DuPont™ Surlyn® - Inspiring like a glance through a kaleidoscope

DuPont™ Surlyn® will inspire the cosmetic packaging community at Luxe Pack 2012 in Monaco like a glance through a kaleidoscope that gives unique views each time it is looked through.

DuPont Packaging & Industrial polymers will feature its polymer for luxurious cosmetic packaging solutions showing a variety of options the material offers to designers. To strengthen the relationship with the design community DuPont is working closely with different designers to approach the packaging community with new and inspiring ideas at Luxe Pack each year. This time the Italian company Lucchese Design was to find a new and inspiring way to present itself at Booth D1 in Hall Ravel l. Francesco Lucchese, CEO of Lucheese Design, who is experienced in working with a variety of materials and a focus of using glass has been exploring the possibilities of Surlyn® for the first time. “I am amazed by the freedom Surlyn® gives to a designer.” he stated. “For the concept I used a kaleidoscope to underline the characteristics of Surlyn® like design freedom and to have a symbol for endless possibilities of transparent or coloured textures and shapes.”

A prime example of the exceptional kaleidoscopic visual appeal of Surlyn® has been achieved by using overmolding technology for the cream jar of the “Sulhwasoo Dahamsul” product line of AmorePacific, a leading cosmetic producer from Korea. The distinctive printing effect is achieved by printing on a nylon inner cup that is encapsulated by Surlyn® using injection molding. The process removes the gap between the inner cup and the outside packaging, eliminating light refraction that would diminish the appearance of the inner graphics and providing the premium cream jar a jewel-like, shining appearance. Due to the high glossy transparency and the pleasant and soft touch provided by the use of Surlyn® the luxurious impression is enhanced further on. The application has recently received a Silver award, at the DuPont Packaging awards 2012 honoring Excellence in Innovation.

Another angle which will be reflected by the commercial applications and prototypes on display at the DuPont booth is illustrated by the Surlyn® 3D overmolding technology, leading to the development of an increasing number of colours, textures, shapes and sizes for the inner and outer containers of perfume, personal care and make-up products. Surlyn® 3D – the D’s standing for Design, Decoration and Depth – involves the overmolding of a single or multilayer polymer inner container with glass-like transparent, highly-durable Surlyn® resins. Its core benefit is the greater design freedom offered by the creation of inner and outer containers in different shapes and with a range of visual effects – from crystal transparency, coloured translucence to frosted effects. This unique production process using Surlyn® polymer enables the simple and cost-effective decoration of both the inner and outer containers' surfaces, which remain protected without the need for additional coatings or varnish.

Further aspects that will be featured in Monaco are the glass like transparency Surlyn® offers without the weight and fragility as well as optical aspects like frosting or colouring for elegant translucency to opaque solutions. The product gives the opportunity to mold complex shaped fragrance caps and closures that show an extremely good chemical resistance against perfume ingredients. Also cream jars, bottles and bottle casings can be molded in Surlyn®, offering offer a wide array of forms and even allows objects being inserted into the parts achieving unique and surprising fine details in new packaging concepts.