Polyethylene for high-quality flexible packaging and recyclable laminates

29 May 2019

Two new performance polyethylene polymers for high-quality flexible packaging, and recyclable full PE laminated packaging solutions were introduced by ExxonMobil at Chinaplas 2019.

“Advancing polyethylene technology is an important part of our commitment to helping customers grow their businesses”, said David Hergenrether, ExxonMobil Chemical vice president, polyethylene. “By working together, we can help customers create differentiated packaging solutions that offer enhanced performance and processing, while helping them to meet their sustainability goals”.

New Exceed 2012MA performance PE polymer delivers outstanding sealing and extrusion performance for high-integrity flexible packaging films. It can enable reduced energy use, lower per unit packaging costs, and less packaging material and food waste. For high-quality coating layers used in laminates, new Exceed 0015XC performance PE polymer delivers excellent sealing performance, a broad hot-tack window and good processing. This new polymer offers easy extrusion onto substrates such as board and paper, aluminium foil, flexible films and PE-based woven fabrics. It is ideal for drink cartons, paper cups, laminated tubes, flexible packaging, tarpaulins and raffia coating and also provides opportunities for downgauging.

ExxonMobil is also introducing new full PE laminated packaging solutions, containing Exceed XP - when eXtreme Performance matters, Exceed and Enable performance PE polymers. These solutions help overcome the recycling issues typically associated with conventional laminated structures. Often comprising a mix of PET, PA, EVOH or OPP, laminated packaging structures can be challenging to recycle, due to difficulties separating the materials. The new full PE laminated solutions can be recycled with PE film where programs to collect plastic films exists, while delivering the toughness, optical properties and stiffness needed for high-quality packaging, plus material selection is simplified.