New Borealis BorShape™ covers several packaging challenges in one solution

02.11.2010

Borealis provides a revolutionary solution to the packaging market's key challenges of cost competitiveness, advanced performance and sustainability with the launch of step-change film innovation BorShape at K 2010. BorShape from Borealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, is a new generation of film materials based on Borealis' Borstar® bimodal technology and offers unparalleled performance without compromising operational performance.

The BorShape family of polyolefins (POs) consolidates the differing needs of the packaging value chain in a single product solution. It creates new opportunities to develop innovative films with less material, greater efficiency and improved environmental and lifecycle performance. Two grades have been recently introduced into the market and tested at pilot customers and several applications: BorShape FX1001 and FX1002.

Based on the outstanding processability of Borealis' Borstar technology, BorShape delivers high throughput, excellent bubble stability, very good thickness distribution, and low energy consumption and scrap rates. Film performance benefits include high toughness even at low temperatures in combination with very high stiffness. This allows for faster line speeds and enables material downgauging with consistently high film performance. BorShape's excellent hot tack further aids high packaging speeds and increased output.

This unique property profile allows BorShape based films to match or even outperform the features of comparable advanced metallocene based PE materials, targeting improved processability, in multilayer structures. BorShape supports sustainability within the packaging film industry, responding to demands for more considerate packaging development resulting in less packaging waste. The easy to recycle materials have low environmental tax impact and offer a light-weight alternative with less material consumption compared to other packaging concepts. This provides, in combination with ease of processing, knock-on advantages of lower energy usage during processing and transportation, in addition to environment-related benefits.

"BorShape sets a new reference in the PO film market with a down-gauging potential of 30%"comments Wim Roels, Borealis Senior Vice President for Film & Fibre. "This opens the door to advantages for our partners along the value chain: operational improvements and better film consistency for converters, improved efficiency for packers, and product innovation, reduced costs and a raised sustainability profile for brand owners."

The following applications demonstrate BorShape's ability to address the issues of cost-competitiveness, outstanding performance in advanced film solutions and sustainability demanded by converters, packers, brand owners and final end-users.

Multilayer film solution for transparent consumer packaging:

BorShape retains excellent optical properties as core material in multilayer constructions and a "pure" appearance for food and hygiene applications, collation shrink and other packaging applications.
High toughness improves abuse resistance.
Stiffer film materials allow material downgauging of more than 30% without compromising on toughness.

Film solution for lamination:

BorShape offers excellent toughness in demanding SUP applications such as pet food and detergent packaging, reducing pouch failure and the potential for product spoilage
High stiffness for good web planarity and SUP stand ability
High toughness / stiffness balance for lightweight laminated packages
High hot tack properties for high pack speeds
Optimised coefficient of friction (COF) for high filling speeds
Excellent reel quality for optimal handling in lamination and conversion steps

Wim Roels continues: "We are delighted to debut this exciting step-change innovation at K 2010. We are looking forward to exploring new opportunities to support our customers in improving their business and enhancing their capabilities to bring this new film innovation to the packaging market."

The performance features of BorShape translate into benefits along the value chain.

For further information please contact:

Lena Lehner
External Communications Manager
Vienna, Austria
+43 1 22 400 602
lena.lehner@borealisgroup.com

Borealis Business Unit Film & Fibre

Borealis’ film and fibre business specialises in supplying advanced polyolefin plastics for the manufacture of film, fibre, coating and thermoforming products. Through foresight and focus on our customers’ needs, Borealis provides innovative solutions that add real value throughout the value chain. With over 50 years of experience and pioneering solutions for the film and fibre industry, Borealis has established a leading position on the film and fibre market across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

About Borealis and Borouge

Borealis is a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions that create value for society. With sales of EUR 4.7 billion in 2009, customers in over 120 countries, and 5,200 employees worldwide, Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi and 36% by OMV, the leading energy group in the European growth belt. Borealis is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and has production locations, innovation centres and customer service centres across Europe and the Americas.

Through Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world's major oil and gas companies, the company's footprint reaches out to the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the Indian sub-continent and Africa.. Established in 1998, Borouge employs approximately 1,600 people, has customers in more than 50 countries and its headquarters are in Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Singapore.

Building on Borealis' unique Borstar® technology and their experience in polyolefins of more than 50 years, Borealis and Borouge provide innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the infrastructure (pipe systems and power and communication cables), automotive and advanced packaging markets. In addition, Borealis offers a wide range of base chemicals from melamine and plant nutrients to phenol and acetone.

Today, Borealis and Borouge have a manufacturing capacity of over 5.4 million tonnes of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) per year of which 26% are the result of a recently completed capacity expansion in Abu Dhabi. An additional 2.5 million tonnes per year is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013, creating the world's largest integrated polyolefins plant. The companies continue to invest to ensure that their customers throughout the value chain, around the world, can always rely on superior products and security of supply.

Borouge and Borealis are committed to the principles of Responsible Care® and proactively contribute to addressing the world's water and sanitation challenges through their Water for the World™ initiative.

For more information visit:
Borealis: www.borealisgroup.com
Borouge: www.borouge.com
Water for the World: www.waterfortheworld.net

BorShape™ is a trademark of the Borealis group.

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