The company got that and more by specifying EASTAR DN004 copolyester from Eastman Chemical (Kingsport, TN). "We evaluated a number of different materials, but except for a few very expensive specialty plastics, only EASTAR DN004 copolyester provided the performance and the esthetics we required," says Gwangho Kyung of Pacific Chemical's design center. As an added benefit, the material offers such outstanding scratch resistance that it eliminates the need to hard-coat the surface after molding, says Kyung. "That made it even more economically attractive," he adds. Dongsan Plastics (Seoul, South Korea) injection-molds the threaded closures in two sizes for the product line. A Dongsan spokesman says that the Eastman copolyester offers a relatively wide processing latitude, so scrap is held to a minimum. IOPE skin care products are packaged in attractively shaped, frosted glass bottles and sold in upscale department stores and through personal visits to homes by Pacific Chemical sales representatives. "The customer encounters the cap even before being exposed to our product," says Kyung, "so it's important that it contributes to the overall feeling of luxury that we are seeking to convey."
