US 2015.0020713A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2015/0020713 A1 MAGUIRE (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 22, 2015

(54) LIQUID COLOR COMPOSITION WITH Publication Classification COTTONSEED OL BASE (51) Int. Cl. (71) Applicant: Stephen B. MAGUIRE, West Chester, CSK5/09 (2006.01) PA (US) B29C 45/18 (2006.01) CSK5/00 (2006.01) (72) Inventor: Stephen B. MAGUIRE, West Chester, C08.3/205 (2006.01) PA (US) CSK 3/00 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. CPC ...... C08K5/09 (2013.01); C08.J3/2053 (21) Appl. No.: 14/333,579 (2013.01); C08K 3/0033 (2013.01); C08K 5/0041 (2013.01); B29C 45/1816 (2013.01); (22) Filed: Jul. 17, 2014 C08J 2300/00 (2013.01); B29K2 105/0032 (2013.01) USPC ...... 106/504; 524/300: 521/97: 264/78 Related U.S. Application Data (57) ABSTRACT (60) Provisional application No. 61/847,119, filed on Jul. A liquid colorant for use in molding or extruding 17, 2013. products comprises pigment dispersed in cottonseed oil. US 2015/0020713 A1 Jan. 22, 2015

LIQUID COLOR COMPOSITION WITH been molded or extruded using a cottonseed oil carrier for the COTTONSEED OL BASE liquid color that provides color for the product packaging. 0018 Cottonseed oil is high in vitamin “E”, an antioxi CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT dant, which is often required as an additive when using other APPLICATION carriers. 0001. This patent application claims the benefit of the 0019 Cottonseed oil is available in bulk qualities, and is priority of provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. competitively priced. 61/847,119 entitled “Liquid Color Composition with Cotton 0020. In one of its aspects, this invention provides a seed Oil Base' filed 17 Jul. 2013 in the name of Stephen method of fabricating a plastic article of pre-selected color Maguire; the priority is claimed under 35 USC 119 and 35 where the method includes preparing a blend, where the blend USC 120. comprises solid plastic resin pellets and liquid color of a hue and in an amount to impart the pre-selected color to the article BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION to be fabricated, where the liquid color includes cottonseed oil, and thereafter forming the blend under pressure and heat 0002 1. Field of the Invention into the plastic article. The method may be accomplished 0003. This invention involves the use of cottonseed oil as either by injection molding or by extrusion. In practice of this the primary ingredient or a secondary ingredient for the liquid aspect of the invention, the liquid color preferably comprises carrier when manufacturing liquid color for the at least one dispersion of a single pigment in cottonseed oil. industry. Even more preferably, the liquid color may comprise a plu 0004 2. Description of the Prior Art rality of dispersions each of a single pigment in cottonseed 0005 Plastic products are most often colored. oil. 0006 Color pigments begin in powder form. Because 0021. The method may further include the liquid color powder is messy and difficult to handle, it is almost always comprising at least one additive to facilitate fabrication of the pre-dispersed into some “carrier that is easier to handle. plastic article, where the additive may be selected from the 0007 Typically color pigment is pre-dispersed into pellets group comprising lubricants, blowing agents, light stabiliz of plastic resin, with the pellets containing typically 50% ers, nucleating agents, antistatic agents and antioxidants. pigment, by weight. In the United States, these pellets are 0022. In another aspect of this invention, the invention referred to as “concentrate” and in Europe as “'. provides a liquid colorant for use in molding or extruding plastic products where the colorant comprises pigment dis DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION persed in cottonseed oil. In a more limited aspect of the 0008. A better method to make the pigment easier to invention, the invention provides a liquid colorant for use in handle is to pre-disperse the pigment into a liquid carrier. This molding or extruding plastic products consisting of only pig is the method to which this invention is directed. ment and cottonseed oil. 0009. The liquid carrier for the pigment must be compat 0023. In still another aspect, this invention provides a liq ible with the plastic resin to which it is to be added. Different uid colorant for use in molding or extruding plastic products resins may require different carriers. When selecting a liquid where the colorant includes pigment, cottonseed oil, and at carrier, certain characteristics are desirable while other char least one additive, with the additive desirably being dispersed acteristics must be avoided. together with the pigment in the cottonseed oil. In this aspect 0010 Surfactants, or “soap-like carriers can cause “slip” of the invention, the additive may be one or more lubricants, in the molding or extrusion process, which must be avoided. blowing agents, light stabilizers, nucleating agents, antistatic 0011. The liquid carrier must not break down at the high agents, and antioxidants. temperatures required in the molding or extrusion process 0024. In the preferred practice of this invention, a single that melts the plastic resin. pigment dispersion is prepared initially by dispersing pig 0012 Carrier liquid that impart an odor to the final part ment of a desired color in cottonseed oil to create a liquid cannot be used when molding or extruding products to be blend. The pigment is initially introduced into a vat of cot used to contain food, such as plastic water bottles. tonseed oil which acts as a liquid carrier. The pigment is 0013 Cost and availability of the carrier liquid are always stirred into the cottonseed oil. The pigment is added to the factors. cottonseed oil in the known correct proportion. Typically the 0014. Heretofore, no single liquid carrier solves all these batch of pigment added to the cottonseed oil is from 50% to problems. However this invention is based on the discovery 70% by weight of the resulting pigment-cottonseed oil blend. that cottonseed oil is Superior to many other carriers in meet That is the preferred range; the range can be as low as 25% by ing a number of these requirements and Solving many or the weight of pigment relative to the weight of the resulting problems. Cottonseed oil has not previously been used as a pigment-cottonseed oil blend up to 80% by weight of pigment carrier for pigment in making liquid color to be used in to the weight of the resulting pigment-cottonseed oil blend. plastics molding or extrusion. 