Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc., a division of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., one of the leading companies in the chemical industry, a cyclo olefin copolymer (COC) will be marketed in the North and South American markets. The copolymer branded Apel will be available in film and resin form.

Developed using the Ziegler polymerization process, Apel has a lower birefringence and the highest refractive index (1.54) among commercialized COCs and other cyclo olefin polymers, making it ideal for use in high performance film, optical lens and packaging applications such as DVD players, recorders and SACD players, shrink film and in pharmaceutical packaging such as blister packs.

There are numerous actual and potential applications for APEL in the film, optical, medical, and packaging areas, said Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc sources.

Mitsui Chemicals expanded the production of the copolymer earlier in 2005 in response to increasing demand in high performance packaging, electronic and optical applications.

Source: Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc.