More functional, appealing and sustainable Polypropylene packaging for food industry

Milliken is aspiring to put NX™ UltraClear PP for food and beverage packaging firmly on the radar of food processors and retailers at Alimentaria 2016. The company will demonstrate the creative potential of the material for combining desired functionality and appealing aesthetics in more sustainable plastics packaging. Milliken will also present latest UV protection solutions for clear PP injection molded packaging. Transparent thermoformed packaging: with UltraClear PP based on Milliken’s clarifier series Millad® NX™ 8000, converters can create lightweight, microwaveable and recyclable polypropylene (PP) thermoforming and foldable packaging with the attractive clarity normally associated with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging. NX UltraClear PP is a fully-recyclable material that also supports sustainability through its low carbon footprint during packaging production compared to alternative plastics. Applications based on NX UltraClear PP are considerably lighter in weight. For example, UltraClear PP trays offer a 17.8% weight saving compared to PET based food trays. Easy-empty, eye-catching lightweight bottles: create instant shelf- and user-appeal with transparent extrusion blow molded (EBM) bottles based on NX UltraClear PP. NX UltraClear PP makes it possible to integrate handles and complex, eye-catching designs in a bottle that is also easier and faster to empty than other solutions. Millad NX 8000 clarified PP offers the lowest density and lower weight compared to all alternative plastics materials and glass, and provides a one-material solution cost-efficiency. For example, for clear handleware bottles, PP based on Millad NX 8000E has a density of 0.9 g/cc compared to PET with 1.35 g/cc, and the same clarity level. Transparent injection molded packaging: with NX UltraClear PP, injection molders can achieve packaging, such as thin wall packaging containers, with exceptional aesthetics at the same time as improving their productivity and reducing energy use. The Millad NX 8000 additive creates a more sustainable packaging solution by allowing temperatures during the injection molding process to be lowered by 45°C. UV protection for PP packaging: to meet the trend toward packaging that extends shelf life. Milliken’s ClearTint® CUV is a transparent UV absorber specifically designed for use in PP. This additive can be used to inhibit UV light transmission in injection molding, thermoforming and blow molding. It protects the contents of packaging from UV light while maintaining the glass clarity look of Millad NX 8000 clarified PP. Besides solutions for PP packaging, at Alimentaria 2016 Milliken will also showcase its ClearShield® UV absorbers additive for PET. UV protected transparent PET bottles: it is possible to protect UV-sensitive food contents from deterioration by choosing bottles made from PET with ClearShield UV absorbers. Milliken’s ClearShield is an innovative additive which maintains the transparency of PET while blocking UV rays up to 390 nm. It helps to extend product shelf life and eliminates a need for protection in the formula of the material inside the packaging. Ruben Subira, Regional Market Manager, Milliken Chemical Division, comments: “Milliken’s material-enhancing solutions indirectly create a buzz among food processors and retailers through the plastics packaging innovations they are helping to make possible. Thanks to our clarifiers and UV protection for PP in particular, it’s becoming increasingly easy for converters to develop plastics packaging capable of meeting the functionality, aesthetics and recyclability demands of the food industry.