0025. In general, it is desirable to put as much pigment into 0015 Cottonseed oil has a relatively high flash point, and the cottonseed oil as is possible. a high smoke point, well above 400° F. Most other liquid 0026. Next the dispersion of the pigment in the cottonseed carriers Smoke below 400°F. oil is milled by passing the liquid through a mill that serves to 0016 Cottonseed oil has very little odor. Cottonseed oil is break down any agglomerates of pigment that may remain in known to be used as a cooking oil that does not impart any the single pigment dispersion, thereby reducing the particle flavor to the food being cooked. This is a benefit when mold size of the pigment to as Small a size as possible. The resulting ing or extruding plastic products used for food packaging. particles of pigment powder are very, very Small, which pro 0017 Cottonseed oil is high in antioxidants, providing an duces the fullest, richest color. Milling the single pigment advantage in preserving products packaged in plastic that has dispersion allows the use of less pigment to perform the US 2015/0020713 A1 Jan. 22, 2015 particular coloring function thereby reducing costs. The mill pigments. Next, one selects a formula for the pigment(s) and ing may be done using a roller mill or a sand mill. Both roller liquid carrier that will provide liquid color in a desired hue for mills and sand mills are common industrial mills. coloring plastic parts being molded or extruded. Selecting the 0027. In the practice of the invention, it is desirable at formula may be a “trial and error” process, in that slight times to produce a color that is not one of the colors of the changes in hue as required by a customer require changes in basic pigment. In Such case, two or more single pigment the pigment constituency, thereby requiring experimentation dispersions, each dispersion being of a single pigment in as to the exact formula of pigments required to produce the cottonseed oil, are prepared. The two or more single pigment required hue. Once the formula has been established for the dispersions are then blended together to produce a resulting amount of pigment(s) and the amount of liquid carrier, the dispersion exhibiting the correct hue or shade of color as pigments are selected in amounts required by the formula by desired. The resulting dispersion is then milled. This two-step the collection of pigments. A liquid carrier of cottonseed oil is process allows milling of a larger quantity of pigment in the provided in an amount according to the formula and the resulting dispersion at one time so that clean up between selected pigments are then blended, preferably but not nec milling different colors is less frequent and avoids the essarily all at once, into the cottonseed oil to produce a expense of milling of each of the single pigment dispersions required liquid color. When this approach is used, the finished separately. liquid color is generally not milled, as the mill would have to 0028. Use of cottonseed oil as the carrier for the single be cleaned after every color blend. However, such liquid color pigment dispersion or the blend of single pigment dispersion can be milled if necessary. This method of the invention results in liquid color that is compatible with nearly all resins avoids the two-step process of making the single pigment that are currently used in plastic molding and extrusion. The dispersions, milling single pigment dispersions individually, cottonseed oil-based pigment dispersion does not leach out of and then combining the single pigment dispersions to pro any finished product, nor does the cottonseed oil by itself duce the required liquid color. leach out of any finished product. The cottonseed oil has been 0035. The processing of resin and/or the found to hold the pigment powder particles in Suspension performance of the fabricated plastic parts can often be very well and accepts a high loading of pigment. greatly enhanced through use of additives. Many commercial 0029. The pigment-cottonseed oil liquid colorant in accor resins already include additives. However, significant ben dance with the invention may be used to color most commer efits can be derived from further modification of such com cially used , whether processed by means of pounds in many cases. Moreover, use of additives affords a extrusion, injection molding or , as well as plastics processor the opportunity to tailor the plastic resin thermoplastics that are processed usingless conventional pro material to a specific application. cesses. When properly formulated, the pigment-cottonseed 0036 Processing aid-type additives improve productivity oil liquid color according to the invention is not just compat of the molding or extrusion machinery through reduction of ible with a base resin, but frequently improves the fabricating internal friction; these additives are referred to as “lubri process and/or the performance properties of the fabricated cants. Other processing aid-type additives change plastic parts. morphology and are referred to as “nucleating agents. Still 0030 Liquid color according to this invention may be other processing aid-type additives remove excessive heat formulated in various ways to provide various advantageous and are in the form of endothermic blowing agents. Yet addi product characteristics. For example, commodity colorants tional processing aid-type additives Suppress thermal decom may be formulated in accordance with the invention to maxi position during processing and are generally referred to as mize savings without sacrificing processability and cosmetic “antioxidants.” appearance of the final plastic parts. Such commodity colo 0037 Other additives, such as blowing agents and optical rants offer the processor economics of color and are suitable brighteners, enhance aesthetics