DUSSELDORF GERMANY-Hoechst AG and BASF AG are preparing commercial quantities of isotactic polypropylene and in-vestigating other new PP polymers based on metallocene catalyst technologies. Hoechst, working in a joint venture with Exxon Chemical Co., and BASF said they have seen improved clarity and stiffness in injection molding applications, thinner and stronger films and copolymer PP resins that could be used to reduce heat-seal temperatures in packaging applications.
Hoechst of Frankfurt, Ger-many, and BASF, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, re-ported findings on their re-search into metallocene-based PP resins at Metallocenes '96 in Dusseldorf.
Both companies said they believe their metallocene PP resins will provide dramatic improvements to fiber processors because metallocene-based PP can be drawn to finer filaments with higher specific tenacities and toughness.
Further, Hoechst said its evaluations of metallocene-based PP fibers demonstrated that line speeds for un-stretched filaments could be increased by 50 percent compared with conventional PP, without sacrificing toughness or tenacity.
BASF reported it is conducting further research into impact copolymers, and ex-pects metallocene catalyst technology to provide a new generation in which the distribution of ethylene-propylene elastomers will be designed and controlled specifically.
While both companies said they are working on applications for their isotactic and other metallocene-based PP resins, neither said when commercial quantities will be available.
