• Customers like Hopf and Toly regard Novodur® and Luran® as ideal choices for cosmetics packaging
• Styrolux® and Styroflex® are characterized through good miscibility with polystyrene, transparency and impact resistance, leading to visually attractive shrink sleeves in the field of food packaging

INEOS Styrolution’s Novodur® and Luran® provide aesthetic and superior processing characteristics proving to be optimal materials for cosmetic packaging. In the food industry, Styrolux® and Styroflex® constitute quality packaging by ensuring food safety. These and other product highlights will be showcased by INEOS Styrolution at K 2016, the major trade fair for plastics and rubber, taking place in Düsseldorf, 19 - 26 October 2016.

It is no secret that in the cosmetic industry packaging is an important reflection of product quality and excellence. Packaging is no longer simply functional: it is a promotional tool. INEOS Styrolution has developed a wide range of specialty styrenic applications including Luran® and Novodur® that deliver both aesthetic solutions and superior performance properties.

Especially for cosmetic packaging solutions the INEOS Styrolution product portfolio ensures water-clear transparency, brilliant colorability, resistance to media and scratches as well as high surface gloss. All of our materials fulfill the latest regulatory requirements, guaranteeing our customers right from the start high performance applications. Going further, costumers are able to take the opportunity for a product co-development right from day one of a new idea. Within this process of collaborative innovation the costumer can accompany and shape every production step from texture to shape and color through defining their needs and requirements.

Recently, Hopf created eye-catching thick-walled cosmetic jars, high-quality containers that can be colored and personalized by various printing techniques using INEOS Styrolution’s custom grade Luran® 338L for key properties that include transparency, excellent flowability and color stability. Furthermore, Toly, a global specialist in cosmetics packaging for major brands around the world, partnered with INEOS Styrolution to realize creative packaging concepts that combine function, aesthetics and new industry trends.

Pacôme Mancel, Head of Packaging Specialties EMEA at INEOS Styrolution talks about the specialty applications contributed to the project success: "For its Halo compact line, Toly combined INEOS Styrolution's custom grade Luran® 378P for excellent transparency and media resistance with Novodur® P2H-AT for long-lasting high gloss."

Styrenic applications for the packaging industry have become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. Styrenics are especially common in applications for cosmetics and personal care products and are as well found in food applications, i.e. fresh food packaging and storage containers. INEOS Styrolution Styrolux® is widely used in this field because of its ability to combine food safety compliance with qualities such as outstanding transparency and high surface gloss.

Based on these abilities, Styrolux® is preferably used for shrink sleeves around packaging. Lately, shrink sleeves are becoming increasingly popular in food packaging, since these flexible plastic films fit perfectly around every bottle shape. Applications like INEOS Styrolution’s Styrolux® shrink sleeves are also proving to be extremely tough. The sleeves are held in place without glue, are easy to print on and have excellent recycling characteristics. Looking to the future, INEOS Styrolution is seeing great potential in the development of shrink sleeves and is further committed to serving our clients by building on our years of experience.

Manufacturers of packaging materials face many challenges, from the growing demand for innovative packaging design to increased performance and lower total system cost. Improved or added functionality in areas such as peelability, puncture resistance or multi-sensory packaging are desirable as companies continuously seek innovative ways to make their products stand out through packaging. At the same time, there are performance demands for less weight, greater stability and optimized energy efficiency and an ever-evolving need for new combinations of specific qualities, covering insulation, haptics, acoustics, permeability, resistance and regulatory compliance.