Major US oil and chemicals company ExxonMobil (Houston, Texas; www.exxonmobil.com) has introduced an advanced grade of PP that it said offers enhanced properties versus standard PP. The company said its “Achieve” PP will make customers rethink what they can manufacture in applications including automotive parts, rigid packaging, nonwovens and appliances.

“Through collaboration and our combined expertise, these advanced PP solutions can unlock new business opportunities,” said Cindy Shulman, ExxonMobil’s vice president of plastics and resins. She added that the launch of Achieve complements plans announced in March for a new PP plant on the US Gulf Coast – see Plasteurope.com of 27.03.2018.

For automotive parts, Achieve PP is said to have 35% higher impact versus standard impact copolymers, enabling tougher, lighter components. In addition, plastomer loading can be reduced by up to 50%, ExxonMobil said.

The advanced PP’s high melt strength means that designers of rigid containers can deliver stiffer packaging, while there are also opportunities to downgauge wall thickness by up to 15% and increase line speeds by 7%. The US group said packaging made with Achieve resins is microwaveable, reusable and widely recyclable.

The new resin is also said to offer excellent barrier properties and up to 15% higher fabric strength. This can be tailored to meet the needs of diapers, wipes, adult incontinence and feminine care products.

In the appliance sector, ExxonMobil said Achieve is ideal for upgrading standard impact copolymer solutions or replacing over-engineered ABS. As a result, parts with 20% higher gloss than standard PP can be economically produced.