An Interview with Adam Newberry, Milliken
Adam Newberry, Global Strategy Development for Milliken
Many people will know Milliken as a colorants company but might not make the connection with fertilizer and controlled release fertilizers. Before we dive into detail, could you give an overview of Milliken and the link with the fertilizer industry? Milliken is a privately held, diversified industrial company headquartered in South Carolina. We were founded in 1865 and are currently on the 5th generation of Milliken family members who make up the shareholders of our company. We started as a general store then grew into a textile manufacturer, and now serve many industries including textiles, floor coverings, specialty chemicals, and healthcare. Throughout the years, Milliken has invested in and thrived on its focus on quality, service, and innovation. During this journey, Milliken has developed unique capabilities, technologies and solutions which have helped it branch out from its humble beginnings. One such application was a deep knowledge of and unique technology in the world of colorants for many applications. While most people don’t associate fertilizer with colour, it is the first sensory contact that a user has with a fertilizer. Colour is a signal to the user for many aspects such as brand, quality, application, and more.
Indication and identification are two key reasons for adding colour to a product. Could you elaborate on these benefits? (I'm assuming branding and the prevention of adulteration are one benefit) Correct. Colour is utilized heavily as a visual cue to a user. It is used to indicate the presence of an application such as fertilizer that’s been applied to a particular location. A user likes to see where they have applied their investment. A white or brown fertilizer can easily get lost once applied whereas a vibrant and contrasting colour will highlight the presence of your value-added materials. It is also used to identify and differentiate product brands, grades, and formulations. Many stabilizer formulations are inherently colourless or pale in colour, which is not readily apparent when applied to a white urea product. This can lead to questions from the end user about whether the product they invested in is actually present of not. Adding a colorant to your products leaves no doubt in their mind that their investment is represented.
How do colorants help to prevent under- or over- application? Our colorants act like a visual spray pattern indicator by highlighting where the fertilizer has been applied. While technology is improving and providing great advances, this quick visual check provides confirmation that an area has not been missed nor has it been over applied. Either of these potential issues can be detrimental to the plant and the environment, and also prove costly to the end user.
In terms of technical details - perhaps we can begin with learning the difference between a pigment and a dye. Regarding functionality, does the incorporation of a dye affect compaction performance? Milliken has a complete colorant portfolio available to allow the addressing of many different applications. This includes pigments, dyes, and a novel liquid colorant which is a unique technology to Milliken under the Liquitint Agro colorants umbrella. There are many options to choose from with a range of performance characteristics. We design, select, and utilize the best solution for the specific application in question. So what are the differences between these technologies? o Pigments are roughly defined as insoluble particulates. They provide excellent stability when long term outdoor light stability is required. The physical form is typically a dusting powder and can present material handling challenges (high number of inventory SKU’s, dusting, staining) and poor stability in liquid formulations (settling). o Dyes are generally considered as soluble in the intended solvent system. They provide bright colors with good solution solubility. Light and chemical stability is relatively poor when compared to pigments. The physical form is typically a dusting powder and can present material handling challenges. o Milliken’s novel liquid colorants are a unique class of molecules (not a dye nor a pigment). They are inherently liquid and have tailored solubility to the application. This provides a dust-free colorant with easy handling and dosing. Additionally, they have been designed for excellent blendability and low staining allow for a huge range of potential colors with limited inventory and minimum changeover in manufacturing.
Moving specifically to CRFs - colorants are integrated into the polyurethane structure at molecular level. Could you explain a little on the benefits here and in a broader context what Milliken can bring to CRFs? Milliken’s novel technology is a real game changer for the production of CRF’s. Our inherently liquid colorants are designed to be soluble in the polyol (key component in the polyurenthane component) and our colorant actually reacts into the PU structure. This provides an intimate and seamless relationship with the coating preventing potential defects which a pigment (insoluble particle) can impact to the high value coating. The interface between the PU coating and a pigment can create an unpredictable weak spot in the coating leading to potentially inconsistent nutrient release characteristics. We aim to eliminate this risk with our technology. - Additionally, being liquid and highly blendable, our colorants allow for the potential of ‘color-on-demand’ while only using a select few inventoried primary colors. This provides maximum color selection flexibility with reduced handling concerns such as colour inconsistency from settling and blocking of equipment.
What types of fertilizers are Milliken products compatible with? Granular and water-soluble fertilizers? We have commercial applications globally in a wide range of fertilizer applications including WSF, CRF, SRF, SF, foliar, NPK granular and more. With our broad and unique portfolio, we have a technical solution for each application.
Some people might have preconceptions when they hear the word 'dye'. Talk us through the environmental credentials of Milliken products. We have a long history with color in many different sensitive applications such as Laundry and Fabric care, Children’s washable markers and finger paints, Snow and Ice management, Turf & Ornamental, Fertilizer, Seed Treatment, and many more. We perform a robust internal risk assessment for each application as well as comply with all relevant regulatory requirements such as TSCA, REACH, 40 CFR, and more. Our goal is to provide valuable solutions to our customers and ‘Do Good’ for our customers, employees, and the environment.
And lastly, looking into your crystal ball (or project pipeline!) - what other things could be done with Milliken technology in the future regarding CRFs? We are always looking for that next problem to solve whether it be related to color or other needs. We know regulatory challenges will continue to present opportunities for innovation and we are actively working to address several of these needs such as reducing waste and improving the environmental fate of the products utilized in our industries.
About Milliken Materials science expert Milliken & Company knows that a single molecule has the potential to change the world. With innovative solutions across the textile, flooring, specialty chemical, and healthcare industries, we meet the moment with an unwavering commitment to sustainably solving problems for our customers and communities. Eight thousand associates across 46 locations globally rally behind a common purpose: to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about our curious minds and inspired solutions at milliken.com. ●
