Dow Performance Silicones, a global business unit of DowDuPont Materials Sciences division, today announced the launch of Dow Corning® HMB-6301 Masterbatch, a unique, patent-pending solution based on the heritage Dow Corning silicone technology platform.
The advanced silicone-based technology addresses key drawbacks of standard slip agents, including continuous migration from the film surface and degradation over time and under elevated temperatures, to better facilitate packaging production processing of bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film.
Asia Pacific represented 42 percent of global packaging demand in 2016, and is set to contribute up to 63 percent by 2020. This growth has been fueled by the rising demand of fast-moving consumer goods among Malaysia’s strong and growing middle class. With today’s on-the-go lifestyles, many consumers also prefer smaller packaged snacks and confectionery, which accelerates packaging demand, according to a research by EuroMonitor.
“BOPP film for packaging is very important to Malaysia’s economy, and is demonstrating significant growth as shown by the recent opening of major new production facilities to meet local demand,” said Nam Van Tham, business development team leader, Dow Performance Silicones.
“To help customers reduce harmful friction during BOPP film production – which can affect film appearance and cause interruptions – we have developed Dow Corning HMB-6301 Masterbatch. This technology surpasses conventional slip additives and enables customers to maximise film quality, consistency and productivity.”
With the expanding packaging demand in the country, Dow Corning HMB-6301 Masterbatch will help to improve the performance of Malaysia’s packaging materials. The product benefits Malaysia’s BOPP film converters and processors by lowering the coefficient of friction (COF) to optimise packaging production efficiencies, and by enabling superior printing and metallisation for high-quality, attractive packaging.
Pursuing E.U. and U.S. Safety Standards
Dow Corning HMB-6301 Masterbatch is engineered for BOPP and PP cast films used mainly in food packaging, namely bags, wrappers, packages and pouches, with European Union food contact compliance and U.S. FDA food contact approval in process. It is suitable for both sequential and simultaneous stretching lines. The material is supplied in easy-to-handle, free-flowing pellets and is available globally.
Fresh Approach to a Classic Challenge
Organic waxes, such as erucamide, have been widely used in BOPP film for packaging manufacturing because of their effective slip performance. However, these waxes readily and continuously migrate from the film surface. This migration can affect the appearance and quality of packaging materials by increasing the haze level of clear film. It can also negatively impact downstream operations such as printing when the additive transfers from the slip-treated face to the corona-treated face during film winding and storage. Other drawbacks include sensitivity to elevated temperatures, and degradation of slip performance over time.
Unlike other slip additives, Dow Corning HMB-6301 Masterbatch is added only to the outer layer of BOPP film. Because it is non-migrating, there is no transfer from the silicone-treated face to the corona-treated face. By avoiding impact on surface tension of the corona-treated face, the solution preserves the effectiveness of printing and metallization.
The Dow technology is also stable over time and temperature, so its excellent slip properties are permanent. In addition, the additive will not bloom or significantly affect the optical properties of transparent film.
