Borealis and Borouge to Demonstrate How Polyolefin Innovations Benefit New Applications

“Borealis has a strong commitment to the Russian market,” says Gerd Löbbert, Borealis Executive Vice President Polyolefins. “We will be at Interplastica to emphasise our ability to turn local market needs into new products with an improved environmental footprint.”

Jan 6 2012 --- Borealis and Borouge, leading providers of innovative plastics solutions, will highlight their latest developments across a broad range of applications and end-user industries at Interplastica 2012, the leading platform for plastic and rubber technology in Russia, from January 24-27 in Moscow.

“Borealis has a strong commitment to the Russian market,” says Gerd Löbbert, Borealis Executive Vice President Polyolefins. “We will be at Interplastica to emphasise our ability to turn local market needs into new products with an improved environmental footprint.”

Numerous new products, applications and solutions will be showcased on the Borealis and Borouge stand number 1E32 including:

High performance BorPure polypropylenes for thin wall packaging
Borealis has expanded its range of BorPure random polypropylene (PP) copolymers with improved organoleptics. BorPure RJ766MO is intended primarily for transparent injection moulded, thin walled food packaging. Its excellent organoleptic properties mean that it will not impart taste or odour to the packaged product. Its tailor-made molecular weight distribution (MWD) and crystalline structure result in fast crystallisation and a good balance of stiffness and impact properties. The material’s excellent flow characteristics enable processing equipment to run at lower temperatures than is possible with many competing materials with sufficient organoleptic properties.

Bormed polyolefins dedicated to healthcare
Bormed polyolefins meet the highest quality standards and fulfil all regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical and medical applications. They offer regulatory compliance, special production and quality control procedures, and extended technical support. Latest developments include Bormed LE6609-PH for bottles and ampoules produced by blow, fill and seal (BFS) technology and Bormed SC820CF for soft medical film, pouches and tubing. Bormed LE6609-PH was designed specifically to satisfy the elevated security and performance demand for sterilised products, reductions in material use and more efficient manufacturing. Bormed SC820CF for primary and secondary medical pouches is a random heterophasic PP copolymer that can be processed on cast- and blown film lines.

Transparency boost for polypropylene cosmetics and baby bottles with Borclear
Next generation high performance PP Borclear RC737MO creates differentiation, cost-efficiency and sustainability advantages for converters and brand owners in the fast moving consumer goods market. Intended specifically for cosmetics and baby bottles, it provides a leap forward in aesthetics by influencing the gloss, haze and clarity of bottles. When compared with next best alternatives like metallocene grades Borclear RC737MO offers better surface scratch resistance to ensure longer-term consumer attractiveness.

New high scratch resistance PP sets standards in the appliance industry
BG066AP high scratch resistance PP sets new aesthetic standards in the appliance industry. Its combination of high gloss and scratch resistance, coupled with an excellent stiffness/impact balance, makes it the first PP truly capable of replacing more expensive ABS solutions. Its lower density offers significant weight reductions, and the material also offers substantial cycle time reductions and energy savings, thanks to its high flow and good processability. Typical application areas include control panels for dishwashers and washing machines, door frames for white goods, filter covers, hair dryers and vacuum cleaner frames, kettles, irons and other household and personal care products.

BorShape - the latest generation of high performance film materials
Borealis introduced BorShape to the Russian films market last year. Since then, this family of high alpha olefin (HAO) terpolymers, based on innovative Borstar bimodal polymerisation technology, has proven its value at numerous processors. BorShape offers new opportunities for processors to develop innovative packaging films with less material than ever, while providing greater efficiency and improved environmental and lifecycle performance. High toughness and very high stiffness allow faster film extrusion line speeds, downgauging of up to 30% and lower energy use during processing and transportation. Films made from BorShape have features that match or outperform those of comparable advanced metallocene catalysed polyethylene (mPE) materials.

Xmod WB300UB high performance hybrid reinforced polypropylene for automotive engines
This compound, with its high long-term thermal stability, is ideal for replacing more expensive, higher density polyamide (PA)-based materials in under-the-bonnet applications. It was, for example, adopted for the air filter system in the latest Fiat Uno model in Brazil. The challenge was to provide an alternative solution to glass fibre reinforced PA, offering a product with similar or better performance and with a good balance in stiffness and impact strength, good surface properties (mechanical and aesthetic), good processability and high dimensional stability. The resulting solution met the challenge, weighs 16% less than the PA-based alternative, at a lower cost, and is more sustainable (as demonstrated by its better life cycle analysis profile). Fiat was so satisfied with the development that it now uses Xmod WB300UB for air filter housings on all its new models.

Pipe grades to improve sustainability and value creation below and above ground
BorSafe PE100 LS-H for underground water pipe systems and BorECO BA2000 for sewer networks offer durability and reliability that provide for pipe systems with a long, low maintenance service life. They lend themselves to installation with the most recently developed installation methods that combine speed and efficiency during pipe-laying with minimal environmental disruption.

For hot and cold water pipe, Borealis has a long track record as a supplier of crosslinked polyethylene (PEX). One of its latest PEX-a grades, BorPEX HE1878E, is specially designed to enable latest twin-screw extrusion lines to produce high quality pipe at high line speed. It is also especially suitable for large diameter pipe production. A fully stabilised, chlorine-resistant version, BorPEX HE1878E-C2, is also available in mini-pellets.

With its Beta-PPR brand, Borealis has also been leading the development of random PP copolymers (PP-R) for pipes, with the establishment of the new PP-RCT class. The material has an enhanced crystalline structure enabling the material to operate at higher stresses at elevated temperatures. Pipe producers can make considerable savings for example through reductions in wall thickness. Likewise system owners can also benefit from increased hydraulic capacity.

Wire and Cable solutions
Borealis and Borouge are the global leaders in plastics for the wire and cable industry and are committed to be recognised leading innovators. They continue to develop and produce high quality productivity solutions that enable cable makers to manufacture quality cables according to the highest industry standards while maximizing production output. The portfolio includes: Supercure LC8205R, delivering high water tree protection and outstanding electrical performance in medium voltage crosslinkable polyethylene (XLPE) insulation; Visico/Ambicat reactor-based silane copolymers for high productivity and fast crosslinking of low voltage cable insulation and Borstar bimodal PE that, with its unique combination of broad processing window and low shrinkage, is especially suitable for fibre optic cable jacketing.