Braskem has launched a new polypropylene (PP) grade under the INSPIRE brand, designed to replace polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in consumer food packaging applications that require higher temperature resistance. For example, ready-to-eat food packaging provided by grocery stores and fast food restaurants.
The optical performance of the new grade is close to PET, and the thermal performance is better than that of PET and traditional random copolymer polypropylene. The new grades are suitable for thermoforming applications that require a great balance between transparency and heat resistance, such as prefabricated and ready-to-eat food plates in stores and restaurants. The improved heat resistance allows these containers to be washed in the dishwasher and allows multiple reuse, which improves sustainability compared to disposable packaging.
Compared with commercial-grade polymers, INSPIRE series value-added PP products have higher performance attributes, thereby achieving a unique balance of performance and sustainability.
In June of this year, Braskem announced the completion of its world-class PP production line in La Porte, Texas, with a design production capacity of more than 450 kilotons per year. It can produce the company's entire PP product portfolio, including homopolymers, impact copolymers and random copolymers. The initial production test run started in July, and the first large-scale commercial production activities are currently expected in the third quarter of 2020.
Braskem is the largest polyolefin producer in the Americas and the world's leading producer of biopolymers.