Developments in PP bring manufacturing and aesthetic enhancements
Working together, the France-based division of PolyChim and the Belgium-based division of Milliken have developed a homopolymer PP called grade HA31XTF that is designed to overcome performance trade-offs that are normally associated with conventional thermoforming applications of this nature, the companies claim.
The packaging material provides enhanced aesthetics for a range of final parts for a wide range of thermoformed parts used in the packaging of a variety of cosmetic and personal care products.
Fusion of Milliken and PolyChim technologies
The new technology is a fusion of Milliken’s nucleating innovation, Hyperform HPN-600ei, which is incorporated into the technology to overcome performance trade-offs associated with conventional thermoformed PP homopolymers.
The companies say that the development has also led to superior transparency and reduced yellowing for thermoformed goods, ultimately resulting in a material that outperforms the competition.
It is also said to lead to better physical properties, including favorable stiffness/impact, balance and istrophic shrinkage that all serves to avoid warpage.
Combining physical attributes with manufacturing gains
Combining all of the physical attributes with the manufacturing gains, the companies estimate that the technology enables thermoformers to improve productivity by as much as 10 percent, as well as bringing about potential cost savings.
“Through listening to our customers it became clear that there was a definite gap in the PP homopolymer market for a solution offering both better production cycle times and enhanced end-product quality,” comments Bo Oxfeldt, vice president at Beaulieu International Group and responsible for the European and North American PP business.
“As a result of Polychim’s close collaboration with Milliken, we have been able to address this balance and develop an improved homopolymer PP that offers the upgrade in performance the market has been looking for.”
