I Polyolefins Moulding Bottles I www.borealisgroup.com
About Borealis
Borealis is a leading provider of innovative, value creating plastics
solutions. With more than 40 years of experience in the polyethylene (PE)
and polypropylene (PP) business, we focus on pipe systems, energy and
communications cables, automotive and advanced packaging markets.
We are strong in Europe and growing in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific
through Borouge, our joint venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company (ADNOC). Our technology shapes plastic products that make an
essential contribution to the society in which we live. We are committed
to lead the way in ‘Shaping the Future with Plastics’.
With EUR 5 billion revenue in sales and 4,500 employees, Borealis is
headquartered in Vienna, Austria with innovation centres, customer
service centres, and main production sites in Europe and the Middle East.
Borealis has representative offices and operations in Asia, North and
South America.
At its heart, the company’s four values of Responsible, Respect, Exceed
and Nimblicity™, define its way of doing business. For Borealis, success
is achieving value creation through innovation.
Borstar® is Borealis’ proprietary technology supporting differentiated
PE and PP products. Borstar is a registered
trademark of Borealis A/S.
Learn more about us at
www.borealisgroup.com
I 0�
02 Blowmoulding:achangingmarket
04 Acompletepolyolefinsportfoliotomeet
yourneeds
05 Ourrangeofhighimpactandhighstiffness
randoms
07 HighmeltstrengthPP
08 SpecialtechnologiesforPP
09 BorealisPEforbottles
�2 PEformilkanddairybeverages
Contents
02
The blow moulding market is currently characterised by continued
consolidation in the industry, with Central Europe becoming the
manufacturing base for leading blow moulding companies. Concurrent with
these developments, the blow moulding industry is increasingly becoming
a service industry to brands, as more and more retailers introduce their own
branded product lines.
Package offerings from suppliers are becoming more common, including
involvement in design issues, and encompassing the bottle, label, closure,
filling line etc. Another aspect of production expected to increase is "hole
through the wall" operations, where instead of receiving bottles from a
remote plant, the customer is supplied directly by an on-site bottle production
facility, literally via a hole through the wall.
A growing preference for plastic
Due to environmental and other factors, plastic bottles are steadily gaining
market share as the switch from glass and metal containers continues. In the
food segment for example, glass packaging for ketchups dressings has been
replaced almost totally by squeezable barrier PP bottles during the last two
years. Other examples include fresh and shelf-stable soups in barrier PP and
HDPE jars and the strongly increasing demand for HDPE and PP bottles and
containers in the personal application segment.
Blow moulding:a changing market
I Polyolefins Moulding Bottles I www.borealisgroup.com
Figure 1: Polymer demand by country
for bottles (2002)
Total = 3.9 million tonnes
Adding strength to the value chain
Consumers and end-producers of food and industrial products are becoming
increasingly demanding in terms of packaging performance and functionality.
Borealis Business Unit Moulding is strongly placed to meet the challenge with
advanced technologies and leading edge products, and is committed to the
continuous development of material saving and cost effective solutions which
provide optimal value along the entire value chain.
Polymer supplier
Converter Brand owner Retailer Consumer
• Broad product range• R&D competence• Best in class
products
• Reliable supply• Compatible to filling
goods & multi-layer-materials
• Functionality• Approved grades• Cost
• Be the first with new packaging
• Strong influence on approvals
• High transparency• High barrier• No taste or odour• Cost
• Increasing influence due to own brands
• High turnover of bottles / time unit
• Basic needs• Cost
• Safety (no leakage)• Risk free• Functionality• Squeezability• Emptying the bottle• Cost
Life cycle for polyolefin bottles
Origin Growth Maturity Saturation
I 0�
Table 1: Market challenges for each player
in the value chain
Figure 2: Life cycle for polyolefin bottlesMarketing/ R&D
Dem
and
/ Qua
ntity
ISBM bottles
PP
EBM bottles
PP
ISBM bottles HDPE
Borealis offers a complete polyolefins product portfolio of competitive and
differentiated products, developed to meet constantly evolving market needs.
We have an extensive number of end user approvals, achieved through focus
and long-term commitment to selected segments, end users and customers.
High performance solutions
Our market understanding, together with patents and proprietary technologies
such as Borstar and BNT (Borealis Nucleation Technology), enable us to
deliver high performance polyolefin solutions, as well the environmentally best
alternative to PVC, PET, PC and glass.
PP proves its value
Polypropylene in general has excellent water vapour barrier properties, good
heat resistance and is suitable for sterilisation, pasteurisation and hot filling.
