Clear elastomeric SBS for blown film & molding.

An improved grade of styrene-butadiene (SBS) block copolymer with properties of a thermoplastic elastomer can be used to make thin blown film or clear, flexible injection moldings. Styroflex 2G66 is a second generation of a resin that has been commercially available from BASF in Europe since the mid 1990s, where it's used mainly in clear, stretchable packaging film--most notably as PVC substitute in meat wrap. The new grade is being offered here by BASF Corp., Styrenic Plastics, Florham Park, N.J.

Styroflex 2G66 boasts much fewer gels than the previous generation, which allows extrusion of films as thin as 10 microns (0.4 mils) while retaining high resilience and puncture resistance. Styroflex produces stretch film that has good cling and reportedly does not tear on sharp edges. It has four times the elastic recovery of PE stretch film. To be cost-competitive with PVC film, Styroflex can be coextruded with PE or it can be blended into PE. Adding 4% Styroflex reportedly increases PE film's puncture resistance by 60% while reducing its stiffness by less than 30%. Tel: (800) BC-RESIN * PTDirect: 362WB