(plasteurope) -- Sabic (Riyadh / Saudi Arabia) says that production of high quality thin blown film is possible with the introduction of its family of advanced bimodal HDPE resins. There are currently two grades in the family, HDPE "FI0644" and a higher density grade with higher flow, HDPE "FI1157".
The two new HDPE grades are typically intended for applications that include food-contact inliners, artificial paper, release films and heavy duty bags.
The company said that both grades have high molecular weight and a broad molecular weight distribution, allowing high processability combined with good mechanical properties in the blown film. Low gel levels lead to consistent film production and a smooth film surface, Sabic said, and film makers can achieve acceptable gauge tolerances at very low thicknesses.
The material can be typically used for the production of lamination films, release films, labels and artificial paper. Target applications include heavy duty bags, meat bags, grocery sacks and carrier bags. The company said that converters will be able to increase the efficiency and performance of their operations by using significantly less material while producing film with adequate stiffness and strength and that films have an impact resistance around 20% higher than those made from a typically common HDPE grade.