US plastics additives supplier Milliken (Spartanburg, South Carolina; www.milliken.com) will be demonstrating its new packaging material, "NX" UltraClear PP, at the "interpack 2017" trade fair on 4 - 10 May in Düsseldorf / Germany. NX UltraClear PP uses Milliken’s "Millad" NX 8000, which produces exceptional clarity, aesthetics and light weight for a variety of commercial packaging applications, said Sami T.K. Palanisami, EMEA commercial manager.

For thermoforming and sheet packaging, NX UltraClear PP rivals the glass-like transparency of commonly used resins such as "amorphous PET" (A-PET) and polystyrene, while also offering a glossier appearance than that normally associated with standard, nucleated polypropylene. It also has a lower density than other plastic materials. PP’s density of 0.9 kg/m³, compared to PET’s density of 1.37 kg/m³, allows converters to produce significantly more trays per kilogramme of material. Its heat resistance and cold-temperature performance combine to make thermoformed cups or trays suitable for hot fill and microwaveable applications, enabling the “fridge to microwave” concept.

For NX UltraClear PP to achieve the same stiffness as A-PET, the PP sheet is typically 15 - 20% thicker compared to the virgin A-PET sheet. Opting for a ribbed design can remove the need for thicker walls. NX UltraClear PP’s lower density yields products that weigh much less than corresponding PET applications but that have equal stiffness. Other benefits include recyclability and sealing effectiveness.