What colours are available as standard?
Blue, Red and Black are available ex stock, however, Magenta, Green and Orange are also available.

Are there any custom colours in the range?
Purple, Brown & Turquoise. We are also working on a Yellow shade.

Can you colour match?
We can match colours as close as possible, however, cannot guarantee an exact pantone match.

What temperatures are available?
Standard stock temperatures are 15ºC, 31ºC and 47ºC, however, we also have 29ºC available. Overall the range is available from -20 to 69ºC, but this is dependent on the colour.

Are Thermochromics UV stable?
Thermochromics are sensitive to UV light. They have a lightfastness of about 1-2 on the blue wool scale, however we are constantly looking at improving this and there are ways to increase the life of the product. Please e-mail our technician, kevinc@t-m-c.com.

What is the opacity of Thermochromics?
Certain colours of Thermochromics (usually Black) can be used to hide an image in printing. To do so may require more than one pass using screen printing methods. It is advisable to obliterate a lighter coloured image using dark coloured thermochromics. Other techniques such as camoflaging and colour matching can be used to hide images where Black and screen printing is not practical.

What chemicals are thermochromics incompatible with?
Aggressive ingredients should be avoided. Care must be taken to avoid the use of polar solvents such as alcohols, acetates etc., as these can damage pigment structure. Also no aggressive components such as amonia should be used in the systems.

What processing equipment should be avoided?
These pigments should not be used in high impact milling techniques. Process temperatures should be kept to a minimum.

Do the thermochromics contain any heavy metals?
All pigments are non toxic. There are no heavy metals contained in any of the pigments.

What is the difference between Dispersions and Powders?
Dispersions are best suited for water based applications. Powders are best suited for non aqueous solutions as they will not readily re-disperse into water.

What Binders are suitable for the printing inks?
For use in printing inks and coatings we recommend purely water based binder systems, which are neutralised with Dimethylethanolamine (DMEA) or Triethanolamine (TEA). Keep in mind that many additives have a high alcohol content and therefore migh reduce the shelf life. A given stability of ChromaZone pigments in the single components cannot guarantee the stability in the final formulation as negative synergies may occur.

What is the shelf life of the ChromaZone pigments?
A shelf life of 12 months is guaranteed provided that the material is stored in a cool and dark environment. Long term exposure to UV light or elevated temperatures can cause the loss of thermochromic functionality.