Engineering Plastic Color Options: Natural, Black & Custom Colors

How Color Affects Material Properties

UV Resistance

Black plastics (with carbon black) have significantly better UV resistance than natural colors. For outdoor applications, black is strongly recommended. Carbon black acts as a UV absorber, preventing polymer chain degradation.

Mechanical Properties

For most engineering plastics, color pigmentation has minimal effect on mechanical properties — typically less than 5% variation. However, heavy pigment loading can slightly reduce tensile strength and elongation.

Thermal Properties

Dark colors absorb more radiant heat. In applications exposed to sunlight or infrared heat, black surfaces can reach temperatures 10-20°C higher than natural-colored surfaces — potentially exceeding the material’s continuous use temperature.

Electrical Properties

Carbon black pigment can reduce surface resistivity. For applications requiring high electrical insulation, natural (unpigmented) grades are preferred. For ESD applications, conductive carbon is intentionally added — but this is a separate formulation from standard black pigment.

Regulatory Compliance

FDA and Medical

Natural (unpigmented) PEEK is the standard choice for FDA-compliant and medical-grade applications. Natural PEEK meets ISO 10993 biocompatibility requirements. Pigments may not have the same regulatory clearance, so colored PEEK should not be assumed FDA-compliant without verification.

Food Contact (EU 10/2011)

For food contact applications in the European market, pigments must be on the EU positive list. Natural grades are universally compliant, while colored grades require specific pigment certification.

RoHS/REACH

All standard colors from ISO 9001-certified manufacturers should comply with RoHS and REACH. Request compliance documentation for colored materials.

Cost Implications

Custom colors typically require minimum order quantities of 100-500 kg depending on material and color complexity.