New packaging protects high molecular weight powder from oxidationNow a new plastic film gives even better protection to Luvitec high molecular weight powders from penetrating oxygen from the air.
Luvitec (polyvinylpyrrolidone, abbreviation: PVP) is an important component in the manufacture of specialty membranes and specialty adhesives. “With the new packaging, we can guarantee our customers even better and, in particular, consistent product quality. The membrane industry in particular is dependent on consistent product properties and purity,” explains Dr. Markus Lohscheidt, Global Business Management PVP at BASF.
The new packaging made of ethylene vinyl alcohol plastics (abbreviation: EVOH) gives the high molecular weight PVP powders reliable protection from oxidation. The EVOH film has optimum sealing properties. It also has excellent chemical resistance, very good tensile strength, and is impermeable to gases and fluids. Thus, all the relevant product properties remain protected, not just now but for years to come. BASF guarantees a shelf life of up to three years for high molecular weight powders.
Specialty membranes made of plastic materials are essential where gentle methods are required to clean or keep materials separate, in other words without using heat or chemicals. Ultrafiltration membranes, for example, keep drinking water free of bacteria and viruses. And they are used in dialysis to wash toxins out of human blood. By using Luvitec, thousands and thousands of tiny pores and channels are created in the membrane. They are essential for the separation process.
PVP is a product that has been a success story for a long time now. About 70 years ago the chemist Walter Reppe, working in a BASF laboratory in Ludwigshafen, used acetylene and pyrrolidone to produce a new monomer called vinylpyrrolidone, which in turn can be transformed into the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone. Quickly it became clear that the BASF researcher had discovered a veritable all-rounder: PVP is soluble in water, but it can also absorb large quantities of water; it is non-irritant to the skin and does not pose a health hazard; it is temperature-resistant, pH-stable, non ionic and colorless. Due to these varied features PVP can be used for a wide range of applications. PVP is used in various BASF product lines, including Kollidon as a pharmaceutical excipient, Luviskol® as a component of hair gels and hair sprays, Sokalan® HP as detergent additive and Divergan® that is used in the filtration of beer and in the treatment of wine.
