At CHINAPLAS 2019, ExxonMobil introduced two new high-performance polyethylene polymers for high-quality flexible packaging, as well as recyclable polyethylene single-material composite packaging solutions.
What is unique about these two new products? Why is ExxonMobil introducing a polyethylene single-material composite packaging solution? What does this mean for the packaging industry?
During CHINAPLAS 2019, Olivier Lorge, Global Polyethylene Market Development Manager of ExxonMobil Chemical, and Nicolas P Coute, Global Polyethylene Product Technical Manager of ExxonMobil Chemical, interviewed by Hay and shared their Unique insights into new product and packaging industry development trends.
Hay: At CHINAPLAS 2019, ExxonMobil released two new high-performance PE products-Exceed ™ 2012MA and Exceed ™ 0015XC. Compared with the original products, what are the new features of these two new products? Variety?
Luo Yiwei: The new Exceed ™ 2012MA high-performance polyethylene polymer provides excellent sealing and extrusion properties for high integrity flexible packaging films. It can reduce energy use, lower unit packaging costs, and reduce waste of packaging materials and food.
For high-quality coatings of composite materials, the new Exceed ™ 0015XC high-performance polyethylene provides excellent heat-sealability, a wide heat-adhesive window, and good processability. It can be easily extrusion-coated to paperboard and Paper, aluminum foil, soft film, and polyethylene fabrics are ideal for beverage boxes, paper cups, laminated tubes, flexible packaging, tarpaulins, and brushed coatings. It also has thinning potential.
Hay: How about the current application of these two new products in China? What is the feedback from Chinese customers?
Gu Tainian: In fact, these two products were developed based on feedback from our Chinese customers. When Chinese plastics processors used our original brand for extrusion processing, the extruder had some problems. Our global technical experts take their feedback seriously. Through cooperation with customers, we commercialize these two new products in a short time.
China is promoting technological innovation. This is why we continue to invest in our Shanghai R & D center. The Shanghai R & D Center was established in 2011 and currently has more than 400 employees. We introduced a 7-layer cast film production line last year and this year we introduced another 5-layer commercial film blown production line. We will continue to use this R & D center to develop new solutions for China and other Asian regions.
Food primary packaging applications are currently one of the key projects of ExxonMobil's Shanghai R & D center; we are looking for different levels of oxygen barrier solutions to help customers phase out some non-recyclable PA solutions.
Hay: ExxonMobil also released a polyethylene single material composite packaging solution. Why is it a polyethylene single material solution?
Luo Yiwei: As we know, a large number of flexible packaging is made of different materials such as PET, PA, EVOH or OPP, which are difficult to separate one by one and are not easy to recycle.
The new polyethylene single-material composite packaging solution can be recycled like a polyethylene film in a community with a plastic film recycling program, while providing the toughness, optical properties, and stiffness required for high-quality packaging, and simplifying material select.
At present, more and more flexible packaging uses polyethylene single material composite packaging solutions. The polyethylene single-material composite packaging solutions we introduced this time, Exceed ™ XP, Exceed ™, and Enable ™ high-performance polyethylene, will help overcome the difficulty of recycling traditional composite laminated packaging structures.
Polyethylene single-material composite packaging solutions provide packaging processors with high-gloss, high-resolution, printable and easy-to-process materials. It has sufficient toughness and rigidity to maintain the shape of the package, has a good-looking appearance, and is easy to attract consumers on supermarket shelves. In Asia, the appearance of a product's packaging is very important. People like the cool look and also look at the contents of the packaging.
It is not only suitable for food packaging, but also for daily chemical packaging such as toothpaste and shampoo with PE / PET structure.
Polyethylene single material composite packaging can be recycled after consumer use, and can be used in non-food sensitive areas.
Hay: When it comes to recycling, many brands now announce their 2025 sustainability plan, with the goal of increasing the amount of recycled plastic in packaging. Does ExxonMobil have any plans to provide recycled plastic solutions?
Luo Yiwei: It depends on the application of packaging. This is complicated for food packaging. When food comes in direct contact with recycled plastic, we need to consider safety issues. We have worked with brands. For example, we are working with Coca-Cola to develop a shrink film that will contain 30-50% recycled plastic.
We also work with plastics processors to increase the content of recycled materials in agricultural applications, such as increasing the content of recycled materials in agricultural and mulch films to 50%.
But our customers are smarter and more creative, and they always make the most of our products for recycling. For example, a customer in New Zealand collected high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles and combined them with our Exceed ™ to make a trash can. We never thought that Exceed ™ could have such an application. Customers are adopting our products through new processing methods to increase recycling rates and yields.
Hay: Are all ExxonMobil products manufactured in the United States and imported into China? Will the Sino-US trade friction affect your business in China?
Luo Yiwei: At present, 80% of ExxonMobil PE products in the Asian market are produced by our Singapore factory, which has a polyethylene capacity of 1.9 million tons per year. We are planning to build another large complex in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong Province. The United States is not China's main supply channel.