Bormed™ SB815MO – a step change innovation in soft Polypropylene

Polypropylene (PP) product innovation to benefit healthcare value chain

Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, is extending its already comprehensive family of Bormed™ polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) materials specifically tailored to healthcare packaging applications with the launch of Bormed SB815MO.

As a step change innovation in soft PP, Bormed SB815MO addresses some of the most pressing challenges in the healthcare industry today. Firstly, the material exhibits a new level of softness and is the softest PP grade yet within the Bormed portfolio. The use of the Borstar® technology also enables good transparency without the addition of clarifiers. Critically, Bormed SB815MO enables sterilisation at 121°C and therefore enables a reduction of sterilisation time. This offers significant advantages for those production processes in which terminal sterilisation has become the rate determining step (RDS). When compared to low density polyethelene (LDPE) that can be sterilised at 110°C, the sterilisation cycle may be completed in half the time. What is more, this is achieved with a material that is flexible enough to be easily self-collapsible without venting, thus avoiding contamination. Finally, quicker sterilisation times can potentially enhance sustainability, for example by extending the lifetime of autoclaves.

The launch of Bormed SB815MO is a prime example of co-operation along the entire value chain, from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to converters, from design groups to business partners. "By working together with our partners in the industry we have been able to better assess current needs and to fill important market gaps," explains Max Wachholder, Borealis Marketing Manager Healthcare. "In the case of Bormed SB815MO, sterilisation trials carried out jointly with a leading OEM, which demonstrated significant reductions in sterilisation times were vital to the success of the project. By finding new ways of doing things with our existing technologies, we are pushing the boundaries in order to create even more options for our customers. Our ultimate aim is to enable our partners to find the ideal grade, whatever the application."

Sterilisation trials were carried out in co-operation with Rommelag®, among other OEMs. According to Bernd Hansen from Rommelag, "We are always keen to innovate in order to improve our performance for our customers, and joint evaluation of theoretical results can often yield interesting insights. From what we have learned about Bormed SB815MO, we see this new grade as an excellent supplement in Blow-Fill-Seal applications."

As the latest addition to the Bormed family, Bormed SB815MO is aligned with the fundamentals of the Bormed Concept: commitment, service, and conformance. Borealis is committed to ensuring security of supply in the short and long term as well as higher stock levels and planning prioritisation. The dedicated and global team of specialists at Borealis – from R&D to technical support and sales – will continue their ongoing dialogue with the healthcare industry in order to better assess needs. Borealis' expanding range of products offers built-in regulatory compliance, dedicated production and quality control procedures.

Learn more about Bormed SB815MO and other PP developments currently in the pipeline at the Borealis stand at the K 2013 trade fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, Hall 6, Stand A43, from October 16-23, 2013.

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For further information please contact:

Virginia Mesicek, External Communications Manager
Tel. +43 (0)1 22 400 772 (Vienna, Austria)
e-mail: virginia.mesicek@borealisgroup.com