and/or performance proper for mass manufacture of Volume parts such as housewares, ties of the final parts by, for example, providing antistatic disposable goods, toys and the like. properties or ultraviolent light stabilization characteristics to 0031. The invention also has applicability to providing the product. liquid color for use in fabricating articles designed for out 0038 Modification of properties of thermopolymers door use, specifically for lawn and garden applications, for through the addition of various chemical additives is eco the toy and recreation industries. The liquid color in accor nomically preferable to the introduction of an entirely new dance with the invention may be formulated to meet very resin. The most economical way to add these additives to the stringent requirements of heat stability and light fastness of molding or extrusion process is through the use of liquidcolor the resulting fabricated color parts. Such parts may be used in in accordance with this invention. applications requiring extended exposure to Sunlight and/or 0039. As used in the claims below, “comprising” means unusually high temperatures during the fabrication process. “including” while “consisting of means “having only', and 0032. The liquid color according to the invention may be “consisting essentially of means having the stated constitu produced to provide special effects such as fluorescent, phos ents plus trivial amounts of other reagents which do not phorescent, pearlescent, and non-dispersing finishes, where materially affect the properties of the claimed product. Such unconventional appearances dictated by the design of the parts. I claim the following: 0033 Liquid color in accordance with the invention is 1. A liquid colorant for use in molding or extruding plastic typically from 20% to 40% cheaper than use of pelletized products comprising pigment and cottonseed oil. color concentrate. 2. A liquid colorant for use in molding or extruding plastic 0034. In another method for practicing the invention, one products consisting of pigment and cottonseed oil. may make liquid color for use in the course of molding or 3. The liquid colorant of claim 1 further comprising at least extruding plastic parts by initially providing a collection of one additive. US 2015/0020713 A1 Jan. 22, 2015

4. A method of fabricating a plastic article of preselected 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the pigment in each of color, comprising: the dispersions comprises from about 25% to about 80% by a. preparing a blend comprising Solid plastic resin pellets weight of the dispersion and liquid color of a hue and in an amount to impart the 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the pigment in the preselected color to the article to be fabricated: blend of the dispersions comprises from about 25% to about b. the liquid color comprising cottonseed oil; 80% by weight of the blend. 16. A method making liquid color for use in the course of c. forming the blend underpressure and heat into the plastic molding or extruding plastic parts comprising the steps of: article. a. providing a collection of pigments in powder form; 5. The method of claim 4 whereinforming comprises injec b. providing a quantity of cottonseed oil; tion molding. c. creating a plurality of single dispersions each in a cot 6. The method of claim 4 wherein forming comprises tonseed oil carrier; extruding. d. blending selected ones of the single pigment dispersions 7. The method of claim 4 wherein the liquid color com to create a blend of a desired color shade; and prises at least one dispersion of a single pigment in cottonseed e. milling the blend. oil. 17. The method of claim 12 wherein the pigment in each of 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the liquid color com the dispersions comprises from about 50% to about 70% by prises a plurality of dispersions each of a single pigment in weight of the dispersion. cottonseed oil. 18. The method of claim 12 wherein the pigment in each of the dispersions comprises from about 25% to about 80% by 9. The method of claim 4 wherein the liquid color com weight of the dispersion. prises at least one additive to facilitate fabrication of the 19. The method of claim 12 wherein the pigment in the plastic article. blend of the dispersions comprises from about 25% to about 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the additive is selected 80% by weight of the blend. from the group comprising lubricants, blowing agents, light 20. The method of claim 16 further comprising adding at stabilizers, nucleating agents, antistatic agents, and antioxi least one additive selected from the group comprising lubri dants. cants, blowing agents, light stabilizers, nucleating agents, 11. The colorant of claim 10 in which the pigment and the antistatic agents and antioxidants, to the blend. additive are dispersed in the cottonseed oil. 21. The colorant of claim 1 wherein the pigment is dis 12. A method of molding or extruding plastic parts com persed in the cotton seed oil. prising the steps of: 22. A method for making liquid color for use in the course a. providing a collection of pigments in powder form; of molding or extruding plastic parts comprising: b. providing a quantity of cottonseed oil; a. providing a collection of pigments; c. creating a plurality of single pigment dispersions each in b. Selecting a formula of pigments and liquid carrier that a cottonseed oil carrier; will provide liquid color in a desired hue; d. blending selected ones of the single pigment dispersions c. Selecting pigments in amounts required by the formula to create a blend of a desired color shade: from the collection; e. milling the blend; and d. providing a liquid carrier of cottonseed oil in an amount f, adding the blend to thermoplastic resin in the course of according to the formula; and molding or extrusion. e. blending the selected pigments into the cottonseed oil. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the pigment in each of 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the selected pigments the dispersions comprises from about 50% to about 70% by are blended into the cottonseed oil simultaneously. weight of the dispersion k k k k k