MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF, the world's pretrochemical major, has presented a new copolyamide for packaging - Ultramid Flex F, which offers completely new properties, said the producer on its site.
Ultramid Flex F38 L is an entirely new and partly bio-based copolyamide. Thanks to its softness and transparency even at low temperatures and low humidity, this polyamide is ideally suited for soft packaging (see chart below).
Tear and puncture resistance are also increased in an even softer film.
Films made of Ultramid Flex F are even soft immediately after processing and without conditioning. This offers huge advantages for film processing at low temperatures and low humidity.
A quarter of the raw material used for the monomer is sourced from regionally-grown rapeseed oil. Ultramid® Flex F38 L supports the trend towards more sustainable packaging solutions. For the packaging industry, the new Ultramid Flex F unlocks entirely new opportunities for launching bio-based products onto the market.
With a CO2 and O2 permeability 15 times higher than in conventional polyamide 6, the new Ultramid Flex F38 L possess considerably changed barrier properties. For example, Ultramid Flex F is ideally suited for use as cheese ripening bags.
Thanks to its high flexibility and softness, the new Ultramid can also be used to produce soft vacuum and shrink bags. The product also allows for conventional stretching ratios in deep-drawing processes – without any stress whitening.
In addition to its use in the food industry, the new Ultramid Flex F is the ideal solution for a wide array of technical films that are characterized by sufficient ductility and tear strength even at lower temperatures.
Ultramid Flex F38 L has a considerably higher melt stability than conventional polyamides, allowing for an outstanding bubble stability and higher blow-up ratio. These processing properties enable users to optimize the entire film structure.
As MRC informed previously, in May 2015, BASF inaugurated its new Ultramid (polyamide 6 and 6/6.6) polymerization plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Shanghai, China. The new plant, with a capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year, further strengthened BASF’s local production and supply network and better serve the growing market in Asia Pacific.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. BASF operates Ultramid polymerization plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, Texas/USA; and Shanghai, China.
MRC