A surprising array of forms, textures, colours and special effects for the packaging of perfumes and cosmetics – only made possible by the innovative use of DuPont Surlyn – will feature at the DuPont exhibit at Luxe Pack 2011.Surlyn 3D overmolding - the innovative process of overmolding polymer inserts with Surlyn - will also take a prominent position at the DuPont stand, with the presentation of new design concepts in Surlyn 3D that help achieve greater packaging differentiation. Used in the caps, closures and containers of many leading cosmetic and perfume brands, Surlyn is frequently specified for its unique combination of design freedom, glass-like clarity, functional performance, appealing tactile properties and ease of production.
A recent and striking application of Surlyn is provided by the 50 ml and 100 ml bottles for a new male and female fragrance from Cesare Paciotti, produced under license by Weruska & Joel s.r.l. of Turin, Italy. The distinguishing hallmark of the Paciotti brand, best known for its high quality shoes, is a sparkling dagger – an emblem that has been faithfully reproduced in the caps molded from Surlyn PC2000 by G. Candiani S.r.l., of Tradate, Italy, a company with many years of experience in luxury cosmetic packaging. "The challenge of this design was to have the dagger, made of PC/ABS, perfectly suspended in the center of the solid Surlyn cap," explains Mr. Carlo Candiani, owner of G. Candiani. "We considered no other material beyond Surlyn for the cap itself, as it remains unique for the production of thick parts with a clear, glass-like quality without sink marks or voids."
As will be reflected by the commercial applications and prototypes on display at the DuPont booth, the perfume and cosmetic packaging industry's increasing familiarity with Surlyn 3D overmolding technology is leading to the development an increasing number of colours, textures, shapes and sizes for the inner and outer containers of perfume, personal care and make-up products. Surlyn 3D – the D’s standing for Design, Decoration and Depth – involves the overmolding of a single or multilayer polymer inner container with glass-like transparent, highly-durable Surlyn resins.
Its core benefit is the greater design freedom offered by the creation of inner and outer containers in different shapes and with a range of visual effects – from crystal transparency, coloured translucence to frosted effects. Its use of polymers and unique production process enable the simple and cost-effective decoration of both the inner and outer containers' surfaces, which remain protected without the need for additional coatings or varnish.
The creative freedom provided by Surlyn is appreciated and adopted in the production of fragrance caps and closures, cosmetic jars, bottles and bottle casings, opening up many new design possibilities to combine function with aesthetics. Surlyn offers the transparency of glass, without the weight and fragility, whilst it can also be frosted, faceted or finished to obtain special effects, or coloured to create elegant translucency. Its warm and sensual touch is coupled with functional benefits such as toughness, absence of chipping and breaking and good chemical resistance.
