Dow Chemical unveils New Line of Peel Polymers for Smarter Packaging

Dow Chemical has recently launched its new line of SEALUTION Peel Polymers – ready-to-use, single pellet formulations that can offer reliable and versatile performance for easy-open packaging. The Dow Chemical Company is supporting this innovation with products, technology and in-depth knowledge in the essential elements of specialty packaging – adhesives, resins and films – elements that help converters and brand owners alike to deliver smarter packaging to the marketplace.

“Think of opening the bag inside the cereal box, the bag-like sleeve used to keep crackers fresh in the box, or even a package of cheese,” said Julia Schlenz, strategic marketing manager in Europe. “Dow’s peel polymer technology does a good job of keeping those bags reliably intact through the packaging and shipping process – yet also allows the bags to peel open easily when consumers pull to open them. The result – the package requires less effort, and opens reliably where it should. Anyone who has had a bag of cereal ‘explode’ in the kitchen as they open it can certainly appreciate this aspect of our technology.”

In more technical terms, SEALUTION Peel Polymers are polyolefin-based, single pellet options with advantages over conventional resins and blends. These polymers:

• Are a ready-to-use single pellet formulation
• Have the ability to be used in blown and cast film applications and with PE or PP substrates
• Are suitable for a broad range of peel seal applications, such as pouches, lidstock, and more
• Offer consistent easy-open functionality with no tear stringing

Packaging converters especially will appreciate the fact that SEALUTION Peel Polymers come fully formulated – online blending is not required. These products also offer reliable peel performance and reduced defects due to low process variability. This advanced technology offers converters consistent, efficient and economical processing, as well as the flexibility to match formulation and clarity requirements to specific package applications.

Dow is also extending its AMPLIFY Functional Polymers portfolio with a new range of polymers specially designed for use in sophisticated multi-layer food packaging – AMPLIFY TY.

“One of the greatest challenges facing package makers today is combining different materials into a single package with tailored functionality,” said John Garnett, of Dow’s Technical Services and Development department. “It’s not unusual to have an eight-, ten- or twelve-layered pouch that has to be filled with heated food, cooled, travel long distances and be attractively displayed on a store shelf – only to be carried home by consumers who still want that food to have that fresh, delicious taste. Our technology helps hold the package together.”

Dow’s AMPLIFY TY Functional Polymers include a versatile portfolio of interlayer adhesion products used in a wide range of barrier packaging applications. These adhesive tie-layers adhere barrier materials together with film or other substrates used in flexible packaging and help to improve package performance overall.

AMPLIFY TY Functional Polymers are easy to use, effective and efficient. They address the needs of an incredibly wide range of tie-layer adhesion demands:

• Existing commercial products for today’s demanding polyethylene and polystyrene based barrier film structures
• Developmental products for polypropylene based barrier film structures
• And ongoing research that may bring new solutions, including new products for PET-based barrier film structures 

AMPLIFY Functional Polymers also can be used in rigid packaging applications, such as multi-layered bottles, blow molded industrial containers and thermoformed barrier sheets.

“The beauty of AMPLIFY TY is that it combines the best technologies of AMPLIFY technology from Dow with the TYMOR technology that came with the acquisition of Rohm and Haas,” said Chris Urheim, Marketing Director for North America. “This is a powerful combination of research, knowledge and expertise. Few other companies today can offer the breadth and depth of understanding we have for the specialty packaging marketplace.”

Dow also offers excellent applications knowledge, and puts this capability to use by working with customers at their sites, or by operating regional innovation centers focused on packaging needs. Dow works with converters to offer advice and testing to determine which product formulations are best suited for specific specialty packaging needs. Dow can also create custom film structures and test proposed solutions even before they reach the customer’s packaging lines.

“Dow is very committed to continuing to bring innovative products and solutions to the specialty packaging market around the world,” said Cyrille Billouard of Dow’s Technical Services and Development organization in Europe. “Every day we are committing more resources and developing new ideas that will help our customers and ultimately brand owners to continue to bring innovative packaging solutions to the market place.”

SEALUTION and AMPLIFY TY join Dow’s growing range of specialty products for the global food and beverage packaging market. Dow offers specialty films, resins and adhesives that can improve the performance of sophisticated packaging structures.