Chemical and plastics specialist Borealis has developed a new grade of high stiffness polypropylene (PP), Bormod BH381MO, which it says will help manufacturers of industrial pails to achieve their sustainability and product quality goals.
The Austria-based company says a combination of characteristics in Bormod BH381MO allows for lower processing temperatures and lower injection pressure, including the possibility to fill more complex parts, also supporting easier de-moulding.
This creates a “spectrum of productivity and associated environmental related advantages” for converters within a one material solution, which includes:
- 10-20% reduction in cycle time with shorter cooling times
- possibilities for downgauging and weight reduction
- energy and cost savings through low temperature processing and low injection pressures as well as faster cycles
- reduced carbon footprint from less energy consumption
- good stacking and drop performance for finished pails of all sizes
Bormod BH381MO, a new heterophasic copolymer, uses Borealis Nucleation Technology (BNT) to achieve a “one-of-a-kind balance of excellent stiffness, flow and impact”.
The PP grade has a melt flow rate (MFR) of 35 that behaves like traditional MFR 45 grades.
At the same time its stiffness level (tensile modulus) of 1700 MPa is more than 150 MPa higher than standard MFR 30 grades, yet with the same impact performance of softer grades.
The higher stiffness performance is maintained in high temperature environments.
From the start of the new grade’s development, Borealis worked closely with Wolf Plastics, taking the Austrian container producer’s end product processability requirements and trial feedback into account to achieve the resulting material innovation.
“Wolf Plastics has taken advantage of Bormod BH381MO’s low temperature processing performance to achieve shorter cooling times for its pails,” says Borealis.
“In combination with its increased stiffness and reduction in injection pressure, this leads to reduced cycle times and lower energy consumption during manufacture. The improved stiffness at higher temperatures means that Wolf Plastics’ customers can work with added assurance and without waiting delays.”
Borealis can also now use the same PP material for its full range of pails in order to reduce its inventory requirements, as the previous MFR 20 grade used by Wolf was unsuitable for small pails due to its low wall thickness.
“By responding to the key requirements identified by Wolf Plastics, Borealis has been able achieve a dedicated material solution that fills a gap in the market in terms of efficiency and overall performance for a more sustainable pail production process,” says Nicholas Kolesch, Borealis marketing manager business unit moulding.
In addition to large containers and pails for food, paint, DIY and other consumables, Bormod BH381MO is suitable for other packaging applications where high stiffness with good impact and good flow is required, e.g. thin walled packaging, houseware and transport packaging.
Pails made using Borealis' new PP grade Bormod BH381MO
