Heat-Stable RAL 2004 Orange Achieved with ASTRADTM IS Technology
Hello — I’m Eric Wrice from the Penn Color sales organization.
A manufacturer of PVC plastisol electrical fittings contacted me with a very specific challenge: they needed to achieve RAL 2004 Orange, and the color had to survive a demanding heat-stability test — 400°F for 20 minutes — without shifting, dulling, or fading. Achieving this exact RAL 2004 shade in a plastisol system is already a tight colorspace target — but maintaining it after aggressive heat exposure makes it even more difficult. They had tried multiple options from other suppliers, and while the initial match looked close, none of the colors held up when exposed to heat. Their team was growing frustrated with repeated sampling cycles and was under pressure to find a formulation that could withstand the application’s thermal demands, all while remaining fully lead-free to meet regulatory compliance.
When I met with our technical team, we approached the problem the way we always do — not by starting with a formula, but by understanding the pigment behavior behind it. Penn Color’s decades of pigment expertise have built a deep library of heat-stable, durable pigment options. Because of this history, we know how specific pigment chemistries will perform under stress, especially in systems like plastisol that are sensitive to heat exposure.
Looking at the performance requirements, we identified that the solution lay within our ASTRAD™ IS platform. The heat stability of ASTRAD™ IS isn’t created by additives or processing tricks — it comes from selecting pigment chemistries known for their durability at elevated temperatures. To precisely match the tight RAL 2004 colorspace while still delivering the high heat stability required, we recommended a blend of two standard ASTRAD™ IS products that offered both the shade purity and performance needed.
Because of our experience with these pigments across other high-heat applications, we were confident the formulation would pass their heat test. The customer ran their qualification trials, exposing the material to 400°F for 20 minutes, and the result was exactly what they needed: a true RAL 2004 Orange match with no shift, no fade, and completely lead-free — fully compliant and production-ready.
And despite the complexity of hitting this shade and performance combination, the project moved quickly: from initial contact to final approval, it took just one month!
Projects like this reinforce what makes Penn Color different — we don’t just match a color; we select pigments and technology that ensure the color performs in the real world.
