How to Choose the Best Color Masterbatch: 7 Key Criteria for ...

In today's competitive plastic industry, color is more than just aesthetics—it's a powerful branding tool and a mark of product quality. Whether you're manufacturing household goods, packaging, or automotive components, choosing the right color masterbatch can make or break your product’s appeal.

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But with so many options on the market, how do you know which masterbatch is the right one? Let’s explore the 7 most important criteria to help you make an informed and effective choice.

1. Color Accuracy & Consistency

Your brand deserves to shine with uniform color across every batch. A high-quality color masterbatch should deliver:

• Precise color matching based on standard references (e.g. Pantone, RAL)
• Batch-to-batch color consistency
• No visible streaks or uneven tones in finished products

Always request a color sample or plaque before large-scale production.

2. Compatibility with Base Polymers

Color masterbatch must be compatible with the base plastic resin (e.g. PE, PP, PET). Incompatibility can lead to:

• Poor pigment dispersion
• Mechanical property loss
• Processing issues like warping or surface defects

Using the wrong carrier resin can be costly. Make sure your supplier matches the masterbatch to your polymer type.

Selecting the correct masterbatch to suit the material processed and offering right colour and required effect is of utmost important and this delivers product with great aesthetics and perceived value.

What do you need for the perfect masterbatch?

From Part 1 of the series it’s obvious that Masterbatches (MB) are NOT just simply about colour, but with special pigments and additives, it can even change overall appearance, properties and improve the life of a product.

Therefore, selection of correct MB is very crucial and a wrong selection can deteriorate the properties and even fail a potential product.

Generally there are 2 types: Colour MB and Additive MB

In Colours there 4 categories: White, Black, Colour & Special effects colours

In additive MB's there are many categories like AO's, UV Stabilizers, Antistatic, Anti rodent, Antimicrobials, Slip, Fire Retardants and many more.

When using a masterbatch, these two key properties that require careful consideration:

• DISPERSION (of pigment or additives within the masterbatch)

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Dispersion is a measure, at both the microscopic and macroscopic levels, of how well a pigment, filler or additive is completely distributed throughout a polymer matrix.

• DILUTION (of the masterbatch into the polymer during use)

Dilution is a measure of how well and how easily a masterbatch mixes with a processed polymer. MB exhibiting good dilution properties will produce final products showing excellent distribution of the masterbatch within the processed (diluting) polymer.

Let us discuss in general what can go wrong and what problems are faced when incorrect MB is used: 

1.Colour not matching with standard selection

Manufacturer will always appreciate perfect match and consistent colours of their products. Colour is so much more than what eyes meet. It has emotional elements that impact product positioning and consumer preferences. The product having slight variations in its colour shade will lose its appeal and thus customers lowering its market value. Hence products with uniform colour is of prime importance.

2. Issues faced with polymer Processing:

Inappropriate MB will cause a lot of processing issues. It can burn at high processing temperatures, lead to carbon formation which can lead to discoloration and even damage processing equipment’s. Poorly dispersed MB in polymer will show surface defects (lumps, voids), inconsistent colour, patches, opacity, streaking and low gloss, bad adhesion of ink and adhesives, inferior physical performance and Contamination of packaged products.

3. Increased Wastage (scrap)

Any product produced that deviate from standard is a loss. May it be processing issue or deviation in colour shade, poor surface quality or gloss will lead to increased wastage and loss of all other resources involved in manufacturing.

4.Increased customer rejections        

Customer demands for perfect colour match to maintain their product aesthetics which is one of their selling USP apart from other factors. One or all of above points will ultimately lead to product with poor colour quality. It can be blooming or discoloration of the article, changes in polymer properties other than expected like strength, elongation, colour / effect deteriorates before its expected time, product aesthetics change before the specified life span of the product will all ultimately lead to customers rejections and overall losses.

5. Loss in business

Summing up of above point of processing, poor part colour, internal rejections, scrap build ups, customer rejections leading to payment hold and other factors will eventually lead to Business Losses.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of white masterbatch. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.