A weekly look at new products, innovations

Editor's Note: Each week, Rubber & Plastics News will take a look at some of the rubber industry's new products and innovations on www.rubbernews.com. Does your company have a new product or new innovation? To be considered for inclusion in this recurring feature, email [email protected]

Chem-Trend L.P. rolled out three silicone-free inside tire paints at the recent Tire Technology Expo in Cologne, Germany. Chem-Trend said these tire paints will save manufacturers time and money by simplifying the downstream cleaning required on some tires. Manufacturers using Chem-Trend's non-silicone inside tire paints would eliminate the use of aggressive chemicals typically used to remove residues of inside paint from cured tires prior to the application of sealants, the company said, adding that using the product provides a significant environmental benefit.

The new line of silicone-free products represents three categories of inside tire paints used in the process of curing tires:

• Unfilled inside tire paint: Applied to the inside of each tire prior to curing to provide outstanding slip and tire uniformity.

• Filled inside tire paint: Specifically formulated to deliver maximum slip and air bleed.

• Durable unfilled tire paint: Creates a reservoir of slip-and-release functionality on the curing bladder surface, allowing the release of several untreated tires between applications.

Chem-Trend said it delivers the largest range of inside tire paints to the tire industry and will continue to manufacture both silicone and non-silicone formulations.

For more information, click here.

ExxonMobil Chemical has introduced a grade to its portfolio of Vistamaxx performance polymers. The company unveiled the polymer at PlastIndia, the ninth International Plastics Exhibition & Conference that was held Feb. 5-10 in Gujarat, India.

Vistamaxx 3588FL that is used pure in the sealing layer provides sealing performance in cast polypropylene films and heat-sealable biaxially oriented polypropylene films, ExxonMobil said, designed for fast and reliable packaging. The Vistamaxx 3588FL combines very low seal and hot tack initiation temperatures with broad hermetic seal range, making it well suited for applications such as snack, biscuit and candy packaging, the company claimed.

Using pure Vistamaxx 3588FL to replace standard terpolymer PP in the sealant layer of three- or five-layer heat sealable cPP or BOPP films can enable higher speeds for horizontal and vertical form fill and seal packaging operations, ExxonMobil said. Vistamaxx 3588FL delivers a 10 degree lower SIT and broader and higher hot tack window compared to standard terpolymer PP resins, the company said.

In cPP films, the use of Vistamaxx 3588FL in the sealant layer extends the hermetic seal range that is critical for applications that require leak-free and airtight packaging. The coefficient of friction is controlled easily using commercially available masterbatches leading to trouble-free VFFS operations with more sensitive films such as metalized cPP film, the company claimed.

A cPP film produced by Uflex Ltd., a packaging film conglomerate in India with a market presence in cPP film production and has been running Vistamaxx 3588FL, was displayed at the ExxonMobil's booth at the PlastIndia show.

For additional information, click here.

Dow Electrical & Telecommunications, a business unit of the Dow Chemical Co., has added Engage polyolefin elastomers and Nordel EPDM to its portfolio, expanding its system solutions offering.

With this addition, Dow E&T said it is supplying materials for ethylene alkene copolymer filled cables and ethylene propylene rubber cable constructions.

Engage polyolefin elastomers for EAM insulated cables exhibit improved flexibility, trainability and less spring back for ease of installation; thermal, wet and dry electrical stability; and improved environmental sustainability and recyclability, the company claimed.

Dow E&T said Nordel EPDM for EPR cable constructions and accessories demonstrates flexibility for ease of installation and constrained space applications; EPR history of reliability; and cost-effective, well-designed accessories.

For more information, go here.