Crystal Nucleating Agents: Faster PP Cycles with Improved Dimensional Stability
June 8, 2026 2:00 to 3:00 PM ET. Online
Summary
This course targets materials scientists, process and product engineers, and business professionals across the polypropylene value chain, including resin producers, compounders, additive suppliers, converters, and end users. Participants will develop a practical understanding of how crystal nucleating agents accelerate polypropylene crystallization and increase crystallinity, resulting in improved performance and reduced cost. The course also examines the impact of nucleating agents on processing behavior, supported by case studies illustrating their effects on cycle time, shrinkage, and warpage.
If you can't attend one or several sessions live, or if you want to review some concepts, the recordings will be available after each session.
Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for professionals across the polypropylene value chain who want to improve PP performance, productivity, and sustainability through nucleating agents, including:
Materials scientists and polymer engineers
Process and manufacturing engineers working with polypropylene
Product and application engineers
Resin producers and compounders
Additive suppliers and technical sales teams
Quality, reliability, and continuous-improvement professionals
Business and technical professionals responsible for cost, sustainability, and performance decisions
Why Should You Attend?
Polypropylene performance and productivity are strongly influenced by crystallization behavior. Crystal nucleating agents provide a powerful and cost-effective way to accelerate crystallization, increase crystallinity, and improve part performance. This course explains how nucleating agents work in polypropylene and how they can be applied to reduce cycle time, improve dimensional stability, and lower overall manufacturing cost.
Everyday Problems You’ll Address
Why are PP cycle times longer than expected?
What causes warpage, internal stress, or inconsistent shrinkage in molded PP parts?
How can stiffness, heat resistance, or clarity be improved without changing resin grade?
How can productivity be increased while reducing energy consumption?
When should alpha vs. beta nucleating agents be considered?
How can additives support both performance targets and sustainability goals?
What You’ll Learn
You will gain practical insight into crystal nucleation in polypropylene, including:
How nucleating agents influence PP crystallization kinetics and crystalline morphology
The relationship between crystallinity, cycle time, mechanical properties, and dimensional stability
Differences between nucleating and clarifying agents
How nucleating agents affect stiffness, tensile strength, HDT, clarity, and gloss
The role of beta nucleating agents in developing differentiated PP products
Practical guidelines for selecting and using nucleating agents based on processing and performance goals
Why This Course Matters
Crystal nucleating agents are one of the most effective tools for improving polypropylene performance while reducing manufacturing cost and environmental impact. This course matters because it equips participants with practical knowledge to shorten PP cycle times, improve part quality and dimensional stability, enable down-weighting, reduce energy use, and support sustainability initiatives—without major changes to resin or equipment.
Registration Information
SPE Premium Member
FREE
SPE Members
$49
SPE Student Members
$25
(Student but not a student member? Join SPE for free to get program discounts!)
Dr. Philip Jacoby received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. He was a Senior Research Associate with Amoco and BP-Amoco in the Polypropylene Product Development group for more than 26 years. He holds 13 US patents and several international patents covering various polypropylene products, with emphasis on the use of Beta Nucleation in polypropylene. While at Amoco he developed a new business involving the production and sale of microporous PP breathable/waterproof film, and he authored six US patents on this technology.
He joined Mayzo, Inc. (an additive and release coat supplier) as VP of Technology in October, 2002. While at Mayzo he developed an entirely new business based on the production and sale of Beta Nucleant masterbatches for use in polypropylene. He also authored several additional patents. He has also written numerous technical articles involving PP technology, and authored a book entitled “Beta Nucleation of Polypropylene”. He is a past president of the Southern Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), and a former board member of the Thermoforming Division of the SPE. He retired from Mayzo in March, 2014, and now does independent consulting.
Specialties: Polyolefin technology and product development. Polypropylene structure-property relationships.
This educational program is provided as a service of SPE. The views and opinions expressed on this or any SPE educational program are those of the Speaker(s) and/or the persons appearing with the Speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. (SPE) or its officials, employees or designees. To comment or to present an opposing or supporting opinion, please contact us at info@4SPE.org.
Refund Policy
Full refund 14 days prior to the event start date. Please contact customerrelations@4spe.org for assistance with registration.
Copyright & Permission to Use
When you enter a SPE, a division of PLASTICS event or program, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event premises, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, webcasts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by SPE and their affiliates and representatives. Images, photos and/or videos may be used to promote similar events in the future, highlight the event and exhibit the capabilities of SPE. You release SPE, their officers and employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication and use of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or or sound recordings. By entering the event premises, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any use, exhibition, streaming, web casting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such use, exhibiting, broadcasting, web casting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by SPE or the person or entity designated to do so by SPE. You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the event.
Anti-Trust Statement
No discussion among members, volunteers, or staff, which attempts to arrive at any agreement regarding prices, terms or conditions of sale, distribution, volume, territories, or customers;
No activity or communication which might be construed as an attempt to prevent any person or business entity from gaining access to any market or customer for goods or services or any business entity from obtaining services or a supply of goods;
No activity or communication which might be construed as an agreement to refrain from purchasing or using any materials, equipment, services or supplies of or from any supplier; or
No other activity which violates anti-trust or applicable laws aimed at preventing unfair competition.
