Ball Packaging Europe claimed that its latest temperature-sensitive inks go well beyond existing technology, which only allows a colour change from white to blue. New inks, said Ball, can shift from blue to purple or yellow to green, for instance, at selected temperature thresholds.
This type of innovation is especially important for sectors such as energy drinks, said the company, where visual impact is important.
Thermochromic inks achieve their effects using microencapsulation. Ball's next objective, it said, is to be able to offer individual inks that perform multiple colour changes as the container temperature falls.