Polypropylene clarified with Millad NX 8000 does not have the traditional undesirable milky appearance of PP. It has an attractive transparency similar to PET that is well suited to the packaging of food products like meat, Millken marketing manager, Vincent Wang, told PKN.
Ultra clear PP has a lower density than PET, making it 20% lighter and a more sustainable solution. PP is also recyclable, has a strong second hand commodity value, and is microwavable.
MIllad NX 800 is superior to both polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) for thermoformed, blow-moulded and injection-moulded plastic packaging. The additive is Milliken's fourth-generation clarifying agent. It helps create a superior PP product without the limitations of less-functional clear resins. The additive also increases the aesthetics of PP materials, allowing even thicker parts to approach the clarity of glass or amorphous polymers. It can be effectively used in virtually all processing methods, including injection molding, blow molding and thermoforming.
It is the only clarifier in the packaging and plastics industries that can be used to produce ultra-clear PP for thermoformed food packaging applications.
Ultra-clear PP with Millad NX 8000 clarifier is clearer, significantly lighter and less expensive than other polymers and supports sustainability efforts through recyclability and energy-efficient processing. Clarified PP is also a lower-density technology than PET, but provides equal stiffness. In applications such as food trays and container bases, it offers enhanced compatibility with the PP films commonly used for sealing.
According to Cristina Acevedo, global product line manager for Millad, Plastics Additives, Milliken & Company, who demonstrated the clarifier at Pack Expo International in Chicago in November, “Milliken’s advanced additive technologies – such as our new nucleating agent and Millad NX 8000 clarifier – are enabling packaging manufacturers to significantly boost productivity and the quality of their products through increased performance, greater efficiencies and reduced systems costs. These technologies not only allow our customers to gain a first-to-market advantage, but also help to differentiate their products and increase their competitive edge.”
