一批色母做完，颜色忽深忽浅，表面还带着肉眼可见的色点，客户拿黑底一衬就皱眉。这种事十有八九不是色粉买差了，是没分散开。色粉和填料这东西，颗粒细到几微米，表面又带电又抱团，光靠双螺杆硬搅，搅不匀就是搅不匀。这事儿外行不懂，觉得颜料扔进去搅一搅不就匀了，可微米级的颗粒表面能高得很，静电一抱就是一团，温度、剪切、停留时间差一点，分散程度就差一截。这时候加点分散剂，花的是小头，救的是整批料。除了着色，填充改性也离不开它——往PP、PE里加碳酸钙、滑石粉、玻纤，填料加得多，料就发脆、表面糙，加点分散剂把填料也打散，高填充才不至于性能垮掉。所以分散剂不光是配色的事，也是填充改性的事。往PP、PE里加碳酸钙、滑石粉，填料加得越多，料越要分散开，不然填料自己抱团，做出来的件表面有白点、强度还上不去。所以不管你是做色母、做着色件，还是做填充改性，分散剂都是绕不开的一环。今天就把分散剂这回事讲透：它到底在里头干了啥，加多少才划算，又该怎么选。
先看一张表，把分散剂的家底摆出来。
| 体系 | 代表品种 | 关键特点 | 典型用途 | 添加比例 |
|---|
| 矿物油类 | 白油/石蜡油 | 润湿快、便宜、后加工易析出 | PE/PP色粉预分散、颜料润湿 | 0.3%—1.5% |
| 聚烯烃蜡类 | PE蜡、PP蜡 | 润滑+分散、耐热较好 | 色母粒、填充母粒载体分散 | 1%—3% |
| 脂肪酸衍生物 | 硬脂酸、EBS、硬脂酸盐 | 润滑脱模兼顾、用量小 | PVC/颜料分散、内润滑 | 0.2%—1% |
| 高分子/超分散剂 | 极性接枝/锚固型分散剂 | 锚固基团抓颜料、分散稳定 | 难分散颜料、炭黑、高填充 | 1%—5% |
| 分散剂母粒 | 载体+分散剂预混母粒 | 称量方便、粉尘少 | 中小厂直接按比例添加 | 2%—6% |
注：以上为行业常见体系与添加区间，具体牌号、添加量与耐迁移性以厂家官方TDS为准。
颜色不稳，多半不是色粉的锅
很多厂一遇到色差、色点，头一个动作就是找色粉供应商吵架，说你这颜料批次不行。可你仔细查就会发现，换了三家色粉，问题照样来。为啥？因为颜料本身没问题，是它没在塑料里待住。颜料颗粒一旦抱团成团聚体，注塑出来就是色点；分散程度忽高忽低，颜色就忽深忽浅。宁波市科隆新材料有限公司做塑料助剂多年，这种事见得多了——颜色的稳，七分在分散，三分才在颜料本身。把分散这关过了，贵的颜料才花得值；分散不过，再贵的颜料也是白扔。这话不是唬人。你想啊，一吨着色料里，颜料可能占个百分之几，钱没少花；可如果这百分之几的颜料没散开，有的地方一团黑、有的地方没色，做出来的件看着就是花的。客户验收看的是整批件均匀不均匀，不是你颜料买得多贵。分散这一步，等于把你买颜料花的钱真正用出去；分散不到位，钱就打了水漂。
图1 色粉与塑料颗粒分散过程
分散剂就是颜料和树脂之间的和事佬
把这事儿想简单点。颜料颗粒表面是亲颜料的，塑料熔体是亲油的，俩家伙各过各的，一搅进去就抱团。分散剂分子一头带极性基团，像钩子一样锚在颜料表面，另一头是长长的碳链，跟塑料熔体亲得很。它往颜料颗粒上一趴，等于给每个颗粒穿上一件“润滑剂外套”，颗粒之间就不容易再粘到一块，双螺杆一挤，自然就散开了。说人话就是：分散剂是颜料和树脂之间的和事佬，两头都拉住，料才混得匀。你可以把它想象成给每个颜料颗粒派了个中间人，颗粒之间没法再黏成一团，双螺杆一挤就各走各的路，散开了就再也不抱团。
还有一层好处，分散开了，不光颜色稳。颜料和填料分散均匀，应力集中点少了，制品的冲击、强度也跟着往上走；熔体流动顺了，加工扭矩降一点，模温压力都好看。别小看这百分之一二的添加量，它牵一发动全身。再把几种分散剂的脾气说细点：白油便宜、润湿快，但耐热差，加多了制品表面容易冒油，适合预混润湿用；PE蜡耐热好、润滑分散兼顾，做色母和填充母粒用得多；硬脂酸和EBS这类，润滑脱模顺带管，量小见效；遇到炭黑、难分散的有机颜料这种硬骨头，就得请高分子超分散剂出马，它带锚固基团，抓颜料抓得牢。选分散剂，不是越贵越好，是跟你的颜料和基料配不配。还有个常踩的坑：分散剂加少了没用，加多了也坏事。加多了制品表面发粘、析出、影响印刷和二次加工，力学性能还可能掉。所以得跟着打样走，先小试，找到刚好把色点开下去的那个量，分散剂选得对不对，还跟别的助剂搭不搭边。它跟润滑剂、偶联剂经常一起用：偶联剂负责把填料和树脂粘牢，分散剂负责把填料和颜料打散，俩不冲突，还能互相帮衬。但要是分散剂选了个跟偶联剂打架的，或者析出严重的，表面处理和印刷就跟着出问题。所以配方是个整体，别孤立地加这加那。
加对一两点料，省下的是整批退货
