Avient Corp. now is making Cesa-brand non-PFAS process aids in Asia.
Avon Lake, Ohio-based Avient is producing Cesa materials at plants in China and Thailand as well as the U.S. It's currently available for customers in the U.S., Canada and Asia.
Officials said in a news release that Cesa is made without fluoropolymers, which may be classifiable as PFAS, for use in polyolefin extrusion and film applications without compromising performance or efficiency.
"Certain PFAS are widely used in various polymer formulations to deliver desirable properties," Asia marketing director Pal Shi said in the release. "However, environmental concerns about PFAS are growing as studies have indicated many PFAS break down very slowly over time and can persist in water and soil.
"As a result, some countries are restricting PFAS, and there is growing pressure to ban all PFAS," he added. "This is causing processors to search for non-PFAS alternatives." Shi also said that Cesa "can help customers maintain a competitive edge in important markets, such as flexible food and beverage packaging."
Cesa can reduce melt fracture, also known as sharkskin, and also can also improve optical properties, leading to a higher-quality product appearance, officials said. It can be used in polyethylene and polypropylene films for flexible packaging, as well as cast PP films and PE tubing for food packaging applications, such as stand-up pouches, labeling tubes and laminated tubes.
At the recent NPE2024 trade show, Avient officials said the firm's Cesa Unify-brand polyolefin compatibilizer is a finalist for Product Technology Innovation of the Year for sustainable packaging at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) 2024.
Officials said the material enables the use of recycled polyolefins by creating a homogeneous polymer mixture, bridging the gap between virgin and recycled polymers.
Other newly developed products in focus for Avient at NPE2024 included Nymax REC-brand recycled nylon formulations, Versaflex HC BO-brand thermoplastic elastomers and ColorMatrix Capture-brand oxygen scavengers.
Avient is one of North America's largest producers of compounds, concentrates, composites and protective fibers. The firm posted sales of $3.1 billion in 2023.
