MIDLAND, Mich.—Dow has launched a low-density, lightweight LSR in its Silastic family for food packaging and contact applications.
According to the chemical company, the new LSR, which can be injection-molded and is available to European and North American customers, maintains low viscosity and high resilience attributes. It is intended for use in food dosing valves, closures, dispensers, seals, gaskets and other food-related applications.
"This innovative material expands Dow's Silastic injection molding LSR portfolio in several key areas," said Nathalie Gerard, European market manager consumer rubber, Dow Consumer Solutions. "It allows us to help our partners along the value chain fulfill ambitious recycling targets. The innovation at the same time enables attractive gains versus standard LSR and TPE in processing and in-use performance."
According to Dow, Silastic is designed for the molding of closures and dispensers and has "built-in recyclability for consumer applications," a function of its low specific gravity, which allows it to be separated from higher density plastics in the recycling process, Dow said.
"The launch of this lightweight LSR is strongly aligned with Dow's strategy to design products for circularity together with its partners in the packaging industry," said Loriane Parisot, global TS and D sustainability leader. "Dow has expressed its commitment to create products that are inherently good for the planet as well as good for the people they are made for."
The Silastic brand was introduced on a commercial level by Dow in 1945.
