CHICAGO — Nucleating agents, already having found their way into caps and closures for packaging, now are poised to move across the spectrum into injection molded transport packaging such as pallets and crates.
Milliken & Co. launched a new nucleator during Pack Expo International for the injection molding of high-density polyethylene. The material is mixed with HDPE to offer improved stiffness, lower cycle times and reduced shrinkage.
Its use will help HDPE compete with polypropylene in performance while offering similar price points, said Reed Walker, Milliken business development and marketing manager for its plastics additives business. Milliken is offering new chemistry with the additive, allowing polyethylene crystals to flow in one direction instead of forming spheres that can lead to warpage and longer production cycles.
Milliken's Hyperform nucleator can be combined as an additive with HDPE in a master batch, mixed with a color master batch or incorporated into the resin itself. The material is primarily suited for larger plastic parts such as reusable pallets or crates and in buckets, pails and other industrial packaging.