The company specialises in many different applications, with a strong focus on the packaging industry.
Colours for packaging
REPI develops and supplies custom-made formulations to colour PET preforms, closures, HDPE and PP containers, extruded PET sheets for thermoforming, and extrusion blow moulding (EBM) containers for the food and beverage industries.
The company offers special additives to improve recyclability of raw materials and enhance the performance of PET products. Additives also help improve the aesthetics of packaging and allow energy saving during production processes.
Liquid colours and additives for plastics
REPI’s liquid technology provides excellent dispersion and highly sustainable colour strength. Our dyes and pigments are blended with liquid carriers to create rapidly diffusing pastes that mix homogenously into the plastics they are colouring, even at very low dosages.
The colour change is quick and generates less scrap than a solid masterbatch as colours are dosed below the hopper. There is no limit to the development of shades and special effects.
Colours and additives can be formulated together to obtain a unique formulation.
Low carbon footprint solutions
An internal case-study has proven that a liquid colour or additive has a lower carbon footprint than solid granules. This is verifiable in each step of the production process, starting from the limited volume of raw materials used to produce 1kg of liquid formulation.
The energy consumption to disperse and then refine the different formulations is lower as no high temperatures are needed. The finished liquid colour or additive has high colouring power and density, meaning that a very limited amount is enough to colour what a solid granule can achieve with more than 20 times the quantity.
The benefits also apply in the customer’s production, where the liquid colour is dosed through a portable dosing unit without the need for extra steps to prepare the colour or line before use. Cleaning processes are quicker and therefore free up production time.
Additives for recycled PET
REPI offers specialty additives to help recyclability, improving R-PET performance and its aesthetics.
REPI’s Anti Yellow additives range acts on the Lab values of R-PET in order to get as close as possible to a virgin looking PET. Different formulations are created in order to treat the incoming material case by case and homogenise their aesthetics.
Optical Brighteners enhance the whiteness of the final product, especially in case of R-PET or of high-load of TiO2 for some applications (such as milk and yoghurt containers).
The IV Enhancer acts, instead of the mechanical properties, extending the molecular chain of R-PET and therefore its Intrinsic viscosity.
Performance improving additives
The company also manufactures other performance improving additives:
- The Blowing Additives for dark and special shaped preforms. These have been designed to improve preforms’ heat absorption of lamps on the blowing line. As a result, scraps are lowered and productivity of the line itself increases
- REPI’s Process Aid additive makes the surface of preforms smoother, reducing static charges and scratches
- The Anti-block additive used in the extrusion of PET sheet reduces KOF values, making it easier to un-coil the roll and de-stack thermoformed trays
Barrier additives for packaging
REPI’s UV absorbers preserve colour and organoleptic properties of light-sensitive beverages and food. These additives come normally also blended with colours.
The acetaldehyde reducer SenzAA™ prevents the release of acetaldehydes during PET processing, responsible for the off-taste of mineral water.
Dosing and analysis equipment
In order to dose liquid colours and additives efficiently, dedicated dosing units have been developed by REPI. The U2011 is state-of-the-art ancillary equipment that provides extreme dosing precision and total control during the production process.
REPI’s Light Meter completes the range of equipment. This analysis instrument measures all opaque, semi-transparent and transparent preforms in standard sizes and XL (Kegs) by reading the colour consistency in the preforms, directly in production. It can be operated easily with minimal training.
