Seeking Crystal-clear Polymeric Solution With Performances Similar to Polypropylene

A SpecialChem Client is seeking a cost effective crystal-clear technology demonstrating mechanical and thermal performances similar to polypropylene.

The current translucent polypropylene is not transparent enough to give a clear visual impact to end-users. This is especially true when the thickness of the part is high, resulting in the loss of transparency. With the current state of art, the thickness of injection molded part is typically 2mm.

The desired technology should:

• Be more transparent than the current translucent polypropylene. The transparency should be comparable to polycarbonate which has a haze of less than 0.8% (3.2 mm thickness)
• Be injection moldable
• Have mechanical strength similar to existing translucent polypropylene
• Have thermal properties similar to existing translucent polypropylene
• Be cost effective - close to existing polypropylene.
• Be resistant to water up to 100°C, without losing mechanical strength
• Be resistant to steam up to 100°C, without losing mechanical strength

All approaches that can meet the success criteria are acceptable. Possible approaches could include but are not limited to:

• High performance Clarifiers for polypropylene,
• Metallocene Polypropylene copolymers
• Nano Crystalline Polyolefins

The SpecialChem Client is NOT interested in:

• Materials not complying with REACH/RoHs regulation (e.g. halogen containing materials),
• Materials that are not able to be molded or no supplier is doing the molding,
• Material that is having bad smell upon steaming,
• Material that is having bad smell upon heating up to 100°C.

Commercial solution should be available in 6-12 months on >kTon scale, not only in the lab scale.

The life span of the part is 10 years.