Plastics colouration
AssigneeDatalase Ltd.
InventorsAnthony Jarvis, Adam O'Rourke, Ben Mulchin
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Abstract
A method of imparting color to a plastic substrate comprising applying to the substrate, or incorporating within the substrate, a diacetylene compound of general formula (I) wherein n=1 to 20; R1=an optionally substituted C1-20 alkyl group which may contain heteroatoms; T=H, an optionally substituted C1-20 alkyl group which may contain heteroatoms or —(CH2)m—C(═O)-Q2R2; Q1=NH, CO, NHCONH, OCONH, COS, NHCSNH or NR3, wherein m, Q2 and R2 are independently selected from the same groups as n, Q1 and R1 respectively; R3 is an optionally substituted C1-20 alkyl group which may contain heteroatoms; and irradiating the substrate to impart color to the substrate is described.
Claims12
A method of imparting colour to a plastic substrate, wherein the plastic substrate is selected from packaging, product wrapping films, and melt spun fibres, wherein the plastic substrate is polycaprolactone (PCL) or low density polyethylene (LDPE), wherein said method comprises applying to the substrate, or incorporating within the substrate, a diacetylene compound of general formula (I)
- R1Q1-C(═O)—(CH2)n—CΞC—CΞC—(CH2)n—C(═O)-Q1R1 (I)
- wherein
- n =1 to 20;
- Q1=NH or NR3,
- R3 is an optionally substituted C1-20 alkyl group which may contain heteroatoms;
- and irradiating the substrate to impart colour to the substrate;
- wherein R1 is a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having a chain length of 8 to 20 carbon atoms,
- wherein the diacetylene compound is initially applied to the plastic substrate or incorporated within the plastic substrate in an inactive form, and is subsequently activated by an activating stimulus, prior to being irradiated to impart colour to the plastic substrate,
- wherein the activating stimulus is selected from heat at a temperature about or above the melting point of the diacetylene compound and near-infrared light in a wavelength range of 700 nm to 2500 nm, and
- wherein, when the activating stimulus is near-infrared light, the plastic substrate further comprises a near-infrared light absorbing agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.