Injection-blow moulding technology is ideal for the production of small containers with high-surface quality and precision neck finishes. It delivers parts that exactly replicate the mould surface, and so can yield optimal clarity and gloss, thus maximizing the benefits of clarifying agents.
- There are a lot of clarified PP’s on the market - says Hervé Desjonquères, General Manager at ADOP France. - But polypropylene with Millad NX8000 produces the best results I have ever seen.
He says that with the right mould and machine control, PP with this new clarifier produces excellent results in personal care packaging having wall thicknesses up to around 1.2 mm. He also says that it is possible to obtain high clarity even in containers with thick walls – something that is generally difficult to do with rival materials such as PET. This opens up opportunities for PP in jars for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, baby bottles and other high-value products.
- Injection-blow moulding is a highly under-valued technology, it is like a hidden jewel that is only now being fully discovered - says Bernard Vermeersch, senior development engineer with Milliken Chemical. In recent months, several producers of extrusion-blow moulding equipment have introduced new injection-blow moulding machine models, he notes. - In the past, the technology has struggled to yield containers with glass-like appearance because it failed to provide the necessary clarity in the thicker parts of the container, but PP clarified with Millad NX8000 is now changing all that.
Millad NX8000 is in fact already in use in several applications. A producer of a PP drinks bottle with a 2-mm wall thickness, for example, claims benefits in sustainability over alternative clear plastics. The bottles are up to 25% lighter and more durable than most alternatives. Several other customers are currently carrying out evaluations for diverse applications.
Most injection-blow moulding equipment is designed for processing polyolefins, so processors already using the technology can use polypropylene containing Millad NX8000 without having to make any major hardware modifications. One important advantage over competing materials is that PP does not need to be pre-dried before processing.
Milliken Chemical’s Millad clarifying agents are usually supplied directly to polypropylene producers, who offer specific high-clarity compounds. Grades of PP containing Millad NX8000 are now being introduced into the market by several suppliers. Extrusion-blow moulding grades are equally suitable for processing by injection-blow moulding.
Milliken Chemical
Development and production of additives for plastics, textiles, fibers, and other manufacturing processes
Belgium