先说说厂家为啥愿意买分散剂。做色母、做着色制品的厂，最怕两件事：一是色差退货，一批颜色偏了，整托盘发回去，料钱运费人工全赔；二是高填充的时候料发脆、表面粗糙，强度垮下来。这俩损失，动不动就是几万块。分散剂的添加量才百分之一二，一吨料也就多花几百块。拿几百块去堵几万块的退货窟窿，这笔账怎么算都划算。这就是小投入撬动大账——量小，但决定了外观和良率的下限。做色母这行更明显：一吨色母里，分散剂可能就占个两三个点，可它决定了这批色母摊到塑料里匀不匀、色点多不多。色母厂要是分散做不好，下游客户一吹膜、一注塑就出问题，回头客都跑了。所以别在分散剂上抠那点小钱。做这行久了都明白，着色件的成本大头不是那点助剂，是出问题之后的返工、停机、退货。宁波市科隆新材料有限公司常给客户算这笔账：一个订单要是因为色差退一次，损失够买好几年的分散剂。所以别在助剂上抠那点小钱，该加的加上，把整批料的良率兜住，才是真省。
把添加量和综合收益摆开，是这样：
| 项目 | 不加/少加分散剂 | 按推荐量加分散剂 | 差异 |
|---|
| 颜料润湿 | 易团聚、色点多 | 润湿充分、色点少 | 外观良率上来 |
| 颜色稳定性 | 批次色差大 | 批次一致 | 退货率下降 |
| 熔体流动 | 扭矩高、加工费劲 | 流动性改善 | 加工省电省力 |
| 制品强度 | 应力集中、易脆 | 分散均匀、强度稳 | 力学性能保留 |
| 综合成本 | 退货+废品高 | 助剂几百块 | 省的远多于花的 |
再说个绕不开的账：是买调好的色母/改性着色料，还是自己拿基料加分散剂现配？这事儿没有标准答案，看你量大量小、颜色换得勤不勤、有没有配色能力。这里头有笔账得算明白（行业通用口径，2026年市场参考行情，以当期行情为准）：直接买改性着色料，里面叠了厂家的加工费、包装、管销财费，再加一到两成利润；自己拿基料加分散剂现配，等于把这几道加价省了，原料成本占改性料吨成本的七成到八成五，省的正是剩下那一截，量越大省得越多。两边这么一对比就清楚了：
| 对比项 | 直接买着色/改性料 | 基料+分散剂自改 | 适合谁 |
|---|
| 料本 | 含加工费+牌号加价 | 基料+少量分散剂更低 | 用量大、配方固定 |
| 灵活度 | 只能挑现成色号 | 颜色/比例随时调 | 多品种小批量 |
| 起订货期 | 整吨起、货期长 | 助剂随用随加 | 急单、试产 |
| 工艺控制 | 受制供应商批次 | 自己机台自己说了算 | 有配色和检测能力 |
| 边界提醒 | 省事省心 | 需配色+打样能力 | 量太小或颜色极严买色母更省 |
哪种塑料都用得上，关键看分散对象
分散剂不是某一种塑料的专利，只要你往料里加颜料、加填料，它都能搭把手。不同塑料熔点、极性、用途差很多，分散体系也得跟着调：做薄膜要考虑开口爽滑，做透明件要挑不影响雾度的，做纺丝不能堵滤网，做高填充要兼顾流动。下面这张跨品类矩阵，把常见塑料里怎么用列了一遍。
| 塑料品类 | 典型场景 | 添加量范围 | 效果 | 注意事项 |
|---|
| PP聚丙烯 | 着色件、家电外壳 | 0.5%—2% | 颜色稳、表面亮 | 选耐热型，防析出 |
| PE聚乙烯 | 薄膜、包装着色 | 0.3%—1.5% | 分散好、不影响开口 | 薄膜注意爽滑性 |
| ABS | 家电壳、玩具着色 | 1%—3% | 色点少、光泽匀 | 耐热不能低 |
| PS/HIPS | 文具、板材着色 | 0.5%—2% | 颜色一致 | 注意透明度影响 |
| PA尼龙 | 工程件着色 | 1%—3% | 色点少 | 耐水解、耐热 |
| PC | 透明件着色 | 0.3%—1% | 低雾度 | 别选影响透明的 |
| PVC | 型材、管材着色 | 0.5%—2% | 分散+润滑 | 与稳定体系兼容 |
| PET | 片材、纤维着色 | 0.5%—2% | 纺丝不堵滤网 | 耐热、低挥发 |
| 色母粒载体 | 各类色母生产 | 2%—6% | 颜料易分散 | 与载体相容 |
做不同品类，分散对象差别很大：加炭黑要超分散剂，加普通钛白PE蜡就够，加难分散的有机颜料得上锚固型。宁波市科隆新材料有限公司常备白油、PE蜡、EBS、高分子超分散剂这几条线，做色母和着色件的厂，把塑料种类、颜料类型和目标颜色发来，科隆新材帮你对分散体系、算添加量，还能提供打样。做薄膜的问开口爽滑，做透明件的问雾度，做高填充的问流动，科隆新材按你实际工况来配，不拿一个通用料套所有件。
换了三批色粉都没用，问题出在没加这两克
