Borstar® Technology

Borstar® is Borealis' state-of-the-art multi-modal proprietary technology for manufacturing polyethylene and polypropylene

What is Borstar® Technology?

Borstar® is Borealis' state-of-the-art multi-modal proprietary technology for manufacturing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Combined with Borealis' unique catalyst technology, Borstar supports the production of a wide range of enhanced PE and PP products for the most demanding applications by enabling molecular design. The Borstar process offers simultaneous improvements in conversion economics and in key environmental aspects, such as energy efficiency and raw material recycling.

Borealis provides continued Borstar development and is further commercialising the next generation of Borstar such as Borstar PE 3G. The new developments represent a leap forward in process technology, allowing flexible polymer design from bi-modal to multi-modal PE/PP and facilitating the development of an ever-widening range of new plastics that outperform alternative materials in meeting the needs of manufacturers and end users.

Borstar PE and PP capability and capacity expansion is a core ingredient of the Borealis and Borouge strategy. Significant growth projects include an increase of Borouge production capacity in Abu Dhabi to 4.5 million tonnes of Borstar polyolefins per year in 2015 and Bayport Polymers LLC (Baystar™), the 50/50 joint venture owned by Total and Borealis. This joint venture includes a 625,000 metric tonne-per-year Borstar polyethylene unit at its production site in Pasadena, Texas, and a one-million-tonne per year steam cracker in Port Arthur, Texas. The new cracker will process ethane and will supply feedstock for its existing 400,000-ton-per-year polyethylene units as well as the new unit in Pasadena.

Why Borstar®?

Borstar delivers what its customers need - consistently superior property products that can be converted into applications which give sustainable value. The Borstar process provides innovative polymers:

• with both good mechanical properties and good processability
• in a broad range of product applications (e.g. automotive, pipe, packaging, etc.)
• at competitive cost and less burden on the environment (e.g. downgauging)

Borstar yields a number of special property and structural benefits which are realised from tailoring the resin's molecular structure in both the PE and PP processes. These include:

• high environmental stress-cracking resistance (ESCR)
• long-term creep/burst resistance
• uniquely high stiffness/impact balance is in combination with add-on functionalities like surface aesthetics and dimensional stability