Borealis and Borouge used the CPhI Worldwide show in Madrid, in October, as the launchpad for Bormed PL8830-PH, the first controlled plastomer solution for the global healthcare market. Borealis and Borouge (the Borealis joint venture company that operates in the Middle East and Asia) say the Bormed PL8830-PH is pushing the envelope of polyolefins performance characteristics for healthcare applications. Bormed is the companies' brand for polyethylene and polypropylene products used in healthcare applications.
With the addition of Bormed PL8830-PH, Borealis is now the only raw material supplier to offer a material that bridges the gap between thermoplastics and elastomers. On top of this, the Bormed Concept service package ensures that customers can rely on a secure supply of raw materials that are compliant with European, US Pharmacopeia and ISO standards.
Bormed PL8830-PH is an ethylene-based, octane-1 plastomer. Because it is a reactor polymer, it boasts the highest and mostconsistent quality, and it exhibits excellent purity and cleanliness. The material has flexibility comparable with thermoplastic elastomers, is easy to process and highly compatibile with polypropylene. It was specifically developed to be used as a versatile blend partner along with other polyolefins in film, extrusion and moulding applications.
The new Bormed plastomer offers numerous advantages for processors and end users. Blending with the other controlled resins of the Bormed portfolio makes it possible to achieve high packaging integrity, even at low temperatures. Among other things, this helps avoid damage to a pouch if accidently dropped and ensures a tight seal to prevent contamination of contents.
Furthermore, Borealis Bormed PL8830-PH contains low levels of antioxidants and no other additives. This simplifies the effort required to evaluate potential interaction between the application or packaging material and its contents.
An extra advantage offered by Bormed PL8830-PH is the potential for cost savings: it enables a significant reduction in the number of non-polyolefin impact modifiers used to achieve important performance properties, such as impact strength.
Finally, there is the matter of sustainability. Using Bormed PL8830-PH instead of non--polyolefinic blend components makes it possible to create a mono-material solution that is easier to recycle than mixed polymer solutions.
The principle target application of Bormed PL8830-PH is as a modifier in pharmaceutical film; for example, for medical fluid bags. It is especially suited for use in pouch systems. Possible applications include pharmaceutical primary packaging (including IV bags, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, pouch systems and active pharmaceutical ingredient bags), secondary packaging, film for medical device packaging and bioreactors.