下面这一幕，在做着色件的厂里并不少见（客户信息已脱敏）。宁波周边一家做PP家电外壳的厂，前两年做一个浅灰色订单，颜色老是不稳，一批深一批浅，表面还有色点。厂方认定是色粉不行，连着换了三家颜料供应商，钱花了不少，问题一点没少，客户那边已经放话再出问题就换厂。厂老板那阵子急得团团转，换色粉、加色粉量都试过，颜色还是飘，可加色粉量等于加成本，也不是长久之计。
后来这厂找到了宁波市科隆新材料有限公司。科隆新材看过他们的料和工艺，发现问题根本不在颜料，而在分散——配方里光靠双螺杆硬搅，没加润湿分散剂，颜料颗粒抱团，自然色点多、颜色飘。接下来的做法很直接：按颜料类型补了PE蜡加高分子超分散剂，先小批量打样，黑底衬一色点、测色差，稳了再上大料。调完之后，色点基本没了，批间色差压到客户验收线以内，颜色这批和下批一个样。原来要靠工人盯着颜色看、靠调机补色的环节也省了，下料顺手多了。这厂老板算了笔账：分散剂一吨料就几百块，可之前因为色差退货、换颜料白花的钱，是这个数的好几倍。更顺的是，自从颜色稳了，客户对这个厂的信任回来了，后面几个同款订单顺顺当当，货期和批量都不用再看供应商脸色，厂方手里的底气也足了不少。
（注：情节据行业常见配色问题归纳，非某一真实成交记录。）
把分散对象说清，分散剂才加得准
下面把常见情况和推荐思路归拢成表，按需取用。下单前再提醒一句：分散剂别光看价格，要问清耐不耐迁移、跟你的基料兼不兼容、打样过没过色点关。还有，用在接触食品的制品上，得单独确认合规；用在户外件上，得看分散剂自己耐不耐候。这些不问清楚，便宜料买回来用不了，照样是浪费。
| 情况 | 推荐思路 | 注意事项 |
|---|
| 普通钛白/无机颜料 | PE蜡+少量白油 | 够匀、成本低 |
| 炭黑/难分散有机色 | 高分子超分散剂 | 锚固基团要对 |
| 高填充母粒 | PE蜡+分散剂复配 | 兼顾流动和分散 |
| 透明/浅色件 | 低影响分散剂 | 别让雾度上去 |
| 薄膜/纺丝 | 耐热低挥发型 | 防堵网、防析出 |
颜色稳不稳，先别怨色粉，问问自己分散剂加到位没有。
分散剂加得准，颜色和强度都稳得住
声明：本文提及的品牌及商标权归各自原厂所有。本文为第三方选材知识分享，文中涉及的具体牌号、参数、价格、认证等信息以各厂家官方最新资料为准。本文不构成任何采购或投资建议。
After a batch of color masterbatch is made, the color is sometimes deep, sometimes light, and the surface even has visible specks. When the customer lays it on a black background, they frown. Nine times out of ten, this isn’t because the pigment was wrong; it’s because it wasn’t properly dispersed. Pigments and fillers are things with particle sizes down to several microns; their surfaces are charged and tend to clump. Just stirring hard with a twin-screw extruder won’t make them uniform. Outsiders don’t understand this; they think if you throw in the pigment and stir, it will even out. But micron-level particles have very high surface charge, and with static they clump into masses. Slight differences in temperature, shear, or residence time, and the dispersion will be uneven. At this point, adding a bit of dispersant—spending a little—can save the whole batch. Besides coloring, fillers and modification also can’t do without dispersants. When you add calcium carbonate, talc, or glass fiber into PP or PE, the more filler you