SOCAR Polymer has introduced two new grades of impact copolymer polypropylene (ICP) resins that are the first in its portfolio to incorporate Milliken Chemical’s Hyperform HPN performance additive for polypropylene (PP). The two firms have been working collaboratively to develop these materials for the past year.

SOCAR, based in Azerbaijan, currently is marketing these materials to customers in Russia, Turkey and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The company says these new ICP grades are ideal for use in thin-wall injection molded (TWIM) packaging applications such as caps, closures and opaque containers, as well as in various housewares, sporting goods and toys. 

The two new grades are CB 4848 MO (with a melt flow rate of 48) and CB 6448 MO (with a melt flow rate of 64), which are the most common melt flow rates for ICPs. Both offer an excellent balance of end-use properties. These ICP grades deliver molded parts that exhibit low shrinkage, improved thermal resistance (HDT), and an excellent balance between stiffness and impact resistance. 

Additionally, with their good flowability, the two different grades enable converters to realize faster processing, while allowing both newer and older injection molding machines to efficiently process the material. 

SOCAR Polymer says these new grades advance its aim to provide customers with reactor grades of heterophasic copolymers that use no organic peroxides, and abide by SOCAR Polymer’s zero-phthalate philosophy, meaning that no catalysts and chemicals containing phthalate compounds are used at any stage of production. At the same time, the resulting products offer superior rigidity and dimensional stability. 

The use of Hyperform in the ICP formulation also aids processability by helping to boost converters’ productivity by reducing cycle times, while also enhancing their sustainability by reducing energy usage.