MILLIKEN TO SHOWCASE POLYURETHANE PRODUCT ENHANCEMENT AND PROTECTION AT UTECH 2003

GENT – January 13, 2003 - Milliken Chemical, a leading global supplier of specialty colourants and additives, will showcase its colour solutions, as well as its latest protection systems for polyurethanes, at UTECH 2003 exhibition. UTECH will be staged at The Netherlands Congress Centre, The Hague, 25-27 March and Milliken Chemical will be present on Stand 203.

Key solutions in the company’s presentation will be the REACTINT® family of reactive polymeric colourants and new AlphaSan® antimicrobial additives for both foams and moulded plastics.

A proprietary development specifically for foamed urethanes, REACTINT® colourants deliver a superior result compared to pigments. REACTINT® colours make bright, deep shades of colour a possibility and become part of the urethane matrix without adversely influencing its strength, flexibility or cell structure. Moreover, they stay ‘locked-in’ regardless of colour depth.

In addition to outstanding aesthetic and physical performance, REACTINT® provides for lower costs in handling and processing. Available in a broad palette of colours REACTINT® requires no mixing, is easy to pump and leaves little residue in drums, and importantly, is homogenous so colour will not settle out of solution. Even clean-up, should it be necessary, is simple because REACTINT® is soluble in cold-water.

Milliken supports REACTINT® customers with comprehensive colour matching services and dosing equipment to deliver colourants into the customer’s product.

In its focus on polymer protection, Milliken will present AlphaSan®, a new safe antimicrobial system that is non-toxic, non-flammable and non-corrosive. An advanced silver-based agent, AlphaSan® inhibits the growth of bacteria, mould and fungi on polyurethanes, preventing the unpleasant odours and product discolouration, as well as other surface degradation, caused by them.

AlphaSan®’s low addition levels provide for a cost-efficient long-term solution to microbe attack when compared with alternative time consuming and expensive cleaning procedures. This is complemented by the ease with which AlphaSan® can be incorporated into applications either in masterbatch or by direct addition. And, because of its excellent thermal stability AlphaSan® does not discolour or decompose during high temperature processing.