Extrusion International 3-2021

23 Extrusion International 3/2021 New Vacuum Technology Optimises the Production of High-Performance Oriented Films „ Hosokawa Alpine presents a further development of the Ma- chine Direction Orientation (MDO) technology. The new gen- eration of Alpine’s MDO lines is equipped with a vacuum roll which optimises the production of high-quality oriented fi lm. MDO technology is based onmonoaxial orientation. It opens up the possibility of speci fi cally adapting and improving the opti- cal and mechanical properties of the end product. Barrier prop- erties, optics or fi lm thickness can be modi fi ed. Depending on the MDO design, the fi lm runs over eight to twelve rolls, two of which are stretching rolls. The second of these is now a vacuum roll with a porous surface. Due to the vacuum inside the stretch- ing roll, the fi lm is guided tightly against the roll. This signi fi cant- ly improves fl atness and the MDO fi lm is optimally prepared for lamination or printing. The Hosokawa Alpine MDO technology is a crucial component in the production of high-performance mono-material compos- ites made of polyethylene. This has a particular impact on the material cycle: until now, in order to generate certain product properties, composites of different materials were produced, which cannot be fully recycled. Full-PE packaging solutions, i.e. fi lms made from pure polyethylene composites, are a more en- vironmentally friendly concept. These can be fully recycled after Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft www.hosokawa-alpine.de their original use and reused in the circular economy for end products without material loss. This combines sustain- ability and resource conservation. Ho- sokawa Alpine can already look back on nu- merous successful projects with partners, in which high-performance and resource-saving packaging of the future has been produced. In the past, the patented Hosokawa Alpine TRIO technology (“Trim Reduction for Inline Orientation”) has already provided signi fi cant material savings in edge trimming. In addition to this innovative solution, the new vacuum roller also reduces the neck-in by up to 70 per cent. Neck-in means the reduction in us- ablewidth due to thematerial being pulled apart. So the signi fi - cant neck-in reduction saves further resources. Collaborative Project in Sweden intensi fi ed „ Borealis has commenced a newproject to secure an increased supply of chemically recycled feedstock for the production of more circular base chemicals and polyole fi n-based products. A feasibility study for a chemical recycling unit to be established at theBorealis production location in Stenungsund, Sweden is now underway. Funded in part by a grant awarded by the Swedish Energy Agency, the study is being carried out with project part- ner Stena Recycling. Provided a successful feasibility study and fi nal investment decision, operations are expected to begin in 2024. The unit will help accelerate the transformation to plas- tics circularity by enabling the replacement on a larger scale of fossil-based feedstock by integrating more chemically recycled feedstock via the mass balance model. Borealis Stenungsund has been ISCC PLUS certi fi ed since February 2021. Borealis will also co-operate independently with Fortum Recy- cling and Waste on a project involving the sourcing of plastic waste to the chemical recycling unit. Borealis AG www.borealisgroup.com Advancing plastics circularity with chemical recycling As a complement tomechanical recycling, chemical recyclinghas an important role to play in closing the material loop on plastics circularity. This is because plastic waste streams of lower qual- ity can be recycled chemically into high-quality base chemicals (including ole fi ns) and polyole fi ns. In fact, ole fi ns produced from chemically recycled synthetic crude oil offer the same high quality as ole fi ns produced from fossil fuel-based crude oil. This allows for the production of high-end polyole fi n-based applica- tions. These include healthcare and food packaging materials subject to stringent quality and safety regulations which cannot always be met by mechanically recycledmaterials. Borcycle™ C is the driving force behind Borealis endeavours in chemical recycling. Along with Borcycle™ M – in which “M” stands for mechanical recycling – it forms the Borcycle™ port- folio of all-round solutions for plastics circularity based on the technology suite Borcycle™ launched in 2019. Borcycle™ is transformational because it gives post-consumer plastics a new life; it continues to evolve thanks to innovation and value chain co-operation. Borcycle also is part of the EverMinds™ platform and its ambition for accelerating action on circularity. Hosokawa AlpineMDO Aerial view of Borealis production location in Stenungsund, Sweden (Photo: © Borealis)