Germany’s Lehmann & Voss (LuV, Hamburg; www.lehvoss.de) on 1 January began distributing Mayzo‘s (Suwanee, Georgia / USA; www.mayzo.com) masterbatch for PP process optimisation across Europe. By intervening in the solidification properties of polypropylene, the material changes its crystallinity, thereby affecting the characteristics of the finished product. Specifically, LuV said, the masterbatch enables enhanced toughness and flexibility at a lower melting point, which makes it easier to weld and form the PP.

“Thanks to the use of these additives, material weight savings of up to 15% and in addition reductions in cycle time of up to 25% can be achieved,” said LuV’s masterbatch team head Torsten Clasen. The material is suitable, among others, to produce very thin-walled and uniform breathable BOPP films, for instance, which do not require any additional foaming by means of chemical of physical blowing agents.