12 May 2005
Milliken Expands R&D Center Resources For Clarified PP Through Addition of Sidel Technology
Research Trials Available To Entire Supply Chain
Continuing its research and development efforts in support of the expansion of Injection Stretch Blow Molded Clarified Polypropylene (ISBM cPP), Milliken Chemical has recently added a Sidel, Series 2, SBO4 machine to its research and development center in Spartanburg, S.C.
The purchase of the machine comes on the heels of a joint research project in which Sidel and Milliken developed a methodology for increasing production speeds for polypropylene (PP) containers, making PP more cost competitive with PET for several bottle applications including hot fill applications.
Trials with the Sidel machine, which offers enhanced clarity and increased production outputs for food and beverage packaging, has resulted in the production of “crystal clear” bottle walls at production speeds of 1,600 bph/m.
“By adding Sidel technology to our research facilities at Milliken, we are not only able to continue our research into advancements for cPP, but we can also demonstrate to the supply chain the technology that is now available in terms of speed and quality,” said Raj Batlaw, director of global business development for Milliken & Company.
“Additionally, we can offer our customers a neutral environment in which they can run trials, while benefiting from Milliken’s expertise in plastic additive technology,” he said.
According to Batlaw, Milliken welcomes the opportunity across the entire supply chain, from resin producers to converters to specifiers, to test bottle shapes, neck sizes and resin formulations on the news machine. Because of its collaboration agreement with Sidel, any Sidel customer in North America is invited to take advantage of Milliken’s domestic research lab.
“Because of extensive training on Sidel technology, our R&D operators at Milliken offer a broad expertise that can be extended to assist our customers in Europe, Asia and Latin America,” Batlaw said. “This investment in technology and training is all part of our commitment to continuous advancements in cPP.”
Milliken Chemical is a division of Milliken & Company, one of the world’s largest privately held textile and chemical corporations. With technical service and application development centers in North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America, Milliken serves a broad array of markets, providing products and services that enhance the performance, appearance and durability of consumer and commercial products.
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About Milliken
Milliken & Company is one of the world's largest privately held textile and chemical corporations. With technical service and application development centers in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America, Milliken serves a broad array of markets, providing products and services that enhance the performance, appearance and durability of consumer and commercial products.
Milliken is a market leader in additives for plastics, including Millad® 3988 clarifying agent, Hyperform® nucleating agents, ClearTint® polymer colorants and ClearShield® UV absorber.
For further information, visit www.millikenchemical.com.
Millad®, Hyperform®, ClearTint®, ClearShield® and Milliken® are registered trademarks of Milliken & Company.
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The purchase of the machine comes on the heels of a joint research project in which Sidel and Milliken developed a methodology for increasing production speeds for polypropylene (PP) containers, making PP more cost competitive with PET for several bottle applications including hot fill applications.
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Mady Hupko
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