At the recently concluded K 2022 plastics fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, masterbatch and compound manufacturer Sukano (Schindellegi, Switzerland; www.sukano.com) announced the launch of a new antifogging compound for PET packaging.

In a development partnership with US speciality chemicals producer Emery Oleochemicals (Cincinnati, Ohio; www.emeryoleo.com), the antifogging compound has been designed for use entirely in cold applications to prevent fogging of packaging surfaces.

According to Daniel Ganz, head of product development at Sukano, the material is suitable for all types of coextruded PET film (hard and stretched). It has also been approved for direct food contact.

Sukano has long since been collaborating with Illig (Heilbronn, Germany; www.illig-group.com) on thermoforming. For temperature-resistant PET packaging such as cups and trays, they developed the nucleation masterbatch, CPET light, which makes it possible to extrude a transparent film that is dimensionally stable at up to 100°C.

At K 2022, Sukano showed how this and other masterbatches and additives can facilitate the recyclability of packaging – including replacing polypropylene or polystyrene containers with easily recyclable PET. At the corporate level, the firm is also increasingly focusing on circularity and resource conservation. There are plans to add a solar plant to the Schindellegi site for energy generation.

The family-owned Swiss company specialises in the production of additive and colour masterbatches and compounds for polyesters, biopolymers, and speciality resins, and has production facilities in Switzerland, the US, and Malaysia.