Propilco’s New High-Flow Clarified PP Resin Offers Customers Processing, Sustainability Advantages

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Oct. 31, 2013 - PRLog -- Spartanburg, S.C. – Propilco, a Colombian polypropylene (PP) company with a very strong international presence, today unveiled a new addition to its portfolio of PP resins clarified with Millad^® NX^® 8000 technology from Milliken & Company. Propilco’s new 80R90CD (clarified random copolymer) grade offers a Melt Flow Rate (MFR) of 80, the highest of any clarified PP in Latin America, and meets the flow performance of competitive materials around the world. Further, the material delivers stiffness and impact performance comparable to those of lower-MFR resins, as confirmed by early adopters. These advantages, combined with superior clarity and lower processing temperatures, will help customers increase productivity, simplify mold design, extend the life of mold tools, cut energy usage and emissions and create durable, brilliantly clear products offering a bright, fresh appearance.

“When we developed our newest grade, we turned to Millad NX 8000, because it is a perfect complement to our proprietary 80R90CD high-flow resin design, which also enables molding at lower temperatures,” said Juan Pablo Avilan, business vice president, Propilco. “This optimized solution will help customers achieve greater sustainability, reduce energy costs and increase throughput.”

“For more than 20 years, Propilco has been an early adopter of new Milliken solutions. We commend the company for its forward-thinking and innovative approach to develop differentiated PP resins that support the growth of its customers,” said Wim Van de Velde, global Millad product line manager, Milliken & Company. “We are happy to contribute to the high performance of Propilco’s clarified resin grades, including this latest high-flow material, and look forward to continued collaboration aimed at meeting the changing needs of converters, processors and end customers.”

Millad NX 8000 clarifier allows PP to be processed at significantly lower temperatures. These cooler temperatures reduce energy demands and associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and can also shorten cooling times and increase productivity by facilitating mold release.

The high melt flow rate of 80R90CD clarified PP reduces maximum molding pressure, allowing lower-tonnage machines to be used and contributing to longer tool life and reduced maintenance. From a design standpoint, higher flow – together with the excellent stiffness and impact of this new grade – makes it ideal for thin-wall injection molding. In fact, 80R90CD clarified PP surpasses the impact performance of competitive materials having a low MFR of 40, while offering the same amount of stiffness. Higher flow also makes it easier to design parts because there are fewer flow-related challenges to overcome compared to conventional materials.

Target applications for the new grade include food storage containers, food packaging, housewares and household storage items.

About Propilco

Propilco is a 100% Colombian company – part of the Ecopetrol corporate group – working to produce and market polypropylene resin. Our commitment is geared to our customers’ growth and development. To this end, we stand as their allies, providing them with high-level commercial and technical service, optimizing and upgrading our technologies and processes to offer them versatile and top quality products, and expanding our production capacity, flexibility and customer service channels to meet their needs in an all-inclusive way. We offer customers a specialized and comprehensive package designed to deliver the highest quality resin as well as the technical and commercial service necessary for optimizing operating conditions. We also develop new applications and solve customers’ process concerns. Finally, we provide logistics and financial services commensurate with their needs.

For more information, visit www.propilco.com

About Milliken

Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865. Working from our laboratories, application and development centers around the world, our scientists and engineers create coatings, specialty chemicals, and advanced additive and colorant technologies that transform the way we experience products from automotive plastics to children's art supplies. With expertise across a breadth of disciplines that also includes floor covering and performance materials, the people of Milliken work every day to add true value to people’s lives, improve health and safety, and make this world more sustainable. For more information, visit www.millikenchemical.com or www.milliken.com.

Millad and NX are registered trademarks of Milliken & Company.

Milliken is a registered trademark of Milliken & Company.