MATERIALS

...Continued from front page
optimize PE film processing, reveals Christophe Paulo,
marketing manager, DuPont. ‘It helps film makers avoid
spending time and effort to calculate the right ratio of anti-
block and slip additives by trial and error’, he comments.
The new technology advancement demonstrates the com-
pany’s ‘strong commitment to the success of the packaging
industry’ by supplying innovative, silicone-based solutions
that help customers ‘achieve seamless throughput, high
productivity and consistent quality’, Paulo concludes.
More information: www.dupont.com/industrial/multibase.html
MATERIALS
Ampacet launches high-opacity
masterbatch to protect dairy
products from photodegradation
as well as for food safety, Ampacet explains. Monolayer PET
bottles are increasingly used to package dairy drinks because of
their cost effectiveness and better recyclability. The requisite
light barrier properties are provided by the incorporation of
opacifiers, of which the most commonly used is mineral prod-
uct titanium dioxide (TiO2). For UHT processed milk, up to
12–15% of opacifiers are usually mixed with the PET polymer
to achieve bottle opacity of >99.5%, the company reports.
In Europe, the fast-growing market for opaque PET is
impacting the recyclability of collected PET packaging
because the high level of opacifiers reduces both the qual-
ity of recycled PET and its usability for transparent appli-
cations, according to Ampacet. In order to reduce the
mineral levels in PET collected for recycling, a malus-tax
has been introduced in some countries, such as France,
for opaque PET packaging; this tax affects all PET con-
tainers containing >4% of mineral opacifiers.
However, the use of Ampacet’s new masterbatch in opaque
PET packaging ensures that this malus-tax is not incurred.
Compared with conventional preforms loaded with 10%
TiO2, one-litre bottles produced with 6.5% of Safari PET
MB (<4% mineral loading) perform better in preventing

M asterbatch major Ampacet has introduced

a new masterbatch designed specifically
to protect packaged milk products from photo-
degradation. Safari PET MB 7100177-E is capable
of imparting the necessary high level of opacity
to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly-
olefin resins at a significantly reduced mineral
loading compared to existing materials typically
employed to provide light barrier properties in
dairy packaging, the company reports.
The new masterbatch meets European guidelines of less
than 4% mineral loading in PET bottles, while preserving
the flavour and nutrients of fresh milk even under exposure
to light in the 400–550 nm wavelength range, which is the
most harmful for dairy products, Ampacet claims. Safari
PET MB 7100177-E is also suitable for the preservation of
ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed milk, which has
a typical unrefrigerated shelf-life of six to nine months, the
company says.
Milk is particularly sensitive to photodegradation. Its sen-
sory quality and essential nutrients, including vitamin B2 and
vitamin A-precursor carotene, are affected after a few minutes
of exposure to sunlight and degradation also occurs under
the fluorescent lighting found in retail stores. Dairy beverages
must therefore be correctly packaged in opaque containers for
prolonged shelf-life, protection of taste and health benefits,
light transmission, the company claims. Such bottles also
allow throughput increases and reduce the number of infrared
(IR) heating elements, it reports. Ampacet’s new technology
therefore helps to decrease the energy consumption and over-
all environmental impact of preform stretch-blow moulding
operations, according to the company. In addition, Safari PET
MB is transparent to near-IR (NIR), which allows sorting
with NIR optical sensors and recycling. The new technology
is compatible with both PET and polyolefin resins and can be
tailored for customer needs, Ampacet reports.
In another development that will assist the circular use
and reuse of plastics, Ampacet has launched Blue Edge 78
to enhance the appearance and functionality of transparent,
recycled PET (RPET). The new masterbatch imparts a lighter
bluish tone to post-consumer recycled PET and increases bot-
tle brightness, providing a clearer, fresher look with increased
consumer appeal, the company reports. It is recommended for
use in water bottles and personal care bottles. The masterbatch
is also available in several other shades including green, amber
and fuchsia, Ampacet says. Blue Edge 78 has been introduced
in the new mini-pellet masterbatch form, which additionally
provides the advantages of enhanced distribution and process-
ability, lower let-down rates and decreased energy consump-
tion, the company comments.
More information: www.ampacet.com

2
Additives for Polymers July 2019