Borealis has developed a leading product range that is designed to meet our
customers' demanding requirements in Extrusion Blow Moulding and Injection
Stretch Blow Moulding.
The market is dominated by random copolymers on account of their good
transparency and gloss. Market share for random copolymers is currently
around 75%, the remainder being heterophasic copolymers (20%) and
homopolymers (5%).
A complete polyolefins portfolio to meet your needs
I Polyolefins Moulding Bottles I www.borealisgroup.com04
Figure 3: Market segmentation
by application
Property RB206MO RB607MO RB�07MO
Mechanics Tensile modulus (MPa) ��50 900 900
Dropping height �l bottle 0°C (m) �.� �.4 �.4
HDTB (°C) 86 80 80
Optics Haze (%) �7-20 �8-2� �8-2�
Gloss (%) 90-�00 90-�00 90-�00
Processing Filling speed (%) �00 9� 9�
Hot filling �00°C 90°C 90°C
Plate out very low low low
Benefits summary
Our range of high impact and high stiffness randoms
I 05
• Excellent transparency due to highly effective nucleation agent
• Low taste and odour
• Good impact strength and high drop resilience due to high ethylene
content RB307MO, RB477MO
• High stiffness and compatible to hot filling RB206MO
• Organoleptically safe
• Full compliance with food contact regulations
• Full recyclability of all grades
• Exceptional impact for our block copolymer grade BB125MO
Table 2
I
Improved processability with Daploy™
PP randoms are limited in extrusion blow moulding technology in terms of
bottle size and bottle weight due to the melt strength of the materials. The
use of materials with higher molecular weight has a negative influence on
optical properties and cycle time, and increases energy costs. However
with the addition of only a few percent of Daploy HMS (High Melt Strength)
to standard PP random, the melt strength increases without any negative
influence on processability or the article’s properties.
Benefits summary
High melt strength PP
• Dry blend of RB307MO or RB607MO and approximately 5% Daploy
WB130HMS
• Higher melt strength and higher draw down velocity
• Possibility to produce transparent containers up to 10 litre
• Improved processability for large bottles up to 4 litre
Figure 4: Effect of Daploy on melt strength
07
Borealis RF926MO, the newly developed ISBM material, is a highly nucleated
random PP which can be converted in a one-step or two-step process. The very
efficient nucleator, the randomness of the material and the additive package
together provide excellent processing and stretching behaviour as well as a
uniquely competitive product proposition.
Besides detergent packaging, this grade is also suitable for the food, dairy
and water industries and fulfils the strict organoleptic requirements for these
segments. Due to the polymer design, the very efficient nucleation, Millad 3988,
and the additive package, articles produced from this material can achieve a
transparency that rivals glass. It also enlarges the processing window so that it
can compete successfully with other plastics.
Special technologies for PP
I Polyolefins Moulding Bottles I www.borealisgroup.com08
Borealis RF926MO key features compared to
Extrusion blow moulded bottles ISBM materials such as PET Other packaging such as glass
• Superior optical properties• Improved mechanical properties
(biorientation)• Higher productivity• No production waste
• Lower density• Enables weight reduction• Hot fillable• Sterilizable• Environmentally friendly• Lower bottle costs• Lower investment cost• Lower blowing pressure required
• Convenience• Less safety issues (non breakable)• Squeezable
Table 3
Picture 1: Borealis RF926MO: this bottle
was produced in a one step process
I 09
Capable and versatile: Borealis HDPE
HDPE is the most versatile and cost efficient material which fulfils market needs
in consumer packaging. It is also one of the most long standing materials, being
easy to convert and allowing a great variety of bottle design, as well as being
environmentally friendly. Borealis has the capability to produce both unimodal and
bimodal products for HDPE bottles.
Borealis PE for bottles
Figure 5: Market segmentation
of PE bottles applications
I ��
A choice of both bimodal and unimodal
Bimodal and unimodal PE both have their own advantages
in the production of PE bottles. Borealis supplies both, using
our proven proprietary Borstar PE technology for our bimodal
range.
Unimodal materials in general have higher swell. Our product
range includes high impact materials with good ESCR and
high stiffness grades, especially for the food industry. The
lower swell of bimodal materials enables weight reduction
due to the high stiffness and excellent environmental stress
cracking resistance. The ability to switch between unimodal
and bimodal materials very often depends on whether the
equipment can be adjusted to the different swell.
