SABIC launches new ultra melt strength PP for lightweight foaming solutions

SABIC has added to its foams portfolio with the launch of a new generation of melt strength polypropylenes.

PP-UMS (Ultra Melt Strength) resin has a melt strength of more than 65 cN and is said to offer outstanding foamability. It can be used across industry end sectors as a building block to develop new foaming solutions that enable an “unprecedented level” of lightweighting.

“Looking to the future of lightweighting, we see that foaming is a key technology to push the boundaries and create even more down gauging opportunities in the industry,” explained Frank de Vries, SABIC’s Global Foam and Lightweight Leader.

“For this reason, our global teams are busy developing the next generation of foamable resin solutions for the market. These solutions can be used in many processing technologies to best meet the unmet needs of the value chain.”

SABIC says its new PP-UMS material, which has been evaluated and optimised for foaming at SABIC’s Foam Innovation Center (FIC) in the Netherlands, can be used to enhance lightweighting in the automotive, packaging and building and construction markets.

“We all face many global challenges due to an ever-growing population and increasingly limited resources. Foaming is key to help solving these challenges, by pushing industries to invest in solutions that are both sustainable and cost-efficient, with enhanced material properties,” de Vries concluded.