New set of high-performance, food contact-compliant PP resins for spun bond applications

08-Jul-11

A new set of PP resins for spun bond applications has been introduced by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). These high-performance, food contact-compliant materials address the full spectrum of customer needs, such as consistent quality, cost/energy savings, reliable supply and impact on sustainability. Both SABIC® PP 511A and SABIC® PP 519A allow for a variety of applications ranging from hygiene products, roofing, building and construction, as well as automotive applications. Both grades are tailor made (very narrow molecular distribution, optimized additive package) and hence achieve highest throughput at latest spun bond machine technology, along with excellent fiber thickness uniformity, typically leading to much lower number of filament breakage, excellent fabric appearance, softness and tensile properties. SABIC® PP 511A is designed for a broad array of applications, from hygiene products to technical applications such as automotive liners and anti-damping for roofing. It offers a balance between high production speed and uniform fiber thickness, typically leading to reduced fiber breakage reflected in less spinning defects, suction filter deposits and excellent fabric appearance. The optimized additive recipe will potentially reduce machine cleaning frequency due to slower build up of die deposits. PP511A has the potential to achieve throughput improvements on the latest extrusion machine generations with mechanical performance at acceptable levels. SABIC® PP 519A is excellent for spinning ultra fine, consistent filaments at very high production speeds. It produces lightweight, very soft non woven fabric ideal for diaper liners and feminine hygiene products. Importantly, this resin features optimised rheological properties, with the potential to be processed at 10-15º degrees lower than the average temperature for conventional materials. Significant energy and cost savings can be achieved, making SABIC® PP 519A resin an excellent choice for sustainability initiatives. Both grades are compliant with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Commission regulations for food contact.