With decades of experience in masterbatches for BOPP film and PE blown film applications, Ampacet has introduced the BIAX4CE™ masterbatch portfolio specifically designed for oriented mono-material PE films to the North American market.
Oriented mono-material PE film structures, whether by machine direction orientation (MDO-PE) or biaxial-orientation (BOPE), advance the fulfillment of sustainability goals by replacing hard to recycle film structures with mono-material PE recyclable structures.
In laminated packaging structures, oriented PE film allows for substitution of some non-polyethylene substrates such as BOPP, BOPA, BOPET and CPP in the manufacture of mono-material PE packaging, leading to an improvement in the quality of the mechanically recycled PE stream, while requiring compromises on some packaging functionalities such as lower stiffness, gloss and gas barrier characteristics. BOPE structures present advantages over BOPP, including greater seal strength, improved packaging seal integrity and better puncture resistance. BOPE also has proven superior to PE blown films in down-gauging, higher output and yield, better optics and tighter gauge control. Oriented PE films benefit from the improvement of certain physical properties over cast and blown PE films including stiffness that enables improved downstream processing.
As part of its sustainability initiative, NOVA Chemicals is currently producing MDO films using Ampacet BIAX4CE. “At NOVA Chemicals, we are using our extensive expertise in plastics development to create innovative solutions that are sustainable and drive towards a circular economy for plastics,” remarked Erica Canavesi, Applications Development Specialist at NOVA Chemicals. “We are currently developing oriented polyethylene films that can be used as building blocks to create fully recyclable packaging structures. The MDO films produced with our resins and Ampacet BIAX4CE additives show excellent optical and physical properties, helping us to deliver products that enable our customers and the packaging industry to reach recycled content and decarbonization goals.”
Ampacet’s BIAX4CE masterbatch portfolio includes additive as well as white masterbatches formulated to meet optimum quality and processing requirements for specific oriented mono-material PE film structures.
The Ampacet BIAX4CE additive line includes antiblock, antistatic, migrating and non-migrating slip as well as high performance antifog masterbatches.
Designed especially for the bi-orientation process, the BIAX4CE™ additive range includes antiblock, antistatic, migrating and non-migrating slip, as well as high performance antifog masterbatches to manufacture biaxially-oriented polyethylene (BOPE) films.
