Natural, Milky, Colour or Regrind: A Plain Guide to PP Granule Types
Open a granule catalogue and the grades fall into a handful of types. Knowing what each type is for saves a lot of trial and error.
Natural
Natural grades are supplied uncoloured. They range from almost clear to a warm, slightly tinted tone. Choose natural when the part should stay translucent, or when you add your own colour with masterbatch and want full control of the shade.
Milky
Milky grades are an even, opaque white. They are used for clean white products and as a base for pastel colours, where a natural grade would let too much of the underlying tone show through.
Colour
Colour grades arrive already coloured. You skip the masterbatch, the dosing unit and the colour matching, and the shade is the same in every bag. Premium colour ranges are made for bright, clean shades on visible products; standard ranges cover everyday colours for regular production.
Black and grey
Black and grey grades are the staples of industrial moulding. A good black is deep and uniform; a good grey keeps the same tone across batches, which is harder than it sounds.
Metallic
Metallic grades give a silver, golden or copper look to decorative and visible parts.
Regrind
Regrind grades are the cost-effective end of the range. They suit functional parts where the visual standard is practical rather than premium, and they are often blended with another grade to bring material cost down.
How to choose
- Start with what the customer sees: clear, white, coloured or black.
- Then decide how much the appearance matters: premium, standard or economical.
- Finally match the flow to your process and run a trial with a sample.
Our catalogue covers all of these types. Tell us the part and we will narrow it down.
