ExxonMobil PE resin launch could reduce complexity and reliance on HDPE/LDPE layers in plastic film
Chemicals player ExxonMobil has launched a new line of performance polyethylene (PE) resins, called Exceed S, which it says can improve performance while reducing the complexity of film extrusion.
As the list of property demands on plastic film have become more exhaustive, so too has the design and manufacturing process.
Multi-component resin blends in coextruded and laminated films with high layer counts are now par for the course for many in film extrusion.
“Exceed S performance PE resins deliver simplicity without compromise,” said Tom Miller, Exceed S marketing manager at ExxonMobil.
“With Exceed S, converters can obtain high levels of performance with easy processing, stiffness and toughness with less blending, and resin solutions that can simplify operations and improve package durability.”
The new resins have been designed to create stiff, tough functional layers without the need to add HDPE for stiffness or LDPE for processing.
In a press briefing with Interplas Insights, Miller explained that while one benefit of using the grades is in simplifying film structures, if used for the outer layers they can also allow users to incorporate high percentages of recycled content while maintaining performance.
The first three commercially available grades of Exceed S resins are designed to ensure low melt pressure and high output on blown film lines. See Figure 1 above for grade information.
Potential applications:
- Large-format heavy duty sacks used in industry and agriculture along with silo bags for farming can benefit from increased puncture, impact and tear resistance. Exceed S resin’s combination of low melt pressure and high extrusion output can also help increase converter’s production capacity.
- In primary packaging, non-laminated coextruded films used in pouches and bags containing liquid, food, or other goods can benefit from improved toughness and are less likely to break when transported or dropped. For example, multi-wall bladders used in hot-filled bag-in-box packaging exhibit exceptional resistance to heat-induced blocking and flex cracking.
- PE//PE laminates with improved stiffness, toughness and bag drop survival can help facilitate larger pouch sizes and accommodate bulkier, heavier contents, helping to expand market usage of mechanically recyclable packaging.
In a press briefing with Interplas Insights, Miller explained that while one benefit of using the grades is in simplifying film structures, if used for the outer layers they can also allow users to incorporate high percentages of recycled content while maintaining performance. Sustainability was a key consideration in the development of the grades, according to Miller. See Figure 2 above for more information on the sustainability credentials.
“ExxonMobil has been at the forefront of polyethylene innovation for nearly thirty years,” said David Hergenrether, vice president for polyethylene at ExxonMobil said in a statement. “The new Exceed S platform embodies our most advanced product and process development informed by deep, long-standing partnerships with our customers.”
“The innovation opportunities that Exceed S performance polyethylene offers have already resulted in successful collaborations with more than 75 customers globally working on more than 100 different applications. We look forward to collaborating with our customers on new opportunities to advance their products.”