Additives supplier Milliken & Co. is making materials for protective face shields during the COVID-19 crisis.
In a news release, officials with Milliken in Spartanburg, S.C., said that the current shortage in plastic materials used for the shields is leading manufacturers to offer standard polypropylene.
PP is naturally hazy, so processors are using Milliken's NX UltraClear-brand PP concentrate to make materials with clarity levels suitable for the shields, which are being used in personal protection equipment by the health care industry.
"In this global pandemic, the need for medical PPE continues to rise," President and CEO Halsey Cook said in the release. "We are committed to finding solutions that assist our customers and allow us to join in the fight against COVID-19 wherever we can make a difference."
Impact Plastics of Putnam, Conn., and German processor Mezger are both using the Milliken material to make clear PP for face shields.
Milliken ranks as one of the world's largest privately held chemicals and textiles makers, with more than 7,000 employees worldwide.