Czech polyolefins producer Unipetrol (Prague; www.unipetrol.cz) has introduced a new low melt flow rate bimodal PP homopolymer (hPP) grade based on a nucleating agent supplied by Milliken (Spartanburg, South Carolina / USA; www.millikenchemical.com). The grade, “Mosten” FT005, is suitable for transparent thermoformed rigid packaging such as beverage cups, yoghurt pots and trays.

Mosten FT005 is designed to enhance the transparency of end products and allow a glossy surface, as well as improving the processing performance. The resin incorporates Milliken’s “Hyperform” HPN-600ei nucleating agent, which improves transparency in PP by enhancing the crystallisation process. “We can proudly offer our thermoforming customers a new resin that really boosts the optical properties of rigid packaging applications beyond existing levels,” said Stanislav Jansky, PP product manager at Unipetrol.

On the processing side, the increased speed of crystallisation, together with the bimodal nature of the Unipetrol PP, allows for shorter cycle times, raising productivity and reducing costs, Milliken said. An antistatic agent incorporated into the resin eases the demoulding of finished parts, enabling improved product handling, it added.

As part of the development process, Milliken helped with resin evaluation during initial production of thermoformed parts, while Austria’s Greiner Packaging (Kremsmünster; www.greiner-gpi.com) successfully trialled the resin on a production run for yoghurt pots.