Milliken Innovations and Partnerships at K Fair 2025

Spartanburg, S.C. — Milliken & Company's product innovations and strategic partnerships will take center stage at the K 2025 Trade Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, from October 8-15, as the diversified global manufacturer showcases its latest advancements. At this year's show, Milliken will feature new product innovations, highlight industry collaborations, and reveal the next advancement in enhancing polymers and shaping the future of the plastics industry.

“As we continue to innovate and expand our product offerings, our focus remains on enhancing performance and sustainability for our customers,” said Wim Van De Velde, SVP and Managing Director of Milliken’s plastic additives business. “Our presence at K 2025 underscores our dedication to driving the industry forward through collaboration and cutting-edge technology.”

Milliken has harnessed material science to create products that maximize efficiency and minimize resource use for more than 60 years. At this year's K Fair, the company will feature product advancements that continue to improve polymers and elevate performance, shaping the industry's future. New product highlights include:

• RESIST XTR™: Milliken RESIST™ XTR offers an expanded portfolio of colorants, including highly chromatic oranges designed to meet the extreme colorant performance required for demanding applications such as high-voltage battery connectors in electric vehicles (EVs). Formulated for extreme temperature processing, these high-performance colorants for engineered polymers deliver excellent thermal stability, improved lightfastness, and UV weather resistance.
• Hyperform® HPN® 58ei: Milliken’s latest nucleating agent for polypropylene (PP) is designed to improve optical performance, isotropic shrinkage, and regrind quality of sheets and thermoformed PP parts, delivering an improved balance in properties between stiffness and impact resistance while reducing energy use. Excellent for packaging applications such as beverage, meat, microwaveable food, and electronics.
• LeneX™ UGN-52: Latest barrier improvement technology enhances the performance of HDPE and LLDPE films, containers, pouches, and pharmaceutical bottles. These solutions enable downgauging to reduce material usage and part weight while also improving barrier properties in polyethylene (PE), allowing designers to create more mono-material products, thus improving recycling compatibility.
• EXPLAZ™: Optimized laser marking in polyamides. A naturally white appearance makes EXPLAZ uniquely suitable for white or brightly colored polyamide compounds, ensuring minimal visual impact on the base polymer. With effective performance using loadings as low as 0.2% LDR, EXPLAZ delivers both optimized processing and uncompromised aesthetics. 
• Next-generation additive: As the industry increasingly demands polypropylene products with clarity levels approaching those of ultra-clear (UC) materials, Milliken is set to unveil the next chapter in its innovation journey with the introduction of a next-generation additive at the K Show. Designed to optimize performance at lower additive concentrations, the company’s latest offering will provide solutions that enhance aesthetics and reduce extraction rates, making it an excellent choice for food contact applications and intermaterial replacement opportunities.

With recently announced strategic partnerships with PolyChim, OQ, and more than 30 strategic partnerships at this year’s K Show, Milliken remains dedicated to working with industry leaders to enhance product performance. Show attendees are invited to join Milliken partners for live machine demonstrations that highlight the practical applications of Milliken’s additives, including:

• LKIMM in Hall 13, Stand B78; Polypropylene cup made with Polychim's HS45XI homopolymer resin with transparency enabled by Millad® clarifying agents. Also producing a recycled polypropylene (rPP) cup with A.D. Compound making transparency and lower melt flow possible with Milliken’s Millad clarifying agents and Viscosity Modifiers.
• Haitian in Hall 15, Stand A57; Two-liter bucket produced with Carmel CAPILENE® QW 80 AV random copolymer resin and transparency enabled by Milliken’s Millad clarifying agents.
• Tederic in Hall 15, Stand D40; HDPE caps that utilize Milliken® polyethylene barrier additives.

Show attendees are also invited to join Milliken for a series of Tech Talks in Hall 6 at Gallery 1O-05 featuring industry experts discussing the company’s latest innovations and sharing valuable insights. Topics include driving advancements in plastics performance and manufacturing capabilities in collaboration with industry partners, all while prioritizing sustainability. Milliken’s new products will all be discussed throughout the Tech Talks.

From clarifiers to colorants, concentrates, and much more, Milliken’s chemical products add value across several industries, including automotive, consumer goods, electronics, healthcare, and packaging. Attendees are encouraged to schedule meetings with the Milliken team to explore solutions that can be tailored to meet their specific industry needs.

Hyperform® HPN® 58ei nucleating agents for polypropylene.

RESIST XTR™ colorants for plastics.

LeneX™ UGN-52 barrier improvement technology.

About Milliken

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.