Ampacet Offers First Amber Masterbatches for Prescription Bottles as Alternative to Precolored PET

Amber masterbatchAmpacet, the leading masterbatch supplier, has developed two amber masterbatches for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used in pharmaceutical prescription bottles. These grades, Ampacet 681725-PT and 681726-PT, let molders color PET in their facilities rather than rely on pre-colored resin. Both resins meet the strict lightfastness, UV protection, clarity, color, extractability and other requirements set for pharmaceutical bottles.

“Until now, processors could only purchase pre-colored amber PET for the prescription bottles used in almost every U.S. pharmacy,” says Douglas Brownfield, strategic business manager. “Molders have long wanted a color masterbatch to gain greater flexibility and efficiency in injection blow molded pharma bottles, but the exacting specifications set for these bottles have been an impediment to this. Our new masterbatches give them the alternative they have been looking for.”

Both grades comply with USP Section 661 for volatiles extraction, in which a solvent extracts volatiles at 49°C for 10 days. In addition, light transmission in prescription bottles cannot exceed 10 percent between 290 and 450 nm. The transmission of Ampacet 681725-PT and 681726-PT is 3.6 and 0.7 percent, respectively. Ampacet 681726-PT contains a UV additive, so it is extremely resistant to light-induced degradation by ultraviolet radiation.

Both masterbatches are built around Ampacet’s Formula X™ PET technology, which eliminates the need for predrying and so allows for feeding at the extruder throat and lower energy demand. This technology also improves productivity by reducing such molding issues as screw slippage and feed-throat clogging.

For more information on Ampacet 681726-PT and Ampacet 681726-PT amber masterbatches, contact: Doug Brownfield, Ampacet, 660 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown, NY 10591. Tel: (513) 247-5412.