Tough films meet packaging challenges

The demand for high performance materials for packaging has always been a key factor in the research and development for new technologies. Flexibility and durability for films have become a primary concern.

Supertough 32ST05 and Supertough 22ST05 are the first two members of a new and innovative family within Total’s metallocene portfolio. The Total Lumicene grade slate covers the full range of low (mLLDPE), medium (mMDPE) to high (mHDPE) densities. mHDPE is designed for specific customer end-applications and highly appreciated by the flexible packaging market for its ease of processing, excellent film mechanical properties and a unique stiffness/optics balance. This Lumicene range extended with the Supertough family creates a unique offering for the film sector.

Lumicene Supertough 32ST05 is a downgauging breakthrough for multilayer structures that embraces the industry need for easy to process, high-performance, lightweight solutions for the industrial packaging, personal care/hygiene and food sectors.

With Lumicene?Supertough 32ST05, Total has presented a unique opportunity for flexible packaging converters to achieve films that are up to 25% thinner and stronger than existing solutions for film on the market. The step-change mPE innovation offers a distinctive combination of outstanding strength and toughness, even at low temperatures. These technical characteristics overcome the traditional limits and drawbacks of thinner films, allowing converters to create a very strong film using less material but with the easy processing advantages of LDPE. The result is super thin, highly-durable, lightweight multilayer films that offer excellent processability on extrusion and conversion lines.

Several multilayer applications already demonstrating the grade’s extensive potential include compression packaging, such as for heavy mattresses and lightweight diapers, deepfreeze and lamination films, and highly-demanding shrink applications, for example glass bottle unitisation. “The downgauging story is a never-ending quest to push the thickness limits of packaging down. Where these limits of downgauging are reached, Supertough 32ST05 steps in to give the necessary boost in toughness to overcome the thickness barrier,” according to Carl Van Camp, Senior Vice President Polymers Division.

Improved properties for industrial packaging

Following the successful launch of Supertough 32ST05 in flexible packaging, which enables 25% thinner but stronger films, Total brought a second grade aimed at the industrial film sector. Supertough 22ST05 is the newest member of its Lumicene?Supertough family and targeted at the industrial film sector. Supertough 22ST05’s combination of excellent bubble stability, mechanical properties and with potential to downgauge by up to 25%, opens greater development perspectives for wide width films. These large width films are ideal for agriculture as well as transportation and protection applications.

With the enhanced properties of Supertough 22ST05, customers can improve the performance and the cost of their films. “By really boosting product properties, we can generate added value for both our customers and consumers right through the value chain. It is reassuring for our customers in the packaging and the industrial film sector to know that we continue to find ways for them to improve the performance of their product in a cost sensitive way,” says Sonia De Greef, Business Manager Flexible Packaging & Personal Care of Total. “Customers are asking us for cost innovative solutions to respond to current and future market needs, which is why we created Supertough. This innovation allows converters to combine one layer of Supertough with the most standard of prime materials and even with regrind from post-consumer waste in the other layers, such that the final film has improved performance with the benefit of cost savings. Mujer