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2014-09-29

The flashing tail light in cars glow: Thanks to Macrolex® from LANXESS!

Mumbai, September 29, 2014: In addition to its established portfolio of synthetic iron oxide pigments, LANXESS, the global specialty chemicals company, also offers soluble organic dyes in a variety of shades and is the only multinational manufacturer with this offering. Identified as brand Macrolex®, these dyes dissolve in a molecular form in plastics. They are not only known for their excellent color strength but are easy to use (no dispersion and causes no mechanical damage to the polymer) and are stable even through changes in  temperature. They are ideally suited for the coloring of amorphous polymers such as PS, PC, ABS, PMMA, PET and their blends. In fact, the transparent coloring of glass-clear plastics is only possible with soluble dyes such as Macrolex®. These include end applications like water bottles (PC), water and beer bottles (PET), PMMA/ PC car taillights and toys (ABS) among others. In India, LANXESS is particularly well-positioned to address the colorant needs of automotive plastics like electrical parts in cars through Macrolex® dyes. LANXESS is a leading supplier of these dyes to masterbatch manufacturers in India and leads the market especially in the applications of red shade.

Macrolex® dyes are used to obtain different translucent and opaque shades in combination with inorganic pigments and are suited for applications with high temperatures, where most organic pigments begin to degrade. These dyes dissolve completely in the plastics which melt at the respective processing temperatures of the thermoplastic. In effect, this means maximum color yield and high reproducibility of color formulations; irrespective of the dispersing speed of the equipment used.

They are soluble in organic solvents like aromatics, esters, chlorinated hydrocarbons. They are insoluble in water or, in dilute aqueous solutions of acetic acid or alcohol. This property is important for consumer goods, food packaging and children's toys made of colored plastics, because the dye cannot bleed into the respective media.

A new era in coloring plastics has been ushered with Macrolex® Gran, one of the first microgranulated dyes ever. They are efficient, cost-effective and are easier to process as compared to powder dyes. The outstanding properties of Macrolex® have been put together in a granular form, making LANXESS one of the few manufacturers in the world who has been able to achieve an all-round improvement in the quality of soluble dyes. Available in granules, Macrolex® Gran offers brilliant tints, lightfastness and stability. They also offer customers the following advantages:

  • Easier process-ability - It has better solubility and is therefore easier to process. The microgranules are dispersed quickly, evenly and completely. They can thus also be metered exactly.
  • Safe - The high purity results in improved safety in children's toys and packaging for cosmetics and foods.
  • Virtually no residues - The microfine particles have very good flow properties that allow containers to be emptied almost completely before disposal. Production units are much easier to clean.
  • Very low dust formation - They generate much less dust than powder dyes. Handling is therefore, much cleaner, more environmentally friendly and has a lower impact on health.
  • Reduced capacities – Due to its low volume, it is economical to store, transport and process.
  • High quality - Compared with most conventional powder dyes, they are characterized by their consistent high quality. They are known for their excellent solubility for transparent shades without scattering effects.


Moreover, Macrolex® dyes fulfill numerous legal requirements and comply with local market regulations for use in food packaging, food contact applications and children’s toys.

About LANXESS:
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 8.3 billion in 2013 and about 16,900 employees in 31 countries. The company is currently represented at 52 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals. LANXESS is a member of the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and DJSI Europe) and FTSE4Good as well as CDP’s Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).

Forward-Looking Statements:
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by LANXESS AG management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Information for editors:
All LANXESS news releases and their accompanying photos can be found at press.lanxess.com. Recent photos of the Board of Management and other LANXESS image material are available at photos.lanxess.com. The  latest TV footage, audiofiles and podcasts can be found at multimedia.lanxess.com.

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