US plastics compounder and distributor A. Schulman (Akron, Ohio; www.aschulman.com) has created a copolyester blend specially designed to give a piano black high-gloss appearance that is also resistant to scratches. The “Schulablend” M/MC 3501 Piano Black 73265 is based on “Tritan” copolymer from Eastman (Kingsport, Tennessee / USA; www.eastman.com) and combined with multi-component blends and additives.

Schulman said it has optimised the compound in order to achieve excellent chemical, scratch and mar resistance, while also retaining properties such as high flowability or high notched impact strength. According to the US compounder, demand for piano black high-gloss surfaces are in demand for applications in industries such as automotive interiors, household appliances and cosmetics.