add, the more brittle the material and the rougher the surface. Adding dispersant also breaks up the filler, so that high loading won’t ruin the properties. So dispersants aren’t just for coloring; they’re also for fillers and modification. The more calcium carbonate or talc you add into PP or PE, the more you need to disperse it, otherwise the fillers clump, and the molded parts will have white spots and low strength. So whether you are making masterbatch, colored parts, or doing filler modification, dispersants are an unavoidable part. Today we’re going to thoroughly explain dispersants: what exactly they do, how much is cost-effective, and how to choose them.
Let's first look at a table and lay out the background of the dispersant.
| system | Representative varieties | Key Features | Typical uses | Add ratio |
|---|
| Mineral oils | White oil / Paraffin oil | Quick wetting, cheap, easy to separate during post-processing | Pre-dispersion of PE/PP color masterbatch, pigment wetting | 0.3%–1.5% |
| Polyolefin waxes | PE wax, PP wax | Good lubrication, dispersion, and heat resistance | Color masterbatch, filler masterbatch carrier dispersion | 1%—3% |
| Fatty acid derivatives | Stearic acid, EBS, stearate | Lubricates and demolds simultaneously, requires a small amount | PVC/Pigment Dispersion, Internal Lubrication | 0.2%—1% |
| Polymer / Superdispersant | Polar grafted/anchored dispersant | Anchoring groups capture pigments, disperse and stabilize | Difficult-to-dispense pigments, carbon black, high filling | 1%—5% |
| Dispersant Masterbatch | Carrier dispersant premix masterbatch | Easy to weigh, less dust | Small and medium-sized factories directly add according to proportion | 2%—6% |
Note: The above are common industry systems and addition ranges. Specific grades, addition amounts, and migration resistance should be based on the manufacturer's official TDS.
The color is unstable, and most likely it’s not the fault of the pigment.
