Chemicals supplier spotlights clarifi er for polypropylene products at ArabPlast expo
Milliken participated at ArabPlast 2017 in Dubai in January under the theme ‘Making polypropylene clearer, better, faster. Together’ with a focus on how its clarifiers and nucleators can improve PP resins and its UV absorber can improve key properties in PET packaging.
Milliken’s additives embrace the key sustainability and performance-related challenges affecting today’s plastics processing industry, according to the specialty chemicals supplier.
During the expo, the company highlighted how its Millad NX 8000 clarifier yields “ultimate clarity and transparency in injection moulded, blow moulded and thermoformed PP products”.
Millad NX 8000 is also designed to enable lower-temperature processing in injection moulding than PP clarified with traditional clarifiers, which in turn yields both faster cycle times and energy savings, according to the company.
Milliken also showcased how its Hyperform HPN nucleators provide “an excellent balance of physical properties and help to achieve improved end-product performance, and faster, trouble-free production”. These additives are designed to override the nucleating effect of pigments, enabling high part quality regardless of the colour used.
Hyperform HPN allows for stronger, lighter parts by achieving an improvement in stiffness of about 10% over conventionally nucleated PP, while still retaining the same impact behaviour as a non-nucleated resin, said Milliken. It also improves the stiffness of non-nucleated PP by 25–30%.
Milliken also promoted at the expo its ClearShield UV absorber, designed to improve key properties in PET packaging. This products responds to the use of more natural ingredients in home and personal care products alongside memorable colours, active ingredients, and special additives.
ClearShield UV absorber offers UV protection up to 390 nm, has proven efficacy in protecting sensitive ingredients such as vitamins and dyes, and retains the high transparency of PET without unwanted shading, said Milliken.