US oil company ExxonMobil (Houston, Texas; www.exxonmobil.com) has developed its new “Exceed XP 7” performance polyethylene grades, designed to deliver mechanical performance that benefits stretch hood films, collation shrink films, primary packaging, and greenhouse film applications. The combination of low density and fractional melt index eases processing on the new grades while delivering gauge control, bubble stability and high output. “Exceed XP 7021” has a density of 0.911 g/cm³ and melt index of 0.20 g/10 min, while “Exceed XP 7052” has a density of 0.912 g/cm³ and melt index of 0.50 g/10 min.

The new grades offer a range of benefits for stretch hood packaging films, including high elastic recovery and high holding force, high puncture and dart impact resistance for less breakage, and low haze, which improves barcode or QR code reading. For collation shrink films, the PE grades enable high shrink speeds at temperatures as low as 120°C, which saves energy. When used in primary packaging films, they offer low seal initiation temperature with no blocking issues, toughness with extreme dart and puncture resistance and good optical properties. Greenhouse films made with the new Exceed XP 7 grades are clear, tough, soft, and dart and puncture resistant.