Under Any Light - Specifying the Best Clarifier for Commercial Lighting

Especially in recent years, builders and designers have been incorporating highly efficient LED lighting solutions into commercial interior spaces—solutions that use 75% less energy, emit less UV light, and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting. ^[1] Once the standard, incandescent and fluorescent lighting has been challenged by the sustainability benefits offered by LED lighting. Projections are on track to suggest that up to 95% of all commercial lighting projects will incorporate LED solutions by 2050. ^[2]

The value to commercial businesses is clear—but are packaging solutions ready for the marked shift?

In polypropylene (PP) plastic solutions especially, the move to LED lighting might necessitate a resin reformulation. Typically, PP relies on clarifying agents to heighten the material’s transparency to a glass-like clarity. With the right clarifier, the haziness of PP is significantly reduced, allowing PP producers, converters, and brand owners to achieve unmatched transparency while also reducing energy needs and accelerating production in injection molding.

Many clarifying agents available today incorporate higher levels of optical brighteners. Under UV lighting, including incandescent and fluorescent lights, optical brighteners absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and re-emit them as blue light, creating a perceived “whitening” effect through the phenomenon of fluorescence. This helps increase the brightness and clarity of PP, but only if the plastic is used under UV lighting. LED lighting has a narrow light spectrum that does not emit the UV lights typical of traditional lighting sources.

If PP packaging uses optical brighteners but does not appear under UV lighting, those optical brighteners break down and cause the plastic to yellow over time. What was initially intended to enhance the look of PP ends up detracting from brand presence as time goes on .

Brands, therefore, need to seek out packaging solutions that can maintain their initial appearance under LED lighting for any length of time. Thankfully, PP packaging is still an option. By using Milliken’s latest generation clarifier, Millad NX 8000 ECO, PP resin is formulated using minimal or no optical brighteners, and the potential yellowing over time is reduced to nearly imperceptible. This means that brands can continue to enjoy the energy savings and production efficiencies of clarified PP without the potential impact to brand perception. 

The way forward is clear: We can expect LED lighting use to increase as more commercial spaces, including grocery stores and eateries, look to increase long-term energy savings. Brands can stay on the cusp of this adoption by switching to next generation clarifiers, so their PP packaging maintains its appearance no matter the light.

Contact Milliken today to explore how our latest generation clarifying agent can impart clarity with no optical brighteners