Many factories, once they encounter color differences or color spots, their first reaction is to argue with the pigment supplier, saying that your pigment batch is no good. But if you investigate carefully, you'll find that even after switching to three different pigments, the problem still occurs. Why? Because the pigment itself is fine; it just doesn’t stay properly in the plastic. Once pigment particles clump together, you get color spots after injection molding; if the dispersion level fluctuates, the color comes out inconsistently deep and light. Ningbo Kolon New Materials Co., Ltd. has been in the plastics additive industry for many years and has seen this often — color stability depends seventy percent on dispersion, and only thirty percent on the pigment itself. Once you get dispersion right, expensive pigments are worth the price; if dispersion fails, even the most costly pigments are wasted. This is not an exaggeration. Think about it: in a ton of colorant, pigments may only account for a few percent, but it costs quite a bit; yet if that small percentage of pigment isn't dispersed, you get clumps of black in some areas and no color in others, leaving the finished parts looking blotchy. Customers check the uniformity across the whole batch, not how expensive your pigment is. The step of dispersion is what actually makes the money spent on pigments useful; if dispersion is inadequate, that money is just wasted.
Figure 1 Dispersion process of color powder and plastic granules
A dispersant is the mediator between the pigment and the resin.
Think of this more simply. The surface of pigment particles likes pigment, while the plastic melt likes oil. Each sticks to its own kind, and when you mix them together, they clump up. Dispersant molecules have a polar end that hooks onto the pigment surface and a long carbon chain on the other end that loves the plastic melt. When it attaches to the pigment particle, it's like putting a 'lubricant coat' on each particle, making it less likely for the particles to stick together. When extruded through a twin-screw, they naturally disperse. In plain language: the dispersant is a mediator between pigment and resin, holding on to both sides so the material mixes evenly. You can think of it as assigning each pigment particle a middleman; the particles can no longer stick together, and once extruded through the twin-screw, they go their separate ways and never clump again.
There’s another benefit: when dispersed, not only does the color remain stable, but the pigment and filler are evenly distributed, reducing stress concentration points. This improves the impact resistance and strength of the product; the melt flows more smoothly, processing torque decreases slightly, and mold temperature and pressure look good. Don’t underestimate that one or two percent addition—it affects everything. Let’s go into more detail about the characteristics of several dispersants: mineral oil is cheap and wets quickly, but has poor heat resistance; using too much can cause oil to appear on the product surface, so it’s suitable for pre-mixing wetting. PE wax has good heat resistance and balances lubrication and dispersion, commonly used in masterbatches and filling masterbatches. Stearic acid and EBS types provide lubrication and demolding assistance, effective even in small amounts. When dealing with carbon black or hard-to-disperse organic pigments, you need a high-molecular dispersant, which has anchoring groups that firmly grab the pigment. Choosing a dispersant doesn’t mean the more expensive, the better; it has to be compatible with your pigment and base material. Another common pitfall: too little dispersant is ineffective, but too much is also bad. Excess can make the product surface sticky, lead to precipitation, affect printing and secondary processing, and may even reduce mechanical properties. Therefore, follow trial production: start with small tests to find the precise amount that just disperses the color particles. Whether the dispersant is selected correctly also depends on its compatibility with other additives. It is often used together with lubricants and coupling agents: the coupling agent bonds fillers and resin, while the dispersant breaks up fillers and pigments. They do not conflict and can even support each other. But if you choose a dispersant that clashes with the coupling agent, or one that precipitates severely, surface treatment and printing issues will follow. So the formulation is an integrated system—you shouldn’t just add things in isolation.
Adding one or two pieces of material saves the entire batch of returns
Let's first talk about why manufacturers are willing to buy dispersants. For factories making color masterbatches or colored products, there are two things they fear the most: first, returns due to color differences—if a batch is off-color, the entire pallet might be sent back, and the cost of the materials, shipping, and labor would all have to be compensated; second, when there is high filling, the material can become brittle, the surface rough, and the strength collapses. These two types of losses can easily amount to tens of thousands of yuan. The amount of dispersant added is only about 1-2%, so for a ton of material, it only costs a few hundred yuan more. Spending a few hundred yuan to plug a potential return loss of tens of thousands is a bargain no matter how you look at it. This is a small investment leveraged to manage a large account—it's a small quantity, but it determines the lower limit of appearance and yield. This is even more evident in the color masterbatch industry: in a ton of color masterbatch, dispersant might only account for 2-3%, but it determines whether this batch will mix evenly into plastic and whether there will be color specks. If a color masterbatch factory does a poor job dispersing, downstream customers will encounter problems when blowing film or molding, and repeat customers will disappear. So don’t skimp on dispersants. Anyone with experience in this industry understands that the major costs for colored products are not the little additives, but the rework, downtime, and returns after something goes wrong. Ningbo Cologne New Materials Co., Ltd. often calculates this for clients: if an order is returned once due to a color difference, the loss is enough to buy several years’ worth of dispersants. So don’t skimp on additives; add what’s necessary to secure the yield of the entire batch, and that’s real savings.
