US-headquartered petrochemicals firm ExxonMobil Chemical is introduced a new grade to its portfolio of Vistamaxx performance polymers at PlastIndia being held this February at Gujarat, India.

Vistamaxx 3588FL used pure in the sealing layer provides outstanding sealing performance in cast polypropylene (cPP) films and heat-sealable biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films designed for fast and reliable packaging operations. The new grade combines very low seal and hot tack initiation temperatures with broad hermetic seal range making it well suited for applications such as snack, biscuit and candy packaging.

“Vistamaxx 3588FL is designed to balance excellent processability and outstanding sealing performance in heat-sealable cPP and BOPP films,” said Miranda Lo, Vistamaxx Business Manager Asia Pacific, ExxonMobil Chemical. “Asia Pacific continues to be an important market in terms of capacity and demand. Moreover in the food packaging segment we see trends towards more economically accessible pre-packed food and smaller packaging sizes, which require faster and more efficient packaging operations. This new grade is tailored to meet those needs of the industry.”

Using pure Vistamaxx 3588FL to replace standard terpolymer PP in the sealant layer of 3 or 5 layer heat sealable cPP or BOPP films can enable higher speeds for horizontal and vertical form fill and seal (HFFS and VFFS) packaging operations.

Vistamaxx 3588FL delivers a 10 degree lower SIT and broader and higher hot tack window compared to standard terpolymer PP resins. These improvements can lead to significantly improved packaging line performance.

In cPP films, the use of Vistamaxx 3588FL in the sealant layer extends the hermetic seal range which is critical for applications that require leak-free and airtight packaging. Additionally, the coefficient of friction (COF) is easily controlled using commercially available masterbatches leading to trouble-free VFFS operations even with more sensitive films like metallized cPP film

India-based packaging film, Uflex Ltd, has been running Vistamaxx 3588FL. It says that Vistamaxx 3588FL creates new innovation opportunities for converters of heat sealable cPP and BOPP films as the polymer delivers excellent processability, while providing the potential to create a very versatile film that can add value in both VFFS and HFFS packaging operations. Meanwhile, retailers can benefit from packaging with better seals that keeps food fresh for consumer enjoyment.