US plastics additives supplier Milliken (Spartanburg, South Carolina / USA; www.milliken.com) will be demonstrating its Ultra Clear PP at the upcoming "interpack" packaging fair (www.interpack.com), to be held from 8-14 May in Düsseldorf / Germany. According to Milliken, PP clarified with its “Millad NX 8000” series can improve productivity and cut energy costs in a variety of commercial packaging applications compared with alternative plastics. “With its low density, efficiency and performance advantages, Ultra Clear PP provides exciting opportunities for the global packaging industry to substitute more expensive, less functional and less sustainable materials,” says Sami Palanasami, Milliken’s marketing and sales manager, plastic additives.

The additive is said to boost clarity, overcoming the traditional milky appearance of PP in thermoforming and creating a transparency similar to PET for applications such as cups, trays, clamshells and containers. Other benefits include easy peel and seal, and chemical and impact resistance. Milliken says Ultra Clear PP is 17.8% lighter than PET-based food trays with the possibility to produce 70 trays from 1kg of PP compared with 57 trays from 1kg of PET.

Conversion temperatures can be lowered particularly in injection moulding, resulting in less energy use and subsequently reducing CO₂ emissions. Tests have shown that using “Millad NX 8000” can lower processing temperatures from 235°C to 190°C, reducing cycle times by up to 10%, and energy use by 8-12%.

For extrusion blow moulding applications, Milliken says “Millad NX 8000” clarified PP is lighter and has the lowest density compared with alternative plastics and glass, and enables the production of lightweight bottles with integrated handles and complex designs. The additive’s energy saving advantages have been validated by independent assessor, UL Environment (Northbrook, Illinois / US; www.ulenvironment.com), allowing Milliken and its customers to use an Environmental Claim Validation (ECV) label.

Milliken expects that PP will become very competitive versus PET and PS as a result of the build-up in on-purpose propylene feedstock capacity in the US. The company predicts that PP will progressively become the material of choice in food packaging and food service applications.