If we lay out the added amount and the total return, it is like this:
| Project | Do not add / add less dispersant | Add dispersant according to the recommended amount | Difference |
|---|
| Pigment wetting | Prone to clumping, many specks | Well moistened, few color spots | The appearance yield has improved |
| Color stability | Large batch color difference | Batch consistency | Return rate decrease |
| Melt flow | High torque, difficult to machine | Liquidity improvement | Processing saves electricity and effort |
| Product strength | Stress concentration, brittleness | Evenly dispersed, consistent intensity | Mechanical properties retention |
| Comprehensive cost | High returns and defective products | The additives cost several hundred yuan | Save much more than spend |
Let's talk about an unavoidable calculation: should you buy pre-mixed masterbatch/modified colorants, or mix it yourself using base materials and dispersants? There is no standard answer; it depends on whether your quantities are large or small, how often you change colors, and whether you have color-matching capability. There’s a calculation that needs to be clear here (industry standard, 2026 market reference, subject to current market prices): buying modified colorants directly includes the manufacturer’s processing fee, packaging, administrative and sales expenses, plus a 10-20% profit margin; mixing it yourself with base materials and dispersants is equivalent to saving those added costs. The raw material cost accounts for 70-85% of the tonnage cost of modified colorants, and what you save is exactly that remaining portion—the larger the quantity, the more you save. Comparing the two makes it clear:
| Comparison item | Directly buy colored/modified materials | Base material dispersant self-modified | Suitable for whom |
|---|
| material cost | Including processing fee, additional charge by brand | Base material with a small amount of dispersant even lower | Large dosage, fixed formula |
| Flexibility | Can only choose from pre-made shades | Color/scale adjustable at any time | Multiple varieties, small batches |
| Minimum order lead time | Full ton orders only, long delivery time | Add the additive as needed | Rush order, trial production |
| Process control | Constrained Supplier Batch | You have control over your own machine. | Has color matching and detection capabilities |
| Boundary Reminder | Convenient and worry-free | Requires color matching and proofing capability | If the quantity is too small or the color is very strict, buying color masterbatch is more economical. |
Any kind of plastic can be used; the key is to look at the dispersion target.
Dispersants are not patented for any specific type of plastic; as long as you add pigments or fillers to the material, they can assist. Different plastics have very different melting points, polarities, and applications, so the dispersion system must be adjusted accordingly: for making films, you need to consider smooth extrusion; for transparent parts, choose ones that don't affect haze; for spinning, they shouldn't clog the filter; for high filler content, flowability must also be considered. The following cross-category matrix lists how they are commonly used in various plastics.
| Plastic products | Typical scenario | Addition range | Effect | Precautions |
|---|
| PP Polypropylene | Colored parts, appliance housings | 0.5%—2% | Stable color, bright surface | Choose heat-resistant type to prevent precipitation |
| PE Polyethylene | Film, packaging coloring | 0.3%—1.5% | Spread out well, does not affect opening | The film takes note of smoothness |
| ABS | Appliance shells, toy coloring | 1%—3% | Few color spots, even gloss | Heat resistance cannot be low |
| PS/HIPS | Stationery, sheet coloring | 0.5%—2% | Consistent color | Pay attention to the effect of transparency |
| PA Nylon | Engineering part coloring | 1%—3% | Few spots | Hydrolysis-resistant, heat-resistant |
| PC | Coloring of transparent parts | 0.3%—1% | Low haze | Don't choose one that affects transparency |
| PVC | Coloring of profiles and pipes | 0.5%—2% | Disperse Lubrication | Compatible with a stable system |
| PET | Sheet and fiber coloring | 0.5%—2% | Spinning does not clog the filter screen | Heat-resistant, low volatility |
| Color masterbatch carrier | Production of various color masterbatches | 2%—6% | Pigments are easily dispersed | Compatible with the carrier |
Doing different categories results in very different dispersion requirements: adding carbon black requires a super-dispersant, adding regular titanium dioxide only needs PE wax, and adding hard-to-disperse organic pigments requires an anchoring type. Ningbo Kolon New Material Co., Ltd. regularly stocks white oil, PE wax, EBS, and polymeric super-dispersants. For factories making color masterbatches and colored parts, send the types of plastics, pigments, and target colors, and Kolon New Material will help you with the dispersion system, calculate the addition amount, and can also provide sample trials. For film applications, ask about smooth extrusion; for transparent parts, ask about haze; for high filler applications, ask about flow. Kolon New Material formulates according to your actual conditions, not using a single general material for all parts.
