PolyOne has recently announced the commercial availability of ColorMatrix™ SmartHeat RHC as part of its circular economy solutions portfolio for recycled PET (rPET) and PET bottles.
SmartHeat RHC is an APR-accredited additive dispersion for rPET and PET preforms. It enables greater recycled content in PET bottles to reduce carbon emissions and support sustainability by improving the thermal stability of PET throughout the recycling process.
Thanks to this new additive, converters and brand owners can use higher concentrations of rPET without compromising packaging aesthetics or performance. SmartHeat RHC improves preform and bottle color, clarity, mechanical strength, and processability.
Providing feedback on APR accreditation test results, senior scientist Dr. Wei Zhang at PTI, a package engineering firm, commented that SmartHeat RHC demonstrated “impressive color performance.”
Walter Ripple, vice president of sustainability at PolyOne, remarked “This additive changes the game for PET recycling and rPET use. Converters now have a solution to address the issues associated with recycled PET, and can address the root causes of degradation and discoloration that have previously limited rPET’s potential.”
For applications requiring color or toning, SmartHeat RHC is also available as SmartHeat Tint, a range of recycle-friendly colors for preforms and bottles or SmartHeat Tone, toners suitable for use in rPET.