SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Ultem* Resin Serves Up High-End Performance for Food Handling Equipment, Saving Time and Money

BERGEN OP ZOOM, The Netherlands – March 18, 2010 – SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Ultem* polyetherimide (PEI) resin offers the highest performance across a balance of properties of virtually any thermoplastic in the global plastics industry. Time and time again the material proves to be the ideal recipe for top-end food service and food processing applications. This advanced PEI technology consistently gives manufacturers superior performance vs. competitive materials and easily meets global regulatory agency requirements for food contact, as well as UL 94 flammability ratings. As SABIC Innovative Plastics continues to deliver Ultem resin grades with enhanced performance characteristics – such as transparency, colorability and extreme high-heat performance – food service and food processing OEMs can rely on Ultem resin is a top choice for their specific new product requirements.

“Today’s designers of food service and food processing applications are facing challenging environments where they must balance a breadth of needs: from agency compliance, to robust performance and beautiful aesthetics, to overall systems cost,” said Shawn Lee, Ultem resin product marketing manager, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “We often hear from customers who specified Ultem as their first-choice material that they were able to shorten the project development cycle by meeting these complex requirements out of the gate, making Ultem resin one of the best solutions for saving time and money.”

One such customer is Groupe SEB®, which launched its T-fal® ActiFry® low-fat deep fryer in the United States. Facing tough Food & Drug Administration (FDA) food contact regulations for the appliance’s fryer basket, the French manufacturer turned to SABIC Innovative Plastics for a material offering regulatory compliance as well as for color customization and high-temperature resistance, plus the freedom to integrate parts for system cost reduction. Ultem resin was able to meet all these requirements under a tight launch timeframe.

Expanded Ultem Resin Portfolio Provides a New Recipe for Innovation

SABIC Innovative Plastics’ continued expansion to its Ultem resin portfolio gives customers ever-increasing choices, including improved performance, aesthetics and processability. These resins make it possible to redesign existing products with new colors and capabilities, or create entirely new designs.

• Extreme high-heat Extem* resins: the world’s highest heat amorphous thermoplastic polyimide is now available in the food processing industry with new grades offering a powerful combination of outstanding elevated thermal resistance up to 267oC Tg, that will comply with European Union (EU) and U.S. FDA food contact approvals in late 2010.

• Transparent, colorable Ultem 1000E resin: features fast mold release and FDA/NSF compliance. This grade delivers enhanced processability by reducing the time required to eject the tool by up to 60 percent and accelerating flow by up to 15 percent. It also maintains transparency and color at high temperatures up to 217oC Tg. Key applications include food service pans, trays and utensils.

• Ultem resin blends: offer transparent and thin wall flow, while maintaining U.S. FDA and EU food contact compliancy along with NSF51 recognition. This lower temp alternative to Ultem 1000E resin is available in custom colors and offers value-balanced performance for key applications such as utensils, microwave cookware, and appliances.

The dependability and high performance of Ultem resins have been proven over two decades. The materials are renowned for high-temperature resistance, inherent flame retardance meeting Underwriter Laboratories (UL) requirements, dimensional stability, high strength and modulus, and broad chemical resistance. Ultem resin grades are compliant worldwide, meeting U.S. FDA; European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); and Japan Hygienic Olefin and Styrene Plastics Association (JHOSPA) food contact regulations, and NSF International requirements for food equipment materials.

Ultem Resins Surpass Traditional Materials

Although metal and glass have been used extensively in food service, processing and packaging applications, Ultem resins offer many advantages over these traditional materials. Compared to glass, Ultem resins offer expanded design flexibility, including part integration, lighter weight, protection from breakage and chipping, and an exterior that is cool to the touch for safety and comfort.

In contrast to metal, Ultem resins are also lighter in weight, offer see-through transparency, can be microwaved and provide a cool exterior. Additionally, they provide expanded design freedom and eliminate secondary operations that are common with metals.

Ultem resins also provide system cost advantages because they enable thin-wall molding to reduce material usage as well as reducing rejects and accelerating cycle times.

Practical Performance in a Range of Applications

In addition to regulatory compliance and design freedom, Ultem resins provide high value to the food service and processing industry thanks to practical performance under demanding use conditions:

• Heat resistance for microwave cooking: Ultem resin retains its full strength, stiffness and dimensional stability under exposure to the high temperatures of microwave cooking.

• Stain resistance and ease of cleaning: Staining often leads to a perception of poor quality and sanitary concerns. By maintaining its attractive appearance even after exposure to oils, tomato sauce, mustard and other stain agents, and repeated automatic dishwasher cycles, Ultem resin provides longer-term customer satisfaction.

• Chemical resistance to foods and detergents: Ultem resin withstands extended exposure to various cleaning agents and food groups without crazing, cracking or losing its as-molded physical properties.

• Safety in handling: Ultem resin is cooler to the touch than metals, glass and most other plastics, and is not likely to chip or break as glass can.

Ultem resins are well suited to a wide variety of applications, including microwave cookware, kitchen utensils, steam table pans, commercial food trays, and industrial and home appliances such as coffee dispensers, steam ovens and fryers.

For additional information on SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Ultem resins, please go to www.sabic-ip.com.

For additional information on the T-fal ActiFry, visit www.nutritiousanddelicious.com.

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