ORLANDO, FLA. (April 3, 7:50 a.m. ET) — Milliken & Co. is demonstrating the sustainability benefits of clarifier Millad NX 8000 at the NPE show in Orlando.
Millad NX 8000 is more soluble in polypropylene than other clarifiers, allowing manufacturers to process the material at 10-15 percent lower temperatures, Wim Van De Velde, global product manager of the Plastics Additives business, said at Milliken booth 25023. The lower temperatures, in turn, reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions, he said.
In addition to the environmental benefits, polypropylene clarified with Millad NX 8000 can cut costs and increase productivity through 10 percent faster cycle times, and the additive’s superior clarifying performance means polypropylene can replace less sustainable materials in packaging applications, said the company.
At NPE, Milliken is launching a new computer app to demonstrate the sustainability of Millad NX 8000.
“Companies can use this app to show the dollar per ton savings of using the new Millad clarifier with PP, as well as reductions in things such as manufacturing hours and carbon dioxide use,” said Van De Welde. “The user can then email the results directly to its customers.”
For example, the new app shows that injection moulding a five liter thin-wall bucket from PP clarified with Millad NX 8000 results in energy savings and emissions reduction of seven percent, while temperature is reduced by 40° C (104° F).
Pinnacle Polymers, a polypropylene manufacturer based in Ridgefield, Conn., has created two new grades using Millad NX 8000; 1335C3 and 1403C3. Beverage cups made with the new 1335C3 material are on show at the Milliken booth.
At NPE Milliken is also exhibiting its Hyperform additives, including Hyperform HPM-20E for polyethylene.
“Polyethylene can now be nucleated, which is quite a new development,” Reed Walker, global marketing and business development manager of the Plastics Additives business, said. “Hyperform improves the barrier qualities of polyethylene by 30-50 percent and improves cycle times by anything from 5-20 percent.”
Hyperform clarified polyethylene can be used in a large number of applications, ranging from caps and closures and food packaging, to barrels for chemicals.
