Clariant unveils AddWorks® solutions tailored to China's flexible packaging industry needs

• Increase recyclate content in PO films without loss of quality or production line efficiency
• Achieve long-acting anti-static performance for flexible packaging
• Support film manufacturing cost savings

Shanghai, April 27, 2016 – Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has launched two AddWorks solutions at Chinaplas 2016 specifically to give the flexible packaging industry in Greater China and South East Asia new options for improving productivity, functionality and sustainability. In addition to their individual advantages, new AddWorks® PKG 902 and AddWorks LXR 408 both can help processors to reduce costs when producing high-quality flexible film for consumer packaging.

New AddWorks PKG 902 provides a new opportunity for polyolefin film manufacturers to increase the amount of recycled content in cast, BOPP and blown film without loss of film quality or production line efficiency and speed. By making it possible to replace virgin polypropylene (PP) or polyethyelene (PE) resin with higher amounts of recycled film or resin, it can result in significant cost savings for converters as well as providing a more sustainable packaging solution.

The easy-to-feed and free-flowing proprietary composition achieves its benefits by providing high thermo-oxidative protection to the film, which prevents both uncontrolled Melt Flow Rate increases and gel or black spot formation. AddWorks PKG 902 also helps converters to control film yellowing. The improvement to film aesthetics and quality gives processors access to premium film markets. In addition, enhanced MFR retention reduces the potential for film breakage, allowing higher than normal production line running speeds. AddWorks PKG 902 delivers its high level of thermo-oxidative protection during the primary extrusion and stretching process especially needed with a high content of post-manufacturing recycled material such as manufacturing side trim or slit waste, start-up and shut-down material and generic off-spec film material. AddWorks PKG 902 therefore allows the use of higher levels of recycled material than current commonly used levels.

New AddWorks LXR 408 enables film processors to achieve long-lasting anti-static performance for demanding BOPP, cast PP or PE blown film flexible packaging applications. It combines this advantage with optimized raw material consumption, contributing to an optimized film production unit cost structure.

The easy-to-feed, free-flowing additive composition is based on proprietary Clariant antistatic agent technology. AddWorks LXR 408 delivers excellent long-lasting anti-static performance of over one year. It achieves this without the negative side effects of surface blooming or the release of large amounts of volatiles or vapors during processing that cause dripping in the heating ovens during stretching and lead to film defects.

With AddWorks LXR 408, the anti-static performance is shown through excellent static decay times and low surface resistivity. The optical performance of the film remains of the highest quality making the additive technology well-suited for aesthetically appealing and highly transparent films, printable films and lamination processes. AddWorks LXR 408 enables the high level of performance to be achieved with a lower amount of additive, bringing a cost advantage to the film production process.

Hostastat® FA68 Liquid Feeding Technology

At Chinaplas 2016, Clariant is also presenting a further customer-focused antistatic additive development for the flexible packaging industry. Hostastat FA68 is a viscous liquid antistatic offering long-term performance, which is added to the film manufacturing process by means of proprietary Liquid Feeding Technology. This is a well-proven, commercial technology allowing for the best possible long-lasting antistatic results with the highest potential cost savings that significantly improve BOPP, cPP or PE blown film process profitability. Clariant offers Hostastat FA68 Liquid Feed technology as a one-stop-shop solution, giving customers access to the additive technology, the liquid feeding concept and the applied know-how to use it in their production process.

“The flexible film industry in Greater China and Asia Pacific places a lot of emphasis on achieving state-of-the-art packaging performance, film manufacturing cost savings and film differentiation in the marketplace, whether producing for domestic or export markets. We have tailored the Hostastat and AddWorks solutions to address these specific clearly-identified needs, offering the market not only steps up in performance, functionality and sustainability, but a service package that can help extract the best possible performance for a film conversion line. AddWorks is a platform for future continued development by the Clariant BU Additives, and customers can expect more solutions in the future to support their business needs,” comments Oliver Kinkel, Head of Clariant's Additives Business.

AddWorks is the new Clariant brand of tailor-made plastic additives solutions that address specific needs for various segments of the plastics industry. Each AddWorks is a ready-to-use additive package produced with the most appropriate product form-giving technology, as diverse as extrusion, compaction, pastillation, or powder mixing.