ExxonMobil Chemical demonstrated its commitment to the nonwovens industry at ANEX 09 + SINCE 09 in Shanghai from May 20-22, 2009. A new resin, ExxonMobil PP 3885E1 polypropylene, was introduced, while ExxonMobil Chemical's broad portfolio of Vistamaxx specialty elastomers and its polypropylene solutions for nonwoven applications will also be on display.

ExxonMobil says its PP 3885E1 resin offers a unique opportunity to improve productivity, reduce waste caused by fabric defects, increase line capacity, and change line configuration while maintaining fabric properties.

 The novel molecular design of ExxonMobil PP 3885E1 resin provides efficient processing on the latest generation of spunbond equipment. ExxonMobil says that spunbond production can be increased by more than 15 percent without increasing the amount of hard-spot fabric defects and that compared with conventional PP, ExxonMobil PP 3885E1 resin produces finer fibres, which can provide better fabric uniformity and a softer feel.

Award winning Vistamaxx specialty elastomers continue to accelerate into a growing range of nonwoven applications including hygiene absorbent products (HAP), such as diapers, as well as medical, filtration and industrial products.

To support this growth, in addition to increased demand for PP, ExxonMobil Chemical is building a second petrochemical complex in Singapore, which will include a 500,000 tons-per-year PP unit and a 300,000 tons-per-year specialty elastomer unit. ExxonMobil Chemical recently opened a technology centre in Shanghai to provide product application support for its growing business in the China and Asia Pacific markets. Reinforcing ExxonMobil Chemical's long-term commitment to China and the region, the new investment will support growing sales of premium products by providing innovative solutions to customer needs.

Vistamaxx specialty elastomers exhibit versatile benefits and product qualities including good elasticity, toughness, the ability to bond easily with other materials for advanced processing, design flexibility, and a high coefficient of friction for slip resistant applications, the company says. Vistamaxx specialty elastomers enable nonwovens producers to make an elastic fabric in a single step using a variety of spunmelt equipment. In the past, this was possible only in a multistep process. Eliminating steps in the process can reduce total system cost while achieving the required performance. Vistamaxx specialty elastomers also allow increased capability in multi-beam processing lines to include elasticity in multi-layer fabrics. When blended with PP, Vistamaxx specialty elastomers provide additional softness to nonwoven fabrics, helping converters to meet the increasing market needs for softer products in baby diapers and feminine care hygiene applications.

ExxonMobil Chemical's broad portfolio of PP solutions for nonwovens includes ExxonMobil(TM) PP 3155E3 polypropylene and its meltblown grades. ExxonMobil PP 3155E3 polypropylene is an industry standard for spunbond applications providing robust spinning and operability.