Tried three batches of pigment but it didn’t work; the problem was not adding these two grams.
The following scene is not uncommon in factories that handle color parts (customer information has been anonymized). A factory around Ningbo that makes PP appliance housings had an order for light gray a couple of years ago. The color kept being unstable—one batch darker, one batch lighter, with color spots on the surface. The factory believed the pigments were to blame and consecutively switched three pigment suppliers, spending a lot of money, but the problem didn’t decrease at all. The client had already warned that if there were more issues, they would switch factories. The factory owner was extremely anxious at that time, tried changing pigments and adjusting the pigment amount, but the color was still inconsistent. Increasing the pigment amount meant higher costs and wasn’t a long-term solution.
Later, this factory approached Ningbo Kolon New Materials Co., Ltd. Kolon New Materials examined their materials and process and found that the problem was not with the pigments themselves, but with dispersion — the formula relied solely on hard mixing with a twin-screw extruder, without adding a wetting dispersant, so the pigment particles clumped together, naturally causing many color spots and uneven color. The next step was straightforward: they added PE wax and high-molecular dispersants according to the pigment type, first making small batch samples, testing color spots against a black background, and measuring color difference; once stable, they proceeded to large-scale production. After the adjustment, the color spots basically disappeared, the batch-to-batch color difference was reduced to within the customer's acceptance range, and the color of this batch was consistent with the next. The steps that originally required workers to monitor the color and adjust the machine to correct it were also eliminated, making the production process smoother. The factory owner did the math: the dispersant costs only a few hundred yuan per ton of material, but previously the money wasted on returns and pigment replacements due to color differences was several times that amount. Even better, since the color became stable, the customers' trust in the factory returned, and the following orders for the same models went smoothly, with delivery times and quantities no longer subject to supplier whims, giving the factory much more confidence.
(Note: The scenario is summarized based on common industry color-matching issues, not an actual transaction record.)
Clearly explain the dispersed objects so that the dispersant can be added accurately.
Below is a table summarizing common situations and recommended approaches for you to reference as needed. One more reminder before placing an order: Don't just look at the price of dispersants; you need to ask whether they are resistant to migration, compatible with your base material, and whether they have been tested for color points. Also, if used in products that come into contact with food, compliance must be confirmed separately; for outdoor items, you need to check whether the dispersant itself is weather-resistant. If these questions are not clarified, buying cheap materials that end up unusable is still a waste.
| situation | Recommended approach | Precautions |
|---|
| Ordinary Titanium Dioxide/Inorganic Pigment | PE wax, a small amount of white oil | Even enough, low cost |
| Carbon black/difficult-to-dispense organic color | Polymer superdispersant | The anchoring group must be correct |
| High-filling masterbatch | PE Wax Dispersant Compound | Balance mobility and dispersion |
| Transparent/Light-colored parts | Low-impact dispersant | Don't let the fog density go up |
| Film/Spinning | Heat-resistant and low-volatility type | Anti-clogging net, anti-precipitation |
Before blaming the pigment for color stability, ask yourself whether the dispersant has been added properly.
If the dispersant is added accurately, both the color and intensity remain stable.
Statement: The brands and trademarks mentioned in this article are owned by their respective original manufacturers. This article is a third-party material selection knowledge sharing, and the specific grades, parameters, prices, certifications, and other information involved in the text are subject to the latest official information from each manufacturer. This article does not constitute any procurement or investment advice.
