The company says the performance features of its Petrothene L3035 allow downgauging, with the puncture strength, high stiffness, and shrink energy creating tighter, more robust collation shrink-film packages that can eliminate the need for trays. In addition to maintaining package integrity during transportation, the enhanced visual appearance presents a more appealing consumer product on the store shelf. Petrothene L3035 is now available on a commercial scale, with North American production at LyondellBasell's Lupotech T process plant in Morris, IL.

A fractional melt index LDPE, Petrothene L3035 is also suitable for frozen food packaging, overwraps, and heavy duty films where clarity and stiffness are important. The basic resin L3035 meets Food and Drug Administration regulation 21 CFR 177.1520 for food contact. In terms of properties using ASTM test methods, the resin has haze performance of 7%, with puncture strength of 1.8 joules, Elmendorf tear in the machine direction of 230g, tensile strength at break of 4700 psi (machine direction), tensile strength at yield of 2100 psi (machine direction), and elongation at break of 470% (machine direction). —[email protected]