Table 5
Bimodal vs. unimodal for bottles
Bimodal Unimodal
• High ESCR • High stiffness • Better processability at same MFR compared to unimodal • Lower swell
• Good impact • High opacity • Better gloss
Table 4
Unimodal products Bimodal products
• BL252� • BL257� • BL26��
• BS254� • BS258� • BS4646
Figure 6: Influence on MWD on PE
characteristics - bimodal
vs unimodal PE blow moulding
PE for milk and dairy beverages
I Polyolefins Moulding Bottles I www.borealisgroup.com�2
In this market segment, carton is the leading material. For plastics, HDPE has
the biggest share. In product areas such as dairy beverages and probiotics the
annual growth rate is more than 10%. The fresh milk market (pasteurised milk)
is dominated by the northern European countries with the UK by far the biggest
- approximately half of the pasteurised milk volume is consumed in the UK.
The shelf life of pasteurised milk is around 4 to 7 days. On the continent UHT
milk and sterilised milk are mainly packed in HDPE bottles. To protect the milk
against short wavelength and visible light 3-layer bottles are used for UHT milk.
For oxygen sensitive products such as vitaminised milk, multilayer bottles with
up to 6 layers are used. Both products offered by Borealis are suitable for the
converting on shuttle and on wheel machines and can be used for pasteurised
and UHT milk.
Table 6
Figure 7: Due to the environmental issues
plastic bottles gain market share against
the other packaging materials
Requirements BL26�� dairy beverages BS464�MO
Taste & smell • • • • •
Productivity • • • • •
Impact • •
Stiffness • • • •
Suitable for Pasteurisation, UHT milk Fresh milk bottles, juice bottles
Borealis Moulding specialises in supplying advanced polyolefin plastics for injection,
rotational moulding and blow moulding processing technologies. Through leading
Borealis technologies such as Borstar®, and BNT (Borealis Nucleation Technology) and
a product portfolio for a wide range of applications like bottles, thin wall packaging, caps
and closures, transport packaging, houseware and healthcare, Borealis has over 40
years established a leading position on the moulding market across Europe.
Borealis believes that customer-driven innovation is the only way to achieve and sustain
progress. In the moulding industry, Borealis has pioneered the development of several
leading edge solutions. For example, low temperature impact, transparent polyolefins
have opened up new opportunities in deep freeze display packaging. In the ISBM
segment, biaxially oriented PP has reduced the weight and increased the transparency
of bottles. Through foresight and focus on customer needs, Borealis continues to
provide innovative solutions for the moulding industry that add real value throughout
the value chain.
We know the high value that our customers in the moulding industry place on product
consistency and processability. We pride ourselves on the performance of our products,
and through ongoing investment in upgrades and new plant programmes, we continue
to set new records for output efficiency and product reliability.
Borealis believes that responsiveness is the foundation of fruitful customer
partnerships. Business Unit Moulding ensures this through the resources of
strategically placed Borealis hubs across Europe:
Borealis Scandinavia, Borealis Central Europe, Borealis
Belgium and Borealis Finland, an innovation centre at
Borealis Scandinavia in Bamble, Norway, and a strong
sales force across Europe.
DisclaimerThe information contained herein is to ourknowledge accurate and reliable as of the date ofpublication. Borealis extends no warranties andmakes no representations as to the accuracy orcompleteness of the information contained herein,and assumes no responsibility regarding theconsequences of its use or for any printing errors.Our products are intended for sale to industrial andcommercial customers. It is the customer'sresponsibility to inspect and test our products inorder to satisfy himself as to the suitability of theproducts for the customer's particular purpose. Thecustomer is also responsible for the appropriate,safe and legal use, processing and handling of ourproducts. Nothing herein shall constitute anywarranty (express or implied, of merchantability,fitness for a particular purpose, compliance withperformance indicators, conformity to samples ormodels, non-infringement or otherwise), nor isprotection from any law or patent to be inferred.No statement herein shall be construed as anendorsement of any product or process. No one isauthorized to make representations or givewarranties or assume any other liabilities on behalfof Borealis except if in writing and signed by a dulyauthorized Borealis employee. Insofar as productssupplied by Borealis or its subsidiary companiesare used in conjunction with third party materials, itis the responsibility of the customer to obtain allnecessary information relating to the third partymaterials and ensure that Borealis' products whenused together with these materials are suitable forthe customer's particular purpose. No liability canbe accepted in respect of the use of Borealis'products in conjunction with other materials. Theinformation contained herein relates exclusively toour products when not used in conjunction withany third party materials.
Borstar is a registered trademark of Borealis A/S.
Daploy and Nimblicity are trademarks of Borealis A/S.