Borealis is excited to introduce its revolutionary Borstar® Nextension Polyethylene (PE) technology, a major advancement in polyolefin innovation.
This new Borstar Nextension PE platform builds upon the established performance of Borstar® technology, incorporating unique single-site catalysts developed by Borealis. This innovation heralds a new era in advanced polyethylene solutions, offering exceptional toughness, sealing performance, and improved processability for packaging solutions. These enhancements allow for downgauging, increase cost efficiency, and promote design for recycling—crucial for today’s food and drink packaging industry.
Moreover, Borstar Nextension PE technology sets unprecedented benchmarks by enabling mono-material solutions that replace existing multimaterial products, simplifying sorting and recycling at the end of life. This advancement is vital for the packaging sector to achieve the recycling and waste reduction objectives outlined in the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
“This technological step change paves the way for more circular, high-performance, and resource-efficient packaging solutions,” remarks Erik Van Praet, Senior Vice President of Innovation & Technology at Borealis. “It underscores our strategic commitment to sustainable innovation, driven by continuous investment in cutting-edge research and development.”
Introducing Next-Generation Development Materials
Borealis presents the Borstar Nextension PE technology alongside two high-performance development materials, meticulously designed to address evolving market demands:
- A state-of-the-art solution that offers double the toughness of first-generation metallocene PE materials while maintaining stiffness and excellent processability. It features superior bubble stability and throughput, enabling more sustainable, fully recyclable food and drink packaging with outstanding performance characteristics. This material is ideal for industrial and food packaging applications, particularly suited for Form, Fill & Seal (FFS) and frozen food packaging.
- An advanced solution with a groundbreaking sealing profile that reduces sealing initiation temperature by over 15% compared to first-generation metallocene PE. This feature, combined with the material’s remarkable mechanical properties, enables faster packaging speeds and best-in-class hot tack performance, making it perfectly suited for lamination, FFS, and food packaging.
“Borstar Nextension PE technology will expand our portfolio with highly efficient and recyclable solutions,” adds Craig Arnold, Executive Vice President of Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions, and Base Chemicals. “This is just the beginning of a robust innovation pipeline that will serve customer needs across multiple industries.”
Attendees of K 2025 will have the opportunity to discover the new Borstar Nextension PE development materials at the Borealis and Borouge stand, Hall 6, Stand A43. Visitors can engage in discussions on how these material grades can help achieve their sustainability and performance objectives in the food and drink packaging sector.
Finally, the new Borstar Nextension PE technology complements Borstar Nextension Polypropylene (PP) technology, which was rolled out in 2022.
