Borealis (Vienna, Austria) and Trexel (Wilmington, Massachusetts) have developed a new polypropylene (PP) bottle that combines renewable raw materials with microcellular foaming injection molding to achieve a “significantly lower overall CO2 footprint” than alternatives. The new bottle is reusable and fully recyclable, says Borealis, which will present the product in October at the K 2022 trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany.
“This project is an excellent example of how we are working with industry partners to solve the problem of plastic waste while delivering real value to our customers,” says Peter Voortmans, global commercial director/consumer products at Borealis. “Combining our polymers and recycling expertise with Trexel’s material processing know-how enables us to reinvent essentials for sustainable living.”
The bottle consists entirely of PP from Borealis’s Bornewables portfolio, a collection of polyolefins made from renewable feedstocks derived from waste and residue streams such as used cooking oil. The bottle is manufactured using Trexel’s proprietary MuCell technology, a physical foaming process that enables reduced density, improved mechanical properties, attractive surface aesthetics and a larger processing window, says Borealis.
“As a material solution, the new bottle minimizes the use of valuable raw materials,” says Borealis. “Moreover, converters consume less energy in the production process when using the MuCell technology. The bottle thus helps close the loop on plastics circularity by way of design for recycling, the use of renewable feedstocks and excellent material performance across multiple life cycles.”
In June, Borealis announced multiple agreements to supply Bornewables PP and polyethylene resins for packaging and pipeline products.
By Clay Boswell
Source: chemweek.com
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