The Art of Color Selection
Monitoring the global regulatory environment, related to the use of color in film coatings, is a challenge for any pharmaceutical company. Colorcon® takes satisfaction knowing that customers rely on our technical, regulatory and brand service teams as their primary resource for complete, timely and accurate information on the impact of color selection.
Colorcon has invested in establishing an extensive color regulations database, which is updated in line with changes implemented by various national authorities.
Additionally, Colorcon provides unique services that access one-of-a-kind consumer color preference data. This data is based on global, consumer-based research of pharmaceutical medication users from the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Combining such knowledge with our extenisive experience in polymer technology, Colorcon can provide pigmented, customized coating systems for products designed to meet appropriate regulatory standards.
Contact Colorcon today to find out how we can assist you!
FD&C Lakes
Colorcon understands the needs of the pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement industries and their requirement for the highest quality lake pigments.
Lakes are color additives prepared by precipitating a soluble dye onto an approved insoluble base or substrate. A lake is commonly available with pure dye contents ranging from less than 1% to more than 40%. The substrates can include, but are not limited to, alumnia, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate or talc. Lakes impart color by being dispersed into a medium. The pigment-like character of a lake, both the shade and final tint strength, are highly dependant on the manufacturing process, the crystal structure and the particle size. When compared to pure colorants or dyes, lakes have superior opacity and improved stability toward light and heat.
Natural Colorants
Although commonly called natural colors, these colors are synthetically prepared from organic and inorganic compounds, which are derived from animal, vegetable and mineral sources. These include, but are not limited to, cochineal extracts, fruit and vegetable extracts and essential nutrients.
These coloring agents have less coloring power compared to certified colorants (lakes and synthetic iron oxides), are less stable toward light and heat, and vary more widely in shade. Depending on their nature and origin, exempt coloring agents can vary substantially from batch-to-batch. Natural colorants are often referred to as colorants exempt from certification.
Oxides
Colorcon is pleased to offer iron oxide pigments alone or as a component in many of our fully formulated systems. Availability as a pigment only will vary by region. Most of the synthetic iron oxides are produced from ferrous sulfate with the most common forms being that of yellow, red and black. Oxides are stable pigments, but will vary in shade depending on the conditions used for the manufacturing process of precipitation and oxidation. Naturally occuring oxides are not accepted as color additives because of the difficulties involved with purification.
Contact Colorcon today to discover how to utilize our oxides for your benefit!
Pigment Blends
Pigment blends are specially formulated to fit your production needs. Whether it's an oxide pigment blend, titanium lake blend, lake blend, dye blend, dye lake blend or titanium dye blend or our pearlicoat blend, we can create a pigment blend that is right for your product. With many blends that are easy to apply in powder or liquid, Colorcon can create an unlimited combination of pigments to meet your needs!
Lake Blends – Pharmaceutical Grade Color That Makes the Difference
Decades of ongoing research in the chemistry and production of lakes has produced unique, proprietary manufacturing techniques that give Colorcon optimum control over the quality of your finished product.
The end result is the production of FD&C lake pigments that meet the highest standard of quality and offer a variety of functional advantages. Colorcon's lakes feature excellent color stability to help improve uniformity of color distribution and their insoluble nature reduces problems, such as color migration and mottling.
