ExxonMobil launches performance PE grade

ExxonMobil has launched its Enable 1617 performance polyethylene (PE) resin grade, and the Houston-based company says it is ideal for thin-gauge hand wrap applications and is designed to help provide high tenacity and consistent extrusion, as well as help enable the incorporation of high loading levels of postconsumer recycled (PCR) content.

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According to ExxonMobil, potential benefits of Enable 1617 include:

• the incorporation of PCR content;
• the ability to achieve high production speed, offering a cost-effective extrusion process that can maximize output while maintaining quality, making it ideal for high-volume production environments; and
• the ability to deliver high tenacity, strong holding force and reliable load stability, which can help wrapped products remain secure and intact during transportation and storage and help reduce the risk of damage.

ExxonMobil says an Enable performance PE resin-based solution can help deliver high tenacity, contribute to high holding force and great load stability. The company adds that Enable 1617 can combine seemingly opposite features—high flow and high tenacity. This combination can result in great cast film processing, the company adds, exhibited by fast line speed, low pressure and low motor load.

With its flow properties, Enable 1617 resins can be run in coextruded structures as discrete layers, contrary to some of the lower melt index high tenacity resins requiring blending in order to be processed, ExxonMobil says, adding that the balanced properties can provide opportunities for stiff, thinner gauge film while offering consistent extrusion and high throughput rates.

The company says that in high tenacity hand wrap applications, Enable 1617 resin can make the incorporation of more than 30 percent PCR content possible while maintaining high processability and good film quality. The incorporation of PCR content can make predicting gel content and quality consistency difficult, ExxonMobil says, and Enable 1617 is well-suited as a blend partner for the incorporation of PCR.

“ExxonMobil is committed to collaborating with our customers to understand their needs and to help them create compelling potential solutions for the industry,” Market Development Manager Justin Schmader says. “Our new resin not only can enhance performance, but also can support the incorporation of recycled content. We believe this product will help our customers achieve their operational objectives more efficiently, such as helping support their goals of reducing raw material use.”

More information about Enable 1617 can be found here.