Advanced terpolymers developed for better packaging

Borealis has developed new advanced Borseal terpolymers to improve biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), a raw material used in clear film packaging.

The company claims that the new grades significantly reduce processing downtime and providehigher gloss and improved transparency compared to previous grades.

The advanced Borseal grades include Borseal TD210BF, TD211BF and TD220BF, all of which contain antiblocking agents.

Borealis says that all current Borseal grades will be upgraded and replaced by their advanced Borseal equivalent.

"These advanced Borseal grades will enable film producers to differentiate film qualityand increase line operability," said Harald Hammer, Borealis Film vice president.

"They offer optimum benefits in terms both of performance and productivity andcontribute an important technical improvement to BOPP film production."

A major cause of downtime in long-run BOPP production is the build-up of deposits onthe die and air knife.

With sufficient build-up, the flat thickness profile deteriorates,and the line has to be stopped; the film needs to be cut back to the die and the dieand air knife cleaned.

The new, advanced Borseal grades were developed to prevent this downtime through improved melt stabilisation.

In addition, with reduced fumes, volatiles, and deposits, die lifetime is increased.

The company also believes that the new advanced Borseal grades satisfy demands for high clarity and gloss in packaging.

The result of this improvement is that the new grades offer lower haze and the highest gloss values, making them ideal when BOPP film must enhance packageaesthetics and brand differentiation with high clarity and a shiny appearance.

The advanced Borseal terpolymer family provides a range of superior solutions thatcomprehensively address customers' needs.

As a result of highly effective meltstabilisation, less low molecular weight and amorphous polymer fractions are formedduring film production.

This gives a film with enhanced 'surface purity', which combined with carefullyselected polypropylene-compatible additives, provides a material that demonstratesless blooming and more stable surface properties in the final film.

Borealis also recently introduced Borpact SG930MO, a clarified polypropylene (PP) plastic, to satisfy growing consumer demand for transparent packaging that is deep freeze resistant.

The firm says that Borpact clarified PP overcomes the technical challenge of combining transparency and low temperature impact in the thin wall, injection mouldable PP, and delivers additional productivity benefits.

Borealis is a provider of plastics solutions based on polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

It is 50 per cent owned by the Norwegian oil company Statoil, and 50 per cent by IOB Holdings, owned equally by OMV, the Austrian oil and natural gas group, and by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi.