A shimmering new world of effects with Ciba® Xymara™-MC preparations

By Ania Dardas

Color that is complemented by a shimmer or gleam lifts it out of the ordinary into a different world of perception. Demand for pearlescent and metallic effects is high and the Xymara range of effect pigments is the shimmer-rich response from Ciba Specialty Chemicals.

Customers do not all have the same needs and plant requirements do differ. This is why the Xymara mono-concentrate (-MC) range was launched in November 2006. With its first four products in the new range: Silver Pearl S00-MC, Silver Pearl S20-MC, Silver Pearl S23-MC and Silver Pearl S63-MC, Ciba Specialty Chemicals offers its customers a product form that tackles two issues that can be of importance to master batch houses and compounders.

Health and hygiene can be a problem in equipment set-ups without extractor fans or where operators work particularly closely with powder forms. The tiny particles of the powder can rise and spread through the air. Powder forms can also lead to a potential drop in productivity due to the product’s inherent fluffiness, leading to bulking during processing.

The new mono-concentrate form, micro-granules, deals effectively with these two issues while offering the advantage of a wonderful range of shimmering pearlescent effects. The aim of Ciba Specialty Chemicals is to offer its customers everything they need to personalize color just the way they want it - and all backed by solid technical experience and great support.

Throughout 2007, further mono-concentrate products in this form will continue to be launched so that, by the end of the year, customers can choose between powder and granules for whichever of the Xymara pigment effects fulfils their needs. And after that, these effects can be combined any way they like with other shades and effects from Ciba’s comprehensive range of products.

Source: Ciba Specialty Chemicals

• The Age of Silver
• Preview of K 2007